Here we go again, another man saying that politics isn’t relevant to him — this time, on the big screen! Just when I thought the “Not Political” choice on a man’s Hinge profile was an interesting choice…admitting it on live television takes the cake, especially when you’re so nonchalant about it. Season 8 of Love is Blind deals with a whirlwind of men. But what has been interesting to see is the lack of expression of political views from the guys. When we see leading ladies like Brittany and Sara asking the “hard” questions, the men shy away from answering and I can’t help but wonder WHY?!
In this day and age, politics are more important than ever. Whether you’re political or not, you’re bound to have an opinion. Before meeting my very politically vocal boyfriend, I was coming across and going out with guys who danced around my continuous question: “What are your political beliefs?” I couldn’t help but wonder why men avoid answering this question. Is it because they’re scared to share their controversial takes or say something wrong? Either way, it was a repeated pattern I hoped would have eventually dies but clearly, it hasn’t. However, that’s not to say there isn’t hope out there for some men to be politically vocal (my boyfriend as an example).
My main problem with it — aside from not voicing any sort of opinion whatsoever — is the constant showcasing of this idea of being apolitical. Most clearly, Ben from LIB is the poster boy for this. Though he may be accepting of the LGBTQ+ community (the bare minimum, btw), it’s the other “controversial topics” where things get unclear with Ben. Dedicated to finding out, Sara shares at the start of Episode 4 that she grew up in a very conservative household and it took Trump taking office and George Floyd’s death for her to get politically active.
With the privilege he has as a white man in a white-dominated society, Ben goes on to drop a bomb on us all. “I’m kind of ignorant towards that sort of stuff,” he said. “As long as I don’t know, it’s not gonna, you know, do much.” I’m sorry WHAT?
To make matters even worse for himself, Ben also admitted to not voting in the 2020 presidential election AND not having an opinion on the Black Lives Matter movement. This rubbed me the wrong way, especially because as a white man who may not have had any direct first-hand experiences with social injustices, Ben could still use his privilege to support issues like these.
To hear someone openly admit how ignorant they are to the issues that matter most in our society was truly shocking and it provided me some insight into why white men, in particular, are so OK with sharing that they are not political. I believe it stems from seeing the prominence of white male figures — whether that be celebrities or people in power — serving as an example for those who look like them to keep living in political silence. It could also stem from a place of having the privilege to never experience the issues that so many other Americans and people of color face every day.
From small Hinge gestures that turn into date conversations about political importance (or lack thereof) to now TV portrayals, it’s pretty clear that white men in society really do have it easy.