The Manosphere: From Broadcast to Ballot Box

From television to podcasts, and now — disturbingly — the Oval Office, those who dominate the media shape and negotiate what it means to ‘properly’ embody and express masculinity. Whether through Mr. Rogers and the rise of the ‘new man,’ or Joe Rogan and the unchecked propagation of dominant masculinity, we see how these influences have paved the way for Trump to stand upon his petulant pedestal.

Plato’s Cave and Trump’s Next Term 

A sentiment echoes across the United States, and it stems from “the people.” Just last week, “the people” elected a president. How can we understand this political moment better? Let’s go back to Plato and his cave. Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave,” from the Republic, helps us understand populism in the U.S. today and its role in Donald Trump’s rise. 

The “Allegory of the Cave,” aims to understand the effect of education, or lack of it, on our nature. Plato describes his allegory as follows: There are humans living inside of a cave that extends far with an entrance leading to the outside world.

Your Next Read Before the Election: “Cannibalism in the Cars” 

24 congressmen walk into a bar. There’s a snowstorm and they can’t leave for seven days. Who do they eat first? 

Mark Twain’s 1868 short story, “Cannibalism in the Cars,” takes place in a train, not a bar, but there’s still cannibalism — don’t you worry. 

The story follows the so-called “Stranger’s Narrative”: the story of 24 “gentlemen” on a train bound for Chicago in December of 1853. Snow is falling and there is a pleasant atmosphere, but soon the train can no longer push forward.The men realize they have no food, only wood for fire to keep them warm. 

Days pass and among the sorrow, hunger lingers. On the seventh day, the gentlemen can no longer take the starvation.