Sex and Sex and Sex and The Patriarchy
A Toxic Brew of Celebrities and Politicians
Power, either the lack of or the assertion of, is a key dynamic in our culture and politics. The ability to influence or command obedience, is an essential ability for authoritarian leaders and wannabes. And we are seeing the dynamic of sexual attraction or revulsion as a lever play out in multiple arenas during this election season.
Honesty is difficult to achieve when one’s self worth and/or ambitions is wrapped around either dominant or submissive behavior. If there was somebody keeping track of lies and distortions expressed concerning relationships and sexual acts, they would certainly top the list.
Getting to the root of today’s essay, Western society is organized along the lines of gender roles, with the power positions (usually) held by men. Popular belief has the role of protector in the early days of humanity as the basis for male assertiveness and its inclusion in the way we are organized as a society. To be clear, I’m not saying this is absolute or even desirable; it’s just the way things are.
So, today, we have four examples of this manner of power projecting as a tool to consider.
First up is the revelation of reporter Olivia Nuzzi’s relationship with Robert F Kennedy, Jr. I’m not surprised that the attention is focused on her role, and there’s evidence of bad behavior in her choices of words and story-lines. Her role in publicizing concerns about President Biden’s aging could easily be attributed as a gesture within an ongoing flirtation.
But the real villain here is Robert F Kennedy Jr, the politician who’s traded on perceptions of power to try to bed the females he encounters. Various accounts should make this clear; he even had a system of rating sexual experiences in a dairy. The guy is scum and no different than his new oranged-faced daddy when it comes to women.
This latest round of exploitative behavior should send him to the political showers. It won’t because it’s within the bounds of public expectations. (I’m not arguing for monogamy here; it’s the lying part that’s the biggest misdeed.)
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Next up is Sean Combs, aka Diddy, who was indicted last week on a fistful of charges related to his expressions of power used to exploit God-knows how many humans. Submission was the point, regardless of gender. He was and is one of those humans whose delusional self image allowed him to treat others as if he was an 8 year old playing with plastic soldiers.
Harvey Weinstein, R. Kelly, and a host of evangelical preachers have all had this attribute. It comes with the territory, they think. That’s why Trump’s admission started with “they let you do it.”
It has everything to do with power and nothing to do with emotional relationships that can arise out of sexual experiences. Their victims are taught to believe submission gives them worth.
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The latest “news” excursion into the lies of the rich and famous comes with the revelations about North Carolina Lt Governor Mark Robinson. He was already known for odious rhetoric aimed at humans who didn't share his worldview, but it was apparently okay in MAGA circles, because inflicting or promising misery is part of the moral package promising redemption comes the rapture (or ascending to heaven).
I unfortunately saw one of the documents CNN declined to post, and believe me when I tell you Robinson’s self-reported behavior was beyond extreme.
As Judd Legum at Popular Information points out, even though Robinson’s campaign staff has fled, the corporate funding of his gubernatorial quest by companies like DoorDash, Google, and Walmart is still flowing through the Republican Governors Association; his TV ads are still on air as of this weekend.
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All these examples should be looked at as part of a bigger picture, namely reenforcing a push to repair and restore the patriarchal order of society. It’s part of the hierarchical structure necessary to support authoritarian rule.
This goes way beyond women’s healthcare –abortion– as an issue. The movement that’s come to be defined as MAGA has much, much more in mind.
That little thing House Republicans were trying to attach to a continuing budget resolution (to get Democrats on record as weak on voting integrity) included a provision disqualifying many women from voting. The two forms of ID it would have required to prove eligibility would have to match perfectly, meaning that a birth certificate with a woman's maiden name that didn’t match her married name was grounds for exclusion from the voting pool.
The ghouls who came up with this bit of fuckery knew it wasn’t going to pass, but it gave expression to the widespread notion in right wing circles that “the good old days” existed before women got the right to vote.
Everywhere you look in Project 2025, the playbook for a Trump administration, you’ll find suggestions to eliminate discussion or actions concerning gender or racial discrimination.
Another front in the effort to bring the patriarchy back to its former state, aside from anything having to do with the female reproductive system, is the growing movement in right wing legal circles to roll back no-fault divorces.
Some Southern states, like North Carolina have barriers for women seeking to end a marriage like the requirement of a year-long (and a day) separation requirement. Plus a 30 day cooling off period once papers are filed after the separation.
Cheyenne McNeille, writing at Cosmopolitan, provides an account of what it’s like to divorce in NC.
Plenty of people—including some North Carolina lawmakers—can see that no one benefits from an entire year spent in relationship limbo. In 2023, legislators proposed a bill that would cut the separation period in half. But so far, the law hasn’t changed. Instead, while I endured the separation period, bold names in this election cycle were arguing that getting rid of my cheating husband and getting on with my life should be even harder.
U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson called no-fault divorce a “scheme” Americans have been convinced to accept and Republican vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance has said it’s an “assault on the institution of marriage.” An Oklahoma republican introduced a bill that would eliminate no-fault divorce in the state and the Texas and Nebraska Republican Parties have also proposed restrictions.
Even Republican pollsters agree that getting women to vote for Donald Trump can be a challenge. Their candidate, who’s apparently afraid to face a female opponent in a second debate, has indicated that he’s up for the challenge.
So the Republican candidate went into this weekend with a pitch for female voters, starting with an all-caps pitch on his Truth Social page.
A dandy response from Joyce Vance at Civil Discourse:
He writes it with all the fervor of a man envisioning a future that is part “Stepford Wives” and part “The Handmaid’s Tale.” Trump: You will be happy. Your life will be beautiful. It will be that way because I say so. It is not up to you.
Donald Trump is a lunatic. I don’t say that casually. His post from last night was a stark reminder of what it’s like to live in Donald Trump’s America. I’m sure you all remember it—waking up in the middle of the night to check Twitter for news of unfolding disasters. Had he praised a dictator, enacted a Muslim ban, separated children from their parents at the border, called white nationalists “decent people”? What would be next? Don’t worry your pretty little heads about that, he’s telling women now.
We are 45 days away from the election. We all know the assignment. We are never ever getting back together with Donald Trump. Never ever.
In 2020, early exit polls showed Biden winning the votes of 57 percent of women. A majority of American women were eager to end Trump’s power over their lives. If the best argument Trump has to convince those women to vote for him is that they’ll lose more rights while he tells them to be happy about it, well, good luck with that.
Parts of his text are now woven into Trump’s stump speech. I guess he considers this language the carrot that goes along with the stick of fear of immigrants. In fact, the Women for Trump group says if Vice President Kamal Harris wants to do something for women, she’ll close the border to stop illegals from raping and murdering innocent women and girls.
There’s a lot to unpack there if you analyze these “pro-women” expressions, including the supposition of male supremacy.
Finally, there’s this bit of bluster in the name of manhood, from a North Carolina speech this weekend:
"Our country will be dead if she gets elected. We won't even have a country."
PS -The latest NBC poll says the gender gap from 2020 has doubled.
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GOOD NEWS SIDE NOTE:
On Tuesday's National Voter Registration Day more than 150,000 people registered through Vote.org, the most the organization has ever seen on that day. Voters under 35 made up 81% of last Tuesday's registrations, with the biggest spike among 18-year-olds.
BAD NEWS SIDE NOTE:
Congress member Sara Jacobs is calling attention to a campaign event sponsored by opponent Bill Wells, featuring a real life war criminal (pardoned by Trump). For $2000, attendees will get a VIP session with Eddie Gallagher, guns and ammo provided, and a 100 yard range to practice taking out bad guys. Lesser humans ($500) get general admission, ammo available for sale, a 25 yard shooting range, and a reception afterwards.
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Monday News You Should Read
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Disavowing Project 2025 is Trump's biggest unforced error by LOLGOP at The Cause
Project 2025 manages to be more unpopular than JD Vance and Socialism combined.
This is a remarkable result in 2024 America, defined by negative partisanship that ensures that both parties are equally hated. And we have to thank Donald Trump.
This is entirely the result of his sad attempt to disavow this nearly 1,000-page document and the now-shuttered effort to round up sociopaths to execute the plan for a Christian nationalist monarchy that will ruin YOUR life.
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Why are Republicans so obsessed with refrigerators? By Arielle Samuelson and Emily Atkin at HEATED
Indeed, all presidents since Reagan—Democrat and Republican, except for Trump—have expanded appliance efficiency standards. The reason is clear, said Neumann: “You don't have to be a Democrat to benefit from more efficient refrigerators and washing machines.”
The only reason this historically bipartisan issue has flipped on its head is because it now presents a propaganda opportunity too tempting to ignore. Climate activists aren’t just going to take away your car, your hamburger and your gas stove anymore. Now, they’re going to take away your refrigerator; your dishwasher; your lightbulb; your shower; your microwave; your coffee machine; and your blender.
But the new culture war isn’t really about refrigerators, or gas stoves, or light bulbs. It’s about protecting fossil fuels and winning elections.
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California sues Exxon Mobil for allegedly misleading the public about plastic recycling via The Los Angeles Times
The announcement of the two lawsuits comes as state lawmakers seek to reduce plastic pollution at its source, with the passage and implementation of SB54, the Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act — which seeks to turn the onus and cost of plastic pollution away from taxpayers and consumers and onto the producers and packagers.
It also comes amid a growing body of research showing the pernicious and ubiquitous nature of microplastics in the environment and within human bodies.
Micro- and nanoplastics are produced when plastic products break down. Petroleum-based plastics never fully decompose; they break down into smaller and smaller pieces, which have now been found in the deepest trenches of our oceans, in the snows atop the highest mountains, in our air, water, food and bodies.
