Erotiese

 

EROTIESE

I have realized that even though it is not as bad, Blogger is full of the same kind of men I used to see on Tumblr. Well, it's a little bit better on Blogger, because many of the men they publish are naked, and I like to look at naked men. After the purge of anything Erotica from Tumblr it is all homogenized, sanitized torsos and very little else aside bland, pretty things.

Instagram is going the same way, but there's still photographers and illustrators there that get away with some very stylish and tasteful nudes and semi-nudes. But you just know it may not last. And that's when Erotiese comes to play. They publish photos of men who are not the typical fare on Instagram where everybody seems to be in his twenties and have very restricted diets and six free hours a day to dedicate to the gym. It's like Tumblr reloaded. 

So I was doing my rounds on Instagram (I stalk it, because they do have cool plant care videos and cute memes) and this jumped to me: "Capturing the diversity and magnificence of men." It was The Erotiese Project, a page full of what I thought were very attractive men. And I had to dig deeper, of course. You see, the idea that all that is considered 'attractive' in what concerns males needs to be between 20 and 30 years old, have white, perfect, plucked and manicured bodies and no character is anathema to me. 

Gay culture seem thoroughly homogenized from my point of view: young fit guys is all we seem to have to ogle and after a minute, they all look the same to me: same hair, same teeth, same biceps, same abs. They are immobile reminders of a culture in constant arrested development. These posts leave me wondering where ARE the men? Yes, young fit guys are attractive (I just posted Marcel Floruss taking his shirt off while trying on clothes, for Pete's sake!) but are they the ONLY option of men we have to ogle? 

I have never been one to say no to the occasional Jock who have decided to know me in the Biblical sense. There's been some football players, some basketball players and the occasional runner who have shared their views of what it means to be flexible with me. And it's been fun. A hard, muscular body and stamina to spare are always welcome. But those have been exceptions to the rule, not the default. The default are bodies that are on the verge of average, men with a little curve in their midsections, with biceps that do not strain their sleeves as much as they used to, with some wrinkles that shine when they laugh, with some gray and some spark. 

I like men whose confidence does not come from the obvious. Their physical appearance could be imposing, but that's not why they command attention. I like to look at men who seem not to care about the fact that they are not perfectly young and fit. And they come in all colors and textures, with different tales to tell. That's what comes across in the photographs of the men in Erotiese. Yes, they could be considered fit (in the sense that their bodies are aesthetically pleasing) but they are not that young, their physicality does not come from a pneumatic place. Their sensuality comes from a certain place inside, even though they are also showing us their bodies the same way many other guys on Instagram are showing us theirs. I call it experience, grit, . You can call it what you want. 

I know many men who like men tend to go for the young, fit, pumped bodies. But I do not. I prefer the bodies I ogle to have a little wear and tear, a little character, a story. Some history. I like to think that the bodies I admire could lay next to me. "A visual narrative of male expression".  That's how they define The EROTIESE project online. You know I read that and I was hooked. Because of course I was. I recommend a visit. Who knows? You may find something you fancy.

Happy #Pride

XOXO