I grew up in small-town Idaho, born to two parents who both graduated college.
My mother worked hard in the banking industry, eventually becoming a financial loan officer. My father, meanwhile, spent time as a middle school science teacher, a cell phone salesman and eventually the owner of his own excavation business.
In short, I grew up fine. I had little to complain about. And I certainly did not deserve to grace the cover of Esquire Magazine.
Neither did Ryan Morgan, an equally average young white man who, in a bizarre move, was profiled by Esquire in the magazine’s recent issue during a month dedicated to celebrating black history.
The bolded headline, “An American Boy,” teases an ongoing series of the white, middle-class male experience, to which the 17-year-old Wisconsin high schooler offers very little.
Brandon Hill | Argonaut
Morgan grew up much like me — in your run-of-the-mill small-town high school surrounded by peers going through similar experiences. Morgan’s parents are divorced, he doesn’t enjoy parties and often feels confused and conflicted about current political and societal changes, such as #MeToo.
The piece, written by Esquire’s Jennifer Percy, is altogether uninspiring. It brings to mind the nasally complaints of political commentators like Ben Shapiro and Tucker Carlson, men dedicating their media careers to lamenting the white male experience while simultaneously undermining the value of differing cultures.
To be clear, Morgan — as portrayed by Percy — doesn’t undermine differing cultures. He’s just your everyday, young Trump supporter. He hit a girl once, albeit in self-defense, but considers himself a moderate who also thinks women should sacrifice their careers in favor of nurturing their children. According to Percy, he’s figuring it out like many young men at that age.
It’s not Morgan’s politics or personal evolving beliefs that are the problem here, however. With the rise of said Fox News commentators, a look into how recent culture shifts affect those who previously held so much societal power — white men — is a discussion worth having. Just not now.
Dozens of other magazines took February as a chance to celebrate black culture, both past and present. People Magazine highlighted how elementary school teachers are imparting important cultural lessons on their students, while TIME took a deeper look into how Black History Month began.
As a middle-class white man, I can safely attest one simple fact — we’re fine.
We don’t need magazine covers on how “difficult” or “confusing” life is right now, because for a lot of us, it’s not. White men in the past messed up and some white men continue to mess up. No matter what race, some men just mess up. But now, it’s our turn to attempt to right the wrongs and move on.
Is this a story for the back? Maybe. A cover story? No.
White actors often receive prime real-estate in entertainment magazines. Most major movies feature an array of white leads, often male. The white experience has been picked through with a fine-tooth comb, and by the time the narrative reaches Morgan in his small Wisconsin home, the story starts to feel a little stale.
So take time this February — and instead of revisiting a rerun — embrace stories of cultures that don’t often see the light. Be open to new ideas, absorb and learn. There are stories worth telling out there, sometimes we just have to look.
Brandon Hill can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @brandonmtnhill