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Widespread steroid use affecting our political outcomes? [1]

['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']

Date: 2025-07-22

I’m sure many of you have noticed the increased aggression in our society over the last several years. I see it on the roads, in online discourse, and just in everyday interactions. Is this aggression just a side effect of life? Covid? End stage capitalism? Or maybe, to some degree, steroids? I recently saw this article on the CBC that spoke not just to the prevalence of steroid use, but some of the motivations:

Men face growing pressure to use steroids

As the article says, steroid use “can lead to problems with irritation, anger management problems and depression, and even psychosis."

Our society is highly image driven and the quickest shortcut to remake your physical image as a man is to start a steroid regimen. So many influencers and movie stars are on this program, it really starts to look normal. Seen a Marvel movie lately? Thor/Wolverine/Reacher/etc? It’s likely all of these characters are on steroids. The social stigma of using steroids has dropped over time. This has gone from an open secret to an admitted pattern. The manosphere isn’t just filled with toxic attitudes, it’s also filled with men who are taking steroids. Joe Rogan? Yep, steroids. The Rock? Steroids. This is nothing new, just more common. Jeff Bezos? Certainly. At least according to the aforementioned Joe Rogan. The intersection of influencers on steroids is a new twist perhaps, where rich and popular podcasters are interacting directly with their audience and admitting steroid use. Not to mention the 4th richest person in the world.

I hunted for statistics on many sites and found estimates that seem to indicate up to 5% of men are using or have used steroids. At first glance that’s not a huge number, but after a little thought that’s actually a lot of people. Millions here in America. All of those men, with dysregulated emotional states who are quicker to anger. There’s a secondary effect all this manufactured aggression has on men who are not on steroids themselves. They find themselves outcompeted in sports, and outcompeted socially. A natural response is to emulate the men who are winning this competition. Even if they don’t take up steroid use themselves, they live in a more aggressive mental environment and a natural response for many will be to match that aggression.

Now, do men with anger issues, irritation, and depression wind up supporting right wing causes more frequently? I would bet so. That’s a stretch I have no proof for, but I don’t think it’s entirely wild speculation. The right wing bases so much of their political energy around anger at immigrants, anger at trans people, anger at teachers and poor people and liberals. Who is a perfect fit for this mindset? The millions of men using steroids with increased aggression and muscles to match. I’d love to see what percent of ICE recruits have used steroids, or police. I just did some searching on that front and wouldn’t you know it- the best set of links was on a Daily Kos diary from our own Lefty Coaster. Is this enough to tip elections? It only takes a single digit percent swing to make all the difference in the world.

I guess my best analogy for this issue would be that of a fish swimming in water. The water is all around, and invisible, and the fish doesn’t know water from air. Likewise, we see an “asshole” on the road and chalk it up to idiocy or immaturity. We see an angry guy screaming at protesters or threatening them with his truck- is that natural anger, or ‘roid rage? Not infrequently that person has a very high and unnatural level of testosterone coursing through their veins and is twitching with anger as a result. 5% is 1 in 20 men in this country, and I’d bet the vast majority are not liberals. So maybe 1 in 12 Republican men are juicing? And of course that is skewed toward younger and middle age men also. 1 in how many of that group? 1 in 8? 1 in 6? Who knows, but any of these guesses are a seriously high number of people. There aren’t any studies but there sure should be. And police should be tested for sure (a tall lift to pass that one).

Anyhow, I certainly don’t have a solution, and maybe none are possible. As long as huge muscles are revered, we are where we are. I just wanted to recognize that young men are under huge pressure to compete socially and our entire entertainment and manosphere environment is promoting a solution that warps their emotional state. And in my opinion that warped emotional state runs counter to every progressive ideal we have. If nothing else, we should be aware that huge muscles are very often the result of steroid use and anyone who has kids should probably make this a regular topic of conversation. Social disapproval is just about the only pushback we have and that’s an uphill climb at the moment.

Now, off to see a ripped 240 pound Superman fight for truth, justice and the American way.

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[1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/7/22/2334615/-Widespread-steroid-use-affecting-our-political-outcomes?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=latest_community&pm_medium=web

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