"Of the several surprising side effects of our current fascist dystopia (hyperawareness of ICE's proximate location, fixation on the state of presidential hands, being positively horny for more vaccines as the government wants me to get polio), among the most bizarre is needing to know which football players decided to go to the White House after winning the Super Bowl."
"Several Philadelphia Eagles players declined to make the trip earlier this year after their victory, a move that some considered a kind of quiet protest against Donald Trump and his administration. But before the football season had even started, Taylor Swift's now-fiancé and podcast microphone-haver Travis Kelce had said he'd visit the White House regardless of who was in office. "No matter what's going on in this world," he said, "it's just a cool opportunity." For some football fans, this was par for the course;"
"His old tweets about giving a "squirle" a "peice" of bread twined with his obsequious public affection for Swift and noisy performance of dutiful suitor have led many to categorize Kelce as a sweet idiot. The New York Times called him a "himbo," the Atlantic referred to him as a "joyful lunk," and his latest GQ profile married images of a hypermasculine Kelce, shirtless in camo pants, with quotes about how much he loves his pop star girlfriend."
The current political climate has produced surprising side effects, including intense attention to which athletes accepted White House invitations after championships. Several Philadelphia Eagles declined a post-Super Bowl White House visit, an action interpreted by some as a quiet protest against Donald Trump and his administration. Travis Kelce publicly committed to visiting the White House regardless of the occupant, prompting division among fans. Kelce's relationship with Taylor Swift amplified scrutiny of his persona. Old tweets, performative courtship, and media portrayals have led commentators and fans to label him a 'himbo' or 'joyful lunk,' complicating interpretations of his White House decision.
Read at Slate Magazine
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