22/08/2017
Adrian Lourie - founder and editor of MEAT magazine has done it again with his naked 2018 calendar - once more fighting stereotypes of what makes a man sexy.
Twelve regular guys of all shapes, sizes, ages, backgrounds and professions have stripped off and got into the bed of meat founder and editor, Adrian Lourie, to be photographed naked.
A 'f**k you' to body-shaming
Lourie, who first published the gay pin-up zine meat in 2010 says his portraits of men “defy the body shaming that goes on in the gay community. Photographing naked men in bed is a great way to celebrate the bodies of ‘ordinary’ gay men.”
The calendar’s cover star Fernando, a hunky, down-to-earth HR professional in London’s busy Mayfair, says:
“It wasn’t an easy decision to pose naked for meat but, now I’m absolutely proud of myself for doing it. I thought I would never be picked because of my body shape and I wanted to prove that you can be hairy and have a belly and it can be sexy.”
Be proud of the body you have
Another of the calendar’s stars, Warren, a Digital Marketing Manager says:
“So many of us have issues with our bodies; we think we're too fat, too skinny, too pale, our c***s are too small, our bums not pert enough or we’re too hairy. We are constantly comparing ourselves to others, but we need to take a moment to learn to be with happy with what we've got and see that there's no such thing as the perfect body.
“I'm not toned, I'm ginger, hairy, I don't go to the gym and don't have big muscles, I'm pale as snow and my bum jiggles but I now love being naked again. Confidence is sexy – so own what you’ve got and be proud lads!"
Dwayne who also appears on the cover of the calendar’s companion edition of meat says:
“I think it’s always interesting to see a broader representation of guys as pin-ups. Seeing down-to-earth men in a sexy, fun way is always important.
I think everyone should be photographed for meat: not to make you be someone you’re not, but to take what you are and show how amazing and beautiful that is.”
Encouraging self-acceptance
Singer-songwriter and meat Associate Editor Danny Polaris also appears in the calendar. He says:
“I’ve not been to the gym since New Year’s Eve 2016. I run for the bus. And up and down escalators when I’m rushing around London, but that’s about it.
"A few years ago I thought, ‘f**k it, I’m never going to look like these Circuit Party boys, I find the gym so boring it makes me want to cry. Since then I’ve settled into my own skin and I’m happier with how I look than ever. Be yourself and confidence and sexiness will follow.”
We loves Daddies
Postman and playwright Anthony Bull, the ‘Daddy’ of the calendar says:
“I love having my picture taken and I am not a shy man. I also like the fact that many of the meat men are not shaved and plucked but look beefy and manly and was only too happy to be included in that genre.
“In a youth obsessed culture it's refreshing that an older man could be considered for such a project and not just thrown on the trade trash heap. I think it’s important to be inclusive and as I can attest from personal experience many younger men these days are attracted to older men so I am glad to represent.”
The meat Naked 2018 Calendar is available now from meatzine.com alongside a special edition of meat zine featuring exclusive pictures of the guys from the calendar and a host of others. A regular and extended print edition is available along with a digital download.
