FORUMS > Rugby Forum Rules

Thought you might like this ad campaign. I dropped my jaws with lust at this photograph.

http://www.cestsoparis.com/goodies/wallpaper_rugby_1280x768.jpg

Main site would be:

http://www.cestsoparis.com

YUm YUM! Thx :D

This pic is embarassing. I find it hard to believe that anyone who actually understands rugby would ever create this.

Are you serious, atx78745?

Sure, my teammates save the hot makeout sessions for -after- the game, and I'm a little worried about their hookers' dafety in that scrum, but I'm pretty sure this ad is meant in a lightheard spirit.

Of course its meant to be light hearted, Paris is the city of love as they say.

And come on, its hardly slander or a dig at anybody, i'd love to see the reaction of some half wit who tried to bully one of those rugby players, 'put in his place' would be the least of his worries.


If you want to talk about embarressing talk about the Tongan rugby player who was banned for inserting his digits up players bums as a tackling stratagy.

Or in my opinion embaressment at the stereotype that to be gay is to be loaded with the main staged stereotype, e.g. pink wigs, swinging purses, bitching and makeup.

Do i think that this photograph is embaressing? NO

Do i find it fulfils a comic value? YES

Does it help to broaden diversity of the gay community? Probably

Is it tongue in cheek? Most definatly

There are many colours in the Homo rainbow, don't be afraid to let your colour shine-Can't remeber the name of the band

I guess I have a hard time with it because there are so many predominantly gay teams trying to break into predominantly straight unions. Granted, misconceptions go away early into the first game with a predominantly gay team. Still, I'm afraid that straight ruggers will drift away from the typically provocative rugby "culture" if imagery like this continues to emerge. It's almost taking what was an unspoken, unique aspect of rugby and publicizing it. The word that comes to mind is "backlash".

Gay pride parades, email campaigns, gay straight alliances, etc. accomplish awareness and acceptance in their own ways. But I think rugby is my own vehicle of activism. I get to travel around a US "red state" (conservative) and change straight minds by bringing a good solid game and not sexualizing things.

As for the issue with the Tongan rugger: I think I actually blame the guy he tackled. For a thumb to so easily get up there, the guy's ass was probably at least three centimeters dilated. So if a random thumb slipped up in there, who's fault is that? (kidding, of course)

The guys name was Hopoate.

I don't think I find it too embarrassing...just because we play rugby, which is considered to be hard for a predominantly gay team to be involved in, doesn't mean we can't add some of our own culture into it. Not that this ad is wicked cultural, but it can be considered gay art - trying to get the message of the "city of love" out there for all types.

That could just be an over analyzation. It could just be considered a fun ad/spoof.

Just my take on it though.

Being an ex rugger player, due to injury, I really dont have an issue with this. In fact I think it does more to breakdown general public stereotyping of gay people than anything else.

But I doubt many straight teams or players you come up against will have googled gay french rugby unless they were dilated and were seeking that proverbial thumb up the arse anyway!

I can see your concerns but dont think it will have a massive impact outside of gay culture