Down The Rabbit Hole: Fetishizing Guys Missing Limbs

Is this too taboo of a topic? I say, you might want to seriously ask yourself why you think it is.
So, we’ve noticed more and more guys that have missing limbs being photographed erotically. And I for one, actually really like the trend. Objectifying? C’mon… fantasy is what porn is all about and why shouldn’t it include these hunky guys too. And before we go down this rabbit hole of a discussion, it’s worth mentioning that we probably wouldn’t be having this conversation without acknowledging the amazingly sexy work of photographer Michael Stokes Photography who really put Brad Ivanchan, Chris Van Etten and of course, Alex Minsky.

STATING THE OBVIOUS
Okay, before I start over-thinking this, I remind myself of the obvious—these guys are smoking hot. And you might be the one missing something if you don’t find any of them sexy. They’re gorgeous and not modeling out of pity, but because they’re stunning men. And as it should be—the focus of these guys isn’t their missing legs, but rather their strikingly gorgeous faces, amazingly tight bodies and the nice bulges.
These guys come off being very confident and strong (again, NOT because they’re abled differently than most of the population) and something we should also exude ourselves—each and every one of us. I say let’s openly enjoy their beauty and let them inspire us to enjoy every moment.

THE EROTIC HERO
I am sure there has been erotic photography of other guys missing limbs in the past, but it does seem we’re seeing more of it than before. And I wonder why we’re fetishizing missing body parts as much as we do?
Sure, there was that guy at The Black Party fucking some other guy with the stump of his leg years ago, but I gotta say that was presented in the way a stripper fucks a snake—it’s sensational and it’s supposed to make you uncomfortable. But thankfully, we’re stepping away from the “Freak Show” mentality that permeated our culture for way too long regarding amputees.
And as sad as it is, I’ve got to say we’re fetishizing these guys in a different way, because of the ongoing effects of war. Young, tough soldiers have lost a lot of body parts from the past decades of battle, and quite frankly you see more and more of that in public. So often, sadly enough, that it no longer surprises or makes you wonder what happened. While beyond sad that these events have to happen in our world, there is a certain heroism and attitude in our culture to thank the soldier for serving and protecting freedoms. So, why wouldn’t we take this gratitude further and see soldiers like Alex Minsky as the ultimate brave and strong soldier? Being fearless is sexy and to me that’s where perhaps attracts so many to his images. (Again, he’s drop dead gorgeous and has a nice package.)

BEYOND HUMAN?
But when I start really thinking about it, I wonder if this isn’t also a bit of a turn-on to people because there is also some amazing technology developing to make people able. I like that these carbon-fibre legs, metal and gears aren’t trying to look like rubber, slightly creepy replications of our original body parts. And these guys are proudly displaying the amazing technology which allows them (in some cases) to be more agile than the parts we are born with.
There’s something superhero-like with this. Something super-human. And although understated, there is this idea that if we are moving—technologically—to being a blend of robotics and human technology, who’s to say the fucking wouldn’t also be amazingly foreign and just a new sort of sexy thing to fetishize?
Yep, I said it. And I think we’re well on our way to a new genre of porn and sexual fetish. Let the age of Sprocket Sex begin! I absolutely have a cyborg, replicant and robot fantasy thing that rolls around in my mind. And while I know these guys shown aren’t RoboCop machines, I am turned on by their willingness to show (and be proud) of the technology that helps power them.

MORE HUMAN?
Okay, if you’re thinking, “No way do I ever want to have sex with RoboCop!!!” there’s another aspect to consider about why some people find these guys extra appealing. Could it be that while they’ve maintained their strong bodies, big pecs, flat stomachs and strikingly handsome faces—they’re also approachable because they immediately reveal part of their story?
While their synthetic limbs may be cold and robotic to you, you may also find a near-perfect guy with his legs and arms also completely cold and robotic too. The fact that these guys missing limbs have survived something horrific and are proud to show off their physical bodies as examples of their endurance reveals a more human and appealing aspect to them. Are they more appealing to both men and women because, while not commonly beautiful, they’re also a bit vulnerable and in a way more appealing because of it? It’s not that I’m saying a 100% biologically powered person is better, but rather because of these guys’ ability to adapt to big changes in their lives—they’re more human than the 100% abled? An interesting thought.

SOMETHING NEW
And when guys tell me that Alex Minsky makes them hard, I also have to wonder if it’s just not our own human nature to be turned on what was previous hidden. I had a film school teacher who claimed if society declared we should all cover and hide our elbows, after time, soon have porn stars proudly revealing their elbows and we’d undoubtedly get hard over them. A crazy idea, but there’s some truth to this in our wiring as humans.
Is it all that surprising that were curious and turned on by something that has been hidden and even shamed for too long. I am really happy there is this positive—he’s strong!—attitude about these once-wounded men. Why shouldn’t it be sexy? And yes, it’s something new to fetishize. And so I wonder, if there was a gay porn site that featured a model fucking regardless of his missing leg would we all not celebrate it? Is that exploitive? I don’t feel like it would be. And yes, I may be biased as it opens the door to the that GAY RoboCop parody film that so needs to happen. I mean c’mon:

This suit is amazingly hot, along with Star Trek’s Borg, Iron Man’s suit or Rutger Hauer in Blade Runner. (Judge away, I’m proud of it.) Oh, but I’ve digressed yet again. Back to the topic at hand…

So my question to you is: Have I gone too far down the rabbit hole in thinking about this? Do you agree or disagree with wanting to see more of these types of men? Do you find patriotic or perhaps a little too much of a reminder of the politics and battles in our world today? Do you find this exploitive of these guys or wonderfully interesting and a statement that we’re all unique in some way? Why not celebrate it, I say. Anyway, I’d love to hear your thoughts on the subject…