Sexist Men Less Likely To Fear Drowning In Their Own Lung Fluids, Apparently
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Covid-19 mask mandates for businesses and localities have turned the fight against a deadly pandemic into an ideological battleground. But while many of the skirmishes are purely partisan, there’s another factor that can determine one’s propensity to wear a mask out and about in public: Good old-fashioned sexism.
A Vox piece published Monday claiming that men are “failing the pandemic” due to performative masculinity. While “performative” anything has devolved into trite netspeak, this theory holds plenty of water.
From Vox:
“The notion is masculinity is a status that you constantly have to prove,” Peter Glick, a Lawrence University professor and senior scientist at the Neuroleadership Institute, told me. Glick specializes in overcoming biases and stereotyping. “Any sort of stumble is perceived [as you losing your masculinity]. So if you do have a stumble, then you have to reestablish it. And if you perceive a mask as ‘Oh, I’m scared of this little virus’ — that’s weakness.”
There have been several articles published about this phenomenon: Men feel emasculated wearing masks, and the risk of having one’s lungs fill with fatal amounts of fluid is worth it to avoid looking like a dweeb. Following safety guidelines is weak or something.