The pornified presidency: hyper-masculinity and the pornographic style in U.S. political rhetoric

Abstract

ABSTRACT Donald Trump’s success in the 2016 election, despite allegations of sexual assault and sexual harassment, raises questions about how he survived the type of political scandal that traditionally sinks a campaign. We argue that Trump and his behavior were largely framed in a pornographic light, forming an image that emphasized the hypermasculine nature of the U.S. presidency. We suggest that while women candidates are contained and disadvantaged by the pornification frame, some men may benefit from appearing sexist but dominant, disgusting but authentic, and authorized to violate taboos.