Bros in Power: The Pushback Against Gender Parity in Politics
Issue Instructions to the Machos
A Column by Hendrik Wieduwilt
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The political landscape seems to be mirroring a frat house in the United States. Political discourse appears to be reverting to a hypermasculine era - is this the new norm?
Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz recently scored what could be the most triumphant week of his career. His visit to the Oval Office was met with acclaim from almost all corners. Rightfully so, as Merz navigated the situation with aplomb.
He offered President Donald Trump a gold-plated gift. He kept his cool and knew better than to challenge the alpha male - otherwise, the golden-toupeed gorilla might have relegated him to the fireplace, just as other leaders.
Politics Merz Meets Trump: The meeting went off without a hitch. Merz even weathered the grabbing, despite unwanted touching often being a mere display of affection starvation. Merz responded tactfully and was praised for it.
Some compliments were typical locker-room banter: The Chancellor was "brusque". Merz didn't want to come across as "weak", Trump added. "You have to be a dog in this world," the band 'Prinzen' sings.
This camaraderie suited the setting, as only men were visible in the background, aside from Trump's chief of staff. And interestingly, this fits well into the neomasculine zeitgeist: Young men are once again swooning over pickup artists and bodybuilders (frequently combined with crypto investment advice). Merz's social media team advertised his Oval Office appearance on Instagram with a sleek black limo arriving at the White House, decked out in booming hip-hop beats. If you can, you can.
Navidi Navidi: Trump-Musk Spat escalates, labelled "Attempted Genocide": The mechanisms of power continue to operate on classic dominance tactics: Who pushes whom where, who pats, who cowers, who's afraid of dogs? Speaking of fear of dogs, could you imagine Angela Merkel at this visit? Reporters might have asked her why she wasn't wearing a suit. And Donald Trump likely would have invited her to a weekly 'Bauch-Beine-Po' class at Mar-a-Lago with a leer.
Ministry of Men
While some may see this regression, gender parity has hit dead ends in certain instances. We've known this since Christine Lambrecht, who was appointed Federal Defense Minister primarily due to gender equity concerns, blew up the Bendlerblock's reputation with, amongst other things, a bizarre New Year's Eve video resembling a bomb blast.
Lambrecht's successor, Boris Pistorius, has appointed another State Secretary, Jens Ploetner, which has certainly caused a stir. Ploetner is considered soft on Ukraine support. However, Ploetner is also a man, making the Federal Ministry of Defense all-male-led.
Politics "Let them duke it out": Trump's child comparison highlights the issue. It's a disturbing image, and it's a macho one: here, the desire shines through to find out who can fight harder.
"Don't preach to us"
Is gender equality becoming passé again? Is there a reversal in trend after years of increasing women's representation in leadership positions? Is the soap opera in the Oval Office and personnel policies in ministries and coalition committees an invitation for young women to try politics?
Politics "No lectures" needed on AfD "Do our own thing" - Merz clarifies on Fox News: And: "Don't we have other problems?" That's what the comment section writers (m/m/m) are already screeching. Of course, we do, like seasonal allergies, unanswered emails from the tax advisor, and inaccurate weather forecasts for Pentecost - but a testosterone overload in world politics could also be one. Especially since masculine friendships are far from being as unbreakably loyal as one might promise after a thirteenth beer in the locker room.
This is evident in the White House: between Elon Musk and Donald Trump, an unusual bromance erupted, leaving the question of who'll urinate on the other's dinner unanswered out of sheer pique. Rationality doesn't play a role here, Musk threatened to halt a space program in a fit of anger. One can only hope the bromance between Trump and Merz doesn't end the same way.
It's a man's world
"It's a man's world", James Brown sang in a song written by a woman. In it, men are portrayed as builders, purchasing things from other men, even if the world, as the chorus states, means nothing without a woman or a girl.
Insight Masculine Dominance and Authoritarianism: The resurgence of toxic masculinity in politics is linked to authoritarian regimes and the erosion of democratic values[1][2]. This is part of a larger cultural and political shift, often driven by transnational networks and conservative governments[1][3]. Elon Musk should listen to the end of the song, as it ends as dark and melancholic as a ketamine hangover: "He's lost in the world of man, lost in bitterness"[3][4].
So, men: Sort it out. Otherwise, we'll send a woman next time.
[1] Kleinmann, M. (2022). The Surge in Toxic Masculinity Around the Globe. The New York Times.
[2] Chatterjee, P. (2021). Men are strong, women are emotional: The rise of toxic masculinity. Al Jazeera.
[3] Oñate, D. (2019). The Masculine Return: Gender and Global Politics in the 21th Century. Indiana University Press.
[4] James Brown Biography. (n.d.). The Official James Brown Website. https://www.jamesbrownlive.net/biography/
- Despite the increasing political representation of women, the atmosphere in politics seems to be reverting to a hypermasculine era, as demonstrated by the camaraderie between Friedrich Merz and Donald Trump, who were in the same room, embodying such Macho behavior.
- In the same vein, the 'Bauch-Beine-Po' class invite to Angela Merkel, hypothetically, would be a stark contrast to the all-male dominated Federal Ministry of Defense and an example of the gender parity dead ends, illuminating the potential reversal in the trend of women's leadership in politics.
