Former President Barack Obama has always been a girl dad and recently discussed toxic masculinity on his Spotify podcast with Bruce Springsteen called “Renegades: Born in the USA.”
Obama explained that he’s spoken with friends of daughters Malia, 22, and Sasha, 19, about how masculinity is encouraged in American society.
“I talk to my daughters’ friends about boys growing up, and so much of popular culture tells them that the only clear, defining thing about being a man, being masculine, is you excel in sports and sexual conquest,” Obama said. “And violence, right? Those are the three things, and violence, if it’s healthy at least, is subsumed into sports. Later, you add to that definition, making money, right? How much money can you make?”
The former POTUS is also in full support of women being treated equally and further explained how society’s oppressed values of women haven’t really changed.
“But there is a bunch of stuff in there that we did not reckon with,” added Obama. “And now you’re seeing with Me Too part of what we’re dealing with in terms of women still seeking equal pay, part of what we’re still dealing with in terms of domestic abuse and violence. There was never a full reckoning of … who our dads were, what they had in them, how we have to understand that and talk about that, what lessons we should learn from it. All that kind of got buried.”
Obama also explained that there were still some masculine traits that need to still be adhered to by the “traditional American man” like taking responsibility and be willing to make sacrifices for your family.
The latest segment of “Renegades: Masculine Qualities” debuts Monday, March 22, 2021, on Spotify.
