Men, hypermasculinity and car culture

It’s easy to make a reasonable argument that America is a car culture. It’s equally easy to observe the sheer size of America make it inevitable and necessary. One might even argue that “culture” is largely driven by male sensibilities and desires. Those paying attention have long been exposed to pseudo-psychological arguments such male sensibilities are not only dangerous, but evilly deadly.

The Ford F-150 pickup has, for decades, been the best-selling vehicle in America. This is surely so because they’re useful, well made, and affordable vehicles.  Besides, what justification beyond “I want one” do free American’s need? Obviously not everyone that buys one routinely fills its bed with materials, but pickup utility can’t be denied—unless one is a Democrat/socialist/communist (D/s/c) and/or inherently anti-male.

D/s/cs have long branded pickup owners Deplorables, smelly, missing-toothed, red-necked, MAGA, WalMart shopping haters, racists, and you-name-it phobes. Owning a pickup is, for them, prima facie evidence of ultimate evil, which really means voting Republican. Not long ago, one Ryan Cooper, writing in The Week, informed us “Mega Pickups” were designed for a single purpose: to intimidate and run down pedestrians. Evidently intimidating and murdering pedestrians is very popular, if underreported, in America, as the three top selling vehicles are pickups, “Mega” or otherwise.

Graphic: X Screenshot

Another male-driven vehicular category is the muscle car. Back in 2022 Dodge announced it was discontinuing its conventionally powered Chargers and Challengers and replacing them with electric muscle cars, which is a misnomer if I ever saw one. To preserve the traditional muscle car experience, they would have fake transmissions that would simulate shifting by momentarily interrupting power delivery, in concert with a loud stereo system that would play internal combustion engine sounds. Dodge branded this “eRupt.” Vrooooom!

Sadly, the electric vehicle revolution has, pardon the pun, run out of gas, and Dodge doesn’t have much to say about this revolutionary technology anymore, which is probably a good thing as no self-respecting muscle car enthusiast would have gone for it, if for no reason other than that Dodge refused to provide any range figures for its stunning new muscle car technology.

Still, D/s/cs can’t help themselves, and a Texas A&M professor has snatched up the fallen anti-male/car banner:

A transportation professor at Texas A&M University said that “car culture” and “toxic masculinity” are intertwined.

Professor Tara Goddard teaches urban planning and landscape architecture at TAMU and recently spoketo Kea Wilson, a transportation commentator for a website called Streetsblog USA. Goddard talked about these topics at Portland State University in February as well.

Any approach to addressing “toxic masculinity” on the roads must focus on “people with power” who are making policies, such as those in state transportation departments, Goddard said.

Cars are a “signifier of status, of power, of dominance, of the U.S.’s role in the world,” she said.

And that would be a bad thing why exactly?

The transportation scholar criticized what Wilson, the host, called “truck nuts” who like large trucks.

Of course. Goddard also tells us men as so paranoid and insecure they respond by acting out “hypermasculinity.” Gee, thanks, Professor.

Another example of the toxicity of “car culture” that affects not just men is a stereotype of Midwesterners as driving long distances instead of flying, Wilson said.

Yeah, about that. In Flyover country, while it might take a bit longer to drive “long distances” than flying, it’s often cheaper, and many Americans simply like to drive. It’s kind of a freedom thing. Also, there aren’t direct flights everywhere one might need to go, one travels on the airline’s schedule, and if one flies, they have to rent a vehicle—certainly not a pickup—at their destination. Goddard apparently hasn’t spent any time in Flyover Country, which has the very great advantage of actual space between people and towns.  Here it comes:

Goddard said she hopes to research “gendered” views on speed limits and how to use technology to limit cars and stop them from speeding. She also wants to look at retraining “upper management folks” at a department of transportation to make sure they see their own biases.

Wait a minute. Last time I checked, there were at least 57 genders. That’s going to make “gendered” research a big difficult to implement. Imagine 57 different speed limit signs within a block. Goddard’s “retraining” would surely involve indoctrinating them against “Mega pickups” and “hypermasculinity,” which these days even the assigned female at birth “upper management folks” would conceivably suffer.

Insecure American men will have to content themselves with driving their non-existent electric Chargers and Challengers featuring “eRupt,” which sounds like an electronic hernia, over to their local pickup dealerships to buy Mega pickups with which to intimidate and run down unwary pedestrians. It’s the hyper masculine, American, way.

Mike McDaniel is a USAF veteran, classically trained musician, Japanese and European fencer, life-long athlete, firearm instructor, retired police officer and high school and college English teacher. He is a published author and blogger. His home blog is Stately McDaniel Manor.