"It matters that they're hockey players, beyond the athletic perfection of their insanely oiled, slick bodies (as my friend, Eve, who's 21, put it). And it matters that Rozanov is Russian, because the obstacles are real: he cannot be gay think about the sponsorship, think about the fans, think about the oppressive patriarchal regime. Think about it for two seconds and this can not happen; and it achingly doesn't, and almost does, and does, then doesn't happen, over years."
"The actors are all over the late-night US TV shows; the clip of them presenting at the Golden Globes has been viewed more than a million times, and their most throwaway remark on social media blows up. Although Eve isn't the only young woman to love the show, people don't mention how much gen Z women love it, since it's priced in that they'll watch anything (which in itself is quite sexist)."
Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov are professional ice hockey players on rival teams whose athletic bodies and nationalities shape the show's erotic charge. Rozanov's Russian identity is framed as a barrier to being gay due to sponsorship, fans, and an oppressive regime, creating prolonged will-they-or-won't-they tension. The series sparked a fervent fandom, intense media attention, and celebrity promotion. Discussion of the audience centers on heterosexual, middle-aged women, often described with sexist stereotypes like 'wine moms,' while Gen Z women's interest is minimized. Some viewers liken the show to porn without sex, emphasizing yearning over explicit action.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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