2020
55 min
978-1-893521-02-5
![Subtitles]()
English
The Man Card
White Male Identity Politics From Nixon to Trump
Synopsis
For years, right-wing politicians and pundits have accused the left of playing “the race card” and “the woman card” and engaging in identity politics. This eye-opening documentary turns the tables and takes dead aim at the right’s own longstanding use of white male identity politics in American presidential elections. Ranging from Richard Nixon’s tough-talking, fear-stoking law-and-order campaign in 1968 to Donald Trump’s hyper-macho revival of these same tactics in 2020, The Man Card shows how the right has employed a deliberate strategy to frame Democrats and liberals as soft, brand the Republican Party as the party of “real men,” and position conservatives as defenders of white male power and authority in the face of seismic demographic changes and ongoing struggles for equality. The Man Card pays special attention to how the right has used white-male identity politics to channel the legitimate, class-based grievances of millions of white men into unbridled resentment of people of color, immigrants, women, the LGBTQ community, and so-called “liberal elites.” And it shows how this siege mentality has undercut the presidential prospects of women and undermined the nation’s ability to adapt to a changing world. A co-production of the Media Education Foundation and Eat the Moon Films, The Man Card was directed by acclaimed filmmakers Peter Hutchison and Lucas Sabean, and was created and co-written by political analyst Jackson Katz, the author of the award-winning book Man Enough: Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton & the Politics of Presidential Masculinity.
Release Date:2020
Duration:55 min
ISBN:978-1-893521-02-5
Subtitles:English
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Praise
“Jackson Katz hits it out of the park once again with this vitally important and timely new film.”
Jean Kilbourne, Ed.D.
Senior Scholar, Wellesley Centers for Women
Senior Scholar, Wellesley Centers for Women
"The Man Card is Jackson Katz’s latest contribution to the ongoing and much needed conversation about masculinity and male identity. By taking an in-depth look at masculinity within American presidential politics, viewers see the evolution of political strategies, from Richard Nixon to Donald Trump, that contributed to the gender gap among voters. This insightful film raises important questions about the inherent and not-so-subtle masculinity of the American presidency and what that means for women seeking the office. This film is essential viewing for not only every gender and politics course, but for any and all students of American politics."
Dr. Lori Cox Han, PhD
Professor of Political Science at Chapman University and author of Women, Power, and Politics
Professor of Political Science at Chapman University and author of Women, Power, and Politics
"Masculine posturing has been part of U.S. presidential elections throughout our history. In The Man Card, Jackson Katz brilliantly illustrates just how problematic this is and documents the ways these political masculinity contests have picked up pace and become increasingly partisan. Increasingly, the right has drummed up dominant ideologies of masculinity over the past half century to situate Democrats and liberals as not 'man enough' to lead. Katz carefully illustrates how this has worked to further divide the nation by portraying Republicans as 'real men,' and at great cost. Katz documents the ways this white and male supremacist discourse and posturing has been strategically aimed at white working-class men redirecting legitimate frustrations, anxieties and concerns about a changing economy at women, people of color, immigrants, gender and sexual minorities, all while framing 'liberals' as the enemy. This is a vitally important documentary to consider to more completely understand the gendered and racialized ideologies shaping political polarization in the U.S."
Dr. Tristan Bridges
Associate Professor of Sociology at University of California, Santa Barbara and co-editor of Men and Masculinities journal
Associate Professor of Sociology at University of California, Santa Barbara and co-editor of Men and Masculinities journal