A Hunk Of Manly, Uh, Manness (Wizbang)

The New York Times has a snort-worthy shill piece today, spinning gushing yarns about Obama's supposed macho activities.

Instead of successfully achieving the goal of portraying Obama as an "alpha-male," it leaves the reader feeling rather squeamish, as if the article's author has a giggly, "man-crush" on the President.

The president, after all, is an unabashed First Guy's Guy. Since being elected, he has demonstrated an encyclopedic knowledge of college hoops on ESPN, indulged a craving for weekend golf, expressed a preference for adopting a "big rambunctious dog" over a "girlie dog" and hoisted beer in a peacemaking effort.

Yep. Obama is a masculine tyrannosaurus, compensating for a lack of male virility by purchasing a big dog. ("Bo", his Portuguese water dog, is a veritable "Cujo.")

He presides over a White House rife with fist-bumping young men who call each other "dude" and testosterone-brimming personalities like Rahm Emanuel, the often-profane chief of staff; Lawrence Summers, the brash economic adviser; and Robert Gibbs, the press secretary, who habitually speaks in sports metaphors.

Robert Gibbs? ROBERT GIBBS? Riiiight. I think testosterone overload every time he speaks. Gibbs is about as macho as the "PC guy" form the Apple commercials. The Times places Rahm Emanuel in the manly column due to his penchant for cussin', while Dick Cheney was thrashed by the media for telling Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy to go "f-ck yourself."

Mr. Obama is hardly the first commander in chief whose penchant for sports and other guyish stuff (comic books, "Star Trek") has become part of his presidential persona. The first President George Bush presented himself as a horseshoe-playing, pork-rind-eating Texan. He was followed by the Big Mac-gobbling, cigar-chomping Bill Clinton and the brush-clearing, bike-busting George W. Bush.

For corn's sake. Horking down a Big Mac (a la, Homer Simpson) is manly to these people? They would have been better off citing Clinton's shirt chasing as opposed to his consumption of junk food. (Just think "cigar" and "Lewinsky.")

What kind of a journalist can honestly write this without feeling some sort of shame? For years, the Times and the left have vilified George Bush as some sort of cowboy: The "ultimate American male archetype of our time," as defined by historian Douglas Brinkley.

I guess we can assume that Obama's bullying of Fox News is an extension of some sort of phallic inadequacy.

Freud would be proud.

Comments (28)

"What kind of a journalist ... (Below threshold)

1. Posted by GarandFan | October 25, 2009 7:27 PM | Score: 5 (5 votes cast)

GarandFan:

"What kind of a journalist can honestly write this without feeling some sort of shame?"

Shame? Hell, they don't even mind the hypocrisy anymore! It's not referred to as "The Old Grey Whore" for nothing.

As for Barry's "Encyclopedic" knowledge, too bad it doesn't cover US history and economics.

Posted on October 25, 2009 19:27

heh reads like Tig... (Below threshold)

2. Posted by macofromoc | October 25, 2009 7:44 PM | Score: 9 (9 votes cast)

macofromoc:

heh reads like Tiger Beat

Posted on October 25, 2009 19:44

It's time the NY Times was ... (Below threshold)

3. Posted by Dr Carlo Lombardi | October 25, 2009 7:48 PM | Score: 4 (4 votes cast)

Dr Carlo Lombardi:

It's time the NY Times was officially re-named the Lewis Carroll Times.

Posted on October 25, 2009 19:48

At least Bush could get the... (Below threshold)

4. Posted by Strick | October 25, 2009 8:15 PM | Score: 9 (9 votes cast)

Strick:

At least Bush could get the first pitch across the plate.

Posted on October 25, 2009 20:15

Rahm Emmanuel, the ex-balle... (Below threshold)

5. Posted by david | October 25, 2009 8:16 PM | Score: 9 (9 votes cast)

david:

Rahm Emmanuel, the ex-ballet dancer, a model of virility??

Sheesh! Maybe in France ...

Posted on October 25, 2009 20:16

At least they didn't mentio... (Below threshold)

6. Posted by Staylor | October 25, 2009 8:19 PM | Score: 6 (6 votes cast)

Staylor:

At least they didn't mention his glistening pectorals, I probably would have barfed.

Posted on October 25, 2009 20:19

Well, at least they didn't ... (Below threshold)

7. Posted by pvd | October 25, 2009 8:22 PM | Score: 5 (7 votes cast)

pvd:

Well, at least they didn't bring up his incredible biceps agai - um, wait, hold up, never mind.

That wasn't the alpha male.

Posted on October 25, 2009 20:22

Obama a manly man? Not hard... (Below threshold)

8. Posted by Stan25 | October 25, 2009 8:24 PM | Score: 8 (10 votes cast)

Stan25:

Obama a manly man? Not hardly. He is more of a girly man. He plays basketball to hide the feminine side of his character, which is on display when he has to make a decision about Afghanistan and how many troops to send there. If he had any cajones at all, those 40k+ troops would have been there by now and taking out the Taliband and Al-Queada thugs that are there now would have been wiped out.

Posted on October 25, 2009 20:24

Yep, Obama is a manly man a... (Below threshold)

9. Posted by _Mike_ | October 25, 2009 8:37 PM | Score: 8 (8 votes cast)

_Mike_:

Yep, Obama is a manly man and Helen Thomas is a hotty!

Posted on October 25, 2009 20:37

Obama is at least as manly ... (Below threshold)

10. Posted by Jay Guevara | October 25, 2009 8:52 PM | Score: 7 (7 votes cast)

Jay Guevara:

Obama is at least as manly as...uh...uh...Perez Hilton.

Posted on October 25, 2009 20:52

You're sure this didn't app... (Below threshold)

11. Posted by Jay Guevara | October 25, 2009 9:07 PM | Score: 7 (7 votes cast)

You're sure this didn't appear in The Advocate?

Posted on October 25, 2009 21:07

Manly men don't have to go ... (Below threshold)

12. Posted by ac | October 25, 2009 9:25 PM | Score: 8 (8 votes cast)

ac:

Manly men don't have to go about proving their manliness. They just are.

President 0 is not.

Posted on October 25, 2009 21:25

The more Obama's media lack... (Below threshold)

13. Posted by serpent | October 25, 2009 10:59 PM | Score: 6 (6 votes cast)

serpent:

The more Obama's media lackeys talk about his manliness, the more I point and laugh at the president's apparent lack of a y chromosome.

Posted on October 25, 2009 22:59

Inspired by Chris tingle Ma... (Below threshold)

14. Posted by 914 | October 25, 2009 11:00 PM | Score: 5 (5 votes cast)

914:

Inspired by Chris tingle Matthews.

ish.

Posted on October 25, 2009 23:00

Palin could kick his ass.</... (Below threshold)

15. Posted by Rich | October 25, 2009 11:01 PM | Score: 6 (6 votes cast)

Rich:

Palin could kick his ass.

Posted on October 25, 2009 23:01

Everything nobody ever want... (Below threshold)

16. Posted by 914 | October 25, 2009 11:06 PM | Score: 5 (5 votes cast)

Everything nobody ever wanted in a Man...And less.

Posted on October 25, 2009 23:06

They are all a bunch of sis... (Below threshold)

17. Posted by Madalyn | October 25, 2009 11:14 PM | Score: 5 (7 votes cast)

Madalyn:

They are all a bunch of sissies. Heck, MEchelle is more manly than all of them put together.
Madalyn

Posted on October 25, 2009 23:14

"Heck, MEchelle is more man... (Below threshold)

18. Posted by 914 | October 25, 2009 11:22 PM | Score: 3 (5 votes cast)

"Heck, MEchelle is more manly than all of them put together."

And She can mambo with a hula hoop.

Posted on October 25, 2009 23:22

"testosterone-brimming pers... (Below threshold)

19. Posted by ODA315 | October 26, 2009 12:24 AM | Score: 5 (5 votes cast)

ODA315:

"testosterone-brimming personalities"

ROTFLMAO

All my ranching and cowboy buddies got a kick outta that one!

Posted on October 26, 2009 00:24

isn't rahm a ballarina? ma... (Below threshold)

20. Posted by starboardhelm | October 26, 2009 12:42 AM | Score: 4 (4 votes cast)

starboardhelm

isn't rahm a ballarina? manly? ur doing it wrong.

Posted on October 26, 2009 00:42

Manly?? What is this? Littl... (Below threshold)

21. Posted by 914 | October 26, 2009 12:55 AM | Score: 3 (5 votes cast)

Manly?? What is this? Little house full of fairies?

Posted on October 26, 2009 00:55

Effeminate the New manly. ... (Below threshold)

22. Posted by hcddbz | October 26, 2009 7:48 AM | Score: 2 (2 votes cast)

hcddbz:

Effeminate the New manly.
Centralized Government Planed health care= choice and competition.
Bankrupt Medicare = low overhead
heavy Government regulation = free market

20009 = 1984.
new speak has arrived.

Posted on October 26, 2009 07:48

This reminds me of the conc... (Below threshold)

23. Posted by Oyster | October 26, 2009 8:23 AM | Score: 3 (3 votes cast)

Oyster:

This reminds me of the concerted efforts of the media to boost John Kerry's manliness before the 2004 election. It's unseemly to gush girl-like over aspects of a President that have absolutely nothing to do with an ability to guide a nation. That was sickening.

Would that they reported with the same fervor about his college transcripts, wrote in such detail about his community organizing efforts and documented, chapter and verse, his legislative years.

Posted on October 26, 2009 08:23

Maybe they meant a "cigar-c... (Below threshold)

24. Posted by Daniel | October 26, 2009 10:05 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

Daniel:

Maybe they meant a "cigar-chomped" Bill Clinton?

Posted on October 26, 2009 10:05

Eeew. Was this puff piece w... (Below threshold)

25. Posted by OregonMuse | October 26, 2009 11:52 AM | Score: 2 (2 votes cast)

OregonMuse:

Eeew. Was this puff piece written by an actual grown-up male, or by a middle-school girl gushing about her first crush?

Posted on October 26, 2009 11:52

Kinda like everything else ... (Below threshold)

26. Posted by Tammy | October 26, 2009 1:41 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

Tammy:

Kinda like everything else these days, they just don't make them like they used to. If O or Rahm are manly men, maybe they could hold their own with those guys on an oil rig. You think? Nah, might mess up their tailored bespoke suits. I would guess they get manis and pedis too. Sissies.

Posted on October 26, 2009 13:41

Let's see. Sarah Palin has ... (Below threshold)

27. Posted by Burt | October 26, 2009 2:59 PM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)

Burt:

Let's see. Sarah Palin has agreed to interview with Oprah. President Obama is afraid to talk to FOX. Who is acting more presidential.

Posted on October 26, 2009 14:59

Even the usual suspects for... (Below threshold)

28. Posted by GarandFan | October 26, 2009 5:59 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

Even the usual suspects for Obama won't touch this thread.

Posted on October 26, 2009 17:59