In the week that saw tech mogul Mark Zuckerberg call for more ‘masculine energy’ in corporate culture, Michelle Obama and Kamala Harris’ are exuding ‘feminine energy’ in the best way: by knowing when to say 'no'.
As one of the bastions of toxic masculine energy, Donald Trump, prepares to return to the White House, it has been reported that the former first lady Obama will not attend his inauguration on 20 January. Apparently, her absence is because she does not want to ‘plaster’ on a smile for someone she fundamentally believes is a threat to American democracy. If that’s not a good enough reason to bail on a plan, we’re not sure what is!
Frankly, we love to see it. Obama has done her time, she’s endured countless state dinners, world tours and diplomatic events. She lived in the White House for eight years working with her husband to make America a safer, more inclusive and more hopeful place, only to hand the keys over to Trump. She’s even written an international best-seller about the whole thing. Let the woman live!
She's not the only powerful woman to honour her boundaries in the face of toxicity this week either. Kamala Harris chose not to invite the incumbent vice president JD Vance for a curtesy visit to her residence before he moves in after Monday's inauguration. As such, when Vance, his wife Usha and their three young children move into the Naval Observatory residence next week, it will be their first time stepping into the building.
While it’s not atypical for the outgoing vice president to invite their successor for a formal tour before they take over, Harris was not afforded the opportunity by Mike Pence before she moved in in 2021 either. This was, in part, because Trump refused to admit defeat. Then Harris had to wait until April to move into the Naval Observatory because it needed so many repairs.
She may not have offered a curtesy visit or been in touch with Vance herself, but Harris' team has reportedly made sure to pass on all the necessary information to Vance regarding child proofing.
Let's not forget that Vance has been openly and unabashedly offensive towards Harris. To name but a few childish and degrading insults thrown her way, Vance has called her ‘trash’, 'garbage', a ‘childless cat lady’ and claims she is ‘uncomfortable in her own skin’. Why, then, would Harris want to show him how the dishwasher works?
Harris and Obama’s resolve not to cower to the wants and needs of toxic men is the kind of energy we all need more of. And if we're talking like Mark Zuckerberg, who recently declared that corporate sectors need more 'masculine energy' after becoming 'culturally neutered', some might call Harris and Obama's decisions the perfect amount of 'feminine energy'.
Zuckerberg’s hot take came shortly after his announcement that his tech company Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram, Threads and WhatsApp, will ‘no longer have a team focussed on DEI (diversity, equality and inclusion)’. The organisational frameworks which seek to promote the fair treatment and full participation of all people, particularly groups who have historically been underrepresented or subject to discrimination; frameworks that are statistically proven to help companies perform better.
Meta is also abandoning its relationship with the third-party fact checking program, Check Your Fact, in favour of X-style ‘community notes’, hoping to bring more ‘political’ content and free speech back onto people’s feeds. This means all manner of divisive and vitriolic comments about topics such as women’s reproductive rights, immigration and gender will now be tolerated and unchallenged.
If there’s ever a time, as women, to honour our boundaries and know when to say no, it’s now.
Nikki Peach is a writer at Grazia UK, working across pop culture, TV and news. She has also written for the i, i-D and the New Statesman Media Group and covers all things TV for Grazia (treating high and lowbrow shows with equal respect).