Sidelining White Men Is Making Things Worse

Nigel Farage would, of course, use the treatment and killing of Henry Novak in the UK to fuel his far right party:

“two-tier Britain…where the rights of white people matter less than ethnic minorities”.

Of course I am totally against Farage and his far right supporters. But condemning them is not enough and will do little do move things forward. The left has to face up to the fact that it is partially responsible because of 20 years or so of sidelining white working class people, especially men. Even of various so called progressive groups and platforms aggressively pushing white men away, to the extent of having no white males involved at all. This has to change if we are to build a genuinely better society for all.

A key aspect of this is the portrayal of white men in TV series and movies. Over the last 10 or 15 years it seems that almost every white male heterosexual character we see on Netflix/HBO/Amazon prime etc is either: and idiot or evil. In almost every series the white male character is weak and pathetic (and needs a strong women to decide things for him)… or is an evil sexual predator or violent abuser. It’s quite a struggle to think of even a handful of white male heterosexual characters on such platforms that are fully rounded, complicated, brave, trying their best, looking out for their family, admirable, etc.

And this is both an ethical and strategic mistake. Ethically, because surely the main aim of progressive movements and left wing politics and democracy is the creation of a good life and system FOR ALL. Not a taking off of discrimination from one group of people and deliberate dumping it ONTO another group. Not a kind of perverted revenge type ethics, saying ‘now it’s YOUR turn to be disempowered!’ (and then act surprised when that group reacts violently against the idea). Surely the aim of the left can be wider and grander than that, and can “lift all boats”, as the focus used to be.

Strategically, because the almost exclusively negative and stereotypical portrayal of white men, again and again and again… annoys white men. Now, some might say ‘Good! They need to be made uncomfortable!’ To face up to their bad behaviour and change’. But what is the result of this nowadays? Firstly most media portrayals are not about white men facing up to toxic masculinity or racism… and doing better, growing, making the world better. They are simply of such white men being shown as weak idiots or evil abusers.

And, in the real world, are such white men becoming more liberal and “waking up” and doing better? Some are of course. But more and more white men are turning away from the left that seems to offer them nothing but abuse and sidelining… and progressive media that portrays them as weak or evil…and turning to the far right, where they are welcomed with open arms and told you ‘yes, YOU are the discriminated against group…and we are here for you — join us brother’.

Which is ironically close to the kind of solidarity that white working class men USED to get by joining groups on the left in most of the 20thC. So, the deep and real solution to the problems we see in the UK now is for the left to deeply rethink its images and policies. To include more of these white working class men again, actively and fully involved. In terms of what benefits them in their everyday lives for jobs, housing, health, education, etc the vast majority of them SHOULD be on the left (as their grandfathers mostly were).

And for TV series and movies to stop showing almost every white man as either evil or an idiot. It’s not helping, its making things worse.