Arnold Schwarzenegger presented a model of masculinity in action films like “Commando” and “The Terminator,” but a new survey shows that Democrats who identify as male may prefer to mirror the manners of Fred Rogers from PBS’ “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.”
A recent Pew Research Center poll found that 53% of Republican men consider themselves “highly masculine,” compared to 29% of male Democrats who said likewise.
The nonpartisan research group reported this month that Republican male respondents were more likely than their Democratic peers to embrace stereotypically “masculine” qualities such as confidence, risk-taking, assertiveness and physical strength.
Democratic male respondents were more likely to extol traditionally “feminine” qualities such as affectionate behavior, soft speaking and caring about others.
“Republicans are far more likely than Democrats to have positive views of men who are manly or masculine,” said Juliana Horowitz, Pew’s senior associate director of social trends research. “They were also more likely than women and Democrats to perceive masculinity as being under attack.”
Ms. Horowitz said Pew based its list of traditionally gendered personality traits on expert consultations and academic literature. But she stressed that researchers didn’t present those qualities as “male” or “female” to survey participants and did not define the phrase “highly masculine” for them. That left Democrats and Republicans to self-identify with the words as they understood them.
The findings polarized several gender advocates who responded to requests for comment.
“I’m not sure what they mean by ’highly masculine’ or ’traditional masculinity,’ as the terms themselves have been rooted in toxic masculinity and the suppression of women,” said Ivy Fofie, a feminist media scholar and gender theorist at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles.
For example, she said the traditional masculinity that Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump projects is historically the same as toxic masculinity, despite conservatives insisting otherwise.
“Whether we like it or not, gender is a significant factor in the upcoming elections,” Ms. Fofie added. “Trump’s persona represents the privileged White male, so it is not surprising if ’traditional males’ lean towards him as a choice.”
Shane Winnings, an Afghanistan war veteran who leads the Christian men’s group Promise Keepers, countered that Republicans “lean more towards traditional masculinity” than Democrats in a way that appeals to guys who prefer a John Wayne movie to the Ice Capades.
“’Highly masculine’ to me is a male who is looking to lead in every area — someone who does not accept just getting by, but wants to excel in everything he does from work to sports to extracurricular activities,” said Mr. Winnings, whose group says traditional men are “under attack.”
He blamed Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris and her running mate, Tim Walz, for demonizing masculinity while supporting the idea that boys can become girls. He said such stances have added to gender confusion and increased depression and suicide risks among young men.
“There is nothing masculine about that, and nothing about that is going to attract your traditional masculine man to support you,” Mr. Winnings added. “I mean, they can’t even tell us what a woman is.”
Others criticized Pew for exaggerating the difference between Charlton Heston lovers and Bob Ross fans ahead of Election Day. They pointed out that the survey of 6,204 adults, which Pew conducted Sept. 3-15 with a 1.5-point margin of error, offers only a snapshot of masculinity nationwide.
“I feel a lot of this rhetoric is just to bring tension amongst men and women in America before the election,” said Trevor Beaman, an active-duty Special Forces soldier and trauma awareness advocate.
He added: “I think everyone could be a little bit kinder to each other. If that means I’m more vulnerable as a man and talk about my feelings, then I’m all about it.”
Dueling masculinities
The Pew survey comes as national polling averages have shown Mr. Trump leading Ms. Harris by double digits among men who plan to vote. Ms. Harris enjoys a similar advantage among women voters.
The latest NBC News poll released this month found Mr. Trump ahead among men by 16 percentage points nationally in a toss-up election, with 48% of all registered voters planning to vote for him and 48% supporting Ms. Harris.
In the same poll, Ms. Harris enjoyed a 14-point advantage among women, who cited abortion access as a major reason for supporting her.
“I would say the Republican Party historically has appealed to more traditionally masculine values, e.g. self-reliance, independence, and non-reliance on government assistance,” said Aqualus Gordon, a psychology professor specializing in men’s issues at Maryville College in Tennessee. “This may appeal to some men more than it appeals to women, who may be more compelled by Harris’ messages of togetherness, hope and helping those who need it.”
According to election analysts, Mr. Trump has made his biggest inroads among young men, even cutting into Democrats’ traditional advantages among Black and Hispanic men. They note that many men have responded favorably to the Republican’s signature moments of bravado, such as pumping his fist and yelling “fight, fight, fight” after surviving an assassination attempt in July.
Mr. Trump has bolstered his momentum by sitting for lengthy podcast interviews with influencers, such as comedian Theo Von, who have large followings of young men. Conversation topics have ranged from drug addiction to boxing.
Jon Macaskill, a leadership coach and retired Navy SEAL commander, said the two campaigns have appealed to different types of men, leaving room for both to broaden their outreach.
“Trump definitely puts out this super traditional masculine vibe, and that’s gonna resonate more with men who identify with that,” said Mr. Macaskill, who hosts the “Men Talking Mindfulness” podcast. “Democrats, on the other hand, are pushing a more inclusive image.”
This month, the Harris-Walz campaign launched an “opportunity agenda for Black men.” It has also promoted a “White Dudes for Harris” coalition and recently staged a photo opp with Mr. Walz attempting to load a shotgun.
Democrats tout Mr. Walz and Doug Emhoff, Ms. Harris’ spouse, as softer masculine alternatives to Mr. Trump and his running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio.
Feminists have praised Mr. Emhoff as a “wife dude,” referring to a man who derives his identity primarily from supporting his wife’s public career as the breadwinner.
In an interview last month, MSNBC host Jen Psaki credited Mr. Emhoff for modeling a new image of masculinity as the nation’s first male spouse of a vice president.
“Something that has also been an important part, an interesting part of how people have talked about your role here, is how your role has reshaped the perception of masculinity,” said Ms. Psaki, a former White House press secretary. “And I’m not sure you planned on that, but you are an incredibly supportive spouse.”
Mr. Emhoff embraced the label.
“I’ve always been like this,” he told Ms. Psaki. “My dad was like this, and to me, it’s the right thing to do, you know, to support women.”
Officials at Pew, which planned the poll before Ms. Harris became the Democratic nominee, declined to comment on the election.
But they noted that just 25% of men and women surveyed said they believe people have mostly negative views of “manly or masculine” men, whether they be Mr. Trump or Mike Tyson.
Another 43% told Pew they believe people have mostly positive views and 31% said they believed most people’s views are neutral.
Ideology and gender
According to Pew, ideology and gender made a difference in whether survey participants preferred a hard-kicking Chuck Norris or a gentle-hearted Charlie Brown.
“Most adults think the genders are different, but Democrats and women cite societal differences, while Republicans and men point to biological differences as explaining them,” Ms. Horowitz said.
She noted that among the 42% of all men who identified as “highly masculine,” 68% of conservative Republican men embraced the label, compared with 38% of moderate and liberal Republicans.
On the other side, 37% of moderate and conservative male Democrats identified as “highly masculine,” compared to just 20% of liberal Democrats. That left a 40-point gap between conservative Republicans and liberal Democrats on the question.
In questions posed to both genders, the poll found that most adults say society does not place “enough value on men who are caring, open about their emotions, soft-spoken or affectionate.” Democrats and women were more likely than Republican men to agree with that sentiment.
On the other hand, Republican men were the most likely to say being assertive, confident, risk-taking and physically strong are not valued enough.
While such findings suggested wide partisan gaps between men, the femininity gap among women was much smaller. Among the 35% of women surveyed who identified as “highly feminine,” the poll found 38% of Republican women and 32% of female-identifying Democrats embraced the label.
According to Pew, conservative women made up the difference, as they were the most likely to identify as “highly feminine.”
Clinical psychologist Meaghan Mobbs, an analyst at the conservative Independent Women’s Forum, said the smaller partisan gap in women’s attitudes about femininity reflects the reality that liberals haven’t labeled traditional wives “toxic” in the same way as manly men.
She said Republicans could do more to reach out to this large segment of suburban women who understand that a Rocky Balboa is still needed to protect a society dominated by Homer Simpsons.
“We need assertive risk-takers who are physically strong,” Ms. Mobbs said. “It is men who embodied those very traits that settled the West, stormed the beaches at Normandy [and] landed on the moon.”
• Sean Salai can be reached at ssalai@washingtontimes.com.