A grassroots campaign advertisement that recently went viral has sparked a flurry of reactions for its unusual approach to promoting Vice President Kamala Harris as the preferred choice in the upcoming presidential election.
The ad, which features actors portraying men who assert their masculinity through a series of humorous and stereotypical male activities, culminates in these men expressing their support for liberal women's political causes and the Harris campaign.
According to Fox News, the ad, which was not officially released by the Harris-Walz campaign, has been widely criticized online, with many suggesting it exemplifies why Harris is struggling to connect with male voters. Inez Stepman, a senior policy analyst at the Independent Women's Forum, responded to the ad, which one user described as "the cringiest political ad ever created," by saying, "This cant be real."
Charles Gasparino, a senior correspondent at Fox Business, found the ad's message contradictory. He pointed out, "It's so bizarre that those on the political left, who for years proselytized the hoi poi that men can be women and women can be men, that men can compete in women's sports because we are all genderless creatures, now think they have credibility to say what a real man is all about. Sorry you blew it years ago."
The ad also became a target for humor, with podcaster Wade Stotts joking about the awkwardness of one character in a cowboy hat. David Reaboi, a fellow at the Claremont Institute, quipped, "Not only do they have no idea how actual men speak, they couldnt find any convincing male actors."
The ad's portrayal of masculinity also sparked a broader discussion. Spencer Klavan, an associate editor at the Claremont Institute, suggested that the ad reveals the American left's vision of what men should be. He stated, "When Harris Walz say what men are like, they mean this is what men *should* be. You can tell because when it turns out men are revolted by this and reject it, theyll blame men for being insufficiently enlightened, not themselves for failing to understand men."
Chris Rufo, a writer for City Journal, argued that the ad fails to capture the essence of 'being a real man.' He said, "It's not about barrel-aged bourbon or deadlifting 500 pounds, nor is it about supporting IVF or voting for Kamala Harris. These are both caricatures: one is a left-wing mistranslation of manosphere masculinity; the other is an attempt to redefine masculinity in left-wing ideological terms. Taken together, they represent a phony simulacrum of the male nature."
Leor Sapir, a fellow at the Manhattan Institute, echoed this sentiment, stating, "What this ad fundamentally misses is that manliness is all about NOT waiting for encouragement or permission to stand up for (or to) something. This is what makes it at once dangerous and essential for civilization."
Batya Ungar-Sargon, the opinion editor at Newsweek, suggested a different purpose for the ad. She wrote, "I don't think this ad is meant to convince men to vote for Harris (LOL). I think it's meant to reassure her basecollege educated womenthat the Democratic Party is truly theirs. The only men the party recognizes are these emasculated, AI generated putzes."
The ad's director, Jacob Reed, clarified that it was created for Creators for Harris and was not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. He described the ad as a half-joking, yet earnest appeal, stating, "even though its more sketch comedy than political ad, what these men are saying is true." He added, "With the rise of role models like Tim Walz and Doug Emhoff on the national stage, I think the left is finally finding its footing on how to talk about masculinity I think were overdue for a redefinition of what it means to be a man in America and I hope this campaign can start to shape that conversation."
Fast Company reported that Reed's original version of the ad was more admonishing, but he later revised it to avoid condescending to his potential audience.
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