Maskulinity- The fragility of men and their immune systems
Guns, masks, flags, trucks, women, power, and money. One of these things doesn’t belong. Hint, it has to do with public health.
It’s no surprise that someone like President Donald Trump has and continues to embolden negative characteristics within his followers like toxic masculinity or refusal to wear masks. However, these attributes aren’t new.
At first glance, Trump doesn’t look like a mainstream “tough guy”, but he ran on that messaging to appear stronger than his opponents. But if you look at his track record, he checks all the boxes for what it typically means to “be a man” according to masculine stereotypes: popular, womanizer, rich, well-connected, confident, and outspoken.
He is not the first celebrity, dare I say politician, to embody these things, however, due to his large platform and constant fantasizing rhetoric defined by “… the reversal, or undoing, of modernity… [which] is conceived of as a corrupting ideological force… ” in a study conducted by Annie Kelly in 2017. A message based on fear of change brought about by his enemies and mainstream media has made his fans, more specifically those who identify as male, anxious about reaffirming their masculinity.
So, what’s so bad about Trump reinforcing manhood and being strong? Well, there’s nothing wrong with being a man or indulging in masculine characteristics, however, it becomes a problem when these attributes are used as an anxious self defense mechanism which is a source of toxic and hyper masculinity. It is important to remember that this macho problem is not one owned by the Republican party. Since all American Presidents have been men each, to different extents, have perpetuated examples of toxic masculinity.
Further, Trump has explicitly opposed and disregarded public health guidance and rules which have been proven to slow the spread of COVID-19. This was made into an issue of freedom versus oppression and strength versus weakness. When state masks mandates and recommendations from health officials first came into place, Trump was slow to adopt or promote these practices. In fact, he constantly questioned the effectiveness of masks and denied scientific guidance. Data seems to echo this behavior as BBC reports that men are less likely than women to wear masks citing that sporting one is “shameful, not cool and a sign of weakness”. Also, according to the CDC, men are 10% less likely to wear a seat belt than women. Both show the difference of how men approach risk behaviors.
Not only is modeling unhealthy actions a detriment to public health, it’s also a negative echo of hyper masculine behaviors. It was that same type of denial that led Trump to contract the virus and become hospitalized. During that time, he released videos while he recovered with messages like “Don’t let it [COVID-19] dominate you. Don’t be afraid of it.” In this respect, Trump seems to equate being sick to being weak. More often than not, people feel fatigued and physically weak while sick. But for men, being strong while sick to the extent of complete denial signifies an attempt to protect the belief that they might not be invincible after all.
The irony is that taking care of oneself and staying home to prevent a virus from spreading takes more strength than attempting to press on with one’s day in denial. In fact, when health practices are taken into consideration, many Republicans and commentators like Tomi Lahren have opposed and criticized people like President-elect Joe Biden for wearing a mask stating to “carry a purse ” with it. Not only does this insinuate that a face covering is an accessory, it makes masks seem feminine and paints femininity as negative.
Similarly, when Hillary Clinton fell ill with pneumonia in 2016, the former President and his constituents were quick to publicly comment that she was unfit, old, and frail. Among other Trumpian jargon, he labeled Biden as “sleepy” and constantly commented on his mental capacity even though he is only four years older. Additionally, and how could we forget, Ted Cruz’s (R-TX) constant commentary on Twitter and news talk shows on what it means to be a man.
Altogether, Trump, some of his administration, and Republican friends have perpetuated harmful male stereotypes through their messaging, actions, and criticism of how other men choose to express themselves, especially when it comes to health practices. The aftermath of this constant, hurtful language is that it wrongly reaffirms what it means to “be a man” in the 21st century. Male identifying persons don’t need to be active, logic driven, or sexual subjects any more than female identifying persons are not required to be passive, emotional, and sexual objects. Like the political spectrum, people don’t need to conform to one gender nor prove themselves to others based on the expectations of certain labels.
