Mark Herrier | I Like Mike / 2004

team player

by Douglas Messerli

 

Jay Spears (composer), Mark Herrier (director) I Like Mike / 2004 [3 minutes]

 

This loveable short film is quite improbably sung by a coach/choreographer (Jay Spears, both actor and composer) who makes it quite clear, along with his team, that he “likes Mike,” the catcher. It’s also apparent that his appreciation of Mike goes quite beyond the normal notion of liking someone, as he and his players go ever further in their praises of the teammate, involving Busby Berkeley like displays of their terpsichorean abilities as they lay down on the field, forming various male versions of the Berkeley female adoration of men, islands, bananas or whatever else his women were lauding.

     The lyrics are strong and clear in their campy allegiance to the rather sky catcher, who nonetheless can only appreciate his full admiration by coach, team, and, after three minutes of praise, perhaps even the viewer of this slightly ridiculous very short work. This macho world makes it clear that they are no different, perhaps, in their love of a man than any other gay boy, even if they can express it only in general appreciation:

 

I like Mike, what’s not to like?

He’s the best darn thing to come down the pike

in a good long while. I like Mike.

….

He’s got the leather, got the lumber. He’s a true All-Star,

a permanent pirate in his muscle car.

He’s always playing hardball, that’s my Mike!

 

Mike’s got an attitude bordering on gratitude,

all the big boys makes them cocky.

Mike holds his own cause he’s short but his’s stocky.

   “Ball player, boyfriend,” sing the other players as their continue Mike’s praises. “What’s not to like,” after all, “He’s best darn thing to come down the pike in a good long while.”

    How anyone could even begin to complain about the coach and team praises about a team member who pleases everyone, is unimaginable, no matter how you might interpret this campy little gem.

    Here we perceive openly what we’ve always known, that team camaraderie always borders between admiration and actual love.

    The film ends with the whole team piling onto Mike for a group “hug,” which looks very much like a potential orgy.

 

Los Angeles, July 12, 2026

Reprinted from My Queer Cinema blog (July 2026).