Culture

The Viral "Man Enough" Kamala Harris Ad Proves Male Feminists Have No Idea What A Man Is

The "Man Enough" Kamala Harris ad might go down in history as one of the most misguided attempts to appeal to men—or anyone, really.

By Carmen Schober3 min read
Pexels/cottonbro studio

Apparently, if you asked the men behind the Kamala Harris "Man Enough" ad what they think a man should be, the answer involves crying at the dinner table, braiding hair with the precision of a salon professional, and offering sage life advice in between sets at the gym. Very normal stuff, yes?

Watching the ad feels like sitting through a bad TikTok skit that takes itself too seriously. Instead of showing men as they are—complex, diverse, capable of both vulnerability and strength—we get an emotional buffet of performative softness with a side of unnecessary tears. It’s like someone sat down and asked, “How can we effectively alienate both men and women at the same time?”

And yes, it is real, despite some liberals attempting to run damage control. It's just that bad.

The result is an ad so painfully out of touch, it feels like a satire of itself, which proves one thing we already suspected: Male feminists have no idea what a man actually is.

The Confusing Picture of a “Real Man”

I’m all for men being in touch with their emotions, but there’s something downright creepy about the way this ad constructs America’s ideal man. He’s not just sensitive; he’s fragile and almost cartoonishly so. One minute he’s fixing cars (because, "masculinity" or something), and the next, he’s tearing up over his inner child. Like, sir, are you okay?

The entire production feels like it was written by someone who thinks they know what normal men are like but hasn't actually met any. And judging by the bizarre poses and styling, I don't think they've met any women either.

Emotional intelligence (if that's what they were going for) is obviously important, but so are decisiveness, leadership, and stability. The kind of stability that means when things get tough, we can rely on men to step up and be strong.

And here’s the kicker: by pandering to this watered-down, hyper-sensitive version of masculinity, the ad suggests that real, healthy masculinity is a problem that needs "fixing," and that men must shed any semblance of strength to be more palatable. No wonder the Democratic Party's appeal to young men is in a death spiral. This ad frames real men as the problem, and this new breed of sensitive, teary-eyed, guitar-strumming guys as the solution nobody asked for.

Where’s the Authenticity?

The bigger issue isn’t just the portrayal of men as emotionally fragile—it’s the complete lack of authenticity. This ad was clearly designed by a committee, likely over Zoom calls where words like "empathy" and "toxic masculinity" were thrown around without anyone asking: "Does this actually resonate with real people or just far-left suburbanites?" Because the answer is a resounding "no."

If the campaign had spent even five minutes talking to average Americans, they’d have realized what people value in men isn’t their ability to braid hair or cry on command. We just want men who know who they are—men who can be both strong and soft when the moment calls for it. We definitely don’t want men constantly performing sensitivity as if it’s some Olympic event.

And this is where the "male feminist" archetype in the ad truly falls apart. It’s all performance. These aren’t people who are naturally confident and supportive in their relationships; they’re the exhausting men who feel like they have to prove they’re not “like other guys.” And everyone—women, men, literally everyone—can see right through that. It’s not attractive when someone constantly reminds you how “good” they are. It’s awkward. It’s exhausting. And Americans are getting pretty sick of it.

Also, can we talk about the fact that almost all of the men featured are actually actors or failed actors or acting coaches? And one is a bisexual Nigerian immigrant, which I did not have on my Bingo card but honestly should've.

When Did Masculinity Become the Villain?

You have to wonder, at what point did simply being a man become problematic for the people behind this ad? It’s almost as if the goal is to make men ashamed of anything that could be considered traditionally masculine—whether it’s physical strength, decisiveness, or leadership—especially since those are qualities most men respect, and many women still find incredibly attractive. If the Harris campaign was more in touch with reality, they could have shown men being true partners—working alongside women, being both supportive and strong.

Take JD Vance's debate performance—many women appreciated his composed, politely combative nature. He came off as much more capable and likable than Tim Walz, who nervously fumbled through scripted answers. Likewise, young men are more drawn to former President Donald Trump for his humor, his ease, and his ability to seamlessly integrate women and different groups into his work and life without all the dramatics and virtue-signaling.

The men in this ad, by contrast, feel more like caricatures than real people. They’ve been stripped of authentic masculinity and molded into something “safe.” They’re like human avocado toast with no sea salt—bland and a little mushy.

Final Thoughts

The "Man Enough" is tone-deaf and disconnected from what both women and men really value. In trying to "fix" masculinity, the ad alienates everyone, proving once again that the people writing these scripts have no idea what real men—or women—are looking for.

Men confident in their masculinity have no need to prove it every five minutes. That’s the balance we’re looking for—men who can be both strong and sensitive when needed, not as a performance, but as a real expression of who they are.