Men are showing off their hairy chest to normalize and celebrate body hair.
In the past century, body hair has been a touchy topic in popular culture. Often, society and the entertainment/beauty businesses force the idea that we must be smooth and hairless. But, that’s not how the normal body works. Some men are hairy and their bodies are just as beautiful as anybody else’s. Thankfully, the past decade or two has seen a push for celebrating hairy chests. And now, a recent Twitter moment is expanding on that.
The moment started when social media personality Jay Hawkridge posted a tweet on Monday, May 17, saying that, “hairy chests are a massive ick.” Ironically, Hawkridge’s social media presence is based on his work to break the stigma around people living with HIV. Yet, his tweet about body hair pushed another unhealthy stigma. Thankfully, that tweet got some “massive” criticism as a response.
Disappointed in this idea that male bodies have to look a certain way to be “not icky,” men of Twitter staged a little protest. Cameras out and ready, several Twitter users took shots of themselves shirtless with their chest hair flying free.
But don’t take our word for it, check out some of the pictures below.
who asked pic.twitter.com/ejwj0Yngff
— everything beagle (@descovyschild) May 17, 2021
Heard hairy chests were….ick??
(Why are we body shaming still?!) pic.twitter.com/BZJNNjXxt3
— Rod (@bignerdyrod) May 18, 2021
Did someone say something about hairy chests being ick? pic.twitter.com/4aqwJJClU9
— Coopie Woopie (@Cdilly_35) May 18, 2021
hairy chests…icky icky ick.. pic.twitter.com/v3yV5j1WgQ
— jason (@JasonRich86) May 18, 2021
Tweeting “hairy chests are a massive ick” is how to summon me pic.twitter.com/BabM3MIswt
— Crystal | Black Lives Matter (@crystalwillseeu) May 18, 2021
https://twitter.com/chavoandrew/status/1394653649012281345?s=20
What was that? Hairy chests are ick? pic.twitter.com/sUCrvEW6Fo
— Kyle (@ruffdiggitydog) May 18, 2021
Hairy chests are “ick” you say pic.twitter.com/rV5Vl0kFPs
— Grovesy 🏴 (@grovesy911) May 18, 2021
https://twitter.com/deadliftbear/status/1394533188354117634?s=20
What’s this about (ginger) hairy chests and “ick”? pic.twitter.com/nDFGLI5DYv
— David (@gingertrvlguru) May 18, 2021
hairy chests are a massive ick pic.twitter.com/ZWkhYqJL54
— Murtaza: Fitness, Nutrition & Music (@Murtaza_Ramay) May 18, 2021
So from what I can gather, some gay said that hairy chests are “ick” so obviously this is my opportunity to flaunt my best feature pic.twitter.com/zr9rknOylB
— ♡ Ross ♡ (@rossboulton01) May 18, 2021
My reaction to gay twitter thinking that “hairy chests are ick” pic.twitter.com/x9ppzGxIRk
— Jus10 (@jnordell) May 18, 2021
https://twitter.com/thedogokratos/status/1394648559975337990?s=20
something about hairy chests being ick so let’s remember the only time I’ve ever liked mine lolll pic.twitter.com/SputxvB3JN
— hugh (@me_the_machine) May 18, 2021
https://twitter.com/WantThatTrophy/status/1394436696792469508?s=20
https://twitter.com/bxbyzxddy/status/1394571032619634689?s=20
more hairy chest 🔫🤬 pic.twitter.com/MZHMuAKgYq
— top roman ➐ (@topromanx) May 18, 2021
*if you like to remove your body hair, that’s awesome*
(the point being YOU decide what makes YOU feel sexy – not others)
— Thom (@CorvusCorax77) May 18, 2021
Can someone thank that the problematic gay that tweeted hairy chests are ick because I am really loving the pics on my timeline right now. 👀
Honestly his mind pic.twitter.com/M82P6vH75o— socialbee (@NYSocialBee) May 18, 2021
HIV is ick! How he feel now?…….
Let’s not do that, Merkey. My mentioning his social media presence was not to attack his HIV status but to point out the irony. Instead, let’s rise above. Let’s be better. Let’s celebrate both people with chest hair and people who live with HIV. Then, we can move on from his silly comment.