Gay Chicken

[kevyn]

There seems to be a new fad out there among young men that has me intrigued: Gay Chicken.

It's just like a regular game of chicken -- where two competitors speed towards one another, and the first to veer off loses. It's a test of courage and resolve.

In Gay Chicken, two guys move as if to kiss each other, and the one to pull away first is the loser.

This has turned into quite the YouTube fad. Doing a search for "Gay Chicken" on YouTube, you'll find literally hundreds of videos like this:

Intrigued, I started researching the fad. The oldest reference to it I can find appears to be an episode of Scrubs that aired in early 2004 (I'm still trying to confirm the air date & episode name of the clip. Edit: title "My Screw Up," Episode 14, Season 3, first aired February 24, 2004.) I don't know if Scrubs started the craze, or merely popularized (and perhaps named) the game.

What fascinates me about this whole thing -- besides the obvious titillation of seeing two guys kiss -- is what it says about the evolution of masculinity and dominance in young men in our culture. Here is a game that pits two of our culture's greatest masculine fears against each other: fear of being perceived as gay, and fear of being perceived as a coward. The winner is the one that can overcome the fear of being seen as gay, thus proving their courage and masculinity.

With the increasing tolerance of same-sex relations among younger people, I think this fad can be seen as a welcome move towards normalization of homoeroticism. The images of men kissing are nowhere near as shocking as they were a decade ago, and many young men who would never dream of engaging in conduct like this in the past are willing to do it now, if only to prove they aren't cowards.

Of course, young men who are exploring their sexuality may find this a gateway into further explorations, since it breaks the social barrier of having "kissed a guy" -- and in front of witnesses and peers, no less.

Thanks to crimsonsaint, who made me aware of the trend when he posted this parody video on his blog:

Comments

[baxil.livejournal.com]

Meh. Interesting trend, but is it really all that great a development? After all, the whole premise of "gay chicken" is that gay behavior is still something to be avoided. If the participants really had a positive or even neutral view of homosexuality, there would be no incentive to "chicken" and all attempts would end in kisses.

[kevynjacobs.livejournal.com]

I agree that, from a big picture perspective, the idea that gay behaviour is something to be avoided is at the heart of the game. In an ideal world, the game shouldn't exist at all.

But there's another angle here: in our imperfect world, one where gay behaviour HAS been shunned, the appearance of the game is a positive development. It does several positive things: First of all, acknowledges homophobia, brings submerged fear into the light, and does it in a playful way. It allows men to confront the fear of and discomfort with gay behaviour in a socially acceptable manner. It desensitizes young men to the behaviour, because now they've engaged in it themselves.

And, it does all of this brilliantly by tying overcoming the fear to another strong cultural drive in males: the fear of being seen as cowardly.

I can't help but see all this as positive.

[baxil.livejournal.com]

... That's fair. Good response.

"First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win." -- Gandhi