Friendly rivalry: Video signals shift in attitudes

London – The video for Hot Chip’s new single, Don’t Deny Your Heart, includes a sequence that takes the mainstream aesthetic of sport video games into new territory with a virtual gay kiss sequence.

In the Netstalgic video, virtual Manchester City and Manchester United teams go head-to-head in a fiercely contested match. But the competition takes a surprising turn as two rivals break out into a spontaneous kiss, leading to a massive love-fest in the arena.

Representations of gay men in media and pop culture are increasingly avoiding overt gay signifiers. Ray-Ban’s Never Hide campaign last spring featured a photo of a gay couple holding hands in 1940s Manhattan, dressed in the inconspicuous business attire of the period.

Such portrayals are bypassing controversy to connect directly with a diverse liberal audience with positive cues such as authenticity and individuality.

This echoes the more open-minded attitudes in British football today, explored in our New Football microtrend.