Is it just me, or is there a lot of talk about men's underwear recently?

In today's issue of WWD, there is a really interesting article (not to mention a SMOKING HOT men's underwear spread) about men's underwear and the appeal of their elastic band to consumers. Is it all about labels and image? Who want's to be a walking billboard anyway? Until now, I've never outwardly considered the psychology involved with choosing one's underwear. In fact, there's a whole set of judgments gays make based on labels. It's a homo pastime. Has this always been so?

"It's a jock strap? Oh, he must be a Black Party guy."
"It's 2Xist? Oh, he must be a White Party boy."
"BVDs? He must be straight."

According to WWD, it all started with Calvin Klein—which makes total sense:

"In Marky Mark’s ads for Calvin Klein jeans, the brand’s underwear was always showing, the waistband and its logo clearly visible. Those ads helped reinforce the waistband’s role as a marketing vehicle. 'Everyone is wearing lower-rise jeans where the underwear peaks out,' said Jason Scarlatti, [2xist's] creative director. 'It’s bragging rights for the customer. It says, ‘I paid good money for this.’”

Or, maybe it's the economy that's giving designer underwear a re-fresh. According to Jockey, "It may seem as far fetched as fairies [heh], but if research from men's underwear brand Jockey is to be believed, sales of pink pants are soaring as men use their undergarments to cheer them up in the economic crisis.