Particle.news
Download on the App Store

David Corenswet’s ‘Maintain Your Masculinity’ Remark in Variety Clip Draws Polarized Reaction

The viral Actors on Actors exchange is being interpreted as either sexist phrasing or a clumsy nod to how society polices masculinity.

Overview

  • In a Variety conversation, David Corenswet praised Jonathan Bailey for “somehow” maintaining his masculinity while being levitated by Cynthia Erivo in Wicked: For Good.
  • The clip spread widely on social platforms, where many users labeled the wording tone-deaf or sexist.
  • Jonathan Bailey responded by calling being carried “a total honor” and said he would gladly be lifted by Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande for the rest of his life.
  • Defenders argued Corenswet was highlighting a societal perception rather than endorsing it, crediting Bailey with subverting traditional gender expectations.
  • Coverage situates the moment in both actors’ recent levitating kiss scenes—Bailey’s in Wicked: For Good and Corenswet’s in Superman—with no widely reported apology or further statement from Corenswet.