Josh Hawley Tries So Durn Hard

Josh Hawley says more men today are watching porn and playing video games because their masculinity has been criticized. pic.twitter.com/R0eXdRSYNT

— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) November 1, 2021

More women are also watching porn and playing video games because these things are increasingly available due to technological advancements like getting wifi on your phone. It isn't deep. Porn is literally ancient. People play games for fun. It's the point. People do things they find fun. It's not a male thing. It's not a retreat from the cold cruel world. It's not the sturm und drang of opprobrium from the eternal and infernal female. It's just extremely convenient. And kind of fun.

Now, what manly men are supposed to do is become successful and find a good wife to occupy their definitely not porn and video game lifestyles. I guess. As if husbands time out of mind haven't fucked off to play pool or bowl or hang out at titty bars or catch a skin flick or whatever.  It passes the time. It's not some new obsession. It's really pretty trad--just the delivery medium has changed. Not all men are into these things, some always are. But that isn't a male-exclusive thing. (And it can be empowering, to women, but also sometimes doesn't feel that way.) Surprise--we're people. 

Now, getting so pissed that woman criticize (in actuality or just imagined) you that you go ahead and become a Nazi is kind of new, but I don't know if Hawley has ever had that particular problem of masculinity top of mind. 

I think Hawley is this way because it's useful, and not because women criticize him, but I, a woman, won't refrain from criticizing him for fear he'll get more authoritarian. I don't even worry that I might drive him to Zelda and Debbie Does Dallas (I'm old--I KNOW!). Because look, I don't give a shit about his masculinity, it's the absolutely laughable demagoguery I find worth criticizing. "Women are to blame for the perceived inadequacies of men." We're witches. We make the men less useful by pointing out their failings. We make their penises small with witchcraft. We made video games more fun than putting up with our nagging and made porn great by being stupidly sexier in fantasy than real life. 

Wah wah wah. I don't blame men for my porn decisions or why I invest time after something like thirty? years playing Tetris. I'm an introvert. I do stuff alone that I like. Maybe it's video pinball. Maybe it's trashing slick try-hards who might not even have a permanent address in Missouri even yet, Josh? Do you? Who are holding up necessary political appointments for way fits of pique reasons and don't appreciate being told that being a tantrum baby is not especially grown-up, wherever on the gender spectrum you find yourself? I'm sometimes inadequately feminine and so I blog. That's my game. 

Do I face criticism from men about my femininity ever that makes me want to do stuff? Shit. Does any woman ever wonder what men have to say about her femininity? As if they don't? Does it influence us, ever, in any way, at all? Since forever? Feel threatening, or make us want to be anywhere but in our own skin? Or make us armored, stone cold, vituperative, alienated from our connected and nurturing sides?  Make us wary, commodified, vilified? 

There is no war of the sexes. There is just people with different gender identities coping with being human beings on this planet. And porn ( non exploitative) and video games are fucking harmless. Masculinity and femininity alike are in some ways social stereotypes. And criticism is either validly about your behavior or some bullshit about your identity. And politicizing along gender lines is just bizarre. It feels wrapped in the idea of making men great again, and telling women to "keep sweet". And I sometimes think I'd rather be great than sweet, myself. If only for moments at a time.