David Foster Wallace's much-hyped article on Roger Federer for the New York Times "Play" magazine is now available online (hat tip to Off The Baseline.) However, what interests me is this description of Federer's fiancee, "girlfriend Mirka [Vavrinec, a former women’s Top-100 player, knocked out by injury, who now basically functions as Federer’s Alice B. Toklas]." (text bolded by MadProfessah.)
In case you were unaware, Alice B. Toklas was the longtime companion of celebrated American author Gertrude Stein. They were (and are) famous lesbian icons. It is an interesting analogy chosen by such an accomplished and prolix wordsmith as David Foster Wallace. Toklas was famous for basically two things: 1) being the pre-eminent love of Stein's life and 2) the person who basically self-subjugated her needs to take care of Stein's.
Well, clearly Mirka has similarly sublimated her tennis career goals to be Roger Federer's girlfriend, travelling companion and business manager so that aspect of her relationship to Federer is similar to Alice B. Toklas' relationship to Stein. But how should one parse the same-sex imagery invoked by declaring that Roger Federer's companion is similar to a famously frumpy lesbian?
MadProfessah is reminded of the popular gay quiz from years ago: "Gay, or Eurotrash?" popularized by Blair magazine. Is David Foster Wallace intimating that Roger Federer is gay? Or just European? He does, after all, in the rest of the article use the word "beautiful" to describe Federer, whichis an awfully unusual word for one heterosexual male to describe a world-class heterosexual male athlete. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.
7 comments:
Interesting article. I have to say I don't really think the original article was implying Federer was gay. However, I do think it made an unflattering implication in that in comparing Mirka to Alice B. Toklas, instead of saying she's Roger's loving companion, helping out where she can, it was saying that she sacrificed her life and personal aspirations for the honor of being his girlfriend, which sounds rather spineless. I can't say what their dynamic is like, but from what I read, see in the news, etc., she does seem like a glorified sugar baby, so maybe that's what the original author picked up on here too. No, I think if she happened to be a male assistant and the same comparison was drawn, only then would an "outing" have occurred. :-) And this author isn't the first I've seen call Roger "beautiful"...he's such a dominant and masterful athlete, sports writers are getting on the verge of poetic when writing about him. Pete Sampras recently claimed he is the best athlete on the planet, dominant amongst all sports.
I absolutely thaink Roger is Gay...my Gaydar tells me so. Who's the Handsome young man who's constantly in his box, that the broadcast analyst always seem to ignor??? The wimbledon cardigan and "manbag?" metrosexual???...maybe Gay...DEFINATELY!!! Mirka is a Beard.
GAY for sho! She is fat and not that cute. VOGUE shuts down when Federer is in needs of a haircut and he is escorted by Queen of the Fag Hags, Anna Wintour, to some immorally expensive salon. C'mon, gay as H. But, given the financial repercussion of M. Navratilova's openness--which some people estimate endorsement losses around $100 mill--he would be a fool to come out. He has a very attractive, traveling hitting partner that's been with him for years. Can you say boyfriend? Rog is a closeted gay man and that's okay. We prefer Feliciano Lopez, anyway....
Well, to begin with, we have to admit there's no proof at all of Roger being gay: so is the case for virtually all gay tennis players around, and god knows there are just as many as gay doctors, lawyers, thugs, gardeners...you name it. I personally think he is, (Bi at least), but that doesn't mean Mirka is just an alibi: chances are they love each other. Many a gay man find those arrangements satisfying,and changes nothing about Rog or Mirka human value (wich I think is high, btw).
In which remote island have you been living these last 20 years? Almost everybody in the tennis circuit assume that as virtually sure or at least believable(wrongly or not, but they do), even if NOBODY would talk openly about the subjet. In fact, there is no gay into the tennis world: sorry, gays do NOT exist, PERIOD :that's the official truth... (ask Nav'lova, B.J.King, Mauresmo, Martinez, Clos,Pratt, and at least another dozen...)
It's interesting that they have TWO sets of twins, which indicates his wife was artificially inseminated both times, i.e they never have sex i.e. he is gay. Add to that his gay walk, gay giggle, the fact that Gavin Rossdale, a gay man, follows him around on tournaments, that Ms. Wawrinuts is basically his grumpy, crap-looking manager, that Roger got flustered when asked if he could remember first kissing a girl, that he was never seen before with any other woman other than Wawrinuts, there is so much circumstantial evidence.
Very interesting ... I just met up with a former player who said that Roger is definately gay and his boyfriend is based in Dubai (or somewhere like that). He also said that Mirka was artificially inseminated - hence the 2 x sets of identical twins. I was a bit surprised when he told me these things but after reading these other things now I am not so sure. My friend has been in and around the tour for the past 10 years and has lots of contacts ... he also suggested that Feliciano Lopez and Verdasco were also once caught pashing in the locker rooms. And Jan Michael Gambill of course. Oh, and one of his mates has slept with Mark Woodforde. Duh, of course Mary Woodforde and Toddina Woodbridge are gay.
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