General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Do y'all realize how much the Joe Biden "frontrunner" talk smacks of white male entitlement? [View all]Ms. Toad
(34,066 posts)Taking your example, picture a black male unafraid to rumble with you if needed. The immediate criticism would be, "angry black man," rather than being seen as a sign of strength. Even if you don't react that way, he will be described that way and it will become part of the background ocean we all swim in, that impacts our perception of public figures often without us being conscious of it. Picture Clinton, who would be described as a B***h for the same posturing.
White men, because of their status as the norm, have a much larger toolbox to use without being described as outside of the norm. They can behave in ways that push the envelope because their behavior defines the envelope. Women and people of color generally can't. When they push the envelope, they are measured, instead, against narrowest norm and the stereotypes that represent how the differ from the norm. A lot of this is unconscious, but it is there.
And, as a consequence of the reaction when women and people of color act like white men are permitted to act, they learn to color within much narrower lines to avoid being perceived negatively, making their own toolbox even smaller.
So, while you may love Biden for being Biden, Biden is who he is - at least in part - because his white male status allows him to bumble around, stick his foot in his mouth, rumble when need be with no, or at least fewer, negative consequences than similarly situated women or people of color.