Have jock straps become more of a weird fetish than practical men’s gear?
I wear a jock strap for one reason- It does the job better than any other type of athletic supporter. But apparently from what I hear every time they come up as a topic lately, it sounds like they are catnip for gay men.
I want to be clear that I no problem with gay men and don’t want this discussion devolving into a homophobic pissing match. My problem is with an attitude that if a man drops his gym shorts in a locker room while wearing a jock strap that he's unintentionally sending out a homosexual mating signal…
Is this really the case these days? If so I’ve been oblivious to the fact up until now. Do you avoid wearing a jock because of a perceived gay sexual connotation?
I’ll keep wearing one when I need to regardless because they work and compression shorts are uncomfortable as hell… But it does suck to see the actual purpose of a men’s product being overshadowed by a fetish attached to it.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Tor on -
Yeah, it was news to me too 'til recently. Maybe the notion is mostly bunk.
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Permalink Reply by Liam S. on -
Never heard of that connotation/connection. I'm trending towards thinking it's bunk.
Wear what works. I've never much worried about what other people thought anyway.
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Permalink Reply by Tor on
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Good points.
It’s not hard for most guys to wrap their head around the reality that if a guy is into other guys sexually, then under-gear that leaves a dude’s ass hanging out would probably be considered the most awesome garment ever… I was mostly wondering if that fringe aspect of jock straps was somehow becoming the thing most associate with jock straps rather than how well they work for support.
For the most part from the replies it sound like this is not the case, but it does remind me of something pretty insightful that Will posted way back about a downside of the sexual revolution is that damn near everything gets sexualized regardless of context. This jock strap ‘issue’ would be an example of men feeling self-conscious from living in such sexualized culture.
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Permalink Reply by Chuck Knight on -
As recently as 50 years ago, it was common to swim nude at the YMCA. In fact, it was mandatory. Swimsuits were not allowed. And, it was equally common to see men shirtless when appropriate, for example, mowing the lawn in the summer heat. Even showering at the gym has now been sexualized. It used to be a way to get clean.
The "sexual revolution" produced a backlash that turned us all into sexually uptight prudes.
Back to the subject at hand. Jockstraps, as a supportive undergarment, are functionally designed, and as has been said, work extremely well for their intended purpose.
Wear one, if you need one. I do.
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Permalink Reply by Tor on
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I don’t think I’ve ever worn a shirt mowing the lawn in temps over 70.
On a hilarious, unrelated to the discussion side note… There is a guy that lives along one the county roads near here that mows his lawn in a speedo. It’s sort of become a gross roadside attraction around here.
"The "sexual revolution" produced a backlash that turned us all into sexually uptight prudes."
Well said.
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Permalink Reply by JonEdanger on
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Permalink Reply by Tor on
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@LM
The thing is… Men trying to look “sexy” are often hilarious. An ex-girlfriend told me once that nothing is less sexy than a guy trying to be. (Of course that could have been just directed at me…) -
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Permalink Reply by Carl Monster on -
I don't recall as a kid ever seeing any man shirtless. A T-shirt was the proper attire for doing dirty/hot work, not shirtless. If anything, men overdressed. Hippies were my first memory of shirtless men.
Maybe it's a regional thing.
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Permalink Reply by Tor on
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Really? That just seems foreign to me. What region do you hail from? Guys having their shirts off in the summer around here couldn’t be more of a non-issue. Obviously guy don’t go inside public places shirtless, but whether it’s yard work, running, driving, or relaxing out at a park, nobody thinks twice about men being shirtless.
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Permalink Reply by Carl Monster on
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Grew up in suburban North Jersey. From memories and looking at old photos, and my wife's family too, suburban South Jersey.
Suburbs are a different environment than the country, perhaps.
Where I live now I'm the only one who ventures out shirtless occasionally. I have some older gents as neighbors and they also stick to white Ts for hot outdoor work.
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