A seven-month old, typo-laden declaration of masculinity has suddenly turned into the best Internet meme we’ve seen in weeks.
Back in January, Steven Crowder —a radio host, comedian, former Fox News contributor and conservative talking head on various TV news programs — tweeted the following:
This is the ideal make body. You may not like it, but this is what peak performance looks like. pic.twitter.com/6M8Y63QNI7
— Steven Crowder (@scrowder) January 13, 2016
Now, Crowder is an MMA fan and a martial arts enthusiast. As The Verge wryly noted, the picture “appears to be mixed martial artist Fedor Emelianenko , standing uncomfortably in a photograph that channels the grime oeuvre of Terry Richardson.”
A slightly ridiculous post, but whatever. Body shape notwithstanding, Emelianenko is a beast and several time MMA champ. And maybe Crowder’s post could serve as a gateway to discussing the larger ideas of masculinity and body image? Or perhaps a lesson in proofreading tweets before you hit send?
But Twitter wasn’t having that. They were, however, having a lot of fun at Crowder’s expense.
This is the ideal male body. You may not like it, but this is what peak performance looks like. pic.twitter.com/2aheD7IOdF
— gabriHELL (@instantrami) August 16, 2016
This is the ideal make body. You may not like it, but this is what peak performance looks like. pic.twitter.com/fi1fin0NIx
— Vladinka (@verywhales) August 16, 2016
This is the ideal male body. You may not like it, but this is what peak performance looks like. pic.twitter.com/AKEgVOluLl
— guided by vices (@corcrane) August 16, 2016
This is the ideal make body. You may not like it, but this is what peak performance looks like. @h3h3productions pic.twitter.com/P0dbvMoH47
— RetroDave (@davefaszanatas) August 17, 2016
this is the ideal make body. you may not like it, but this is what peak performance looks like pic.twitter.com/Q7rkKCSPUt
— ㅤ (@anamericangod) August 17, 2016
This is the ideal make body. You may not like it, but this is what peak performance looks like. pic.twitter.com/5TcRz79ICj
— Fiona (@cogentanalysis) August 17, 2016
This is the ideal make body. You may not like it, but this is what peak performance looks like. pic.twitter.com/YIatWVMYc1
— Jordan Rubin (@jordanrubin) August 16, 2016
Lesson here? Be careful when declaring anything ideal … “make” or otherwise.
As for Crowder? So far, his only response seems to be a rather thin-skinned retort: “Weaponizing sexuality and body-shaming. Let me guess… ‘tolerant’ liberal?”
Whether you’re looking to get into shape, or just get out of a funk, The Charge has got you covered. Sign up for our new wellness newsletter today.