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muscle

Check Out Bare Beef Tees- No Pants Required…

by Ryan Shea

Bare Beef, Manhattan Digest

I’m always on the lookout for the next great thing in gay brands, especially in the fashion industry. With the summer still in full swing for another month, many gay men are on the hunt for their last big vacation to take before the warm weather makes its exit and the brisk Fall weather makes its way in.  So why not try to find some really great fitted tees that show off your physique, have a great pop of color with some awesome and sexy graphics to go along with?  This is where Bare Beef Tees come along.

I discovered Bare Beef on Instagram actually, where that particular page alone has amounted to 6,000 followers in a short period of time.  Pretty impressive for any Instagram page.  The page is chock full of super hot beefy guys modeling some of Bare Beef’s signature and great tees for the masses to enjoy (including myself).  I was very curious to know more about how the brand came about and so much more, and got the opportunity to do so.  I sat down with owner Al Bare who told me more about the business, how his shirts are for men of all sizes, upcoming events, and so much more.  Take a look.

Credit to: Geo Honaker for Vision Video Photography
Credit to: Geo Honaker for Vision Video Photography

So how did the concept of Bare Beef tees start?

The idea of Bare Beef tees came about from several compliments and conversations shared with friends, followers and admirers regarding my artwork. It was our collective belief that there was a community out there that would both enjoy and appreciate fantasy images of bear and leather men on quality tees and tank shirts.

When it came to coming up with a name for them, how did you land on “Bare Beef”?

A friend and I were brainstorming with one another about a name that would both suggest and sort of be a twist for the word “bear” and the word “beef” to denote images of sexy muscular hairy-beefy–bare chested fantasy men. So we thought it was just a good marriage of words to come with Bare Beef as our company name. While there are numerous t-shirt companies geared for the bear community that featured cartoon oriented designs and phrases we however wanted our designs to feature actual images of beefy muscular guys.

Design wise; was there anything you drew inspiration on when it came to making the tees themselves?

As an artist, I drew upon images from tv, movie and photographic prints as well as everyday men I saw at the gym , bear events, clubs or just regular guys on the street with a strikingly handsome face or aspect about their bodies that I could draw and even enhance wherever i chose.

Credit to: Geo Honaker for Vision Video Photography
Credit to: Geo Honaker for Vision Video Photography

You use very bold and strong colors on your tees such as a sharp red and black for instance. Do you tend to shy away from a softer color palette due to the intensity in how the models wear the shirts?

Since the original drawings are grey from their inception and then outlined digitally, a lighter color palette would not necessarily provide as great of a contrast as it does with the bolder t-shirt colors. This way the bolder “colored fabric canvas” provides a backdrop that stands out more and shows off the artwork a little more prominently. As we continue to grow and designs become more varied we will very likely incorporate different color palettes accordingly for their respective designs.

Are these shirts designed for men of all sizes?

Currently our designs are available in Medium to XXXLarge sizes. Even though most of our customers are members of the bear community (bears cubs,otters,chubs) as well as the leather community, we have however more recently received many requests from smaller framed guys that we will of course be certainly fulfilling in the very near future.

What is your take on gay men’s fashion today. Do you find that it is a bit one note or do you think we are improving when it comes to body acceptance in the community overall?

When discussing body image acceptance as a whole within the gay community and all of its sub-cultures I personally believe that there is still need for improvement. The bear community has long been identified as one in which body image shape, size; etc has been much more accepting and less critical when compared to the other sub cultures. The other cultures have both promoted and continued to revere a more slender, fit contoured physique and thereby have not embraced nor been as accepting of fashions which were casual or otherwise.

Credit to: Geo Honaker for Vision Video Photography
Credit to: Geo Honaker for Vision Video Photography

You have amassed over 5,000 Instagram followers which is quite impressive. How were you able to build on that with your brand?

When the original idea came up to begin this line of tees and tanks we asked friends, acquaintances and models to wear a tank or tee and had a photographer take several provocative pics of the guys. Then, we slowly released the pictures one by one via Instagram exclusively and we gained an impressive following right from the start with the release of the first couple of pictures. From there it just grew and grew until the launch of the line in May. We have had several customers who have purchase a tee or tank then took a selfie of themselves in their tee or tank and then we posted those and received even more attention and more followers from those postings. We also try to keep up with our customers by liking and commenting on their posts.

Price-wise, what does an average Bare Beef shirt cost?

Industry-wise we are on the low end since some of the retailers actually sell their tees and tanks from anywhere $40-$50. Our tees are only $26.99 and tanks for only $24.99.

Do you have any events coming up with Bare Beef that my readers would like to know about?

Yes thanks very much for asking …International Bear Bash in Orlando, FL in September; Hibearnation in St. Louis, MO. in November; and North American Bear Weekend in Lexington,KY in February. There’s also a chance that we’ll have our shirts at the Mid-Atlantic Leather in Washington, DC in January although that is not yet confirmed. At each of those events, our line of tees and tanks will be available at the Vendor Market at the Torso Menswear booth.

Credit to: Geo Honaker for Vision Video Photography
Credit to: Geo Honaker for Vision Video Photography

What is your ultimate hope with the Bare Beef brand?

We hope to expand from just the line of tees and tanks and broaden the line to include items such as hats, underwear, shorts, swimwear or even gym bags. Ideally we’d like to see our line crossover into the other cultures and be worn by guys of all genres.

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Filed Under: FASHION, LGBT, LIFESTYLE Tagged With: bare beef, barebeef, gay, gay bear, Gay Community, gay muscle, muscle

Why Gay Men Love To Hate Muscle Bears (And Hate To Love)

by Ryan Shea

 Why Can’t We All Just Get Along (Muscle Included)?

Many of the articles that I write really come from a variety of experiences.  Most of the times they are a combination of my own experiences mixed with others to culminate in what I take out of it all and put it in the best way possible so that it sparks a healthy debate between everyone else.  Funny thing is with this one,  it never really crossed my mind until a recent Facebook post.  A good (and very smart) friend of mine put this post up regarding how the bear community views the muscle portion of it and ultimately how it really ultimately reflects on how you yourself are as a person-

“What’s so tragic is watching guys who should have loads of self-respect lost in this self-defeating exercise of defining these “muscle bears” as physically superior and themselves as losers in the same scene, and then blaming these guys they really don’t even know for their mental and spiritual discomfort. There’s a betrayal of something that has always been an awesome option for self-defining as bear, which is to know you’re as hot as you feel you are and not to give a fuck what anyone else might think. It’s the people standing in groups, bitterly dishing the guys they are attracted to who they assume aren’t into them who ruin the atmosphere at bear events, not the guys they point and sneer at.”

This wound up sparking a very long threaded debate on how men, not only in the bear community but in the gay community as a whole, view muscle guys.  It really boils down to this- haters are really just haters.  Let’s break this situation down, because I have done this somewhat and I know I am not the only one who has been in this corner of somewhat “hate-dom”.  This is a random scenario here-

I am at a popular gay bar with a couple of my friends.  All of a sudden, a group of muscle bears (or guys, whatever) walk in in an upbeat and happy mode, order drinks and stand around with the impression that they are having a great time.  This will then trigger something in my head to think that even if they are having a great time and are laughing and dancing and whatnot, they are still a bunch of royal douchebags.  Why?  Because in a lot of guys minds, they are insanely insecure when they are around men like that.  This is for so many different reasons.

1. They compare body types and feel as if they need to look like them in order to get that attention.

2. Snarl all they want, these guys want the muscle dudes to be attracted to them and if they go in with a defeated or cunty attitude about it, it just worsens the whole process.

3. This will then lead to them having minor chit chat with their other friends about said douchebags, who most of the time are just trying to enjoy themselves and not get into a weird process of guys glaring at them for no reason.

4. Bottom line, its freaking insecurity.

This can also cause a chain reaction of sorts in which I have written about so many freaking times before-  separation.  Division.  Something that the gay community seems to fight against and want so badly to have some sort of unification yet these types of issues are working against that thought.  Why do we do this to ourselves?  Many times I have been at these bars and have found a swarm of guys who come from all backgrounds of life, be it size, race, finance and so forth all standing around and talking to each other and having a good time.  Then again, I have also seen situations where its the Asians in one corner, the black guys playing pool, the white bears all huddled up like they are playing a game of football and the muscle guys who stick with each other for whatever reason need be.  In these types of situations, everyone stands shoulder to shoulder but no one engages and keeps to themselves.

But there has to be a reason for this happening, and in my opinion it really can stem from growing up and choosing who you want to hang with on the playground, only this time around there is a lot more body hair and drinks that don’t come in a sippy cup.  We might think the other group is weird or we aren’t attracted to them or the new expression of “Aint nobody got time for that”.  Time for what?  Unless someone provokes you or gives you a reason to not like them, why the hatred?  What the hating?  Why glare at someone who seems to be having a great night just because you are the one that’s angry?  Then again, why be angry?  Because in this situation you bring the misery on yourself as a form of self-deprication.  I am guilty of it, and many others are.  It stops us from really opening our eyes and enjoying what is really great about this community, especially ones who want to go to the big “bear” events and enjoy themselves wholeheartedly and not get mad if a particular group seems to be having a great time and not focusing on you.  Really at the end of the day you gotta love yourself before you love anyone else.  Am I quoting RuPaul here?  Sure.  But that line makes fucking perfect sense.

So let’s have this be a lesson to everyone- go out, enjoy YOURSELF, enjoy YOUR TIME, and not focus on the muscle guy in the corner and what they are doing.  Better yet?  Go up and introduce yourself.  You never know what can happen and the positive effect it can have on your life.  Cheers, y’all.

 

 

Filed Under: OPINION Tagged With: be you, Bear Community, Bears, cubs, gay, gay bar, gay bear, Gay Community, gay cub, gay muscle, hate, love, muscle, muscle bear, muscle bears, muscle guys

My problems with the bear community

by Ryan Shea

 

I will start this one off by saying in the past couple of years I have met some incredible and wonderful people in the bear and gay community as a whole, some of who I call my best friends nowadays.  So this isn’t a cry for help or woe is me article whatsoever.  Just my problems with the bear community from my point of view.

To me, the word “bear” is so unbelievably skewed that I don’t think people even know what it really is meant for anymore.  There are so many different definitions in this community that in a way I still don’t know what I am considered (nor do I care really, I am just Ryan). From my understanding, when the bear community started back in the 80’s it was meant to be a community of guys that were in a way shunned from the norm and had an outlet to be themselves in a very stereotypical gay world.

That still rings true to this day I believe.  The context though is all screwed up.  If you look at a lot of porn sites advertising “bears” the ones that usually show up are chiseled guys who just happen to not have shaven their body that week.  That doesn’t make any sense.  A bear to me is a naturally hairy guy who happens to be of a certain weight or size and not necessarily a 6 pack with purchase.  The former is becoming the norm, which I take issue with because several of those ones that like that have a very fucked up elitist attitude and walk down the street like they are god’s gift to this earth.  Just stop.

Being in New York City already has its challenges in the gay world as stated before, but to be labeled as something as a “bear” or “cub” or “muscle cub” and so on and so forth quite frankly just gets tiresome and annoying.  Be yourself.  I’ve said it before that individuality in this community is hard to come by as many a gay man tend to group themselves and become clique-ish and very high school in that matter.  The ones that I am friends with I hang out with individually, as I like to get to know a person like that and not at some stupid bear event or circuit party where their focus is who the next guy they will sleep with as opposed to a nice conversation.  People in this community try to  figure out who they are immediately because they want to fit a certain type. Take your time, relax, and eventually it will come to you.  In other words, don’t fake it til you make it.

 

 

Filed Under: BREAKING NEWS, LIFESTYLE, OPINION Tagged With: A Bear, bear, Bear Community, Communities Manhattan, community, Community Start, gay, Gay Community, muscle, The Bear

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