After somewhat of a quiet news week, it pains me to report that I'm still stuck on the thunderous fart that wrecked a Robert F. Kennedy Jr. event in New York. But who could blame me? The story has it all: gossip, irresistible quotes, and a real-life Kennedy, who, according to the New York Post, remained stoic amid the fracas.
That's quite impressive for a man who otherwise does a fine job embarrassing himself all on his own. But Kennedy is far from alone in the apparent quest to humiliate themselves lately. Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg want a literal cage match. Chris Christie is managing to keep himself relevant in the Republican presidential field with quotes like, "I'd kick his ass." Meanwhile, the top candidate in that cursed field, Donald Trump, is reportedly planning to appear on more outlets that center around "combat sporting events" in order to appeal to the Barstool crowd. And perhaps the most anger-inducing for your newsletter writer, the father of Keke Palmer's kid—hopefully now an ex—had the nerve to publicly shame her over an outfit while dancing with Usher.
The common denominator here is not hard to detect; the emphasis on traditional masculinity is in fact glaring. But even as my eyes roll, I can't help but also wonder if these antics appeal to the average dude. Your boyfriend, colleague, brother. If they do, then is the natural next step something that mirrors the hate on the far-right? I can't say. But the summer of men embarrassing themselves appears intent to rage on. In the meantime, here's to hoping we at least get a few downright absurd, genuinely LOL-inducing dispatches to keep us from crying.
—Inae Oh
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