Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Boys on Barstools

A source of information and humor, the well known social media mogul called “Barstool Sports” has been celebrated and berated since their conception in the early 2000s. What started as a blog lept with the evolution of social media, reposting videos online and adding two-cents in online conversation. While politics and sociopolitical issues are rarely discussed, sexist ideologies and blatant displays of toxic masculinity certainly are. President and founder, Dave Portnoy, has refuted the company’s lack of political stance many times- on Fox News, might I add. But the context of their website tell us what we need to know, this company was founded by men, for men. A few clicks on their website show the obvious root of the company, sports. But as most things do now, this company evolved with the times and used their platform to post about mens sex based interests and issues. For example, I will reference a segment on their website called “Twerk Tuesdays”, which is planely a bunch of women submit videos of themselves shaking their barebutts to get on this website. 


While the website still aims to stick to their roots, they have perfectly encompassed the masculine
agenda: sports, boobs, food, funny videos of people falling, boobs, and more sports. Which leads me to
the question: Why am I so fascinated by this? I follow this website not because I agree
with the things they post and not because I’m the biggest sports fan, but because I find their
communication so well refined while being so effortlessly offensive and bringing men and the
occasional woman together. Watch one of their YouTube videos, or read an article on their website
and you know what you’re getting. 


The below article from NBC talks about the traditional masculinity that barstool exhibits, but
arguably I would term their message as “evolved masculinity”. Not socially combative while being
internally combative, not political while being social, and not a spec of femininity to be seen. Although
many people have voiced a problem with this company we have to admit that what they do,
they do well. 

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