"Manly" Kamala Ad Wins Gay Media Award

The male-centric campaign ad, aimed at boosting support among men, won the coveted GLAAD "Glammy" award celebrating excellence in queer cinema.

Oct 13, 2024

Vice President Kamala Harris' testosterone-fueled, cringe-worthy attempt to woo male voters—who statistically prefer doing their taxes over supporting her—has now been honored by none other than GLAAD, the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. The campaign ad, originally meant to resonate with masculine voters, has instead become a hit among those who prefer their masculinity with a heavy side of flamboyance and camp.

The ad opens with a gravely-voiced narrator proclaiming, “Real men aren’t afraid of change. Real men aren’t afraid of a strong woman.” Cue the most aggressively heteronormative scenes imaginable: a construction worker flexes his biceps while casually wielding a sledgehammer. A farmer cradles a chicken, looking off into the sunset as if pondering life’s deepest questions—like which flannel shirt says "feminist ally?"

But things quickly go awry when we meet the rest of Harris' "real men." There’s the barista with an ironic mustache and a pet Yorkie who nervously whispers, “I’m secure enough to vote for a woman.” Then, a man on a motorcycle awkwardly revs the engine before saying, “Yeah, she’s got my vote, bro,” though his tone suggests he’s more used to singing Judy Garland show tunes than burning rubber.

Viewers were further perplexed by the gym scene, where two men—both of whom look like they’ve spent more time grooming their eyebrows than lifting weights—chanted “I'M WITH HER… I'M WITH HER…!” as they squat and spot each other with glee. “My favorite part was when one of them stopped mid-rep to check his nails,” one viewer tweeted. “Honestly, I feel seen.”

While Harris’ team clearly intended to emphasize strong, manly support, it quickly became apparent that something wasn’t quite right. Social media immediately lit up with speculation that some of the men featured in the ad were a bit, well, light in the loafers.

“I’m not saying this ad feels like an Abercrombie & Fitch casting call from 2003,” wrote one commentator, “but I half expected a shirtless hunk in skinny jeans to throw a handful of glitter at the camera. All that was missing was a soundtrack of Ricki Martin's 'Livin' La Vida Loca.'” Others noted the presence of one particularly enthusiastic "lumberjack," whose suspiciously tight plaid shirt seemed more fashion statement than function. “It’s hard to take his rugged masculinity seriously when his eyeliner is sharper than his axe,” said one critic. "Dude's eyeliner was more on-point than JD Vance."

As if things couldn’t get more surreal, the ad has now officially been recognized as a work of art in queer cinema. Yes, the same ad meant to bolster Harris’ macho appeal to straight men has instead snagged a GLAAD "Glammy" award for “Best Camp Performance in a Political Campaign.”

“Kamala Harris has always been a pioneer,” said a GLAAD spokesperson. “Her ability to redefine masculinity in a way that feels both completely inauthentic and fabulously awkward is groundbreaking. We’re thrilled to celebrate her contribution to queer culture, even if that wasn’t exactly her intended goal.”

Despite the accolade, Harris' campaign strategy has left many scratching their heads. Who, exactly, was this ad for? Was it meant for the straight, beer-guzzling men who make up her weakest demographic? If so, they may have missed the memo. One fireman was quoted saying, “I didn’t see any footballs or trucks. Honestly, I thought I was watching a Village People documentary. What gives?”

Meanwhile, gay Twitter exploded with joy, adopting the “Real Men Vote Kamala” slogan ironically. Memes featuring lumberjacks sashaying through forests and bodybuilders in speedos have already taken the internet by storm. One viral post showed a guy in glittery construction boots and a feather boa, captioned: "Man enough to vote Harris. #RealMen.”

As the 2024 campaign continues, it remains to be seen whether Harris’ male-centric ad will succeed in bolstering her support among the straight men she’s been struggling to win over. It’s no secret that male Kamala supporters are not known as bastions of masculinity. In fact, as we previously reported, the advocacy group “White Dudes for Harris” even started their very own soybean farm. Early polling suggests the new ad has, if anything, pushed male voters further away. “I was on the fence,” said Brooklyn plumber Tony Rigatoni. “But now I feel like her campaign is more interested in picking out floral arrangements than fixing the economy.”

Still, if her goal was to make a lasting impression, Kamala Harris has undoubtedly succeeded. Whether or not that impression involves men who prefer Lady Gaga over Metallica remains to be seen. In the end, one thing is clear: if there’s one group of voters Harris can now count on, it’s liberal gays. Some men may vote Kamala—but, statistically, they’ll probably strut in style all the way to and from the polling site before attending the latest Broadway musical. What are your thoughts on this latest campaign ad? Effective marketing or a cringe misstep? Let us know in the comments below!