As a kid growing up in the eighties I owned way too many toys and with ‘way too many’ I mean I owned them all. From My Little Pony to Transformers, from Care Bears to Marshall Bravestar and from Popples to Thundercats. My parents bought me something new every week. Sometimes voluntarily, more often because I was a whiny little bitch.
My favorite toy was He-Man, the strongest man in the universe, who’s secret identity Adam, was a blond prince, with the physique of a title winning bodybuilder, wearing tight white leggings and a form fitting pink vest. He could turn into a super strong, bare-chested barbarian sporting a harness by pulling out a magical sword while screaming ‘I have the power’. During this transformation process he would get hit by multiple bolts of lightning, which must have given him some form of pleasure, because he always smiled during and afterwards. And this hunk of man lived in a world filled with characters called the ‘Masters of the Universe’, with even more exotic outfits and strangely appealing names like Fisto, Whiplash, Ram-Man and Screw Boy (FYI: I only made up one of these names).
Looking back at my time playing with He-Man and all his friends and foes, I can’t help but think it sparked an early interest in muscular men, skimpy clothing and fetish gear. And even as a grown man I still love to play with toys, muscular masters and if they happen to pull out their sword while screaming ‘I have the power’, I know I’ll be in for a great night. And I promise you I won’t be a whiny bitch about it, unless of course if they want me to be.
Marco Hohl is a Dutch/German journalist living in Amsterdam with his German fiancée – often thought to be a Scotsman – and two slightly overweight cats. He’s into leather, rubber, muscles and Christmas decorations
Hohlinone @ Instagram and MarcoHohl.com).
