Strong Men Tend To Vote Conservative

Now, you know why HAL is a liberal...

By Rob Waugh

If you have ever seen a film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger or Bruce Willis it will come as no surprise.

Male action film stars are more likely to have right-wing political views than other actors, a study has found.

On questions of foreign policy in particular, if the actor carries a gun on screen he is more likely to back the troops in real life.

The researchers concluded that macho men were more likely to believe in the ‘utility of political aggression’ to solve conflict.  

They are unlike most of Hollywood which is traditionally left wing, including the dozens of actors who came out against the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The study by Aaron Sell from Griffith University in Australia examined how the ability to fight still plays an important role in shaping men’s behaviour and outlook, even though we have long moved on from being Neanderthal hunter gatherers.

 

Sell concluded that if a man has a strong upper body he is more likely to become aggressive when angered, he will became angry more quickly and tends to feel more entitled to things.

But he also discovered that macho men were more likely to be right wing too in a surprising additional finding.

His theory does indeed appear to be born out by the careers of Schwarzenegger and Willis.

Whilst governor of California Schwarzenegger implemented stringent budget cuts in line with Republican doctrine.

He has also made a number of visits to Iraq to show his support for U.S. troops and has spent time with American soldiers in Afghanistan.

 

Others who have proclaimed their support for the Republican party in the US include Dirty Harry star Clint Eastwood, Academy Award-nominated actor Gary Sinese, veteran action film actor Chuck Norris.

The study authors conclude: ‘Upper body strength in adult males is a crucial variable that appears to have impacts on a wide range of mental mechanisms.

‘These mechanisms were designed by natural selection at a time when personal physical aggression was far more common and individual differences in fighting ability were far more relevant for the resolution of conflicts. 

‘Despite the steady decline in physical aggression and violent deaths that have accompanied Western civilization, the human mind is still designed for ancestral environments.’