Comparison:
[Headline:] “Masculinity’s check-engine light is on. Let Tim Walz have a look.“
Monica Hesse, writing a column in the Washington Post concerning the rapid rise of memes about Tim Walz‘ midwestern “dad-ness,“ knowingly uses a metaphor in her headline concerning automotive dashboard warning lights. That metaphoric formulation later in the column allows her a clever reconfiguration of a dominant designation concerning male identity in American culture. (See context below for that clever label move.)
Context:
I’d been trying to think of a better descriptor than Midwestern Dad to get at the aura Walz projects. After all, not all good men are Midwestern or dads. Soon I realized the perfect term had already been coined. ‘Tim Walz has tonic masculinity,‘ I saw several fans write online.
Yes. That. Tim Walz has tonic masculinity. Confident. Decent. The kind of man who, as another user joked, would start his job at the White House ‘being asked about national security and the tax code and end with him wearing a headlamp up in the attic fixing some old wiring.‘
Citation:
Hesse, Monica. “Masculinity’s check-engine light is on. Let Tim Walz have a look.“ Washington Post, 08 August 2024. Web.
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