Fox News host Jesse Watters has sparked a sizzlin’ debate with his new “rules for men.” He claims that these instructions should be treated as whimsical recommendations. The decree’s regulations range from not crossing one’s legs to prohibition of soup in public to forbidding any drinking with straws. Viewers and critics have been unsure, so far, on how to react to these new guidelines. More than four million Americans tune in to Watters’s primetime Fox show. His comments touch chords with millions of viewers, but at the same time, they risk entrenching old gender stereotypes.
On one of his first broadcasts, Watters introduced these unusual rules, claiming that they represent the funhouse mirror version of masculinity. He warned people not to drink milkshakes. He even attacked the act of waving with both hands, claiming gestures like that would seem effeminate. As a result, these proclamations have caused many to wonder what his thinking means for the future of gender roles and masculinity.
Watters’s response would be laughable if it wasn’t dangerous, as she seeks to normalize toxic masculinity. Critics claim that his recommendations have the potential to roll back an ongoing societal recognition of the complexity of gender and reinforce regressive gender stereotypes. Even so, his audience seems ready-made for his messages, with millions of viewers readily accepting and eagerly embracing Peterson’s manly commandments.
Personal Life of Jesse Watters
“She couldn’t go anywhere. She needed a lift, I said: ‘Hey, you need a lift?’ She hopped right in the car,” – Jesse Watters
This new classicism that courtship should happen in secret has some people wondering about the broader messages Billboard’s anecdote sends about courtship and consent. What’s more, Watters has long bragged about this type of behavior from his first marriage, framing it as funny rather than alarming.
His comments about marriage come on the heels of criticism about his work and views on parenthood. In the past, Watters has proposed that fathers face an unfair task in raising their sons as opposed to their daughters.
“When you raise a son, you are responsible for that son,” – Jesse Watters
He further clarified his stance by stating, “It’s not like raising a daughter, it’s different.” These comments have further fueled the conversations around parenting standards, gender roles, and expectations when it comes to raising children.
Public Reaction and Criticism
The public reaction to Watters’s rules has been a healthy mix of derision and laughter. A lot of those viewers have continued to respond positively to his irreverent, funny approach to masculinity. Social commentators caution that such views may reinforce harmful stereotypes about how men should behave and interact with women.
Critics are right to say that Watters’s rules are part of a dangerous wave of right-wing media that propagates harmful ideas about toxic gender roles. Others argue that consuming soup in public or the use of straws might feminize men. This concept boldly calls us to examine the traditional and limiting expectations our society places upon men.
Conversations around gender are changing every day. Retrospective from 2023 Watters’s remarks are a cautionary tale about how some regressive ideas remain culturally ingrained among certain societal factions. His ability to attract millions of viewers shows the influence he wields in shaping perceptions of masculinity.