But that doesn’t mean that the photo was okay.įor one thing, as his critics explain, the optics of holding a gun to threaten a high school student these days … it just doesn’t go over well.įor another, and this is arguably more important, even though Feely is joking, his joke plays into the age-old tradition of fathers asserting what many view as “ownership” over their daughters and of their daughters’ sexuality. In this case, the photo is intensely controversial.įeely poses between his daughter and her boyfriend.
#PROM PHOTO GUN FULL#
It is Prom Season, which means that social media is full of prom photos. Judging by his response to the criticism of his gun-toting prom photo, however, it seems as if this was not the kind of publicity he wanted.Jay Feely is a former football player who is making the rounds on Twitter for a reason wholly unrelated to sports. 'The prom picture I posted was obviously intended to be a joke,' Feely tweeted just 14 hours later on April 22. He’s made no secret of his political conservatism throughout the years, having been an occasional guest on Fox News host Sean Hannity’s show. Since then, he’s made his career as a sports commentator. I take gun safety seriously (the gun was not loaded and had no clip in) and I did not intend to be insensitive to that important issue- Jay Feely April 22, 2018įeely, 41, last played football for the Chicago Bears in 2015. My Daughter has dated her boyfriend for over a year and they knew I was joking.
The prom picture I posted was obviously intended to be a joke. Feely also maintained that both his daughter and her boyfriend knew he was joking, and that the gun was unloaded and had no clip. It’s also worth noting that Feely’s daughter and her boyfriend have been dating for more than a year, according to what Feely said in an explanatory tweet on Sunday. Not everyone was offended, to be clear, as some people just saw it as a relatively harmless joke. Kolton Hala attended Eagle River High School in. Jay Feely obviously has been under a rock to not realize now is probably not the time.- DJ Polite April 22, 2018 April 3, 2018, 1:12 PM An 18-year-old was banned from attending senior prom following complaints from students about gun-related social media posts. Jokes are all about context, about time and place. "Jay Feely made a dumb gun joke that was intended only for other shitty Facebook dads, but regular people saw it and pointed out how dumb it was and now he has to act contrite," I explain to a stranger who is walking away from me at top speed.- David Roth April 22, 2018 Wishing my beautiful daughter and her date *a violent reminder that I consider her my property /RDM7SpXBAE- Lauren Duca April 22, 2018 Oh yay – American dads have kicked off the season of “let’s pretend I’m going to shoot my daughter’s date for for impugning her chastity” pics. I wasn't all that upset about Jay Feely's prom tweet but this one seems to be a bit much /iZ86SryRKM- Juggalocialism April 22, 2018 But it nonetheless drew a lot of criticism on the grounds that it’s not the best time to be joking about gun violence, much less against a teenager. Many criticized Feely for the post, claiming it is insensitive given the recent discussions around school shootings and gun safety. So he decided to 'warn' her boyfriend, by posing for a photo with the couple and his gun. Over the weekend, former NFL player Jay Feely shared a photo of himself holding a gun alongside his daughter and her prom date. My Daughter has dated her boyfriend for over a year and they knew I was joking. Posted on April 25, 2018, 8:38 am Be one of the first to comment Former NFL player Jay Feelys daughter went to prom this past weekend. The photo was apparently meant to be a joke, in the mold of countless “you better not mess with my daughter”-style dad memes. The prom picture I posted was obviously intended to be a joke. Wishing my beautiful daughter and her date a great time at prom #BadBoys /T5JRZQYq9e- Jay Feely April 22, 2018 But one detail in the photo sparked controversy and drew several outraged reactions―a gun clenched in Feely’s hand. On Saturday, former NFL kicker Jay Feely shared a photo on Twitter of his daughter and her boyfriend preparing for their high school prom.