Opinion: Two Old Men and Masculinity in the Presidential Election

In American culture, women have always been burdened with unfair age expectations. As the years passed, men gained gravity. Women became increasingly obsolete and eventually disappeared from the collective consciousness. The older woman has lived her life like an ever-present but invisible phantom.

This ambiguity arises because, as women age, they no longer fit into narrow definitions of femininity and attractiveness. Age may have brought confidence, authority, and a bigger bank account, but it also brought wrinkles, gray hair, and maybe a few extra pounds. For years, women fought back. Culture has evolved. Invisibility is no longer a woman’s destiny, even in places like Hollywood and Seventh Avenue that once ignored older women in particularly brutal ways.

In Washington, where experience and long-standing relationships are worth a certain amount, a woman’s somewhat older age wasn’t such a bad thing. It was probably the young women who had to prove their courage and watch their backs. And even when her younger colleagues began to target older women, like former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, she only drove them away with her uncanny ability to get things done.

Now, men are learning what it’s like to have an arbitrary expiration date stamped on their foreheads. Or at least one man does. And just as ageism against women was actually a questioning of femininity, President Biden’s widespread obsession with age speaks to our vision of masculinity.

Perhaps the only issue bridging the gap between Democrats and Republicans is the recognition that the president is older. At 81 years old, Biden lives every day like a man who has shouldered burdens, grappled with problems, endured and enjoyed everything life has thrown at him. As far as the public knows, he hasn’t aged that much, as measured by charts and graphs. In fact, one public health expert described him as a “super-elderly,” someone who faces fewer age-related medical problems than others his age. But the president’s blood pressure is a poor rebuttal to visible signs of aging. Biden is aging in an age of social media and relentless surveillance. And he does it without any profanity or bravado. He doesn’t age like some petulant rock star with a girlfriend decades younger than him. He’s not running marathons or winning rowing races. He’s not yelling from a lectern for 90 minutes at a time.

That’s what Donald Trump, his likely opponent in the November election, is doing. The former president has spent much of his time belittling others, proudly repeating lies, presenting himself as a martyr in the face of numerous legal woes, and throwing monkey wrenches into an already largely dysfunctional parliamentary system. ing.

Trump is 77 years old, not much younger than Biden. And just like Biden, he gaffes, messes up his name, and rambles in speeches. But Trump is a loud, angry old man who plays with an instantly recognizable masculinity and is still admired by some circles as a symbol of vibrancy. He’s the kind of masculinity that once defined superhero blockbusters and spy thrillers and still drives crime dramas like “Blue Bloods.” He plays an outlier who saves the day by ignoring or intentionally breaking the rules. He presents a Clint Eastwood version of masculinity defined by toughness, meanness, and a heartbeat. That definition may be outdated, but it’s still stubbornly strong from an age perspective.

Trump is not defying age. He is holding onto his hands and railings and descending his ramps and stairs moment by moment. He quibbles about January 6, 2021, and Nikki Haley, his last remaining opponent in the race for the Republican presidential nomination, about when he really meant Pelosi. He disguises his age behind a façade of cartoonish masculinity. Another form of masculinity version of Botox and fillers. It distracts from the truth, but it cannot erase the truth.

Special Counsel Robert K. Hur, who is investigating Biden’s mishandling of classified documents, released a report on Biden’s recollection during questioning, despite the preferred phrase “I don’t remember.” The mantra of countless witnesses facing legal crises who couldn’t help but characterize the loss as a sign of frailty. And frankly, does a 20-year-old kid even remember where he bought a particular file in his cabinet all those years ago? He was described as a man of He wasn’t just saying the president had a bad memory or couldn’t remember specific dates. He went a step further to explain how Biden expressed each word as a counterpoint to our understanding of masculinity. Masculinity does not resonate. Good intentions are tentative and uncertain. It allows for the possibility of mistakes. The word elderly connotes frailty. Old is a numerical designation. Harrison Ford is 81 years old. Ralph Lauren is 84 years old. how old are you? To get old is to break down.

The health of presidential candidates is a matter of deep concern. There are legitimate concerns about whether candidates have the mental and physical stamina to withstand the stress of the presidency. But we also remain trapped in the idea that energetic men are defined by swagger, quick action, bravado, and loudness. In this way, we insist on taking the scale according to the age of the man, even if it is not the most important way.

Robin Givan He is a senior critic who writes about politics, race, and the arts. Givhan, who won the Pulitzer Prize in criticism in 2006, has also worked for Newsweek/Daily He’s the Beast, Vogue magazine, Detroit He’s Free He Press.

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