On Wednesday’s episode of Morning Joe, Matt Lewis and Joe Scarborough discussed the recent phenomenon of some conservatives becoming angry over the possibility of Taylor Swift making an appearance during NFL broadcasts and endorsing Joe Biden again in 2024. They played an extended clip from Colin Cowherd’s Fox Sports show, where he stated that this anger may be due to a large group of men who lack real intimacy with women and are thus resentful towards them.
Joe Scarborough introduced Matt Lewis, who has recently written a column on the subject. According to Lewis, a majority of right-wing “keyboard warrior” types are obsessed with proving their masculinity, often in an ironic way. He believes they may resent men like Travis Kelce, who is often seen as a representation of traditional masculinity, for dating someone like Taylor Swift.
Scarborough then interjected and stated that this is a “checkmate” for the supposed manly men of the right. He imitated their gestures and voices, mocking them for wearing Trump hats and red suspenders. He then mentioned seeing someone like Travis Kelce as a “total checkmate” for these men. Scarborough ended this segment by referring to these men as “little weenies,” implying that they are weak and insecure in their masculinity.
Ironically, Scarborough himself has a history of trying to prove his own manliness. He has made comments about forcing a tourist to “eat” his camera, boasted about being willing to “die” before negotiating out of weakness, and declared that he would never allow someone to “emasculate” him like Donald Trump allegedly did to J.D. Vance. He has also derided men who go to shooting ranges to fire AR-15s, claiming they do so because they feel inadequate in their real lives.
In other words, Scarborough is well aware of the concept of men with fragile egos who feel the need to prove their manliness. He has even played into this idea himself, boasting and taunting others to appear tough and strong. However, he now mocks others for exhibiting the same behavior he has displayed in the past. This highlights the irony and hypocrisy of Scarborough calling out these “manly” men when he has also tried to project an image of machismo.
It is clear that Scarborough and Lewis believe there is a connection between right-wing conservatives and a sense of masculinity. They see these men as needing to assert their manliness and resenting those who represent traditional ideas of masculinity, such as Travis Kelce.
I think the reality is this, neither ‘man’ knows the first thing about masculinity and have no busy speaking on the subject. What do you think?