This 1947 pic of “macho man” John Wayne sporting a moose knuckle in short shorts has everyone talking

THe spaghetti western superstar was rocking fruity fits as early as the 1940s.

Apr 12, 2023 - 20:00
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This 1947 pic of “macho man” John Wayne sporting a moose knuckle in short shorts has everyone talking
John Wayne's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame

Are men today really dressing less masculine than they used to? Definitely not, as a recent viral tweet pointed out: even so-called masculine icons like spaghetti western superstar John Wayne were rocking fruity fits as early as the 1940s.

“Boomers: Kids nowadays dress so gay, what happened to real men like John Wayne?” wrote Twitter user @Meltart. She followed it up with a 1947 photo showing Wayne on vacation in Acapulco in an out-of-character outfit: skin-tight short shorts, a stylish hat, and a tasteful pair of sandals, with a strappy purse on his shoulder.

People’s eyes were immediately drawn to Wayne’s skimpy shorts, which put his … ahem, physique on full display…

Some folks focused on his other accessories, wondering what brand of sandal the Golden Age actor preferred…

Ragging on Wayne for his outfit might seem unfair at first — but Wayne himself was a first-rate bigot, so a little ridicule is deserved.

He was famously conservative, with regressive views on race and sexuality. In an infamous Playboy interview from 1971, he expressed his racist views, saying, “I believe in white supremacy.”

He also said that he considered films with gay characters (like Midnight Cowboy, which he called “a story about two f*gs”) to be perverted.

Thus, Wayne was one of the first in the grand tradition of homophobic gays wearing homoerotic outfits.

Some users drew comparisons to modern-day country singer Travis Tritt, who recently expressed outrage at Bud Light’s partnership with trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney — though clearly, Tritt is no stranger to dressing rather flamboyantly himself.

Besides, Wayne wasn’t the only vintage man to try out a more feminine style. Some users replied with pictures of other 20th-century celebs, like physicist Albert Einstein, who had some strappy shoes of his own, and Olympic swimmer Johnny Weissmuller, whose swimsuit would raise some eyebrows at the pool…

Still others pointed out that short shorts like Wayne’s were just the style of the times. Anyone pretending modern trends of dressing “gay” are brand new hasn’t been paying attention.

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