Some More News - Some More News: Are Men Okay?

Episode Date: May 22, 2024

Hi. Today, we're taking a look at American men – are they in crisis? Why do they turn to misogynistic manosphere creeps like Andrew Tate? What else can we offer them besides anger and contempt? Go t...o https://ground.news/SMN to stay fully informed. Subscribe through our link for up to 40% off unlimited access this month only. Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period at https://shopify.com/morenews to take your retail business to the next level today. Hungryroot is your partner in healthy living. It’s the easiest way to get fresh, high-quality groceries and simple, healthy recipes delivered to your door. Right now, Hungryroot is offering Some More News viewers 40% off your first delivery and free veggies for life at https://Hungryroot.com/MORENEWS Hosted by Cody Johnston Executive Producer - Katy Stoll Directed by Will Gordh Written by David Christopher Bell Edited by Gregg Meller Produced by Jonathan Harris Associate Producer - Quincy Tucker Post-Production Supervisor - John Conway Researcher - Marco Siler-Gonzales Graphics by Clint DeNisco Head Writer - David Christopher Bell Cody Johnston as Warmbo SOURCES: https://docs.google.com/document/d/12UBmgWd34GZdLG6RYvmhitpviQYf7Q-eSN4bD24G2Zg/edit MERCH: https://shop.somemorenews.com PODCAST: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/some-more-news/id1364825229 Follow us on social media: Twitter: https://twitter.com/SomeMoreNews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/SomeMoreNews/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SomeMoreNews/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@somemorenews Chapters: 00:00 - Intro 01:55 - Why Young Men Feel Lost 08:37 - The Quest To Keep Men "Manly" 20:36 - Men seeking answers in the worst possible place 28:06 - The Fake "Return To Tradition" 34:07 - It always leads to Nazi stuff 39:52 - A few minutes on Andrew Tate and other scammers 50:59 - Fixing men's circumstances 55:43 - Replacing the patriarchy with something other than the patriarchy 1:03:42 - Cody gives raw... advice to young men

Transcript
Discussion (0)
Starting point is 00:00:00 Yo, what's up, trad bros? It's Stoli with another Manfomercial. Have you been feeling like less of a man lately? Balls been bothering you? Yes, those goddamn balls, am I right? Always shifting around when you sit. I sit on my balls all the time. Well, ya boy S money has what you need.
Starting point is 00:00:29 And that's Stoli's Dude Cream. Stoli's Dude Cream will replace your balls. Take out your balls and put some Dude Cream in there. You dig me brah? Dude Cream will triple your testosterone statement not supported by the FDA and put you on top of the Mano tree. Be the Christmas star of your Mano tree today with Stoli's corn cr- Dude cream! Replace your balls! Ooh ooh ooh ooh! Uh, hey! Sorry, I'm not sure how I'm in this...
Starting point is 00:01:10 commercial? Hey there, little boy! Look at this cuck with his intact balls! I'm sorry, and you are? Stoli! Stoli... Kanoli! That's right, that's my name, Stoli Kanoli!
Starting point is 00:01:41 Okay, well listen, Mr. Kanoli, I don't know how you got on this channel, but I have a YouTube show to host, so if you would excuse me. Stoli will be back! You bet you're soon to be cream balls on it! Boom! Hmm. Weird. Compelling guy.
Starting point is 00:01:57 Anyway, where were we? Oh right, we weren't anywhere because the episode was just beginning. And hey! Speaking of balls, are men okay? You see, because most men have balls, not all of them, but on average men have like 1.4 balls. According to me, just making up a number.
Starting point is 00:02:21 Anyway, here's some news in the form of the question we just asked. Are men okay? I only ask because, well. Move forward. I'm a man. I am. I am a man.
Starting point is 00:02:35 I am a man. I am a man. I am a man. I am a man. I am a man. I am a man. I am a man. I am a man.
Starting point is 00:02:42 I am a man. I am a man. I am a man. I am a man. I am a man for one! I am a man for one! I am a man! Okay, so the short answer is no. Men are not doing okay. Or rather, that man isn't. But I mean, to be fair,
Starting point is 00:02:54 I have been known to scream, I am a man! Repeatedly and through sobs. But that's usually while moving heavy furniture or taking a dump. Anyway, that clip is apparently from one of those wildly expensive and so-called alpha male boot camps
Starting point is 00:03:09 that have become recently popular, if only to mock on the internet. There are so many of these now, even Jesus is getting in on the fun. ["The Stronger Men's Conference"] Welcome to the Stronger Men's Conference. What God did in your life, it's meant to impact the world around you. It's meant to be multiplied.
Starting point is 00:03:30 That's the plan of God for you. We can change and impact the world because we serve the strong man, Jesus Christ. He says, I will go with you, but hold on with you always. I'm going to give you strength. Oh yeah, monster trucks, wrestling, fire, and Jesus. Boy, as a man that felt both insulting and chilling to watch. And while it's fun and easy to make fun
Starting point is 00:03:55 of the many clips from these camps, this of course speaks to a larger problem happening right now, and honestly before now, which is that men everywhere are struggling with their mental health as it relates to their gender identity. Nearly three out of four of every death of despair, as in a suicide or overdose, is committed by a man.
Starting point is 00:04:15 I mean, look, we're all pretty bummed out right now, probably because of the queen's death. I mean, she had so much life left in her. But men, specifically young men, are even more bummed. While there was a 4% rise in suicides across the board, for young men, that rise was double. And that's probably in part due to men not seeking help nearly as often as anyone else.
Starting point is 00:04:38 Here's a survey from Cleveland Clinic that found over 80% of men feel stressed, but also 65% of them feel hesitant to seek professional counseling. Here's another survey of 1,001 adult males that found nearly 50% of them were quote, more depressed than they admitted to the people in their lives.
Starting point is 00:04:58 Here's an insurance survey where one in four men admitted that they've never talked to anybody about their mental health. You get the point. Insurance ghouls don't screw around with this stuff. But it's not just depression. Men are struggling socially too. They are lonely.
Starting point is 00:05:15 I mean, I'm not. I have tons of friends who aren't puppets. Right, friendulous? That's right, Cody. See, I'm not lonely. But for example, dating is far more difficult for men. That's probably why they are having less sex than they used to.
Starting point is 00:05:32 That and their living arrangements. Since the 60s, the rate of men living with their parents has steadily gone up to the point that there are now more men living with their parents than living alone or with a partner or a roommate or like a quirky Mediterranean cousin or two hot chicks or a zany source of increasing sexual tension. For women, that rate of living with your parents is lower,
Starting point is 00:05:55 but they are catching up, so good for them. Women get depressing things done. We don't know exactly why men are struggling socially, but it's probably somewhat related to the fact that they aren't making enough money anymore. I mean, yeah, we're all hurting there, but men aren't going to college as much as they used to either.
Starting point is 00:06:15 Their employment rate has either stagnated or gone down. And since 1979, men's average wages have fallen 10%, while women's wages have gone up 25%. Although I'm guessing that's in part because women were paid less than men and have to catch up. Because despite everything I just said, men still rule the world? It's still a patriarchy?
Starting point is 00:06:39 Everything is still dominated by men. The richest and most powerful people are still men, just not most men. So we have a bit of a pickle dilly, a dick pilly, a seow mess. Society is run by men and largely designed for men, but the majority of men don't feel like they are in charge of anything. And so their anxiety around that is uniquely related
Starting point is 00:07:02 to their gender identity. That's why if you were to ask, let's say certain men, And so their anxiety around that is uniquely related to their gender identity. That's why if you were to ask, let's say certain men, if there's a patriarchy, or if women have problems worth considering, you'll probably get a response that strips all nuance and just gives a laundry list of various issues that men have, like this.
Starting point is 00:07:20 Do you believe that we live in a patriarchy and it negatively affects women? No. No. No. Yeah, so for example, men are more likely to commit suicide, more likely to die at work, more likely to declare bankruptcy. Women are far less likely to be in credit card debt, far more likely to graduate from
Starting point is 00:07:37 college, far more likely to get a high paying job. Ah, you know how the left is all about victimhood and their victim mentality, claiming that they're the victim and, ah that they're the victim and I'm just sick of it. Because actually, the real victims are men? Hey, quick question. All these problems that men apparently have. Who made the society that created those problems?
Starting point is 00:07:57 Is it the women who make you do all the wars? But these types of weirdos can frame it as a woman problem because women are more often supported and boosted in the interest of equality because of this patriarchy that continues to screw over both men and women. Boy, if only there were a movie about this exact dynamic, perhaps involving a magical doll world in multiple musical numbers,
Starting point is 00:08:19 I'm not saying that women have it easier, quite the opposite. We've had decades of women being told to be subservient baby canons, and have only recently begun course correcting from that error. Women are redefining themselves beyond that role, and while the efforts to do that are extremely difficult, the message there is somewhat clear. But with men, the message hasn't really changed much.
Starting point is 00:08:41 For generations, the concept of masculinity has always been presented one specific way. Men are expected to endure physical and emotional pain with a little complaint, lest we get soft. Men hate being soft in multiple ways. You can trace this all the way back to the 1800s, when writer Washington Irving complained that Americans too often send their kids overseas to become luxurious
Starting point is 00:09:06 and effeminate in Europe, and claimed that, quote, "...a previous tour on the prairies would be more likely to produce that manliness, most in unison with our political institutions." You gotta do that trad little house on the prairie life, bros! Of course, war was generally seen as manly, so we did that a lot. There is of course a contradiction here that you'll notice more if you listen to these guys talk for more than five seconds,
Starting point is 00:09:30 whether it's some guy in the alpha-manosphere space or a more traditional Christian conservative influencer like Charlie Kirk. All the men who die in war, that's bad. And it's a sign that men have it bad. But also, war is good and necessary to create good men. And we need it because it rocks, but also it sucks and is a reason that you aren't allowed to mention problems
Starting point is 00:09:55 that women have, because men die in the wars that I'm also saying men need. Point is, there's nothing more masculine than exploding, I guess, is the point. But post-Civil War, we saw a rise in education, not manly. But luckily, we had sports and gym class, yes, manly. To quote a 1906 essay by Harvard professor and philosopher William James, we must make new energies and hardy-hoods
Starting point is 00:10:20 continue the manliness to which the military mind so faithfully clings. You see, war is bad, peace good, but we certainly can't stop torturing men. That's what makes them men after all. And to continue this essay, James brings up a very telling alternative to war. Quote, to coal and iron mines, to freight trains,
Starting point is 00:10:44 to fishing fleets in December, to dish washing, clothes washing and window washing, to road building and tunnel making, to foundries and stoke holes, and to the frames of skyscrapers would our gilded youths be drafted off according to their choice to get the childishness knocked out of them
Starting point is 00:11:02 and to come back into society with healthier sympathies and soberer ideas. Gotta stoke those holes, man. The idea here is that war was always seen as a way to harden boys, because apparently seeing your friends die screaming was what made a man, and the closest equivalent to that was either being forced to do sports or working a shit job. James concluded this would ensure that, quote, the women would value them more highly. They would be better fathers and teachers of the following generation.
Starting point is 00:11:32 Nothing wrong with being a dishwasher or hole stoker. I stoked holes for years to pay for school. But you can see how the patriarchy here is working against most men, right? Men are being told that in order to be men, they must punish their bodies to the benefit of more powerful men, either through war or sports or as a menial worker.
Starting point is 00:11:53 I can't help to feel like this is a scam. Like, how is this different from a pyramid scheme? And as that quote indicated, the end result is that these hardened men were better suited as a mate and father. If that sounds a little eugenicsy to you, that's because it is and was. Here's a 1920s issue of Physical Culture magazine
Starting point is 00:12:12 posing the question, should I marry him? A lesson in eugenics. Oh, also we get to learn what Ty Cobb thinks of Babe Ruth. Anyway, can you believe it? That views around masculinity would be tied to racism? Who would have thought such a thing? Anyway, we'd keep going this way for a while. Even in a society absolutely dominated by men,
Starting point is 00:12:33 we were constantly worried that men weren't manly enough. Here's a quote from historian Arthur Schlesinger Jr. back in 1958 that asked, what has unmanned the American man? Around that same time, Playboy Magazine would be founded specifically because of the quote, womanization of America. You may notice that as being the exact same motivation
Starting point is 00:12:57 for man-centric entertainment all the way into the freaking 2000s. And just as these heroic men did more than 60 years ago, we are building a dam. A dam to hold back the tidal wave of feminization that is flooding this country. A dam to stop the river of estrogen that is drowning us in political correctness.
Starting point is 00:13:19 Wow, that is two very different career paths in one embarrassing clip. And yes, in case you didn't catch that, the intro for the man show was about showing reference for all the men who died to make the Hoover Dam, otherwise known as men who were forced to endure the hardships of work under the guise of manliness. More than a hundred of these men
Starting point is 00:13:41 gave their lives to this dam. Their bodies are paved over in its walls. That is truly incredible. Like this brief clip from a 1999 Comedy Central show sums up everything I just said about how the patriarchy hurts everyone. And I'm honestly not even sure if they realize it. I mean, one of them definitely doesn't.
Starting point is 00:14:03 This also demonstrates how monumentally difficult it was for a woman to make any progress. Like even in the 1950s, we saw any incremental push toward equality as an all out attack on men, unreal. But despite the Sisyphusian-ass task, women began to slowly win ground starting in the 1960s. That was good, yay women.
Starting point is 00:14:26 The problem however, was that this coincided with a shrinking economy, specifically agriculture jobs and even more so manufacturing, two industries dominated by male workers. We actually talked about this shift during our food episode where when women began to enter the workforce, we had an opportunity to rethink the family structure.
Starting point is 00:14:46 But instead, we just let corporations sell us things like fast food and microwave meals. And ultimately, the wealthy saw a way to double their workforce and move away from a world where a single person could provide for a family. And as women joined men in higher education and management jobs, the superficial idea of what made a man began to erode. To quote historian Kristin Cobas Dumais, Stripped of their confidence as providers, men compensated by turning to the protector role. But there is a performative quality to this. Calls for the restoration of traditional masculinity are often infused with a sense of resentment over what was lost.
Starting point is 00:15:26 And that's pretty much where we are now. Men were told for decades that to be a man, you had to endure hardships and provide for a family. That was what defined their gender. And then all that stuff went away. And now they're sort of left twisting in the wind like those Borg drones that were cut off from the hive mind. And just like those Borg in that TNG episode
Starting point is 00:15:46 we all watched and loved and know by heart because we're all extremely manly, they are desperately looking for a direction. And if you recall from that later episode, Descent and then Descent Part II, Lost Souls are easy to grift. Perhaps by evil twin robots starting a death cult. And going all the way back to that Cleveland Clinic survey
Starting point is 00:16:04 about how 65% of men feel hesitant to seek professional counseling. That group was also twice as likely to spend five or more hours on social media platforms. And you know what else is on those platforms? Evil twin robots, a lot of them. And so after the break, we're going to talk about the modern industry of male self-help
Starting point is 00:16:25 and how that's perhaps not very helpful and how it's perhaps harmful and traps men in a place that keeps them coming back for more advice and is filled with grifters that also perhaps a hypothetical puppet watching this should not listen to. BRB. Hey there, little fella. Don't be scared.
Starting point is 00:16:46 I just want to tell you about Ground News, which you can check out by scanning this QR code. You like codes? This is a sponsor that we sought out specifically because Ground News is a great tool for navigating the modern news landscape, which has been, let's call it less than honest, or perhaps a drunken horse jamboree, if you will.
Starting point is 00:17:05 And I will. But Ground News helps you navigate that landscape by putting all the world's news in one hub so you can compare coverage and decide what's true or not. But what's more, they also give you the total number of sources for a story, who owns each publication, and their political bias. Like, did you know that a former U.S. president
Starting point is 00:17:26 is on trial for crimes right now? You can go on ground news and see how 50 different publications are covering Stormy Daniels giving her testimony. And what's interesting is that while the right-leaning publications didn't really cover it, obs, the other publications have very different tactics for covering it.
Starting point is 00:17:44 Some point out that her testimony really isn't that important, while others really lean into it. The Washington Times opted to stress that she was called a liar, because of course they did. And I can see all of that thanks to Ground News, which you can check out over at ground.news slash SMN.
Starting point is 00:18:03 And what's this? They have a brand new feature called My News Bias, which is a personal dashboard for you to get insight into your own reading habits and if you have any news blind spots. Point that mirror back at yourself, why don't you little fella? Yeah, wait, don't be scared.
Starting point is 00:18:20 I didn't mean to yell. Okay, so again, check them out at ground.news slash SMN for 40% off unlimited access. What they're doing is more important today than ever and I encourage you to check them out. So the link is in the description. And that's all there is to say about that. Yes.
Starting point is 00:18:43 Did you hear that? That's the universal sound of money and bikes. Yes. Did you hear that? That's the universal sound of money and bikes. Bikes and money. And I'm Katie. Hey, Shopify is the thing that we are here to talk about, folks. Did you know that along with helping millions of online stores, Shopify can do that same thing to your in-person retail store helping.
Starting point is 00:19:07 I mean, helping you. Let's say you run one of those money stores that sells money to people. Well, you can use Shopify to do everything from accepting payments to managing inventory. And in this case, that would be the money that you're selling people for money. Perhaps you sell money online and in person. Well, heck, Shopify can unite both of your storefronts under one hub. This hand movement suggests hub, you see. You track all your sales and inventory in one place. Double heck, they'll even help you drive store traffic with their
Starting point is 00:19:46 plug and play tools designed for social media marketing campaigns. Banks! Dang, yes, banks. That's what I'm thinking of. I'm thinking of a bank. I don't think they sell money, actually. Anyway, you get it. Shopify, they have everything you need for your business, both online and off the line, including an award-winning support line. So sign up for a $1 per month trial period at Shopify.com slash more news, all lowercase. The more news parts, just all lowercase.
Starting point is 00:20:23 Go to Shopify.com slash more news, all lowercase. The more news parts, just all lowercase. Go to shopify.com slash more news, all lowercase, to take your retail business to the next level today. shopify.com slash more news, all lowercase. Yeah, I do about 60 beefs per longest. That's a jerking off muscle. Cool, right? Oh yeah, cool, cool. Totally. I also cum a lot. Goddolo these guns, know what I mean? Gun is my middle name.
Starting point is 00:20:54 Yeah, I definitely know about things. So, uh, wait, your name is Stole Gun Canole? Legal name, broski. Anyway, I sent you that email. Take a look, hit me back. All right, now I gotta go take a primo dump. So catch you later. Okay, hell yeah. Hope it's brown and good. Hope it's a good poop, man. It's nice chatting with you, bro.
Starting point is 00:21:21 Haha. Ski, wow. I was skeptical at first, but that's still, he's pretty rad. He gave me a discount code for that dude cream. Decent guy. I'm not lonely or anything. I'm cool if you're not. Thanks, Franduilus.
Starting point is 00:21:35 Anyway, he just seemed neat is my point. Where were we? Oh, right. Men, they be struggling. After endless generations of patriarchal rules spanning multiple civilizations, the concept of a man had been based around enduring hardship with the promise of obtaining a wife and family
Starting point is 00:21:52 that they get to boss around. But as society advanced, those hardships became somewhat abstract. Women were, for some reason, unhappy with being domestic servants. And so male responsibilities became shared. At exactly the same time, our country started declining in economic prosperity.
Starting point is 00:22:12 Cut to now, and young people are entering a world of broken promises. No longer can a single income afford a home. Heck, two incomes can't. This obviously affects everyone. But men were uniquely told that these things were their responsibility. This idea still lingers as a relic of these previous generations. Kind of the same way a boomer might tell you that you can still get a job with a smile
Starting point is 00:22:36 and a firm handshake. It's like, buddy, you can't even get hired with a smile and a firm hand job anymore. This is all to say that a lot of frustrated young men are currently looking for answers as to why their lives seem to be stalling. And a bunch of less young men are more than happy to give them answers. Good answers, I hope.
Starting point is 00:22:59 How are we supposed to get our lives in order when we are told to not even be men in the first place? Well, it's certainly, I mean, the fact that you're told not to be men in the first place actually doesn't interfere with your ability to clean up your room, it just demoralizes you. Well then the next accusation is something like all masculine ambition is nothing but a manifestation of the pathology of the patriarchy and they get about four years of that and if they escape from that unscathed, which they don't, the next accusation is plus
Starting point is 00:23:34 everything you do is just destroying Gaia, you know, Mother Earth and so and that's a form of nature worship by the way and that's often accompanied by child sacrifice in the ancient world and that's not form of nature worship, by the way, and that's often accompanied by child sacrifice in the ancient world, and that's not the least bit surprising. And it's exactly what's happening now. And that's also no joke. It's exactly right. There he is. Hey, buddy, doing okay? So yeah, that was in response to the question, quote, How are we supposed to get our lives in order when we are told to not even be men in the first place? And you might notice that while Jordan's answer was,
Starting point is 00:24:10 let's say confusing and kind of contradictory considering maybe not doing anything about climate change and our increasingly hostile environment is actually sacrificing children and their future, but regardless, the question itself seems to be posed from a very disillusioned and cynical starting point. We're hearing someone who already has a lot of resentment and is sorta in the middle of their indoctrination.
Starting point is 00:24:33 But maybe if we let Jordan keep talking, he'll make some sense. But it's always been the case that the hero, let's say, has been opposed by the serpent of the state and by the serpent itself. Nah, it's okay. Why is he dressed like a hotel curtain? Does he have to pee?
Starting point is 00:24:50 Jordan, stop fidgeting so much, man. You gotta calm down. All right, so it's easy to laugh at Jordan Peterson's gibberish, just like it's easy to laugh at those man boot camps. If you're an older adult successfully participating in society, you probably see this as silly cult behavior. But there's a reason there's so many
Starting point is 00:25:08 of these manosphere grifters flooding the internet right now. Because they are some of the only people actually discussing the anxieties of young men, also known as their primary audience. They put out videos directly addressed to them. If there's one failing of the left, besides all the other failings,
Starting point is 00:25:26 it's that they don't have anyone specifically trying to be a role model for young men. Meanwhile, weirdos like Jordan Peterson or Andrew Tate, or countless other crypto-slinging hustle culture bros are correctly identifying that young men feel lost, and they offer answers on every platform available. Along with the ones I just mentioned, there's a former YouTuber named Sneeko, the Twitter account and beefcake fetishist Bronze Age Pervert, and the Fresh and Fit podcast. And boy, I really hope you don't know who any of those people are.
Starting point is 00:26:00 But a lot of young men do. So now you have to know them as well! And if you're assuming that they're cool headed or suave, or at the very least, not overtly toxic, and I'll just say it, stupid men with obvious insecurities and bigotries that they've made everyone else's problem, well. Like I said before, why the hell are you gonna pay full price
Starting point is 00:26:21 for a goddamn car that's been used? What women don't understand is men don't ask for much. Okay. If I'm going to take you seriously as a girlfriend and or a wife, my only real request is that you don't embarrass me and fuck other guys. Okay. But they have the fucking gall to sit here and say, yeah, it's a care. Yeah, it's a care.
Starting point is 00:26:41 No, you dumb bitch. I'm not fucking insecure. I'm very insecure in my goddamn confidence. I don't wanna fucking wipe up no ho, all right? And I'm tired of women out here telling dudes, small dick energy, small dick energy, you're insecure, you're insecure, you're insecure,
Starting point is 00:26:55 da da da da da da! Yeah, nothing insecure about that clip. I honestly don't wanna spend a lot of time on each individual influencer because they're all just these really embarrassing freaks with obvious issues to work out. Like there's a reason they target young boys and not adults who know better
Starting point is 00:27:11 because these young boys are gravitating to anyone, making the baseline effort to acknowledge them. Unfortunately, this is also how predators work. After all, they say that if you need help, like if you're lost or have a flat tire or got too high at the mall, you actually should seek someone out as opposed to wait for someone to offer help,
Starting point is 00:27:30 because the person offering help is more likely to want something from you. And while a lot of this help is gibberish, the reason it works is because it's often rooted in truth. People like alleged sex trafficker, Andrew Tate, are recognizing that the world has changed and a lot of young men feel aimless. They were promised this patriarchy,
Starting point is 00:27:50 but seemingly don't benefit from it, and in fact are now being told it's bad. And while it is bad, many young men don't feel like they're being presented with an alternative. Andrew Tate is not only selling them a purpose, but one that doesn't make them ashamed of wanting that patriarchal promise. The only snag is that this promise is also a lie. After all, we built this entire society
Starting point is 00:28:13 around the idea that men and women were supposed to be a certain way, that our genders made us inherently destined to fit ultra-specific roles in our society. And now we've realized that this was all a construct built to serve people in power, like the Matrix, you know? It's like we all took the red pill in that movie, The Matrix.
Starting point is 00:28:32 Remember the red pill? It's a really good analogy for destroying the illusion of an unjust system based around false social and gender roles. It's also like a trans person wrote it. Good thing no one has hijacked that. And so continuing that very fresh metaphor from the Matrix after taking the red pill,
Starting point is 00:28:48 the main characters thrust into a world of harsh truths. Similarly, once we all realize that this patriarchal society was built around lies and control, we had to face the harsh truth that we had built a system upon a foundation of lies. And when you're faced with this harsh reality, when the walls have come down, it's really easy to want to go back and take that blue pill instead. Have you heard the term tradwife? It's short for traditional wife, a woman who stays home, cooks,
Starting point is 00:29:16 cleans, and even openly says they are submissive to their husband. There is a little bit of a pushback going on with woke feminism and I think a lot of women are finding that it is a wholesome lifestyle to be at home and take care of their families, whether it's just their husband or they have children. Ladies. Hi, call me JK. I'm taken. Also if you want to stay at home and cook and clean and manage the household, go for it.
Starting point is 00:29:48 That is, after all, your choice that the women before you fought for you to be able to make. And if you can afford to do that, go for it. I mean, to be clear, that tradwife influencer puts out several TikToks a week that, based on view counts, likely make around 4,000 to 5,000 a month, possibly way more, especially if you consider potential branded content. It talks a week that based on view counts, likely make around four to 5,000 a month, possibly way more,
Starting point is 00:30:05 especially if you consider potential branded content. So not very traditional of you, miss, making all that bread and all that other meaning of the word bread. Two. Good grift though. Congrats on the successful lifestyle influencer grift. Boy, we will probably do a whole thing on Tradwives,
Starting point is 00:30:24 possibly get Katie to host wherever she is. Haven't seen Katie all day for some reason. Anyway, going back to people like Andrew Tate, this return to tradition is very similar to the answers you'll get from him. Give us a solution. What's the solution? Yeah, I think the solution comes back down to family values and that's a very difficult question to answer
Starting point is 00:30:41 because it's across the entire spectrum, right? It's hard and I still think one of the easiest ways to do that is God. I think if you bring back some degree of mercy to family values and that's a very difficult question to answer because it's across the entire spectrum, right? It's hard and I still think one of the easiest ways to do that is God. I think if you bring back some degree of morality and some degree of standard to both sexes that I think things will start to get better. You talk about the 1950s, another thing that was different. In the 1950s, parents raised their kids. Who raises kids nowadays?
Starting point is 00:30:58 School. School. Just three manly smart guys on a channel called Valuetainment, smoking cigars that they love, being like schools. The Matrix. Definitely no indoctrination in 1950s schools, by the way. But the red pill, you know, like from the Matrix. OK, so I acknowledge that in some sense, we're part of the problem here too. We all do discourse and politics and so on.
Starting point is 00:31:29 But can we all just stop? Like if these guys and everybody was just like, I'm gonna stop talking about stuff. I'm gonna stop getting in front of a microphone every day or every week and just spouting like, it's the schools doing the Matrix to you, all serious with your stupid cigar. If they all agree to stop, I'll stop too.
Starting point is 00:31:48 Let's all do it, okay? I am 100% on board with all of us just stopping. But anyway, since we're not stopping, it's not bad. And perhaps it's even good to want to help young men in an evolving society. The problem is that their solution is that we shouldn't evolve, and in fact should go backwards.
Starting point is 00:32:09 This is a very common sentiment about a multitude of things and why these manosphere types are usually conservatives. After all, they want to make men great again. Not to mention that conservative men are often the ones lamenting that they can't find a romantic partner, probably because they want to take away their reproductive rights and treat their partners
Starting point is 00:32:28 in this skewed, unbalanced way that eventually catches up to itself. Meanwhile, noted January 6th coward, Josh Hawley, wrote a book literally called, Manhood, The Masculine Virtues America Needs, because manliness is often treated like a necessity for civilization. This is tied directly to nostalgia
Starting point is 00:32:47 and the hard times create strong men meme you see going around. Once again, it's the same concern we've always seen, that men need hardships like war and labor to keep them tough. It should be noted that there's actually not much evidence that men are becoming more conservative, but rather apolitical, which I would argue just means that they don't realize it when they
Starting point is 00:33:09 are conservative. Ultimately, the divide seems obvious. We have these conservative leaning men who believe the generations long propaganda about manliness who also feel a resentment toward modern liberated women who have absolutely no interest in them. And so they lost for the better days when women were to them more tame. This is not exclusively right wing, mind you.
Starting point is 00:33:32 The internet has especially boosted nostalgia for pre 9-11 days. TV shows had 20 episodes a season. Mel Gibson wasn't a racist yet. We had malls and physical places to exist and all the Gallagher we could ignore. And no one was struggling. I mean, that last one isn't true,
Starting point is 00:33:49 but that's how a lot of people look at the past. And like, yeah, you were a kid. That's why you weren't struggling. Wow, I'm so nostalgic for the carefree days of when I was a literal child and didn't need to care for anything. Anyway, undoubtedly, things got economically worse in America.
Starting point is 00:34:08 But the thing about nostalgia is that it makes a tremendously effective dog whistle because this decades long economic erosion just happened to take place the same time that minority populations were expanding their own rights. And so people like Tate and Peterson can point to these two things as if they are related. By lamenting the good old days, they are often implying that things were better because women
Starting point is 00:34:31 had fewer rights, and that feminism is why things are worse now. It's just like how dummies like Elon Musk will look at crumbling infrastructure or shitty airline companies and blame DEI. infrastructure or shitty airline companies and blame DEI. And so this is why the manosphere is a pipeline to Nazi shit. Going back to that beefcake fetishist bronze age pervert, well, you see right in the name that the account is glorifying a mystical before time. It's no wonder that account was specifically popular with Trumpers.
Starting point is 00:35:02 At first glance, you might see that his admiration for past civilizations is tied to his beliefs that men need to build strong friendships and brotherhoods like ancient Greece. Then if you look a little closer, you might learn that this guy under his real name wrote an entire book about eugenics, and in fact has proposed selective breeding as a policy.
Starting point is 00:35:24 Because again, Nazi shit, it always goes back to it. And when you see right-wing influencers or right-wing influencees or moderate liberals or why I left the left types mocking this idea by saying, oh, so fitness is right-wing now, it's Nazism to be healthy, we can safely and reasonably assume that they either didn't read the thing
Starting point is 00:35:46 they're complaining about or they did, and they're speaking broadly and vaguely and incorrectly about it in order to confuse the issue. Exercise is fine. It's actually good for you. Go outside, work out, stay hydrated, eat well, fall into wells, find pirate treasure, get good sleep, stick to a solid routine, develop good habits.
Starting point is 00:36:07 This is all fine. It's not man stuff, it's person stuff. It's all recommended by most people, regardless of ideology. But there are elements of this, a certain viewpoint and perspective about these kinds of things that can lead to, yes, some Nazi stuff, or at the very least, just general women-hating.
Starting point is 00:36:28 In fact, the idea of a toxic pickup artist is almost quaint now. A bunch of MIT researchers actually looked at the Manosphere and found four distinct groups. Quote, men's rights activists claim that family law and social institutions discriminate against men. Men going their own way take this feeling of grievance further, arguing that society can't be amended.
Starting point is 00:36:52 They often avoid women blaming them for their problems. Pickup artists, meanwhile, date and harass women. They believe society is feminizing men. And then there are the incels, the most potentially violent of the group. Incels abide by the Black Pill, a belief that women use their sexual power to dominate men socially. For that, incels want revenge.
Starting point is 00:37:14 You can sort of see how each of these Manosphere types can melt into the other, and why it's so closely tied to white supremacy as well. And this all starts with these self-help grifters. Jordan Peterson isn't overtly a Nazi, but he's the first step in that direction. We actually made a quick explainer about that guy if you wanna check that out
Starting point is 00:37:32 and just take a few minutes of your time. Ultimately, it's an extremely enticing pitch to tell young men that all of their problems aren't actually their fault. And then point to leftists and women and Marxists as the enemy inflicting these hardships upon them. They don't need to change, you see. It's the world that's wrong.
Starting point is 00:37:50 Skinner meme. No, the other one. Or take your pick, I guess. Of course, the problem is that the world isn't going to change for you, despite what the masterpiece lady ballers might want you to believe. And so resentment isn't a useful tool.
Starting point is 00:38:05 There's nothing helpful in it. These people are basically saying, hey young men, I can help you if you listen to me. And then their help is to just get mad at women. It's like offering swimming lessons and then spending the entire class complaining about the ocean. And of course, the beauty of stuff like this is,
Starting point is 00:38:21 as you get madder and madder, you're still going to need to tune into those godawful swimming lessons. And like, hey, all you men out there, if you want to endure hardships and be strong, then maybe you need to endure the fact that women are not subservient drones and learn how to actually communicate with them.
Starting point is 00:38:40 Maybe it's actually manly to adapt. Where do you think your Y chromosome came from? And so when you think about the resilient futility of this Manosphere message, the only use it has is to frustrate and indoctrinate young men. They want you to be bitter and isolated so you keep following them.
Starting point is 00:38:58 It's a grift and a tool for extremists. At the very least, it's a way to sell you crap. Heck, for some, that's the main goal. Like, you know how a lot of freaks, but specifically the freaks of the Daily Wire, will be like, razors are woke now, buy our anti-woke razors, and they're really bad and it's just a waste of everybody's time and money and also it's stupid? Well, they're doing it with vitamins now, and they have a man vitamin from a new Daily Wire company called Emerson, which is just more vitamin slop.
Starting point is 00:39:27 We all love our vitamin slop, obviously, but now they're ass deep in the vitamin slop game, and they're selling these pills that are no joke, literally and specifically, for making your brain go good, smarter, and manly, and for making your calm, nice, and hearty, and thick, and powerful. The Daily Wire's man brain jizz vitamins
Starting point is 00:39:48 is where we're at with this. And that's like the quaint version of the Manosphere. And so if these Daily Wire freakazoids are the reasonable moderating vanguard of taking back masculinity, it's no surprise that a lot of the most popular figures in the space are very often just toxic weirdos themselves. And in at least one case, an indicted sex trafficker hiding in Romania.
Starting point is 00:40:12 This is almost a different video, but it's unreal how post-Trump internet cultism has made overt criminals like Andrew Tate able to not only maintain their fandom after doing terrible things, but actually use it to boost their publicity. On paper, there's no logical reason to look to a dull-eyed accused rapist for advice on how to be a better man. It's beyond parody. His most recent of several arrests happened because his idiot friend slash bottom feeder punching bag revealed on a live stream that Tate was going to flee the country. These are not smart dudes. They are the same dipshits you knew in high school
Starting point is 00:40:51 who killed a cow by feeding it everclear. I can tell you right now, they talk about why does men not wanna get married anymore. Men don't wanna get married anymore. They come up with all these elaborate reasons. The main reason men don't wanna get married anymore is because their girlfriend was with me for free.
Starting point is 00:41:04 So why are they gonna marry her? That's the bottom line of it. Why would you? A white dress means virgin. Marry who? A girl from the club who your friends have been with? Do you want to marry her? Oh, yeah. You know how when men are like, I can't find a good woman to be my wife. They're talking about women who go to the club and have sex with Andrew Tate. You know how, like, there aren't any women who aren't those women? But also, what does it say about Andrew Tate
Starting point is 00:41:29 that he considers himself some kind of blight on women that degrades their value if they come in contact with him? Like a social canker sore they should warn kids about at school. So clearly, not someone you should listen to about meeting women. And yet Andrew Tate has managed to take this grift to a cult-like level.
Starting point is 00:41:48 He offers his hustler university that gives paying members access to special chat rooms that do nothing but create an echo chamber of men complaining about women. This language of simps and betas and alphas and cucks, this isn't how most of the world speaks. Like yes, you might hear people using it at first ironically to make fun of these people,
Starting point is 00:42:09 and then it kind of seeps into their real language, but unironically, it's this weird esoteric terminology designed to isolate men further from mainstream society, almost guaranteeing that they will never successfully find a partner and be forever caught in their manosphere. And if they do, they'll probably resent the word partner because it implies some sense of equality. So I guess more accurately, almost guaranteeing that they will never successfully find a pet slave. There's a pretty telling article about a reporter who took one of these
Starting point is 00:42:41 manosphere programs who noted, quote, "'Despite paying for a course dedicated "'to meeting more women, "'few of the men I talk to in LA "'seem to enjoy their real-life company. "'What they want more than anything "'is to be admired by other men. "'This, in the end, is the true purpose "'of all this acquisition and abundance.
Starting point is 00:43:02 "'Women are viewed as a resource on a par "'with sports cars and infinity pools, something to show off and deploy to convey your alpha status to other men. So basically these men sign up because they are lonely and join a cult designed to make them more lonely. This in turn makes them even more susceptible to the cult and its spirals.
Starting point is 00:43:24 Meanwhile, they're pushing crypto almost as their own internal economy, and heavily tying this manosphere to the promise of economic prosperity. In fact, did you know that Hustler University offers commissions to their members if they get their friends to sign up? I'm sorry, let me rephrase.
Starting point is 00:43:40 In fact, did you know that Hustler University is a pyramid scheme? As in, it's very explicitly that. To cult, did you know that for the low, low price of $5,000, you can join Andrew Tate's special war room, his secret club where you can, I don't know, prepare for some kind of war, I guess. It sounds silly, but it's made Tate millions of dollars
Starting point is 00:44:07 doing this, which is probably why that YouTuber Sneako also got in on this, selling a creativity kit for 50 bucks a month to help other people go viral. It's time to stop scrolling and start monetizing. These are the sheep, the bots I yell about. This is the clientele that give all their money to the people at the top advertising while we sit here and scroll.
Starting point is 00:44:31 Do you wanna waste your time and sit here? I don't know why these people are here. Do you wanna sit here all day or profit off of them? That's all I know how to do from scripting, writing, live streaming, being comfortable talking in public, vlogging, that's what I wanna teach you on this course. I'm sorry, but before we get into stuff that is way more relevant,
Starting point is 00:44:46 you don't know why people are there? I don't even know. It's a crowd of people sitting in like an arena type environment. Look for a sign, dude. I bet there's a sign that says why people are there. I don't wanna harp on this. There are more important things to talk about,
Starting point is 00:45:00 but I'm going to because man, this guy is so fucking silly. I don't know why people are even here. Look around Ask somebody. Hey, are you tired of being online all the time? Well, you got to get out in the real world So here I am But why is everybody else also here? Oh, well, hey online people out there I don't know why these people are out in the real world, but they're sheep. Like, this is just a theory, but maybe men are lonely
Starting point is 00:45:30 because they're incapable of asking a stranger, hey, what's this crowd of people doing here? Anyway, the actual point of me bringing up this creativity kit from a guy who I don't even think could define the word creativity. And if he were to ask someone why a bunch of people were sitting in an amphitheater, it would only be for content with a capital C
Starting point is 00:45:51 because he capital sucks shit. Well, the actual point of showing you that is that it's just scam stuff. It's scams, it's scams. It's that Riddler guy you saw in 3AM infomercials. They're actually good with money or even women. There are sex workers who have talked about how these guys will hire them to pretend to be their sexual conquests.
Starting point is 00:46:13 One of these grifters, a Twitter account called Shades of Game, even admitted that he would go to clubs, pay for a VIP table, and invite women to take pictures with him. It's just a grift. It's so laughable and obvious. But according to these guys, the fact that I'm saying this is just another victory.
Starting point is 00:46:33 To quote this article about Andrew Tate, in one guide, Hustler's University students are told that attracting comments and controversy is the key to success. What you ideally want is a mix of 60 to 70% fans and 40 to 30% haters. You want arguments, you want war. It's a war, you see, for attention. Though to them, it's for the culture.
Starting point is 00:46:59 And by framing it this way, by working the haters into your grift, you've made yourself bulletproof from anyone laughing at your obvious lies and bullshit. The more people laugh, you see, the more successful you are. After all, a huge portion of this Manosphere economy is simply attracting any attention.
Starting point is 00:47:17 As we just talked about in our last episode, they ultimately just want engagement, and they absolutely don't care how they get it. In fact, I'm not sure they even think about the harm they absolutely don't care how they get it. In fact, I'm not sure they even think about the harm they are doing to young men. And they are doing a lot of harm. Like, get ready for the saddest clip in the world.
Starting point is 00:47:36 Sadder than the ending of Homeward Bound where Shadow gets trapped in the hole. What did you take? Fuck the woman, fuck the woman. What? No, no, no. No, no, wait, wait, wait. We love women. We love women. We love women.
Starting point is 00:47:52 Not like transgenders. Yes, sir. We love everybody! No, no! All gay can die! That there is Sneeko meeting some of his fans and perhaps realizing the extent to which he's ruined these extremely young boys For money the culmination of his grift
Starting point is 00:48:10 His legacy is a handful of shitty children screaming hate at him at a baseball game And I don't know if that doesn't haunt him for life. I'm not sure what would So, you know fuck that guy his name sounds like a Star Wars alien, and that's the best thing about him. Also, fuck Andrew Tate, obviously, and fuck all the other weird Manosphere grifters, or rather, don't fuck them, they're gross. Young men are lost,
Starting point is 00:48:38 and they are selling them maps to nowhere. So after the break, we're gonna see if we can't find a way out of this. Maybe that dude cream will help. Stay tuned. What's up, Boneslice? Do you like food? Do you get the urge to consume it three, maybe even four times a day?
Starting point is 00:48:59 Perhaps you're eating right now. Did I just, did I just blow your mind? I think I did. You don't need to respond. I know. I blew your mind. Did you throw your sandwich in the ground in amazement? Just like what?
Starting point is 00:49:14 Tuna on the ground? Well, now that I've really pulled you in, I want to talk to you about Hungry Root. They are simply one of the best ways to get fresh and high quality groceries, as well as simple and healthy recipes delivered right to your door. I am sitting here telling you with sincerity, look at me, I'm being sincere. I love Hungry Root. I mean it. You just go on their webpage, you see, and then you fill out a short and fun quiz telling them what you'd like to eat, your personal health goals,
Starting point is 00:49:48 and even what appliances you own. Then they build a personalized cart for you. I'm talking to you, bone slice. It's all fully customizable, of course, obviously. You can take their suggestions or browse their huge selections of meats and seafoods and snacks and pantry foods and ready to eat meals and sweets and other things. More things! I don't even have enough words to say all the things, things you've never even thought of looking, you'll find and you'll be like, wow, that looks yummy.
Starting point is 00:50:20 Listen, if it tastes good and is quick to make, well, Hungry Root probably has it. And right now Hungry Root is offering some more news listeners 40% off your first delivery and free veggies for life. Bam. So just go to hungryroot.com slash more news to get 40% off your first delivery and get your free veggies for a life of the subscription. I mean, for as long as you're subscribing, that's still a great deal. That's hungryroot.com slash more news.
Starting point is 00:50:49 And don't forget to use our link. So they know we sent you, you know, that's, that's how this works. You got to tell them that we sent you. Please. Okay. So I pressed accept to the ownership agreement. Now I just sign my name here in the box. That's right. Okay, so I pressed accept the ownership agreement. Now I just sign my name here in the box.
Starting point is 00:51:07 That's right. Then just check those 10 boxes, press send, and you will be bold, steep in dude cream. Yeah. Awesome. Cool. Cool. Yeah, man. For $199 a month, that is a steal.
Starting point is 00:51:22 Okay, sent. So now that I'm a partner, you want to hang out or? Guess he's busy. So hi again. Before the break, we were talking about how men are really lonely and depressed and are looking to these grifters to sell them on a purpose. A lot of these men are very young and impressionable, but it would be silly not to recognize that anyone can fall in this trap.
Starting point is 00:51:43 Men are lonely. I'm not, even if friendulous suddenly won't answer my calls, but a lot of men are. And when you're lonely and depressed, you might not even notice when you're being taken advantage of. You might be willing to put your faith in something that you shouldn't. Oh, they took out a lot more money than I agreed to pay.
Starting point is 00:52:05 Though they took out a lot more money than I agreed to pay. Well, that dude cream must be really good. My point is that it's really easy, as I keep saying, to make fun of the people falling for this like they're Elmer Fudd getting punked by bugs, or that lady rabbit that sometimes showed up. Who was that lady? I never said her name. But this entire video started with the very real fact
Starting point is 00:52:26 that men are statistically not doing good. They are not okay. And unless we take that seriously, they will continue to not be okay. The Manosphere is only going to isolate them more and more as these crypto weirdos latch on to ever more depressing solutions like AI girlfriends, which yes, is now a very stupid thing.
Starting point is 00:52:48 Although even those girlfriends are apparently too woke for some guys, wowee. So what do we do here? How do we fix men? Well, let's start with a broader look at political policies that would be good to support. There's a lot of stuff we could pitch here, so we'll keep it specific to men feeling depressed
Starting point is 00:53:07 and struggling with education and making money. Going back to the history of the patriarchy screwing over men specifically via war and labor. Well, the obvious thing would be to support organizations that help fight for higher wages and better working conditions. Some kind of union of people bargaining for stuff collectively. We'll think of a name later.
Starting point is 00:53:29 But according to one study, men who belong to such organizations make on average 1.3 million more than men who don't. It would be wise to look to anyone who is fighting for labor rights and pushing to increase things like the minimum wage. Whomever that person may be, to work toward a world where a single income can once again support a household. Or I guess we can treat it like a zero sum game
Starting point is 00:53:54 where we get mad at minorities and women for also wanting stuff. How dare they exist? On the subject of education, it's worth noting that men, specifically white men, are more likely to be depressed if they lack a college degree. Aside from college providing benefits of wider socialization
Starting point is 00:54:11 and broadening experiences and perspectives, I'm assuming this is also directly tied to these people lacking a livable wage. I think it would be wise for men to seek out ways to make college affordable, perhaps look at the fact that men have a great deal of student debt. And while white men have traditionally had more
Starting point is 00:54:27 deaths of despair, we need to recognize that a reason the overall number has gone up is because the number of suicides and overdoses for black men has nearly tripled in the past decade or so. That's one of the reasons that it's important not to make this a weird battle between races or sex. It's important to understand that by pushing policies designed to help people in need,
Starting point is 00:54:49 that will end up helping everyone, men included. A rising tide lifts all microplastics or what have you. A proper alpha knows that sigmas only thrive when betas are happy or some other dumb shit. Whatever phrasing gets through to you stupid, stupid boys. The point here is that there are people who already care about labor rights and fair wages and education access and affordable housing and healthcare
Starting point is 00:55:15 and reforming our prison system and ending wars and all that stuff is directly tied to the wellbeing of men. And it would be silly to ignore that just because it also helps other people. And perhaps the people trying to make this a war between white men and women or minorities are actually trying to distract you from practical solutions.
Starting point is 00:55:37 DEI didn't make the cost of living so high, you know? Feminism isn't why the national minimum wage has stagnated. As for the social side of things, such as the lack of support and isolation that men feel, I think one solution stems from what caused the problem in the first place, which is how the world changed when it came to social dynamics as it relates to gender. As I already said, the patriarchy was a scam,
Starting point is 00:56:01 but it did offer men everywhere, or rather white men everywhere, a lot of places to socialize. Men's clubs, boy scouts, that weird no talking society in Sherlock Holmes. Social clubs used to be a thing. The idea being that you found a group of like-minded people and held little meetings and parties
Starting point is 00:56:20 around a specific interest. Sometimes you paid a little fee, sometimes you paid a big fee and got spanked by a dude in a skull mask and then eventually became the president. But of course, these social clubs were often divided by sex and race. And ultimately they became seen as archaic for that reason.
Starting point is 00:56:37 Instead of integrating, a lot of them just closed down or made a version for women. In fact, over the years, women's only spaces began to thrive and for good reason. Not sure if you know this, but men can be dangerous. I'm not saying there aren't any terrifying women out there. I'm pretty sure Gwyneth Paltrow has tasted human flesh, but statistically speaking,
Starting point is 00:56:59 men are more likely to do very bad things, often to women. And more than that, a lot of the men that don't do bad things still won't speak up when other men do bad things. The need for women's spaces is seen as a matter of survival or at least a haven. And ironically, that's from the exact same pickup artist types that are probably mad about that. Here's what you do guys.
Starting point is 00:57:22 You see a girl at the gym, you want to ask her out, you want to put your pee pee in her, you want to get to know her better, go on a date, whatever. Here's the number one thing you do. Hey guys, you see a woman at the gym and want to ask her out? Well, here's what you got to do.
Starting point is 00:57:35 Step one, don't. Okay? She's not there to meet guys. Video over. Also, don't say pee pee to her or anyone. Classic alpha language. I want to put my pee pee in you. God. See, even't say pee-pee to her or anyone. Classic alpha language. I want to put my pee-pee in you, God. See, even if guys aren't physically dangerous,
Starting point is 00:57:50 a lot of them have decided that women can be approached and bothered in literally any situation at any time. And because of this, a lot of women just need a place without dudes there. This is also where a lot of turf stuff stems from. Turf-sy trans women is like, I don't know, secret men trying to find a loophole or something. And it seems dumb, but I bring up these dummy turfs
Starting point is 00:58:12 because it speaks to a larger and more modern thing happening right now, which is that we're starting to completely redefine how gender plays a factor in everything. After all, ideally, like in the Star Trek Utopia future, we don't need men or women spaces. And we've begun to realize that public bathrooms, for example, might not all need to be separated like that.
Starting point is 00:58:32 But the snag here is that, much like women who still want safe spaces, a lot of men also want spaces just for them. This is often expressed toxically. Look at Gamergate, a movement that seems obsessed with the idea that video games are being feminized while at the same time complaining about female characters looking too masculine, but whatever.
Starting point is 00:58:53 They treat this as if men owned the concept of video games because traditionally, men's clubs were always just society. That's why they were bad. That's why they were bad. That's why they were dismantled. But in dismantling pieces of the patriarchy, we didn't give men anything to replace it with either. So this is all to say that maybe we need non-toxic spaces for men.
Starting point is 00:59:18 Going back to that reporter who took a manosphere class, his impression was that these men were really there just to bond with other men. They're not actually there for alpha training. They're just there for friend club. See, there's a difference between being a weirdo men's rights activist and providing a social space for men and sticking up for issues that affect men,
Starting point is 00:59:37 such as the double standards that come with judging men's bodies and the way male domestic abuse victims are often treated like a joke. I would argue that a lot of feminism also speaks out about these things. judging men's bodies and the way male domestic abuse victims are often treated like a joke. I would argue that a lot of feminism also speaks out about these things, but there could be a man-led effort there that's normal, one that doesn't devolve into just being weird incel shit
Starting point is 00:59:56 and getting your young fans to just hate women. Like they literally say it out loud to your face that that is what is going on. Because the thing that men need to accept is that what hurts them didn't come from women. It came from other powerful men, the patriarchy. That's what that is. And for a lot of these young men out there,
Starting point is 01:00:17 the first thing they need to understand is that when people attack that patriarchy, they aren't attacking you. How are we supposed to get our lives in order when we are told to not even be men in the first place? Well, it's certainly, I mean, the fact that you're told not to be men in the first place actually doesn't interfere with your ability
Starting point is 01:00:41 to clean up your room, it just demoralizes you. So the answer to that question, how are we supposed to get our lives in order when we are told to not even be men in the first place? Is that no one is telling you not to be a man. They're telling you that the world can no longer exclusively cater to men and to perhaps not be an asshole about that fact.
Starting point is 01:01:01 But the way Peterson frames his just very confusing answer is to confirm the idea that men and boys are being punished for being assertive and ambitious. Because boys tend to play very actively and frenetically, especially if they're assertive and schools don't like that at all. And so, and then if they escape from that, well then the next accusation is something
Starting point is 01:01:24 like all masculine ambition is nothing but a manifestation of the pathology of the patriarchy. It provides no excuse for young men to fail to stand up for themselves. It actually instead invites them, it provides them with the temptation to abandon their responsibility by accepting the doctrine that everything they do that's ambitious is evil. So this claim is that society is telling men and boys that they aren't allowed to be successful. They aren't allowed to be ambitious and they aren't allowed to vaguely be men.
Starting point is 01:01:54 But who the fuck is telling boys not to be ambitious or assertive? Seriously, when boys are playing on a playground, do they get in trouble for being assertive? Does the teacher send a note home saying that little Rutteger was caught practicing ambitiousness in gym class? They get in trouble because they're too rough,
Starting point is 01:02:12 or they tease someone, or start a cool fire. Being rough or violent isn't the same as being assertive. And it's very bad to confuse the two. But Peterson literally has to lie that people are saying that verbatim any sense of ambition is evil. What? Excuse me?
Starting point is 01:02:32 Much like men often do, he is reframing a criticism to be an all out attack. Oh, I loaded the dishwasher differently than you prefer? I guess I'm the worst at loading the dishwasher in the entire world and fine, I'll never load the worst at loading the dishwasher in the entire world and fine, I'll never load the dishwasher again. It's an assault on them and their way and their being,
Starting point is 01:02:51 but that's not what's actually going on. They have to say this lie, to do this trick in order to recruit people into the responding army. It seems to be part of the reason so many effective guys in this space focus on material, flashy possessions, present women as sexy assistants, and are named things like Smooth Chris and The Ravening.
Starting point is 01:03:13 They're magicians. Peterson's dressing up like he's the magnificent brain man doing close-up magic for the rubes outside Caesar's palace. There are a lot of cons out there, but this one is particularly obvious and doesn't seem particularly helpful. And so what I'm saying here is that if your definition of being a man is to treat other people like shit
Starting point is 01:03:35 and then interpret any criticism as an attack on men and you specifically, then maybe you don't know what it actually means to be a man. And so you know what? How about we talk about that? How about I, Cody J. Johnston III, actually give some raw, unfiltered advice to young men who feel lost or insecure
Starting point is 01:03:54 or don't know what it means to be a good man? Let's make it a segment. Cody gives it raw. You know, I blame myself there. Cody gives it raw. You know, I blame myself there. I set that upon myself. I take full responsibility. So what does it mean to be a good man? Broadly speaking, it's not really different
Starting point is 01:04:17 from being a good person. In fact, at the top of this, I'd say the number one piece of advice about how to be a good man is to realize that there is no definition of what a man is. A man is whatever you want it to be. You feel the way you feel. Heck, maybe you don't feel particularly masculine.
Starting point is 01:04:35 That's fine. You can be a good, feminine man. Be who you are and let other people accept that. If you do that with confidence, then people will respond to it. Of course, when young men and boys flock to the manosphere, they are doing so because they are depressed
Starting point is 01:04:50 or resentful or have trouble fitting in or want a romantic partner, usually a female. I don't know, maybe there's a whole other toxic manosphere for LGBTQ people, but typically we're talking about cis men looking to meet women. And so the quickest way for a young man to learn how to speak to women
Starting point is 01:05:08 is actually pretty simple on paper. It doesn't involve paying for a weekend seminar or buying a copy of the game. Are you ready? If you want to know how to speak to women, you should become friends with women. And not friends in quotation marks, not women that you want to sleep with or date,
Starting point is 01:05:27 but actual friends with women who you hang out with and talk to and play video games and do crimes and watch movies with. If you are a young boy or high schooler or adult man and you don't have friends who are women, then you need to make an effort. Even if you don't succeed immediately, even if you're awkward and weird, the goal is important. Be friends with a human woman that you like as a person.
Starting point is 01:05:54 I think a lot of men have trouble approaching women and resent that men are traditionally expected to be the one to make the first move. I personally agree that this is bullshit. The idea that a woman has to be chased or approached is exactly why we have these toxic pickup artist types and all these guys who are resentful when that chasing actually chases the woman away. And don't get me wrong, there are men and women who do prefer that dynamic.
Starting point is 01:06:21 Like when I said earlier, not to approach a woman in the gym, that's the safe assumption, but it really depends on the vibes of the situation. But it takes time to pick up on those vibes. It takes advice from other women. It takes knowing how to talk to a woman. So when you just start genuinely talking to women
Starting point is 01:06:41 with no agenda or hopes, then you will slowly find yourself more comfortable. It's like a job interview. We're all nervous in a job interview because we want something. But if you went and interviewed for a job you had no intention of getting, you'd be way less nervous. So just talk to women the way you talk to a dude.
Starting point is 01:07:01 Like if they have a shirt of a band you like or share some interests with you, engage with them on those interests. Don't challenge her on whether she really likes the band. Talk to her about the band you both like. Just be friends with them. Listen to them. Learn about what their lives are like.
Starting point is 01:07:17 Share your feelings and anxieties. If you're close enough friends with them, you can even ask them for advice on how to date or ask out other women. They probably have good advice for you. And just keep trying to make friends, not just with women, but anyone. If you see someone who's struggling to fit in,
Starting point is 01:07:35 approach them, ask them about themselves, make friends, build a group of friends, both men and women. And if someone is an asshole or treats you poorly, stop being friends with them, even if they are popular or cool. One moment, sorry. Hey there. Hey, what's up?
Starting point is 01:08:00 You're here to do what? The jars. Oh, that's great. Yes, go for it. Although there are a lot of them, so it might take a while, but thank you. Someone's here to take away all the corn cream jars on the floor.
Starting point is 01:08:12 I guess Katie found somewhere to put them, which is great news. See, Katie is a friend and friends help each other. I know it sounds basic and I know this is easier said than done, but it's important to seek female friends, specifically as friends and not romantic partners. And ideally, do that before you even start
Starting point is 01:08:30 to think about dating. Another very important thing to do before dating, not just for young men, but everyone, is to figure out who you are. Figure out what you like to do. And once you feel comfortable in knowing who you are, you can think about finding a partner and in fact a partner might find you because you'll be out there being yourself,
Starting point is 01:08:50 doing things you enjoy, being comfortable in yourself. It's not a race. And I think too many young people jump into relationships because they think it's what they're supposed to do and feel like failures if they don't succeed. But there's no natural or unacceptable age to start having relationships. You can be 15 or 50. There's this fear that quote,
Starting point is 01:09:11 all the good ones will be gone when you're older. But that's not true. In fact, it's even less true today. And that's because of something you also need to accept, which is that the world just isn't as prosperous as it was for everyone. If someone tells you that as a man,'t as prosperous as it was for everyone. If someone tells you that as a man,
Starting point is 01:09:27 you should be successful or provide for a woman or a family and if you're struggling to do so, you're a failure, that person is either stupid or a liar. It's okay to struggle. It's okay to be a victim. It happens. Sometimes bad things happen and there's nothing we can do. To quote one of the best fictional examples of manhood.
Starting point is 01:09:46 It is possible to commit no mistakes and still lose. That is not a weakness, that is life. The spaceman is right. Honestly, if you ever need advice on how to be a good man or a good person, a good life hack is to just think about what a Star Trek captain would do. Picard is friends with women.
Starting point is 01:10:07 He tries to better himself with a hobby, but accepts that he's not the best at it. He's not really a father figure though, but that's why we have Captain Benjamin Sisko to show us what it means to be a loving father. Sisko is also friends with women and even women with worms in them. He's not afraid to show emotion or explore spirituality.
Starting point is 01:10:26 He helps people even if those people aren't nice to him. And look, yes, he did a few war crimes, but come on. Come on, you know? Come on. So just like do what these guys do, except the war crime part, Picard also turned into a robot and did a genocide actually.
Starting point is 01:10:46 Damn. Defund Starfleet. And speaking of war crimes, there's a big difference between feeling shame for the past and current crimes of men and acknowledging them. If someone explicitly tells you that you should be ashamed to be a man, they're not a good person.
Starting point is 01:11:04 But similarly, if someone tells you that everyone else is telling you to be ashamed for being a man, that person isn't good either, and is probably a grifter, pointing out the fact that men and male-centric culture has traditionally been toxic toward women, as well as for other men, is not shaming you.
Starting point is 01:11:22 Pointing out that macho culture has been largely anti-LGBTQ or often tied to racism, again, isn't shaming you. It's okay to like macho stuff, to watch old 90s and 80s action films, pro wrestling, sports, to gaze into the eyes of Robert Mitchum and feel the hairs on your balls grow a little bit more. But you can do those things and also acknowledge
Starting point is 01:11:43 the problematic elements contained within them. And you can draw your own lines in terms of what is and isn't acceptable to enjoy, but just know that other people have their own lines and you need to respect those lines. Part of being secure and strong is acknowledging that our heroes and interests are flawed and working to rectify that and include people in it.
Starting point is 01:12:07 That's a strength. Taking responsibility for our mistakes is a strength. Because to be frank, sometimes we are the problem. Even Jordan Peterson seems to know that. Okay, so you're a young man and all the women are rejecting you. Who's got the problem? It's not all the women are rejecting you. Who's got the problem? It's not all the women.
Starting point is 01:12:28 That's a bad road to go down. If all the women are rejecting you, it's you. We both agree on this. And I'm sorry, but we of course have to contrast this admission with the following clip of professional terrible guesser and Manosphere bottom feeder, Tim Poole, who claims to want to use like skateboarding
Starting point is 01:12:45 and video games as a way to influence youth culture instead of talking about politics, which he incidentally still does every single day of his life. Anyway, let's get some insight into why he thinks that he specifically is single. You know what the problem is though? It's definitely not me. I think it's everybody else.
Starting point is 01:13:04 Yeah. Oof. If you are at a point where you've decided that the problem is everybody else. Yeah. Oof. If you are at a point where you've decided that the problem is everybody else but you, or that the world is filled with assholes and everyone is unfair to you and women are all terrible and are trying to humiliate you, I have some bad news. You probably need to work on yourself.
Starting point is 01:13:22 If you're always angry, you need to think about how to change that. I would suggest telling people when they hurt your feelings and expressing those feelings before they turn into resentment and anger. Men are often told not to share their feelings. This is a chick thing to do, but it's actually just a healthy human activity
Starting point is 01:13:39 to say to a friend, hey, kind of hurt my feelings yesterday when you called me an anthropomorphic jizz rag in front of my grandma. You can talk that stuff out, release the steam before it overflows. And if the person isn't receptive to your hurt feelings, then you don't want to be friends with them anyway.
Starting point is 01:13:55 Pretending to not have emotions isn't manly, don't be a jizz rag about it. And while you don't have to feel ashamed for being a man or even think your problems are your fault, you do have to take responsibility for fixing your situation. Only you can do that. And what doesn't fix things is just blaming women or minorities or any broad group of people. If your plan to fix your life is to dictate how other people live their lives, then you'll never fix your life. And in order to fix your life, you actually don't need a specific figure or ideology
Starting point is 01:14:30 or culture war army or cult to tell you how to better yourself. Basic stuff, life advice, working out and getting good sleep and eating right and developing good habits, cleaning your room, taking responsibility. As we discussed, these aren't left or right issues. You don't need a specific guy or sphere
Starting point is 01:14:49 or cult of personality to tell you to do these basic elements of life. But perhaps more importantly, it doesn't matter if you think the world isn't fair or kind, you can't control what other people do. You just can't. This is the world. It's filled with a lot of different people.
Starting point is 01:15:05 You're not gonna like all or most of them, but you have to find a place in it where you can be happy. And the only thing you can actually control is yourself. That's the puzzle you have to solve. And listen, if you need someone to tell you that it's not your fault, then okay. It's not your fault. Hey, it's not your fault. It's not your fault. Hey, it's not your fault. It's not your fault.
Starting point is 01:15:28 It's not Wombos fault. It's not your fault. It's not Wombos fault. It's not your fault. It's not Wombos fault. It's not your fault. It's not your fault. It's not Wombos fault. It's not your fault. It's not Wombos fault. It's not your fault. It's not Wubble's fault!
Starting point is 01:15:45 It's not your fault. It's not Wubble's fault! It's not your fault. It's not Wubble's fault! They were dead when Wubble got there! It's not your fault. There. Good. Will. Hunting. I think we made a breakthrough.
Starting point is 01:16:01 I hope that was at least a little helpful, but maybe it wasn't. I don't know. Okay. But if I can give you one last bit of advice, it's to keep seeking emotional help, or rather professional help. It's okay to talk to an actual therapist. More than okay, it's courageous even.
Starting point is 01:16:19 Or find a support group, confront traumas, cry. Everyone does it. Think of it like jerking off for your heart. That's manly, right? Even if what I'm saying doesn't resonate with you, what's important is that you understand that help isn't easy. It's not a product.
Starting point is 01:16:35 Anyone offering you a quick fix probably wants your money, or worse, your loyalty. Don't fall for it. My dude cream got delivered, I bet. Yes, I do. One sec. It's just the same corn cream. I bought the corn cream that was already here.
Starting point is 01:16:57 It's clear to me now. Son of a fuck. I guess Stoli was working for Katie. I should have known that makes so much sense now. That dude was way too cool to be true. Fuck! Maybe he still wants to hang out though. I'm gonna text him.
Starting point is 01:17:13 Help me Stoli Gunn Canoli. You're my only hope. See what I did? I'm not lonely. Hey, Frenzulous. Just checking in again. I know this is, I don't know how many messages so far. Try to ignore the other ones. Focus on this one. I'm just calling to say.
Starting point is 01:17:50 Well, as well, oh, if you want to hang out, do you want to hang out today or tomorrow? What what's your free time like schedule wise? What's you how do you how do, how do you do with your time? What, when are you, when can you hang out, please? Please just, or you know what, just call, just to call back, just to call back. Just one, just one call.
Starting point is 01:18:17 We won't, we don't have to hang out. We won't, but just like call me back. Just text me you got the message. Just text me you got the message. Just text me you got the message. OK. OK, talk to you. Talk to you. Fuck, so bad. How are you doing? Do you want to hang out with me? I don't think he's going to call back.
Starting point is 01:19:05 Thanks for watching. I don't think he's the link to it. You can check out stuff on other stuff. And you know what else? He's not gonna call back.

There aren't comments yet for this episode. Click on any sentence in the transcript to leave a comment.