Arizona Congressman Paul Gosar faces censure for posting an anime video depicting violence against political figures.
In a shocking yet unsurprising move, Arizona Republican Congressman Paul Gosar posted an anime video last week that depicted him killing Democratic Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez with a sword and attacking President Joe Biden. The animation, reminiscent of the violent, misogynistic content often found on men’s rights subreddits and right-wing social media groups, drew immediate backlash, leading the House of Representatives to vote to censure Gosar and strip him of his committee assignments.
Despite the censure, Gosar defiantly retweeted the video, further igniting the controversy. His attempt to downplay the incident as a joke was met with skepticism, especially given the nature of the video, which many viewed as a direct threat. As Ocasio-Cortez pointed out during the censure debate, the lack of condemnation from Republican leadership, including House Leader Kevin McCarthy, signaled that the actions and words of Congress members may no longer be held to the same standard of accountability.
Ocasio-Cortez’s criticism highlighted the gravity of the situation: “What’s so hard about saying this video was wrong?” she asked. The retweet by Gosar seemed to confirm her concerns about the normalization of such threats within political discourse.
While Gosar and his supporters have called the video a joke, it is difficult to perceive the violent imagery, particularly the beheading of a colleague, as humorous. Research has shown that men who engage in sexist humor are more likely to harbor and act on misogynistic attitudes. The video’s lack of comedic structure or satirical intent makes it appear more like a troubling political statement than a simple joke.
