White Lotus has an interesting set of threads going on examining different strains of masculinity, and it’s neat how they’re using a bunch of characters to do it
Albie is a young kid who’s been raised in a household by an absent sex addict and comes from a line of different flavors of misogynists, but he also grew up in a world that is trying to educate him on how not to do that. He clearly makes an effort to Not Be An Asshole, but he only seems to manage to look good in comparison to his father/grandfather. His interactions with women can come across as dweebishly awkward but he gives off a MASSIVE vibe of only needing one visit to r/incel or whatever it’s called these days and he’s a full on shithead. He’s trying, he’s listening, he’s stumbling awkwardly while walking a dangerous tightrope.
Meanwhile, Dominic is a classic mid-life crisis distant rich dad sex addict. He has no earthly idea why he’s even at this resort other than some vague sense of trying to fix a relationship, yet he clearly has no idea what he did wrong. He *wants* to be different, so badly, but he can’t control his impulses and unfortunately by hiring Mia and Lucia set himself up for failure. He’s trying, he’s not listening, he’s already lost before leaving the start line.
Bert is just too old to give a fuck. He knows he’s a relic, he knows everyone hates his womanizing ways, and he just. Does. Not. Care. He’s not trying, he’s not listening, he’s thriving and having a fuckin BLAST.
Cameron is the modern bro. He’s internalized all of the stupid bullshit that Albie’s in danger of falling into (and so has his wife, honestly) and yet he’s also massively insecure. He’s just got a shitload of money and a wife who indulges him, so he doesn’t generally have to confront the emptiness inside of him. He’s not trying, he’s not listening, he *wants* you to think he’s thriving but secretly isn’t.
Ethan is the hardest one to parse. Out of everyone there, he’s the least shitty, but that’s not saying a whole lot. He at least comes by his love for his wife honestly, but his wife seems like a difficult person to love. Cameron has tempted him with the idea of being able to indulge his baser instincts, and he’s clearly conflicted between living up to the decent standards he seems to have held so far, or to succumb to the devil on his shoulder. That said, he is also somehow completely oblivious to his wife being upset with him, over and over again. I’m not sure he’s doing it on purpose, he’s just very bad at picking up what she’s dropping and that’s leading him down a dark road. He’s trying, he’s extremely bad at listening, and it’s eating him up inside and I’m worried he’s gonna just snap.
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The Toxic Polycule in S2 White Lotus is about to go off next ep
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HE’S SO HOT
2022 • The White Lotus • S2·EP6 • dir. Mike White
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