President Donald Trump isn’t famous for his chemistry with the ladies. We all know about his 3 marriages, his body-shaming comments against beauty pageant contestants and the infamous remarks he made about grabbing a woman’s vagina without her consent.
But Trump has done it again; last Saturday on SNL, they created a skit where Melissa McCarthy portrayed Sean Spicer; Trump’s Press Secretary. I think she did a fantastic job and that the skit was comedy gold.
However, according to Politico, it was not the content of the skit or the way McCarthy imitated Spicer, but the fact that Spicer was portrayed by a woman, that most annoyed President Trump.
Why did a woman playing his press secretary irritate Trump so much?
The answer is simple, and unfortunately, it is one that has been a part of our country far longer than Trump has. Trump, along with millions of men across the country, suffers from Toxic Masculinity Syndrome.
Toxic Masculinity Syndrome is the mindset that in order to be a true man, one has to conform to socially constructed attitudes associated with masculinity, such as; not showing emotion and being both violent and sexually aggressive. It also tends to result in men hiding their own insecurities by displacing them onto others. This condition tends to arise when men feel threatened by the success and strength of women. For those who suffer from this ailment, it’s hard for them to see any problems with their behavior until they are pointed out- even then they are often ignored.
Trump’s issues with women extend beyond the sexist, degrading remarks he has made towards them. In fact, the hostility behind his atrocious comment probably stems from his own insecurities.
He is a prime example of someone suffering from Toxic Masculinity Syndrome, as many of those comments focus on humorously putting down women in order to make himself seem more macho. The world saw it throughout the entire 2016 Election, but it has been ingrained into his behaviour for a long, long time. He’s made numerous claims which belittle women and hype up his own sexuality (who could forget the infamous debate Trump had about the size of a certain body part with “little” Marco Rubio?). He claimed that Hillary Clinton didn’t have the stamina to become president, that political commentator Megyn Kelly asked him aggressive questions because she was on her period, and called breastfeeding “disgusting”.
He is quick to lob insults at women and despite the fact that it gives him a negative image, he has made them, consistently, throughout his public life. His insistence of disparaging women does nothing to make him more manly; instead, they showcase his own insecurities
But don’t be too worried for the Donald or for any man in your life who displays similar symptoms of Toxic Masculinity. This affliction is not a permanent one and can be resolved if you follow some simple advice. Are you listening Mr. President?
The best way to get rid of one’s toxic masculinity is to recognize it. If someone you know constantly puts down women with no evidence behind their claims, or consistently makes sexist quips, tell them. As the saying goes; the first step to recovery is recognition. Try to help them work out why they act that way; there may be a deeper reason as to why women intimidate them, and that’s important to find out. Women are incredibly beautiful, strong and intelligent creatures, but there’s no reason to be intimidated by us.
Finally, help that person find a woman they can look up to. If they can learn about how this woman became accomplished and understand the hard work it took for her to succeed, maybe they’ll have some appreciation for the women that used to scare them.
So don’t fret; Toxic Masculinity is totally curable. It just takes a little time and an open mind. Soon enough, we’ll be on our way in Making America More Equal (for the first time).
