BENEDICTION
The Last Word
WHY PEOPLE HATED - AND LOVED - KEVIN SAMUELS Excerpts from Samuels' obituary in
Mr. Samuels, saying he had “galvanized a
The New York Times, May 7, 2022:
community of men of all races and nationalities in the outspoken hatred of
Describing himself as an image
women.” not in relationships, centered on the
consultant, [Kevin] Samuels had transformed in recent years from a
“Kevin Samuels has basically made a
inherent value of men and women, based
personal stylist into a social media
profit and has made his profile
on a set of traditional criteria.
celebrity who built his following on
consistently perpetuating harmful
an image of plain-spoken,
stereotypes about Black men and
In 2020, in one of his first viral hits, a video
hypermasculine authority, usually
women,” Ernest Owens, a journalist, said,
that assessed a woman as “average at
wearing a finely tailored suit. The
adding that “a lot of his rhetoric and
best” received millions of views. He
approach brought him more than a
commentary was rooted in misogyny.”
referred to women over 35 as “leftovers,” echoing a line he claimed was used by the
million followers on both YouTube and Instagram, and many of his
The comments on Mr. Samuels’s
supporters viewed him as taking
YouTube and Instagram videos revealed
courageous stands for what they
a community, mostly but not entirely
“If you have made it to 35 and you are
called traditional values.
composed of men, who looked up to him.
unmarried, you are a leftover woman,” he
One commenter responded to a recent
said. “You are what is left. Men know that
In his videos and posts, Mr.
video by calling Mr. Samuels an
there is something likely wrong with you.
Samuels urged his followers to
“inspiration” to Black men around the
Whether you want to hear it or not, I’m
adhere to rigid gender roles; he
world, and thousands of others indicated
going to go there with you. I’m telling you
largely evaluated women for their
support for the comment.
the truth that you don’t want to hear.”
In the early years there was little of
On social media, Mr. Samuels outlined a
Chinese Communist Party.
appearance and youth, men for their assertiveness and money. He criticized women whom he saw as too career-focused, and asked questions suggesting women’s interest in men was based mostly
the sharp-tongued content that would later launch him to stardom, as he focused initially on personal
on their income: “How much do you
fashion and self-improvement for
charge for submission?”
professionals.
view of relationships that put men in a dominant position and said women should accept infidelity by men but not be unfaithful themselves. “Successful men cheat,” he recently wrote on Instagram. “Either you will deal with it
The messages were repugnant to many, especially women, who said his views were misogynistic and promoted a brand of masculinity
But he later discovered a formula that would help his following skyrocket, based on harsh
that harmed the men who listened
assessments of modern women and
to him. More than 30,000 people
the dynamics of dating and
signed an online petition asking
relationships. Many of his videos,
YouTube and Instagram to remove
seeking to explain why people were
BAVUAL
98
or not.” Samuels died in his sleep at his home in Atlanta, Georgia, on May 5, 2022. No cause was cited. He was unmarried at the time of his death, though he was married and divorced twice and had a daughter.
SPRING 2023
