Two Indispensable Classroom Films for Making Sense of Trumpism & Right-Wing Extremism
“These two films, viewed in tandem, provide students with a crash course in the right’s longstanding weaponization of identity politics.”
— Sut Jhally, MEF Executive Director
According to a new study by the University of Chicago, white men accounted for roughly 90% of all arrests during the pro-Trump Capitol riot last month, and represented an overwhelming 94% of all right-wing extremist arrests between 2015-2020.
These numbers, combined with polling data that shows white working-class men joined forces with wealthy white men to form the core of Trump’s base in the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections, are clear signs that Trumpism, and right-wing extremism more generally, are an explicitly gendered phenomenon.
With that in mind, we want to call your attention to a pair of critically acclaimed new MEF releases that take a sustained look at the nexus between white-male identity politics, dominant ideas about manhood and masculinity, and the politics of scapegoating and hate.
The Man Card: White Male Identity Politics from Nixon to Trump puts the rise of Trumpism within the wider context of a decades-long conservative strategy to win the support of white working-class male voters by branding the Republican Party as the party of “real men” and positioning conservatives as defenders of white male authority in the face of seismic demographic changes and ongoing struggles for equality. And Healing from Hate: Battle for the Soul of a Nation tells the inspiring story of a remarkable group of former skinheads and neo-Nazis who are now working on the front lines to deradicalize violent extremists and help them lead compassionate lives. Taken together, these two films tell an important, multi-layered, and highly accessible story about the intersecting politics of gender, race, class, and power in this country.
Both films are now available via streaming, on DVD, and for virtual campus and community screenings. You can get them at 25% off through the end of Black History Month on Feb. 28 — along with the rest of our Race and Representation Collection — with the code BLACKHISTORY21.
Click here for more information about The Man Card, and go here to learn more about Healing from Hate.
