drop it like it's hot

I'm all for gratuitous displays where men are objectified. Add to that the fact that these men are not often sexualized, and voila! instant interest. I am curious as to why is it that we see so very few men being put on display. It's usually women who are put in that position. So I am usually surprised when I find something like these Khaiki dancers. I had to stop and watch.

Usually, YouTube and its algorithms come up with its usual array of music videos and short film and aquascaping tutorials, but once in a while it surprises me with something unexpected. And that's how I got to go down the rabbit hole of looking for men dancing.



I found myself mesmerized. Really. The combination of beauty and strength, the idea that this is what culture looks like without colonization and without the imposition of judeo-christian repression. Because these men's ancestors were dancing like this before they were enclosed by norms brought from the outside. They would tell warrior stories through dance. And they look beautiful while doing it.

The idea of men dancing (or not) is one that apparently could be related to the idea of what men are expected to do. There's a notion that points to the idea that men don't put themselves on display. They are not supposed to be comfortable when put in the position of a sex object. And that's just plain dumb. It's heterocentric, it points to a narrow definition of masculinity and it reeks of heteronormative assumptions and internalized homophobia.

So the next time you hear music, let yourself go and dance. Go ahead. I support you.

xoxo