Apparently, people are still mad about men painting their nails. (Icon Sportswire / Getty)
Dwyane Wade appeared at the Miami Heat vs Charlotte Hornets game last week, and his painted nails at the event have angered people.
It’s 2024, and people still can’t fathom the idea of men engaging in healthy self-expression, like beauty or fashion.
Wade — who is a long-term supporter of the LGBTQ+ community — attended his Hall of Fame induction ceremony at halftime during the game in Miami, Florida, on 14 January. The sporting star — who has supported his trans daughter’s modelling career — was pictured sporting a manicure in support of his former team’s colours, red and black.
However, some people had unwelcome opinions about Wade’s personal style choices, which is, of course, his own choice.
Rapper Mase called out Wade for his decision to wear nail polish on his It Is What It Is podcast on 17 January. “This like [Michael] Jordan in lingerie,” the musician, who was a popular hip-hop star between the 1990s and 2000s, began. “It’s just crushing. It’s what you don’t want to see. It just ruined everything.”
However, fans of the sporting legend have quickly come to his defence, asking why people are so angered that he decided to paint his nails.
“Black men really need to take a step back and think about their definition of masculinity. Why the f*ck are n***** so mad Dwayne Wade painted his nails???”, said one person on Twitter.
Another added: “idk why ppl are so pressed about Dwayne Wade wearing nail polish as if [Dennis] Rodman hasn’t already done that – who tf cares fam”.
PinkNews has contacted a representative of Mase for a comment on the matter.
Wade is the latest male celebrity to take down gender stereotypes with a manicure, joining a slew of Hollywood icons like A$AP Rocky, Bad Bunny, and Machine Gun Kelly who all frequent nail polish as part of their signature look.
Back in 2021, Harry Styles announced his own nail polish line, Pleasing, while in December of the same year, Coachella 2024 headliner Tyler the Creator also launched his own nail line as part of Golf le Fleur.
Olympic gold medallist Tom Daley also launched a nail collection, Made With Love By Tom Daley with Rimmel London in 2023. He told POPSUGAR UK at the time that the growing male manicure trend is due to healthy boundaries when it comes to masculinity.
He told the outlet: “I think that men [are] feeling comfortable with their masculinity and are able to not worry so much about what anyone thinks [of them].
“If it makes you feel good to paint your nails, do it!”