It’s been an interesting few days for men in Hollywood. After Ben Affleck’s rejuvenated appearance at Tom Brady’s roast got the plastic surgery rumor mill churning, a host of male celebrities got in touch with their feminine side on the Met Gala red carpet.
It all had Megyn wondering: “What happened to the men?”
On Tuesday’s show, she was joined by Buck Sexton, co-host of The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show, to discuss why masculinity is under attack in today’s culture.
Affleck’s Aesthetic
While his wife Jennifer Lopez was preparing to co-host the Met Gala on the east coast, Affleck was in Los Angeles for Sunday’s “The Greatest Roast of All Time: Tom Brady.” The Oscar-winner delivered a strange rant about social media critics at the event, but it wasn’t the only thing that made headlines.
Rumors began swirling that the star had work done because some felt he looked different on stage. Affleck was clean shaven and wearing a tailored suit, which was a departure from the beard and baggier clothes he is usually photographed in.
But some were convinced the actor had also gone under the knife or needle. “I don’t know what he did to his face,” Megyn said. “There was speculation he either had a facelift or he got Botox or filler.”
Sexton was among those who thought Affleck altered his appearance. And while conversations about cosmetic procedures usually revolve around women, he believes men should be called out as well. “Guys are doing this too… [and] they look like freaks,” he said. “They are paying tens of thousands of dollars to look like freaks. Why? Just be normal.”
Dudes in Dresses
The ‘did he’ or ‘didn’t he’ dovetails with what was on display on the Met Gala red carpet in New York City on Monday. “I really prefer my men to be men… and I don’t want my man to be the pretty one getting as many procedures as I’m getting,” Megyn noted. “And I really don’t want him to be in a dress.”
The theme of the annual fundraiser was “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion” and the dress code was “The Garden of Time” by J.G. Ballard, which somehow ended up with a host of men showing up in decidedly feminine frocks.
Actor Cole Escola (above) was seemingly dressed as a bride in a white skirt and veiled hat. Producer Jordan Roth wore a hooded, flower-festooned gown. Academy Award-winner Eddie Redmayne sported a skirt suit with sheer detailing. And Norwegian billionaire Gustav Magnar Witzøe (below) apparently took a page from the women’s nearly naked trend with a sheer cape look.
“Are these men,” Megyn asked. “What happened to the men? Where are they?”
In Sexton’s view, this is a by-product of our culture today. “Our society elevates anti-masculinity… and there is a really in-depth conversation ongoing about why that is,” he said. “I think that masculinity is inherently a challenge to centralized government and totalitarian control, which I think the leftist ideology in this country absolutely wants.”
He believes this is being “pushed” by ideologues even though it is not commercially viable. “You make Top Gun… a kick-ass movie about being a badass… and you make a ton of money,” Sexton noted. “But they don’t want to do that. They want to do this.”
Ultimately, Megyn was left scratching her head. “No one wants to see this,” she concluded. “No woman wants to be taken to bed by these guys, and I guess I don’t know that they want to go with women either.”
You can check out Megyn’s interview with Sexton by tuning in to episode 784 on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you like to listen. And don’t forget that you can catch The Megyn Kelly Show live on SiriusXM’s Triumph (channel 111) weekdays from 12pm to 2pm ET.