As baseball has expanded as a global sport, so has the baseball bat as a symbol within jock culture, often reinforcing rigid gender norms and expectations. To subvert the use of the symbol, I negated the function of the bat by making it out of clear packing tape. The colorful twinkle lights that radiate from within represent all the flamboyant features anyone could have.
By using plastic tape as the shell of the bat, I want to affirm people’s entitlement to being “flamboyant,” “plastic,” “extra,” or even “fake.” Neither gender stereotypes nor sexual orientation matters — we need a broader acceptance of individuality, and an affirmation that everyone has the right to embrace their flamboyance comfortably and proudly.