Boxer shorts
Boxer shorts (also known as loose boxers or as simply boxers) are a type of undergarment typically worn by men. The term has been used in English since 1944 for all-around-elastic shorts, so named after the shorts worn by boxers, for whom unhindered leg movement ("footwork") is very important. Boxers come in a variety of styles and design but are characterized by their loose fit.
Fertility[edit]
Some studies have suggested that tight underpants (like briefs) and high temperature are not optimally conductive for sperm production. The testicles are outside the body for cooling because they operate for sperm production at a slightly lower temperature than the rest of the body, and boxer shorts allow the testicles to operate within the required temperature range. The compression of the genitals in briefs, boxer briefs, or thongs may cause the temperature to rise and sperm production to fall. There is a similar theory regarding testicular cancer risk.[5] Other sources dispute this theory. A study in the October 1998 Journal of Urology, for example, concluded that underwear type is unlikely to have a significant effect on male fertility.[6]
In popular culture[edit]
In 1975, a Sears catalog photo of boxer shorts created a recurring urban legend.[8] A model appeared to have part of his penis exposed in the photo, which a Sears spokesperson stated was a printing defect.[9] Despite widespread press interest at the time, Sears reported that only a few letters were received from the general public, and noted that when the image was reprinted in the Spring-Summer catalog, it showed no such flaw.[8][9][10] No recall of the catalog occurred.[11] The incident inspired the singer Zoot Fenster's 1975 single "The Man on Page 602".[9]
A noticeable comedy routine that involves boxer shorts, most notably used in cartoons, is to have a character wear boxer shorts that has a humorous print or pattern on them, usually hearts or polka-dots, when one's trousers had fallen down or ripped apart.[12]