Trump to Musk: 2024 was the year of the toxic male

‘Toxic masculinity’ or the overt display of traditionally masculine traits and behaviours is neither new nor unique to 2024. It has existed for centuries. 

But in the year that went by, the term, coined by psychologist Shepherd Bliss in the 1980s, was personified by the rise of people like Donald Trump and Elon Musk. The far-reaching effects of phobia and jingoism were felt not just on the internet but also in real life. 

Here’s why 2024 was the year the toxic male rose to power: 

Donald Trump-Elon Musk Bonhomie

Donald Trump was elected as the US President again, riding on a wave of jingoism, anti-immigrant, and anti-minority. Soon after winning, Trump signalled to a series of moves that are detrimental to transgender people. 

He has continually referred to purported ‘transgender lunacy’ and has vowed to remove trans people from the military and schools. 

Trump, throughout 2024, supported the restriction of free and open abortions in many states of the country. 

While the reason for the curb on free abortion is not because of Trump’s rhetoric, the leader has openly claimed to have ‘killed Roe v Wade’ in a grand gesture, symptomatic of his tendency for hyperbole and grandiosity.

The Republican has also shockingly green-lighted a mass deportation programme and expressed his wish to acquire Greenland, the Panama Canal, and Canada.

Also read: Elon Musk endorses German far right AfD in op-ed; opinion editor resigns in protest

Trump’s bonhomie with tech bro Elon Musk also became a highlight of 2024. Musk, who is now co-leading the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency, acronymed- D.O.G.E. [named after the cryptocurrency DOGE coin], posted frequently on social media about his open disdain for anything he deemed as ‘woke.’ 

This tirade against ‘wokeism’ also dismissed calls for a freer internet and a more unbiased media.
 
The Trump-Musk bonhomie could have been safely ignored had the former not been the next leader of a nation of millions and the latter not have been the richest person on the planet.

Capital, both political and financial, in the hands of bigots can be dangerous.

Be a man, but only online

The internet tends to show us what we already know, thanks to algorithms vying for eyeballs and advertisement revenue. 

Also read: 'I've Always Liked H1-B': Trump backs Elon Musk amid H-1B visa dispute

This trend is harmless when one is shopping for groceries or researching the next fashion trend.

But it gets dangerous when one is looking for life advice, especially on social media.

A case in point is the X handle ‘Elite Masculine.’ The account has 70,000+ followers and is a page which hopes to “MAKE MAN MASCULINE’ 

A post from December 23 proclaims that “women age like milk” while “men age like wine.” 

Another, with 87,800+ views, lists the people a man should never marry. The list includes nurses, lawyers, IG models, and even “girls from Dubai.” 

This page is not the only such ‘pro-men’ account on social media and is not nearly the most popular one. Thousands exist, peddling dogma, patriarchy, and phobia in the name of personality development.

If the internet teaches young men not to be weak and constantly strives to put other genders down, it is a given that many of them may grow up to be women-hating and emotionally pent-up individuals. 

Mishika Chauhan, a researcher at RV University, Bengaluru, says that “the assumption that emotions such as anger and hostility are non-masculine or weak traits has far-reaching effects on an everyday basis. The internalisation of these assumptions, as we observe, also in the everyday social and political spaces, leads to repression of emotions, whether it’s fear or anger. Both of which are necessary for us to sit with, feel and work through.”

Not just men

Toxic masculinity is neither solely limited to men nor is it just a Western problem. 

Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman recently denied the existence of patriarchy itself. 

Sitharaman equated patriarchy’s burden on women with 'inefficiency’ and thus ignored the struggles of millions of women, who, despite working hard, are not paid the same as men, are routinely physically and sexually abused, and are often not given the same liberties as their male counterparts.

Sitharaman’s comments, coming just months after the horrific RG Kar rape and murder [another example of a woman being abused at her workplace], were not just tone-deaf but also evidently blind to ground reality. 

Unfair burden to ‘be a man’ 

Men make up the bulk of suicide victims in India (72% according to the National Crime Records Bureau in 2021) signalling a mental health crisis. There is significant pressure on a man to earn well, look masculine, and never be vulnerable. But, what this gives society is ticking time bombs prone to anger and violence. 

The pressure to be the perfect man needs to be at a minimum from early childhood. 

While women often have outlets to vent their feelings, men suffer in silence. 

Leher Kala, a columnist for The Indian Express, says, “Everybody's just winging it, whether they're men or women. Life gets hard and frustrating for both. Women are luckier, they seem to have relationships where they can talk about this openly. Men lack the same support systems and imbibe somehow that they need to project toughness. It's only when we start treating girls and boys completely equally from kindergarten itself, that things may change in a decade or so.” 

Hopes for a kinder 2025

The world cannot expect any wonders in 2025 in the decline of negativity and toxic masculinity. All one can hope for is a rethinking of who we idolise, online and offline.

Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.