Ted Lasso (2020-present) follows American Football coach, Ted Lasso, as he transforms the waning English Premier League team, AFC Richmond, through his relentless optimism and his mantra of ‘believe’. The show has been praised by critics for its emphasis on kindness and particularly for its exploration of ‘positive’ and ‘vulnerable’ masculinities. It is placed front and centre not just in promotion for Apple TV+ but also for the broader Apple brand which is heavily integrated into the show’s storyworld. Through a textual analysis of the series, this article critically examines Ted Lasso’s representations of masculinity and homophobia within the context of professional football. We argue that Ted Lasso subtly replicates the corporate identity of Apple in which real-world issues are selectively harnessed and distorted to create a utopic world-vision. Despite a celebrated veneer of ‘positive masculinities’ the show still exists in service of a sporting culture that is overtly steeped in hypermasculinity. Instead of challenging sports-based homophobia as it exists in the real-world, the show minimizes its existence at the (almost total) expense of including gay characters and storylines. In ‘dismantling’ toxic masculinity through such shallow means, we contend that Ted Lasso is ultimately symptomatic of a show sublimating its narrative wants to Apple’s corporate needs.

中文翻译：

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积极的男子气概还是有毒的积极性？Apple TV+ 的 Ted Lasso 是一个资本主义乌托邦

泰德·拉索（Ted Lasso，2020 年至今）跟随美式足球教练泰德·拉索 (Ted Lasso)，通过他不懈的乐观精神和“相信”的口号，改变了日渐衰落的英超球队 AFC Richmond。该剧因其对善良的强调，特别是对“积极”和“脆弱”男性气质的探索而受到评论家的称赞。它不仅是为了推广 Apple TV+，也是为了更广泛地融入该剧故事世界的 Apple 品牌。通过对该系列剧的文本分析，本文批判性地审视了特德·拉索在职业足球背景下对男子气概和恐同症的表现。我们认为，特德·拉索巧妙地复制了苹果公司的企业形象，其中现实世界的问题被选择性地利用和扭曲，以创造一个乌托邦的世界愿景。尽管该剧打着“积极的男子气概”的幌子，但它仍然是为一种公然沉浸在超男子气概中的体育文化服务的。该剧并没有挑战现实世界中存在的基于体育的同性恋恐惧症，而是以（几乎全部）包含同性恋角色和故事情节为代价，尽量减少其存在。通过如此肤浅的手段“拆除”有毒的男性气质，我们认为，《特德·拉索》最终是一部将其叙事升华为苹果企业需求的节目的症状。