The Boy Band Project: Homophobia and Beefcake

The Boy Band Project, previous Invasion, is, according to their tumblr site: "ready to invade the hearts of screaming Girls all over the World."

Later it says: "Ladies and gentlemen, boys and especially girls."

Quite a heterosexist beginning (and with a writer who is a little lax on the rules of capitalization).

Formed in the fall of 2012, they have been performing regularly, most notably at Girlfest, a girl scout jamboree.  Their first single is "Find That Girl": "Ooh, I gotta find that girl, find that girl, find that girl"

They also cover Drake Bell's "Hold on, We're Going Home": "You're a good girl, and you know it.
And Justin Bieber's "Boyfriend": "Girlfriend, girlfriend, you could be my girlfriend."

When you say a word over and over, it starts to sound funny. Like their use of the word "girl."

At least the band members don't have to wait for Tiger Beat to notice them and send a photographer.  They often  post their shirtless photos on the internet:

1.-2. Nick Dean, a finalist on the American Idol spin-off X-Factor, and his bff Zac Mann (top photo).

3. Mathias Anderle (left), who performed for Kidz Bop (preteens performing heterosexist songs), and starred in School Gyrls, about a girl band.

4.-5. Bffs Brandon Pulido and Levi Mitchell

I've checked their instagrams, tumblrs, tweets, and facebook pages, and have found no gay content, although Brandon's older brother is a model-dancer-make up artist with gender-atypical interests.

But their teenage fans are strikingly homophobic.  Every so often a fan complains that one of them, usually Brandon, is "a gay,"  and others rush to his "defense" (without the use of the word "is").

"Why you got to talk trash?  He got more swag than you!"

 "Everybody knows he not gay cause you gay!"
 
"He not gay, he hot!"

Makes you long for the days of David Cassidy, Donny Osmond, and Menudo.