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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![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
crimsonsaint, who made me aware of the trend when he posted this parody video on his blog:
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 (
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:
