Missouri Republican Senator Josh Hawley was widely mocked after it emerged he is writing a book about masculinity set to be published in May 2023.
The book, Manhood: The Masculine Virtues Americans Need, expands on concerns Hawley has expressed about the decline of traditional male gender roles and expectations in the United States.
The notion masculinity is being attacked–namely by the left wing–is a popular one among Republicans like Hawley, who last year accused "the Left" of hurting "the future of the American man" and went on to claim the "deconstruction of America begins with and depends on the deconstruction of American men."
To that end, the book's description declares "The American Founders believed that a republic depends on certain masculine virtues" and American men should "stand up and embrace their God-given responsibility as husbands, fathers, and citizens."
Yet funnily enough, Hawley has been branded a coward given he was mocked just last week after the House Select Committee tasked with investigating the January 6 insurrection revealed surveillance footage of him fleeing the United States Capitol during the attack he helped incite.
The book's announcement inspired many Twitter users to make the same joke.
\u201cWhat Josh Hawley knows about manhood could be written on a post-it note.\u201d— Derrick is PRO CHOICE\u264e #BLM \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08 (@Derrick is PRO CHOICE\u264e #BLM \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08) 1659039585
\u201cJosh Hawley\u2019s book titled \u2018Manhood\u2019, an autobiography about his struggle to find his manhood after it fell out of his pants while running from the violent mob he\u2019d help incite. A must read!\u201d— \ud835\ude4e\ud835\ude4b\ud835\ude4a\ud835\ude4a\ud835\ude46\ud835\ude54 \ud835\ude41\ud835\ude4a\ud835\ude4d\ud835\ude3e\ud835\ude40 \ud835\ude41\ud835\ude4d\ud835\ude3c\ud835\ude49\ud835\ude3e\ud835\ude44\ud835\ude4e \u2122\ud83c\udf3b\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 (@\ud835\ude4e\ud835\ude4b\ud835\ude4a\ud835\ude4a\ud835\ude46\ud835\ude54 \ud835\ude41\ud835\ude4a\ud835\ude4d\ud835\ude3e\ud835\ude40 \ud835\ude41\ud835\ude4d\ud835\ude3c\ud835\ude49\ud835\ude3e\ud835\ude44\ud835\ude4e \u2122\ud83c\udf3b\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8) 1659040938
\u201cRunnin' Josh Hawley's new book is called "Manhood" \ud83e\udd23\ud83e\udd23\ud83e\udd23\ud83e\udd23\ud83e\udd23\u201d— BrooklynDad_Defiant!\u262e\ufe0f (@BrooklynDad_Defiant!\u262e\ufe0f) 1659038359
\u201cImagine, if you will, the level of misplaced self-confidence it takes for Josh Hawley to think that calling his book "Manhood" will go well for him\u201d— YesterdayIsAHardWordForHat (@YesterdayIsAHardWordForHat) 1659030008
\u201cJosh Hawley's new book is titled Manhood: The Masculine Virtues America Needs. Here are possible author photos:\u201d— Paul Rudnick (@Paul Rudnick) 1659041697
\u201cAmazon just announced that they will be listing Josh Hawley's book chronicling his masculinity and "Manhood" under "Fiction"\u201d— Mrs. Betty Bowers (@Mrs. Betty Bowers) 1659047525
\u201ccan't wait for Josh Hawley to go back to @YaleLawSch to teach a "Manhood and Law" seminar\u201d— George Conway\ud83c\udf3b (@George Conway\ud83c\udf3b) 1659086673
\u201cJosh Hawley\u2019s \u201cManhood\u201d will not be available in hardcover.\u201d— The Volatile Mermaid (@The Volatile Mermaid) 1659084024
\u201cJosh Hawley writing a book called "Manhood" is like Steve Bannon writing a book on hygiene \ud83e\udd26\u200d\u2642\ufe0f\u201d— Tony Michaels \ud83c\udf99 (@Tony Michaels \ud83c\udf99) 1659050354
\u201cIf josh hawley can write a book on manhood then I can write a book on Tom Brady, the greatest baseball player ever.\u201d— Covie (@Covie) 1659049298
Last year, Hawley made clear during an appearance on Axios on HBO that he intends to make toxic masculity a signature political issue, telling the documentary news series that the left is telling people like him that their masculinity is "inherently problematic."
Hawley's remarks have been criticized as a "conspiratorial vision" and amplification of the ongoing culture wars between Republicans and Democrats.
They also serve as obfuscation for the role he played ahead of the January 6 insurrection given that he was the first Senator to object to the certification of President Joe Biden's electoral win.
While he has since claimed he doesn't agree with former President Donald Trump's lie that the 2020 general election was fraudulent, he has issued contradictory and unrepentant statements likening the left to a "woke mob."
