Newsweek: Poking fun at unemployed middle-class white guys
I’ll admit that my gut reaction to the plight of the unemployed middle-class white guy (UMAWG), based on the caricature in my head, is not sympathetic. These are guys who bought into the illusion of corporate security. They’re probably still driving $50,000 cars and voting republican, horrified that one day soon they’ll have to tell their golfing buddies that their son is going to a state school. And against all evidence, they’re convinced that one day soon they’ll really benefit from those tax cuts they’ve been voting for all these years. But it doesn’t take more than a second of reflection to ditch the knee-jerk cynicism and empathize — as a human being and as a man. It’s no fun seeing your savings dry up, wondering how you’re going to pay your mortgage, and watching your self-esteem circle the drain. It’s not uncommon these days for wives to be the breadwinners, but it’s nonetheless perfectly understandable that a guy’s pride would be bruised when he relinquishes the role. And here’s where Marin and Dokoupil miss an opportunity; they mention the stereotypical incongruity between a man’s feelings and his actions: Newsweek conducted an exclusive poll of 250 unemployed (and underemployed) men ages 41 to 59. Most of them are married, white, middle-class, and looking for work.The results (see chart) provide a rare window into the [UMAWG] and a characteristically male contradiction between feelings and action. As in: I’m never going to get a job as good as my old one, but I refuse to sell the house! Or: I’m depressed, I can’t sleep, my sex drive is shot, and my wife now has to support the family, but I don’t need marriage counseling! I’ll just give Mommy a back rub, do some housework, and we’ll be fine! Why aren’t UMAWGs selling their houses, getting marriage counseling, or taking jobs that are “beneath them”? Are they clinging to a John Wayne–style masculine ideal, or is it just run-of-the-mill Baby Boomer Entitlement Syndrome (BBES)? Marin and Dokoupil are too busy poking fun at them — and subtly reinforcing their shame at no longer bringing home the bacon — to be bothered to address the question.