President Trump danced at three inaugural balls that night.
President Donald Trump danced on stage with first lady Melania Trump at three inaugural balls.
Is “Broligarki” upon us?
Some are calling Donald Trump’s inauguration the start of a new era in American politics, one influenced not only by elected officials, but also by men who have made fortunes in the tech industry. Those individuals include Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos — all of whom took prime seats when Trump was sworn in on live TV Monday — along with some online commentators and media outlets. They were named the “Broligarics” of America.
“Broligarchy is real,” one X user Wrote with picture of men at the inauguration. “Brothers + Trump’s image is going to be etched into our brains,” it wrote Another one. cut declared, “The Broligarchy Is Here” and Jon Stewart discussed the term with a sociologist. “The Daily Show.”
The presence of wealthy elites at presidential inaugurations is neither new nor surprising. However, mental health experts say the use of the term “broligarchy” reflects the growing political and social divide between men and women, as well as men’s feelings of disenfranchisement.
Trump is surrounded by ‘brave oligarchy’. How did we get here?
“Broligarky” comes on the heels of a presidential election that brought issues like abortion front and center in gender politics.
On election day, according to NBC News Exit Polling53% of women voted for Kamala Harris and 45% for Trump. The figures were almost reversed for men: 55% voted for Trump and 43% for Harris.
The divide was sharper among young voters. For Gen Z, 49 percent of men voted for Trump and 47 percent for Harris. For Gen Z women, 61 percent voted for Harris and 38 percent for Trump.
The divided gender discourse continues online after the election. After Trump’s victory, the 4B movement, in which women vowed to end sex and relationships with men as a political protest, went viral. Meta CEO Zuckerberg also made waves after saying on Joe Rogen’s podcast that the tech industry, which is largely dominated by men, has been drained of “masculine energy” and called it “aggression.” ” needs to be brought back.
Considering all of this, it’s no wonder that “brogligery” has become a hot topic.
Ronald Levant, professor emeritus of psychology at the University of Akron and author of “The Problem with Men: Insights into Coming to a Traumatic Childhood from a World-renowned Psychologist,” says the term sends different messages to men and women.
For women, “it says: ‘Ladies, take a back seat,’ ” he says. “It’s one of those things that says it very loudly.”
However, the message for men is mixed.
“It’s empowering for men who identify with it, but I think it probably alienates men who not only don’t identify with it, but really think it’s okay,” Levant says. It’s terrible.” However, “men who feel disenfranchised, feel that the world is against them because they are men, probably feel to some degree…that it has the word ‘brother’ in it.”
Eric AndersonA licensed marriage and family therapist says who broligarchs are and what they mean to people are likely different things.
“I think it shouldn’t be surprising that men are interested in political power,” he says. “These are men who think they can suck Donald Trump and take advantage of him.”
The Irony of ‘Broligarky’
Still, the rise of “broligarchy” is also a bit ironic because men, as a whole, aren’t doing too well right now.
They are not college graduates. at the same rate as women. Many people suffer from poor mental health due to loneliness and social isolation. Many people struggle to express their emotions, which makes intimate relationships difficult. Many people are suffering economically. Many feel disenfranchised.
Levant says the Trump campaign saw this, and won votes by speaking to this demographic in ways that made them feel seen and valued.
“A particular group of men that I think were mobilized by the Trump campaign are men who haven’t established the structure of adult life, young men who don’t have a career,” Levant says. are “They don’t have a lifelong partner. They’re sometimes living with their parents. They don’t date.”
For many of them, “broligarchy” may reflect the vision of a day in which the likes of Musk, Bezos, Zuckerberg or Trump will amass power and wealth. However, the odds of this actually happening are extremely slim.
Anderson says it’s important to keep the reality of men in mind when discussing “brolegracies.”
“It’s a very small group of very few men who have enormous economic, social and political power,” he says. “It’s really separate from ‘all men are benefiting from this’ versus ‘there are a small number of very rich and powerful men who are benefiting.’ “
