Helps if your world view is shaped by people who are continually telling you that he’s a figure of manliness, while constantly playing off your fear and insecurity for profit and political gain.
EDIT: It’s also a very unrealistic standard of what it means to be a man, almost a caricature. It’s a masculine ideal rooted in myths of the “common-sense everyman hero” who’s wisdom is more valuable than other’s knowledge, instincts more accurate than other’s intellect, and cunning able to overcome other’s skill. He’s a man who’s anger and will can overcome insurmountable odds, and who’s “rough-around-the edges” personality is more attractive than practiced social graces. There’s no need for growth or change, because our hero needs nothing more than the innate qualities he already possesses to thrive, and because of that failure is never his fault.
It’s the aesthetic of romanticized cowboys, gangsters, renegade cops, and retired spec-ops, a domesticated version of 1980’s gritty action-hero masculinity adapted for group membership. It’s always framed as bucking authority and going against the grain, even though conformity is required to be one of the “good guys”. Being low on the totem pole allows you to gain the virtue of being a simple man with a simple life, or being the trusted sergeant “who really makes things happen around here”, but doesn’t mean that you’re incapable of rising to any occasion just because you have guts. Washboard abs or hard work are only important when they can be used to show how weak and ineffective your opponents are, but what’s really important is that you’re able to dismiss, demean, deny, and destroy anything that doesn’t conform to the right way of doing things to gain the accolades you’re due and save yourself the embarrassment of having to admit your hero fantasies aren’t true.
Again, it’s ridiculous to apply this ideal to the bloated orange, but it’s an image he cultivates. His personal mythology is embodying that ideal and gaining massive success in every endeavor because of it. It allows his failings to be used as evidence that he’s “just like us”, and not as examples of his overall lack of redeeming qualities.
But I wouldn’t expect it every really make sense, because at it’s core it’s just a bullshit justification for getting whatever they want with as little effort as possible.
Helps if your world view is shaped by people who are continually telling you that he’s a figure of manliness, while constantly playing off your fear and insecurity for profit and political gain.
EDIT: It’s also a very unrealistic standard of what it means to be a man, almost a caricature. It’s a masculine ideal rooted in myths of the “common-sense everyman hero” who’s wisdom is more valuable than other’s knowledge, instincts more accurate than other’s intellect, and cunning able to overcome other’s skill. He’s a man who’s anger and will can overcome insurmountable odds, and who’s “rough-around-the edges” personality is more attractive than practiced social graces. There’s no need for growth or change, because our hero needs nothing more than the innate qualities he already possesses to thrive, and because of that failure is never his fault.
It’s the aesthetic of romanticized cowboys, gangsters, renegade cops, and retired spec-ops, a domesticated version of 1980’s gritty action-hero masculinity adapted for group membership. It’s always framed as bucking authority and going against the grain, even though conformity is required to be one of the “good guys”. Being low on the totem pole allows you to gain the virtue of being a simple man with a simple life, or being the trusted sergeant “who really makes things happen around here”, but doesn’t mean that you’re incapable of rising to any occasion just because you have guts. Washboard abs or hard work are only important when they can be used to show how weak and ineffective your opponents are, but what’s really important is that you’re able to dismiss, demean, deny, and destroy anything that doesn’t conform to the right way of doing things to gain the accolades you’re due and save yourself the embarrassment of having to admit your hero fantasies aren’t true.
Again, it’s ridiculous to apply this ideal to the bloated orange, but it’s an image he cultivates. His personal mythology is embodying that ideal and gaining massive success in every endeavor because of it. It allows his failings to be used as evidence that he’s “just like us”, and not as examples of his overall lack of redeeming qualities.
But I wouldn’t expect it every really make sense, because at it’s core it’s just a bullshit justification for getting whatever they want with as little effort as possible.
That’s absurd AF but it actually does make sense in a weird, twisted worldview sort of way. Thanks for the explanation!