2024 Election
Masculinity Expert Weighs in on Trump’s Manly Man Persona, Points Out He ‘Wears More Make-Up Than Kamala’
She has a point.
Donald Trump has based not just his political campaign in 2024 on the idea of being a strongman, but his two previous campaigns as well. In fact, there hasn’t been much of Trump’s life that hasn’t been governed by him playing the “man card” at every turn.
From his blatant misogyny to his overt admiration for dictators throughout history — Mussolini and Hitler to Kim Jong Un and Xi Jinping — Trump has strived to emulate what he considers the paragon of leadership: Manliness.
But that’s pretty far out of character for some who actually is “manly,” says one expert.
Canadian journalist and author Liz Plank has a new book out called For the Love of Men: A Vision for Mindful Masculinity. She appeared on MSNBC over the weekend to talk about the “gender gap” in this election, and how men across the country are both looking at the candidates and having the candidates presented to them.
Sometimes those can be very different things, it turns out. For example, when Plank was asked about vice presidential candidate Tim Walz’s masculinity, she contrasted it with the way Trump presents his own: “Tim Walz uses his masculinity for good and Donald Trump exploits it for his own gain.”
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That much almost goes without saying. Trump is constantly calling others weak, stupid, and incompetent. Those are all hallmarks of a toxic male. It’s so obvious that the “FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT” Trump, who fist-pumped to the crowd after an “assassination attempt” that all but the most ardent supporters believe was staged, is desperate to be seen as tough that he’s become fodder for comedians and late-night hosts.
Over on Jimmy Kimmel less than two weeks ago, we saw the manliest of men, Dave Bautista, a professional wrestler who retired in favor of acting, do a hilarious mock-up campaign ad against the very idea that Trump is any kind of tough at all:
Dave Bautista slams Trump: He wears more makeup than Dolly Parton. He whines like a baby. He dodged the draft. He cheats at golf. He bends over for Putin. And he’s cattier on social media than a middle school mean girl. He’s a weak, whiny little bitch. pic.twitter.com/RgWieEF9az
— Keith Boykin (@keithboykin) October 17, 2024
As the guy who played the “toughest” character in the entire Marvel film catalogue points out, Trump is afraid of everything, is in terrible shape, kisses foreign leaders’ backsides, and cries on social media constantly.
One attribute in that funny video, in fact, stood out as a factor in Trump’s fake masculinity to Liz Plank, as well: The make-up thing.
Can we talk about masculinity, right? Trump is putting on a performance of masculinity. Because he’s not actually masculine. This is a guy who spends more time with his make-up artists than with his own advisors. But even setting aside that he probably wears more make-up than Kamala Harris, masculine men aren’t afraid of women.
She goes on to point out that Trump fails on most other “masculine” fronts as well, saying “They’re not afraid to debate women. Masculine men don’t have meltdowns on stage because a woman that they didn’t like asked them a question that they didn’t like. Masculine men aren’t manipulated by people who give them compliments.”
She told the host that masculine men “actually protect women,” adding, “They don’t enact abortion bans that endanger women.”
Again, I’m not sure why it even takes a masculinity expert to tell people this stuff. Trump has been putting on a show for as long as anyone can remember. Sure, he was involved in professional wrestling like Bautista — but his role was so fake and so contrived that the most physical thing he ever did in or out of the ring was shave someone’s head for losing a bet. He “emasculated” another man by taking his hair.
I honestly don’t know how his MAGA fans are still fooled. This is a man who, after a skinny little blonde pop star endorsed his opponent, ran straight to social media to scream-type “I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT!!!” in all caps.
But in case I haven’t been clear enough in this article that I don’t think Donald Trump is a “real man,” and in fact that he doesn’t even know what one is, let me clarify that I don’t think his voters know what a real man is, either. They think it has something to do with guns, or putting women in their place, or making sure that this country is friendly to straight, white, American males only.
In the immortal word of Donald Trump:
Being a MAN means you’re a loving husband, not a philanderer and abuser of women. You don’t rape, you don’t spy on teen beauty contestants, you don’t talk about how sexy your daughter is.
Being a MAN means you’re a good father, not a person who sets an example for his kids that it’s okay to steal from children’s cancer charities, or who ignores his children until they benefit him politically.
Being a MAN means being a diplomat until the time comes to stand your ground. What can be solved with a fight is rarely actually solved, and much better served through talking things out.
Being a MAN doesn’t mean mistreating minorities, taking advantage of others as a way of life, running a country like a business, or resorting to name-calling when someone makes you mad.
Being a man certainly doesn’t mean when you lose, you lie and cheat and break the law in order to pretend you won. You take it like a man, and move on.
What do I know, though. I’m just a man.
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