NBA Baller Charles Barkley Dresses Up In Drag For New Weight Watchers Commercial, Good Move?
Since leaving the league, NBA star Charles Barkley packed on a few pounds. Sir Charles was ribbed by his Inside the NBA cast mates for his new plump physique so much it became a running weekly joke. After doing commercials for Taco Bell and others, Barkley finally decided to shed the extra weight.
Like so many others, Barkley turned to Weight Watchers and became one of the company’s spokesmen. In an effort to reach more male customers, Barkley donned a dress–perhaps a JHud spoof?–to prove men can still be “manly” and follow the Weight Watchers plan.
So…I guess we can call this….”Dress Like A Woman, Lose Like A Man?”
What do you think of the commercial?
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I just want to say: don’t compare him to Wesley in TOO WONG FOO. That movie was about drag queens and transgender people, for god’s sake (although, yes, Charles doesn’t look better than Wesley in drag). Sometimes it is perfectly non-malicious for black men to dress as women in films – for instance, when they are portraying a drag queen or transgender person (obviously, it wouldn’t make any sense for the man to not be in drag in such a context). Not all images of black men in drag are meant to maliciously disarm or emasculate black men. Jeez. And, besides, it is very transphobic to suggest that it is somehow wrong for a man to dress as the opposite gender. That being said, I do think that Dave Chappelle is right that the majority of instances of hollywood putting black men in drag are meant to undermine black masculinity – but I think we also need to re-evaluate our ideas of masculinity because they are rather rigid and quite oppressive to men and women.
This commercial is about losing weight, and as such, I see no legitimate reason for Sir Charles to be in drag. Yet, I applaud his willingness to be secure in himself and have fun.
*Charles DOES look better than Wesley in drag*
I am starting to believe more and more in Dave Chapelle’s theory about Hollywood wanting to see Black men in dresses.
It’s true. The bruhs are too much man for Hollywood and they can’t take it. Always wanna put a black man in a dress. I wonder if maybe they don’t read their contracts thoroughly or they’re pressed for cash.
I realize the world is changing…but I hope my son never decides to dress as a woman. I don’t care how much money someone gives him….I want him to be a man at all times.