Branding the Pig

This chapter traces the male chauvinist pig as he found his niche in Modern Conservatism. More specifically, this chapter explores how the Right began to latch on to the MCP label not just for his opposition to feminism and race privilege but to create his own brand of countercultural aesthetics. Even the redneck got a makeover as the southernization of American political humor took root. Much like the male chauvinist pig who never got to step foot in the Playboy mansion, let alone get the girl next door, conservatives who weren’t cool could dabble in misogynist ridicule to play themselves up as a heterosexual tease. In so doing, the male chauvinist pig, who took pride in an antifeminist stance could bolster his (and the Republican party’s) political virility in much the way an MCP label or tag line marketed sporty shoes and neckties. As the playboy lifestyle became even more out of reach, disenchanted men came to embrace antifeminism and adopt the attributes of the male chauvinist pig as a badge of honor.