Men Painting Their Nails Is Not Normal Behavior, Stop Acting Like It Is | Mark Harris

Men painting their fingernails is not normal behavior. It's incredible that statement is a controversial one for some, but given the ongoing attacks on the traditional, masculine man and the never-ending push for innovative individualism, it's not at all surprising the topic has become divisive.

The discussion about guys painting their nails has come to the forefront in the sports world due in large part to soon-to-be first-round NFL draft pick Caleb Williams. 

The former USC quarterback sported painted fingernails during many games throughout his college career and was recently accused of having pink-painted fingernails in a viral clip from a USC women's basketball game, but later denied those claims. Williams also garnered attention for showing off his pink iPhone in the video.

 (Photo by Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images)

Duke point guard Jared McCain is another high-profile college athlete who has been wearing nail polish, often seen with one hand painted white and the other blue. While McCain is only a true freshman, he's been painting his nails for years, telling Complex in 2023 that he began doing so during quarantine. Recently, he partnered with a nail polish brand on an NIL deal during Duke's NCAA Tournament run.

Williams and McCain paint their nails to be different. In today's America where being different and going against societal norms is rewarded in the form of overwhelming attention, you can't blame them. It doesn't matter that painting fingernails has been a way for women to express individualism and femininity throughout modern history. 

(Photo by Lance King/Getty Images)

Men taking part in something that's been largely exclusive to women and being praised for ‘being themselves’ is par for the course these days. Men are infiltrating women's sports, some believe men can get pregnant, and we've seen massive corporations like Bud Light award a biological male for playing dress up and making a living by mocking women.

Men painting their fingernails falls well down the list of the absurdities we're seeing these days and has zero impact on the abilities of Williams, McCain, or any other male athletes who take part, obviously.

Men painting their nails does, however, fall into this new mindset being adopted and promoted by liberal thinkers in which we're all supposed to just shrug our shoulders and accept whatever the action or expression is as the ‘new normal.’

Here's an idea: maybe let's not do that.

Believe It Or Not, You Don't Have To Accept All These ‘New Norms’

If you question that new normal, in this case men painting their nails, you're immediately described as being a hateful, uncultured, homophobic conservative, which keeps anyone who may disagree from even beginning to ask a question. Meanwhile, those who agree with the new norm get propped up thanks to social media and many corporations adopting this non-confrontational, no-questions-asked mindset. It's a vicious cycle.

If we as a society were to be honest and also remember that the First Amendment exists, we would say that the overwhelming majority of both men and women in America think this new trend of men painting their fingernails as odd. 

I'm confident I'm not the only one who thinks it's strange behavior for dudes to paint their nails.

When it comes to Williams and McCain specifically, my opinion and the many who agree with it has no effect on them, nor should it. These are world-class athletes who will make millions of dollars entertaining the masses for years to come. If they care about people talking about their nails, then they're likely not going to be successful.

The subject here may be centered around men painting their fingernails and whether it's odd behavior, which is admittedly an incredibly unimportant topic, you can even call it dumb. What is important, however, is recognizing that it's perfectly fine to not only see Williams and McCain painting their nails as strange, but actually share that opinion. After all, it's what most people in the country are thinking anyways.

NFL Network's Kyle Brandt used the phrases "homophobic" and "cavemen" to describe those who think it's strange that Williams paints his fingernails. If he and other talking heads can get away with similar things, you should be perfectly alright saying dudes painting their nails isn't normal.