Look, an openly gay athlete in a locker room with an NFL player. What a distraction and how uncomfortable … not.
For years, the supposed sacrosanct nature of a men’s locker room has been a big reason given for why gay athletes don’t come out. It will make everyone too damn uncomfortable, especially macho football players.
Nivea has turned that narrative on its head with a new ad for its line of men’s body care products featuring openly gay skater Adam Rippon telling Miami Dolphins receiver Danny Amendola the best way to shave his body hair.
The two seem a bit chemistry-challenged and the ad is kind of stilted, but commercials are often windows into changes in culture. And here we have an openly gay athlete comfortably discussing body shaving with a straight NFL player while both are shirtless. I could easily have seen the same ad done years ago where both are fully dressed while talking in the parking lot.
Of course, in real life Amendola wouldn’t be sharing a locker room after football practice with someone coming from dance lessons, unless the Dolphins have cut back and no longer have their own practice facility. But it’s the underlying message that counts — dudes are dudes, no matter their sexual orientation. And everyone can use some personal grooming tips.
