'I even heard him singing in the abbey.'
I started working on a piece on model Peter Mairhofer this past November. I put it aside when December hit, and began doing holiday pieces. I'll post that piece next week, but wanted to include Peter in today's snow day pieces for a couple of reasons. To begin with, if you follow him, you know he's from Austria, and calls himself 'mountain boy' on Instagram. In so many images you can just imagine he's twirling around and singing loudly, his voice echoing in the distance ala Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music.
Since he takes so many selfies and videos in the mountains of Austria, you know there's plenty of shots of Peter, surrounded by visually magnificent and snowy backdrops. Last week, one of Peter's TikTok videos went viral. I saw it shared on at least a half dozen social media accounts I filed. I loved seeing him get more attention, but stupidly waded into the comments. I should have known better, I've learned long ago, no matter what the subject, the comments section is a hell hole of negativity and cruelty.
The video, (posted below) featured Peter doing something most of us who grew up with snow have done. Shaking branches in the woods, resulting in the snow floating down cover the shaker. Usually, we hit the branches by accident, or if on purpose, plot to hit another person, not ourselves. It wasn't the snow, or what Peter was doing that caused so many cruel responses, it was his voice.
The first time I head Peter's voice I was surprised as well, pleasantly. I loved his Austrian accent, and especially loved the pure joy his voice expresses. It was sad to read on Twitter, so many people, both straight and queer, were so ignorant with their comments. I'm assuming both assumed the 'mountain' boy might have a deeper, more manly voice, one that meet what they expected from the hot Austrian model.
There is a magic in Peter's voice, almost lyrical. I could listen to him all day. The joy he expresses in the videos he shares, far outweighs the negative reactions in the comments. I'm guessing most were from people not familiar with Peter's work, as a model, and as a on-line creator. It was jarring to read some of the comments, especially from members of the LBGTQ community, who should know better. By the way, I have no idea about Peter's sexuality, nor do I care, I just enjoy his work, especially the visuals in his treks in the snow in the Austrian mountains.
I know, this is a snow day, but the end of many snowy days, especially if you're outside on a hill or mountain, a steam or sauna is definitely in order!
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