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This summer, television became preoccupied with a question: What should happen to men?
So what happens to that guy now?
Should he be erased?
Can he be rehabilitated, his entitlement washed away?
Where is he supposed to go?
Series from this summer have found various answers to that question.
After all, none of the shows simply jettison the white guy.
They hold him close.
They observe him, mock him, jab at him mercilessly.
And yetKevin Can F**k Himselfis saddled with Kevin, TVs king doofus.
Even then, all she can think to ask is What the fuck should I do about Kevin?
The show is a critique of whiteness, not just white men.
How are we going to make it right?
Mark asks when his daughter, Olivia, raises the issue of white oppression of Indigenous Hawaiians.
Should we give away all our money?
Would you like that, Liv?
Mark is exasperated; he is ridiculous.
Somewhere not far under the surface, though,TheWhite Lotusis sincerely asking: Should he just shut up?
In the shows most positive vision of a possible outcome, white men run away from their lives entirely.
Bill (Jay Duplass) is no Nathan or Kevin, and hes not a Mark, either.
He is thoughtful about his privilege hes an ally!
And then hes caught out in a mistake: Students film him performing a Sieg heil!
salute while teaching a class on Fascism.
The act is taken out of context, but things escalate as Bill doubles down.
He is not a monster, but he behaves like the wronged party in an Aaron Sorkin script.
As Bill digs himself into an ever-deeper hole, he becomes the main obstacle to Ji-Yoons career ambitions.
Hes not quite an antagonist because hes too clueless.
Nathan and Kevin lack the agency to cause problems on purpose.
They are objects of disdain, of lingering, almost nostalgic fondness.
We used to love The Guy so much!
We cant just throw him out or relegate him to the status of recurring minor guest star.
But he no longer fits.
His privilege feels outsize.
As a protagonist, he doesnt spark the same joy he used to.
He represents the model of an ideal, considerate, unpretentious white man.
What isTed Lassoif notFather Knows Bestwith contemporary, reformed ideas of what best means?
The fantasy of emotionally intelligent, empathetic American masculinity arrives fully formed.
Its an easier show to watch.
It begins with answers instead of thorny, intractable muddles.
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