July 11, 2023 - 1:15pm
If you’re heavily immersed in the digital world, it might be tempting to read an article like the one that appeared on Politico on Monday, titled “The testosterone primary of 2024 is ‘getting out of hand’”, and assume that the mostly digital subculture of Right-wing bodybuilders has finally seeped into the mainstream.
There are elements of truth to this claim. Prominent personalities in the space, like Raw Egg Nationalist and Bronze Age Pervert, have considerable organic reach, including a wide range of people in politics and journalism. They inspire thousands of imitators across social media platforms, and they’ve received some important media attention. For example, Raw Egg Nationalist was featured in Tucker Carlson’s documentary The End of Men, and Peter Thiel mentioned Bronze Age Pervert in a recent speech.
A few days ago, UnHerd writer Mary Harrington made a similar suggestion, and I’ve argued myself that because Twitter is a major source of inspiration for media professionals, its most popular subcultures will likely filter into the mainstream. These trends will then be adopted (and crucially, diluted) by influencers and corporations looking to sell something. However, there’s another significant factor at play here, and that’s the bizarre politicisation of being healthy, which is slowly becoming coded as “Right-wing”.
In March, an MSNBC op-ed said that far-Right groups value physical fitness, and that encouraging fitness in others is a core part of their rhetoric. On its face, the claim shouldn’t be controversial. It’s not even very interesting: prominent far-Right political figures have long celebrated and proselytised for the cause of staying in shape.
But that’s not how the article was read, or even promoted on social media by MSNBC. Online, it was another data point in the increasingly popular (and absurd) suggestion that an interest in fitness, and health more broadly, means you’re far-Right. Looking at the bigger picture, it’s part of a larger trend where mainstream media links traditionally masculine interests or concerns, such as the global decline in sperm count, with the bogeyman of the neo-Nazi next door. Is your son going to the gym more often? Sorry, folks: he might just be a fascist. And forget congratulating a friend on their weight loss. That’s now “fatphobic” and therefore problematic, an indication of far-Right sympathies.
This notion is so preposterous that anyone possessing a modicum of common sense wouldn’t even entertain the idea of refuting it. Physical fitness shouldn’t be a political statement, even if it theoretically can be. And yet the mainstream seems to be determined to create a climate in which fitness is another “Right-wing dog whistle” — the label frequently attributed to “free speech”, America’s First Amendment.
Of course, this trend of associating fitness with extreme political ideologies only serves to blur the definition of “far-Right”. It allows moderate figures — such as podcast host Joe Rogan, writers Bari Weiss and Jesse Singal, or political commentator Tim Pool — to be erroneously considered far-Right ideologues.
It is plausible that Republican candidates draw inspiration from certain online personalities and want to appeal to their audiences: just look at Ron DeSantis’s cringe-inducing attack ad against Donald Trump, a poor imitation of the organic memes the former president inspired in 2016. It’s more likely, though, that they’re trying to speak to people (read:men) who are being gaslit into believing that health and physical fitness now “belong” to any political party.
Ultimately, they’re saying, “If it’s Right-wing to be healthy, wouldn’t you rather be Right-wing?” And honestly? Who in their right mind wouldn’t vote for that.
Katherine Dee is a writer. To read more of her work, visit defaultfriend.substack.com.
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SubscribeObesity causes ill-health, which encourages state-dependency, which is what the Left wants.
That’s very much my take on it. A concomitant of physical ill-health is mental ill-health, which again panders to the “interventionist” mindset.
You guys are about as deep as a puddle.
But if that were true, wouldn’t that make you an even more shallow kind of oil slick floating atop this ‘puddle’ you found?
But if that were true, wouldn’t that make you an even more shallow kind of oil slick floating atop this ‘puddle’ you found?
You guys are about as deep as a puddle.
That’s very much my take on it. A concomitant of physical ill-health is mental ill-health, which again panders to the “interventionist” mindset.
Obesity causes ill-health, which encourages state-dependency, which is what the Left wants.
We are both very fit at 65, doing five hours in the gym each week. We are also slightly to the right of center in our political views.
Being fit means that you look better, feel better, can do things, and quite simply have a better life. Being unfit and out of shape is for sad losers.
The political left is mainly comprised of sad losers, so I think on the whole I agree with the premise of the article.
We are both very fit at 65, doing five hours in the gym each week. We are also slightly to the right of center in our political views.
Being fit means that you look better, feel better, can do things, and quite simply have a better life. Being unfit and out of shape is for sad losers.
The political left is mainly comprised of sad losers, so I think on the whole I agree with the premise of the article.
IF being fit means having big muscles, IF the secret of weight loss is going to the gym, IF bare-chestedness is the sign of a fit man – then the argument that fit = right wing might have a soupçon of truth in it somewhere.
But fit means fit for life, not just fit for the gym. Perhaps the biggest reason why obese people don’t excercise is notion that fit = gym. Excercise means standing up instead of sitting down and walking instead of driving. The other stuff comes afterwards when excercise = hobby.
Anyway, everything which you don’t get automatically supplied by the nanny state must automatically be rightwing. If the state could actually give you a dollop of fitness for free, then all would be fine again.
A healthy weight is down to diet not exercise although of course exercise is wise. You can’t outrun a bad diet.
Exactly – healthy weight is 95% clean eating. Bit of exercise of course helps heart, lungs, bone density, strength, flexibility – otherwise you could look slim and still be weak and unhealthy. But as you say, nobody can out-train a diet of eating crap.
Exactly – healthy weight is 95% clean eating. Bit of exercise of course helps heart, lungs, bone density, strength, flexibility – otherwise you could look slim and still be weak and unhealthy. But as you say, nobody can out-train a diet of eating crap.
A healthy weight is down to diet not exercise although of course exercise is wise. You can’t outrun a bad diet.
IF being fit means having big muscles, IF the secret of weight loss is going to the gym, IF bare-chestedness is the sign of a fit man – then the argument that fit = right wing might have a soupçon of truth in it somewhere.
But fit means fit for life, not just fit for the gym. Perhaps the biggest reason why obese people don’t excercise is notion that fit = gym. Excercise means standing up instead of sitting down and walking instead of driving. The other stuff comes afterwards when excercise = hobby.
Anyway, everything which you don’t get automatically supplied by the nanny state must automatically be rightwing. If the state could actually give you a dollop of fitness for free, then all would be fine again.
Pretty stupid of the left / so-called left to cede good things in life to the right: free speech, looking and feeling good…
Losing strategy.
It’s rather odd that things I used to think of as left wing (or wing agnostic) is now right wing. The left makes me more right wing every day without my doing a single thing.
There’s public relations for you.
Only applies if you live in a state with transparent elections. The left wing union against humanity prevails in states where elections themselves or the campaigns in those elections can be fixed. USA already tainted and UK very much under threat. Now in Italy we see the judiciary and some bankers trying to usurp the elected government as they deem the voters have got it wrong. I note most italian bankers and judges are overweight lol
The left wing is all about loser worship! Marxism is designed to cause envy and resentment and to appeal to losers and the intellectuals that claim to speak for them.
It’s rather odd that things I used to think of as left wing (or wing agnostic) is now right wing. The left makes me more right wing every day without my doing a single thing.
There’s public relations for you.
Only applies if you live in a state with transparent elections. The left wing union against humanity prevails in states where elections themselves or the campaigns in those elections can be fixed. USA already tainted and UK very much under threat. Now in Italy we see the judiciary and some bankers trying to usurp the elected government as they deem the voters have got it wrong. I note most italian bankers and judges are overweight lol
The left wing is all about loser worship! Marxism is designed to cause envy and resentment and to appeal to losers and the intellectuals that claim to speak for them.
Pretty stupid of the left / so-called left to cede good things in life to the right: free speech, looking and feeling good…
Losing strategy.
We in the west are not serious people. We argue and debate silly things. We can no longer think for ourselves. Every stinking viewpoint or behaviour must get the stamp of approval from our thought leaders.
We in the west are not serious people. We argue and debate silly things. We can no longer think for ourselves. Every stinking viewpoint or behaviour must get the stamp of approval from our thought leaders.
Does the word “right” still exist, or has it been replaced by “far-right”?
If it has, then has anybody told the driving instructors?
I’ve got another theory. Right-wingers make better drivers. I look forward to an article on this topic.
I’ve got another theory. Right-wingers make better drivers. I look forward to an article on this topic.
Does the word “right” still exist, or has it been replaced by “far-right”?
If it has, then has anybody told the driving instructors?
Let’s face it, ‘far right’ is now just shorthand for “someone whose existence challenges my fragile self centred world view”.
Add ‘bigot’ if that person “makes it obvious to me that I could do something about my poverty, lack of education, obesity, social anxiety, etc if I too got off my a___, stopped blaming everything on the far right / white people / rich people / the patriarchy / heteronormativity etc and put some hard work in”.
Those who like to blame all their ills on oppression have to find oppressors to point the finger at. It doesn’t have to make sense.
Let’s face it, ‘far right’ is now just shorthand for “someone whose existence challenges my fragile self centred world view”.
Add ‘bigot’ if that person “makes it obvious to me that I could do something about my poverty, lack of education, obesity, social anxiety, etc if I too got off my a___, stopped blaming everything on the far right / white people / rich people / the patriarchy / heteronormativity etc and put some hard work in”.
Those who like to blame all their ills on oppression have to find oppressors to point the finger at. It doesn’t have to make sense.
Crikey – need to signal my virtue.
Gym membership cancelled, now, where is the Cake??
I must admit a diet of cake and ale does sound infinitely preferable to roids and hours in the gym, even if it does see me labelled as woke
I must admit a diet of cake and ale does sound infinitely preferable to roids and hours in the gym, even if it does see me labelled as woke
Crikey – need to signal my virtue.
Gym membership cancelled, now, where is the Cake??
I remember years ago a bloke wrote a long and angry letter to Bike motorbike magazine, complaining that his expensive handmade race leathers had shrunk over the winter. He had apparently not cleaned them and stored them carelessly etc, and now they had shrunk a bit. He wondered what had happened, and asked Bike magazine’s opinion as to what might have occurred here to cause his leathers to shrink like that? I always recall their one-word answer:
“Hob-nobs”.
Hob-nobs possibly played a role in my need to purchase of new office clothes that fit after Covid.
Hob-nobs possibly played a role in my need to purchase of new office clothes that fit after Covid.
I remember years ago a bloke wrote a long and angry letter to Bike motorbike magazine, complaining that his expensive handmade race leathers had shrunk over the winter. He had apparently not cleaned them and stored them carelessly etc, and now they had shrunk a bit. He wondered what had happened, and asked Bike magazine’s opinion as to what might have occurred here to cause his leathers to shrink like that? I always recall their one-word answer:
“Hob-nobs”.
I am classically liberal / moderate and fit… You know what they can go do to themselves…
I am classically liberal / moderate and fit… You know what they can go do to themselves…
It depends what one means by ‘ fit’? British Foot Guard and special forces officers on courses in Americ were always initially treated with disdain by their ‘ ripped’ gym and weights addicted US counterparts… until it was the Brits turn to suggest part of a days training. 5 + mile ‘ bash’ with full bergen and weapon, and the gym bunnies were’ rubber ducked’ after under 2 miles as the blood required to ‘ float their excessive body muscles, plus lack or running+ weight bearing experience, let alone stamina, had them panting to a halt….
It depends what one means by ‘ fit’? British Foot Guard and special forces officers on courses in Americ were always initially treated with disdain by their ‘ ripped’ gym and weights addicted US counterparts… until it was the Brits turn to suggest part of a days training. 5 + mile ‘ bash’ with full bergen and weapon, and the gym bunnies were’ rubber ducked’ after under 2 miles as the blood required to ‘ float their excessive body muscles, plus lack or running+ weight bearing experience, let alone stamina, had them panting to a halt….
Good essay, but here in Brooklyn the opposite is more in evidence. Righteous progressives exercising with their noses in the air. And the schlubby nebbish with one of his shoes untied is probably obsessing about the evils of the Biden dynasty.
I’m referring to the retro space known as “in real life”. More and more it seems that what happens online bears almost no relation to reality.
Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
It is, as you say, a weirdly inverted kind of thing.
Initially, in the world of Woke, fitness was a distinguisher between Youth & Those You Couldn’t Trust Over 30. Later it became more a Yuppie Liberal Thing with fancy leg-warmers and Jane Fonda videotapes with everyone ‘feeling the burn’.
In that long-ago & far-away place you wouldn’t find the high-school educated steel worker, auto mechanic, assembly-line employee, or stay-at-home mom buying Adidas Running Shoes & Headbands doing aerobics or reading Jim Fixx’s “Complete Book of Running.” You’d just find them working. The idea that you’d deliberately seek out sweating (to the oldies!) when you’re doing more than enough sweating actually working was completely foreign to the Blue Collar Non-Collegiate ‘underclass’.
Much of that hasn’t changed.
What has changed is the notion that fitness itself becomes an exclusionary signifier that quite obviously separates the Achievers from the UnderAchievers. It does not build Equity; it destroys it. It does not encourage Diversity; rather it encourages a fitness homogeneity filled with ‘white supremacist’ overtones. ‘Privilege’ it is said creates the luxury of time & dollars to invest in fitness unlike the BIPOCS and UnderRepresentedMinorities who lag behind in almost every fitness measure.
This creates a Major Philosophical Dilemma for those Righteous Progressives you note. Do they press on with their fitness routines to validate the separation between them (with their $200 cloud-stride running shoes) and the Deplorables? Or do they back-off from that routine in political solidarity with DIE Dogma (and to avoid being tainted with that ‘white supremacist’ brush)?
Indeed. Here in the other coastal enclave of Silicon Valley the most intense health nuts are likelier to be skyward-nose progressive prentensoids than the gen pop. But more conservative or Trump-loving folks may be likelier to have hypertrophic “yoked-out” frames or sun damaged, hearty outdoor “dad-bods”. Either way, another very important issue for our times.
It is, as you say, a weirdly inverted kind of thing.
Initially, in the world of Woke, fitness was a distinguisher between Youth & Those You Couldn’t Trust Over 30. Later it became more a Yuppie Liberal Thing with fancy leg-warmers and Jane Fonda videotapes with everyone ‘feeling the burn’.
In that long-ago & far-away place you wouldn’t find the high-school educated steel worker, auto mechanic, assembly-line employee, or stay-at-home mom buying Adidas Running Shoes & Headbands doing aerobics or reading Jim Fixx’s “Complete Book of Running.” You’d just find them working. The idea that you’d deliberately seek out sweating (to the oldies!) when you’re doing more than enough sweating actually working was completely foreign to the Blue Collar Non-Collegiate ‘underclass’.
Much of that hasn’t changed.
What has changed is the notion that fitness itself becomes an exclusionary signifier that quite obviously separates the Achievers from the UnderAchievers. It does not build Equity; it destroys it. It does not encourage Diversity; rather it encourages a fitness homogeneity filled with ‘white supremacist’ overtones. ‘Privilege’ it is said creates the luxury of time & dollars to invest in fitness unlike the BIPOCS and UnderRepresentedMinorities who lag behind in almost every fitness measure.
This creates a Major Philosophical Dilemma for those Righteous Progressives you note. Do they press on with their fitness routines to validate the separation between them (with their $200 cloud-stride running shoes) and the Deplorables? Or do they back-off from that routine in political solidarity with DIE Dogma (and to avoid being tainted with that ‘white supremacist’ brush)?
Indeed. Here in the other coastal enclave of Silicon Valley the most intense health nuts are likelier to be skyward-nose progressive prentensoids than the gen pop. But more conservative or Trump-loving folks may be likelier to have hypertrophic “yoked-out” frames or sun damaged, hearty outdoor “dad-bods”. Either way, another very important issue for our times.
Good essay, but here in Brooklyn the opposite is more in evidence. Righteous progressives exercising with their noses in the air. And the schlubby nebbish with one of his shoes untied is probably obsessing about the evils of the Biden dynasty.
I’m referring to the retro space known as “in real life”. More and more it seems that what happens online bears almost no relation to reality.
Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
Just more Progressive Silliness … draped about a fundamental, totalitarian evil…
Given Truth, Sanity, and Logic, and the fleetingly, finite lifespans of every embodied self… then the Rational Man would naturally choose fitness over unfitness, just as he would Lightness over Dark, and Good over Bad. In and of itself this choice is apolitical and tinted neither Blue nor Red. Here in Wonderland, however, such choices are always weighted and ‘wrong’ choices (anti-progressive choices) become sacrilege.
In Woke World we don’t have Truth; we have Lived Truths (none any better, any truer, anymore valid than any other). Microaggressive Systemic Whateverism surrounds us…and what we elevate and adulate is Intersectional Victimhood and the Sainthood of the Oppressed. What we hate, of course, is the patriarchal, heteronormative, cisgendered, transphobic, colonialist, misogynistic, racist, sexist, merit-based, biologically-essential male Oppressor. As a result, anything which validates, enables, reinforces traditional values (especially toxically masculine values…such as Fitness) is seen as bad/fascist…and whatever opposes same is understood as good & righteous.
Given that ALL bodies are beautiful (because beautiful is only what we declare it to be). Given that the ‘true’ self is essentially immaterial ….then fitness, the very idea of fitness implies that ‘I am my body” and that the unfit are not as worthy. Fitness essentially becomes a merit-based, EXCLUSIONARY system which breeds Inequity & social injustice and works against Diversity. Of course, therefore, Fitness is a no good, very bad, terrible, horrible thing…and a political litmus test to separate the Woke from the UnWoke.
it is, as the Red Guard itself might have said during Mao’s own ‘Culturally ‘Woke’ Revolution’ just another of the Four Olds (Old Ideas, Old Cultures, Old Customs, Old Habits) which requires total eradication.
What would Jack LaLanne say??!!
Just more Progressive Silliness … draped about a fundamental, totalitarian evil…
Given Truth, Sanity, and Logic, and the fleetingly, finite lifespans of every embodied self… then the Rational Man would naturally choose fitness over unfitness, just as he would Lightness over Dark, and Good over Bad. In and of itself this choice is apolitical and tinted neither Blue nor Red. Here in Wonderland, however, such choices are always weighted and ‘wrong’ choices (anti-progressive choices) become sacrilege.
In Woke World we don’t have Truth; we have Lived Truths (none any better, any truer, anymore valid than any other). Microaggressive Systemic Whateverism surrounds us…and what we elevate and adulate is Intersectional Victimhood and the Sainthood of the Oppressed. What we hate, of course, is the patriarchal, heteronormative, cisgendered, transphobic, colonialist, misogynistic, racist, sexist, merit-based, biologically-essential male Oppressor. As a result, anything which validates, enables, reinforces traditional values (especially toxically masculine values…such as Fitness) is seen as bad/fascist…and whatever opposes same is understood as good & righteous.
Given that ALL bodies are beautiful (because beautiful is only what we declare it to be). Given that the ‘true’ self is essentially immaterial ….then fitness, the very idea of fitness implies that ‘I am my body” and that the unfit are not as worthy. Fitness essentially becomes a merit-based, EXCLUSIONARY system which breeds Inequity & social injustice and works against Diversity. Of course, therefore, Fitness is a no good, very bad, terrible, horrible thing…and a political litmus test to separate the Woke from the UnWoke.
it is, as the Red Guard itself might have said during Mao’s own ‘Culturally ‘Woke’ Revolution’ just another of the Four Olds (Old Ideas, Old Cultures, Old Customs, Old Habits) which requires total eradication.
What would Jack LaLanne say??!!
Andrew Tate was called dangerous to young boys in the UK Parliament long ago. Tucker Carlson’s interview of him is helpful. You can see why the establishment is afraid of his thinking on a lot of things catching on.
https://twitter.com/TuckerCarlson/status/1678873144201818115?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1678873144201818115%7Ctwgr%5E34b34ad6dab4cdd6475a8d5da08aa9279468a552%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2F
But do think he is a net good example for boys or young men?
Please explain to me why he is not a meanspirited, manipulative pornographer with dark charisma and a some more reasonable moments, especially when Fox News or the BBC are present.
But do think he is a net good example for boys or young men?
Please explain to me why he is not a meanspirited, manipulative pornographer with dark charisma and a some more reasonable moments, especially when Fox News or the BBC are present.
Andrew Tate was called dangerous to young boys in the UK Parliament long ago. Tucker Carlson’s interview of him is helpful. You can see why the establishment is afraid of his thinking on a lot of things catching on.
https://twitter.com/TuckerCarlson/status/1678873144201818115?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1678873144201818115%7Ctwgr%5E34b34ad6dab4cdd6475a8d5da08aa9279468a552%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2F
Bismarck fought plenty of duels…I like that in a politician.
Granted, he was a genius and the current crop of politicos are only good to clean his chamber pot but still…it would be good get a few cuts.