Fox News host and conservative mouthpiece Tomi Lahren once again waded into the waters of toxic masculinity. After Monday’s debacle of President Trump returning to the White House and taking off his mask to give his best dictator pose for the press, the Twitter account of Democratic Presidential candidate Joe Biden tweeted a short 3-second video with a split-screen of Trump taking off his mask during that photo op while on the other side of the video, Biden is shown putting on a mask. The text accompanying the video read, “Wear a mask.”
Wear a mask. pic.twitter.com/TSuLuzAXEB
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) October 6, 2020
Obviously, as easily triggered as Lahren is, she retweeted the video and added her own opinion: “Might as well carry a purse with that mask, Joe.”
It didn’t take long for many on Twitter to take the pundit to task for her remark:
Lahren’s reaction to Biden wearing a mask is not surprising since Trump himself has a long record of issues with masks as well as seen in the videos below.
Lahren isn’t the only Fox News personality to attack Biden for wearing a mask, In May, Brit Hume tweeted a photo of Biden wearing a mask with the comment, “This might help explain why Trump doesn’t like to wear a mask in public. Biden today.”
This might help explain why Trump doesn’t like to wear a mask in public. Biden today. pic.twitter.com/9l1gw1ljBE
— Brit Hume (@brithume) May 25, 2020
Also, who can forget the many Karens that have caused scenes over stores requiring masks?
Lahren’s and Trump’s attitude toward wearing masks shows how toxic masculinity plays into the narrative of being sick or showing any weakness is considered emasculating. In an article for Scientific American, Peter Glick explains:
The coronavirus has laid bare just how strongly some male leaders value projecting a tough, macho image, even at the risk of contracting or spreading coronavirus. President Trump, a germaphobe known to hate shaking hands even in the best of times, ostentatiously continued to press the flesh well into March. Why? It’s the same reason that Trump, in 2017, courted danger from a different corona, making a show of staring at the sun during an eclipse. Defying experts’ warnings about personal danger signals “I’m a tough guy, bring it on.”
However, is so-called masculinity worth the cost of so many lives already lost and the lives of many more that will come down with coronavirus?
Let us know what you think in the comments or on our social media accounts.
Sources: Tomi Lahren Official Twitter Page, Scientific American
Writer’s Note: This is the opinion of one contributing writer and may not reflect the views of Instinct Magazine itself or fellow contributors
