Comedian Bill Maher commented Friday on the massive popularity of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, saying that the one thing the world had learned in watching the crisis unfold in Ukraine is that “everyone loves, and the world still needs, grown-a** men.”
“Guys, you can go on about how masculinity is itself toxic or you can be horny for Volodymyr Zelensky, but you can’t do both,” Maher said, going on to read a few social media posts from women who clearly had crushes on Ukrainian President.
“Bada**ery is sexy as f***,” one read, and another: “Every woman in your life now has at least a small crush on Volodymyr Zelensky, and there’s nothing you can do about it.”
“Could it be that as much as women may want to create the perfect man, there’s always going to be a little bit of toxic mixed in with our masculinity and no amount of training will turn us into your favorite ‘Twilight’ character?” Maher asked, prompting laughs and applause.
Maher then noted that while there certainly were plenty of horrible examples of truly toxic men throughout the course of history, he believed that some degree of masculinity might be the reason for humanity’s survival.
He went on to point out the fact that all men aged 18-60 in Ukraine had been ordered not to leave the country — while women and children have been allowed to flee to safety — so that they could assist the security forces in attempting to repel the ongoing Russian invasion.
“It’s not always a great advantage being a man, and toxic though we may be, we do sometimes come in handy,” Maher continued, noting that the attraction to Zelensky — particularly among women — was tied to his “man’s man” persona. “He can’t share right now; he’s killing Russians. Turns out after 200,000 years there’s still a lot of ‘another tribe is coming to kill us.’ And when that happens, you want a little ‘big d**k energy.'”
Maher argued that Zelensky’s willingness to take ownership and take charge even when the situation was dangerous was a major part of the attraction, noting that maybe it was time for people to stop saying that women just wanted men who would “listen” to them: “Zelensky is not just listening, he’s fixing the problem.”
“This is something that I’ve heard for years,” Maher continued. “Women just want a man who listens, don’t try to fix their problems … Put that to the test sometime. Go over to her house tomorrow and fix her radiator, I bet she loves it.”
“When there’s a noise downstairs, someone has to go into the dark,” Maher added. “And most women, yes, still, want a man to do it. And if he doesn’t, or can’t, or won’t, it’s not sexy. Ooh, a guy who can’t perform, I’m melting. No, you want the guy who says, ‘I don’t need a ride, I need ammunition,’ because I’m John Wick.”
If there’s one thing we’ve learned from the crisis in Ukraine, it’s that the world still needs a man's man. @ZelenskyyUa pic.twitter.com/OBdUhYe8J9
— Bill Maher (@billmaher) March 26, 2022