Political commentators Candace Owens and Ben Shapiro received backlash on social media after they criticized the widely-celebrated Harry Styles Vogue cover shoot, in which the British pop star made history as the first male to independently grace the magazine’s cover.
Styles, 26, who has built his public persona around rejecting normative gender labels, posed in a dress and other articles of clothing outside of what may be considered traditionally masculine. This isn’t the first time he’s knowingly gone against the status quo; Styles has spoken about fashion and sexuality many times in the past, acknowledging his desires to explore all sides to what each has to offer.
In an interview with The Guardian in 2019, Styles said he doesn’t really care who an article of clothing is supposed to be made for: if it works, it works. He also told The Guardian that, “ If I see a nice shirt and get told, ‘But it’s for ladies.’ I think: ‘Okaaaay? Doesn’t make me want to wear it less though.”
On Saturday Nov. 14, the conservative commentator, author and political activist Candance Owens trashed Styles for its “femininity” on Twitter.
There is no society that can survive without strong men. The East knows this. In the west, the steady feminization of our men at the same time that Marxism is being taught to our children is not a coincidence.
It is an outright attack.Bring back manly men. https://t.co/sY4IJF7VkK
— Candace Owens (@RealCandaceO) November 14, 2020
Her tweet was immediately met with outraged fans, some widely known, jumped to Styles’ defense and bashed Owens’ offensive comments.
i think you’ve missed the definition of what a man is. masculinity alone does not make a man
— Elijah Wood (@elijahwood) November 16, 2020
Owens later addressed her previous tweets and clarified their meaning, adding that she was sorry for not being sorry.
Since I’m trending I’d like to clarify what I meant when I said “bring back manly men”.
I meant: Bring back manly men.
Terms like “toxic masculinity”, were created by toxic females.
Real women don’t do fake feminism.
Sorry I’m not sorry.
— Candace Owens (@RealCandaceO) November 16, 2020
Ben Shapiro, the conservative political commentator, media host and attorney joined Owens in critiquing the monumental Vogue cover, and called Styles’ wardrobe an attack on masculinity.
This is perfectly obvious. Anyone who pretends that it is not a referendum on masculinity for men to don floofy dresses is treating you as a full-on idiot. https://t.co/cioUNBh4bi
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) November 16, 2020
Shapiro, who is a Trump supporter and self proclaimed right-wing Libertarian, is known for his cut-throat approach to politics in which “facts don’t care about your feelings.”
Both political pundits and defenders of normative masculinity were also subject to meme treatment after their attacks.
There is no society that can survive without strong men. The East knows this. In the west, the steady feminization of our men at the same time that Marxism is being taught to our children is not a coincidence.
It is an outright attack.Bring back manly men. https://t.co/sY4IJF7VkK
— Candace Owens (@RealCandaceO) November 14, 2020
Styles, although certainly not the first man to ever wear a dress, nonetheless received praise from all corners of social media for his cover story.
