Showing emotion has long been equated with weakness for men, particularly in sports, and there are some Americans doubling down on the idea that being an unfeeling “alpha male” is a selling point. Kelce and his younger brother Travis have flipped that notion on its head with their unabashed willingness to be open with their feelings, and the message is a powerful one — for boys and young men, especially.And none of it diminishes you in the least.

“For me, the Kelce brothers represent a kind of authenticity around masculinity and manhood that is a really important counterpoint to the cartoon version of the strong men that exists in so many parts of our culture,” said Cheryl Cooky, a professor at Purdue University who studies the intersection of gender, sport and culture.”The Kelce brothers demonstrate there are other ways of being a man.

The fact they have the kind of popularity and audience they have indicates there’s pretty large segment of our society that wants to see that and is supportive of that.”

“Did I not do a good job with that answer, Ky?”

Jason Kelce may be the intimidating 300-pound center for the Philadelphia Eagles, but he’s also the dad of three young girls.

He escorted his laboring wife, Kylie McDevitt Kelce, to the hospital prior to each birth, obviously making him a seasoned authority on hospital go-bag prep.

On a recent episode of “New Heights,” the podcast he co-hosts with his brother, Kansas City Chiefs running back Travis Kelce (also known as Taylor Swift’s boyfriend), a member of their fan club asked the following question: “My wife is pregnant with our first child. What do I need to include in my Jason-approved hospital go-bag?”

Jason’s responses were surely interesting to every woman who has ever had a baby, including his wife, who had previously commented on his dad prowess during her labor.

In a TikTok Kylie posted earlier this year, she zooms into the visual of her husband sleeping like a baby in the hospital room, and wrote in the caption: “My husband crushes the role of labor support person.”

fan
“First of all, you’ve got to make sure you have a fan,” Jason said as he began to list hospital go-bag items. “It can get really hot and uncomfortable in there. If you like fans when you sleep, make sure you bring a fan.”

Interestingly, the fan was a major point of contention between Jason and Kylie in a moment that was filmed for Prime Video’s “Kelce” documentary.

As the couple packs up to head to the hospital for the birth of their third daughter, Jason attempts to bring a silver 12-inch electric travel fan.

“If you bring a fan to the hospital,” Kylie said, “I will personally kick you out.”

“Just trying to be comfortable,” he said. “Just think how nice it’s gonna be when you get those stirrups off and you have a nice breeze going across your face.”

Kylie joked that if she felt wind during labor at any point, “I will personally end you.”

Yet somehow, the fan made its way into her hospital room and Jason lived to tell the tale, so perhaps Kylie changed her tune on that one.

She did write in her TikTok video that the fan was “better than the air mattress he was thinking of bringing.” Or maybe she simply decided to focus her attention on bringing a life into the world rather than ending one.

A pillow
“If you have a pillow that you like, I would take that,” Jason recommended.

The “New Heights” video editors kindly inserted an image of Jason relaxing while Kylie was in labor. Though he looks comfortable, he’d probably be way more comfortable had he remembered his pillow.

Jason should have brought a pillow for Jason.

Across the image of a sleeping Jason, Kylie wrote in her TikTok that Jason “[s]tayed well rested (while I was kept awake by contractions … and his snores.”

“Some type of bars”

I think it’s really important — and I’m being dead serious to bring some type of bars whether it’s an energy bar, chocolate bar, because what happens is a lot of guys pass out,” Jason said.

It’s really important right when your wife starts going into labor, to eat a bar to get your blood sugar back up. Because you don’t want to be passing out in the most important part of what you’re there for, to be able to be there to witness and offer support for your wife.”

Jason, of course, skipped the bars while his wife was in labor earlier this year. He grabbed a sandwich instead. Kylie’s video shows Jason carefully examining the sandwich and taking a monstrously gigantic bite.

Kylie noted that Jason “made sure he didn’t miss a meal,” even though she wasn’t allowed to eat anything.

“Something that you can do”
And, of course, Jason suggests bringing something to pass the time and stave off the boredom of waiting for new life to appear.

“You need to bring something that you can do because there’s gonna be a lot of sitting around and you don’t really have anything to do as a dad. So, you know, take a book, you can bring a game, anything that you can do sitting around.”

Just download some games on your phone,” Travis added.

To his credit, Jason does note that the dad’s role is to support his wife. “You’ll be getting up and getting water,” he said. “Your job is to assist your wife make sure she’s comfortable. Make sure she’s happy. And then outside of that, there’s not much else.”

“She’s just laughing.”
“Why are you looking at me like that?” Jason asked Kylie, who was out of frame and off-mic during the podcast recording.”I want to know if Kylie approved,” he said to Travis.

Did I not do a good job with that answer, Ky?” he asked. After a pause, he told Travis, “She’s just laughing.”