The Ben Shapiro Show
Ep. 1768 - Why Are Men In Crisis?
Tue Jul 18 2023Description
The episode explores the challenges faced by American men in various aspects of life, including education, relationships, and societal expectations. It discusses the impact of societal changes on masculinity and femininity, the role of traditional institutions in shaping gender roles, and the consequences of toxic masculinity. The episode also delves into the importance of marriage and family, the decline of future-oriented societies, and the internal conflicts and misinformation prevalent in contemporary discourse. Overall, it offers insights into the complex dynamics between men and women in modern society.
Insights
Toxic masculinity arises from depriving men of positive outlets
Depriving men of their goals, duty, and positive outlets for aggression leads to toxic masculinity. Society should acknowledge the importance of traditional patterns of life that provide a framework for success.
The breakdown of marriage and opposition between men and women is detrimental
The breakdown of marriage and opposition between men and women has negative consequences for society. It disrupts the potential fulfillment of male and female in monogamous marriage, which is the foundation of family and society.
Jordan Peterson fills a vacuum in modeling manhood
Jordan Peterson gained fame and book sales by providing a positive rethinking of masculinity. His work recognizes the distinctiveness of masculinity without pathologizing it, offering a vision that resonates with many.
Political implications of societal challenges
The challenges faced by men have political implications, with some men turning away from the Democratic Party. Threatening men's masculinity can lead to higher support for war and more homophobic attitudes.
Critique of Andrutate's solutions
While Andrutate's diagnosis of the feminist movement may be correct, his solutions are seen as embracing toxic masculinity and engaging in promiscuity. Many on the right agree with his diagnosis but not his recommendations.
The importance of marriage and family for men's well-being
Marriage and family play a crucial role in men's well-being, as married men tend to be more productive members of society and earn more income. Women should help men engage in marriage and family for the benefit of both parties and society as a whole.
Capitalism, family, and societal decline
The decline of marriage and family is linked to the focus on present-oriented capitalism. However, capitalism itself is not inherently based on the uprooting of family; rather, family provides the basis for capitalistic success.
The importance of a future-oriented society
Society's present-oriented focus leads to a lack of entitlement reform, disregard for the elderly, and neglect of institutional frameworks for the future. A future-oriented society values and cares for its elderly population.
Internal conflicts and misinformation
Minority groups, such as Muslims, have internal conflicts that challenge the left's narrative. Misinformation and disinformation are used as predicates for censorship, and releasing private text messages to create victimhood is a concerning trend.
Chapters
- American men falling behind women
- Toxic masculinity and societal breakdown
- Jordan Peterson and rethinking masculinity
- Political implications and societal reactions
- Critique of Andrutate's solutions
- The importance of marriage and family
- Capitalism, family, and societal decline
- The importance of a future-oriented society
- Internal conflicts and misinformation
American men falling behind women
00:00 - 06:20
- American men are falling behind women in various metrics such as college degrees, job performance, life satisfaction, and opioid use.
- The roles of men and women are complementary, and they form two halves of one whole.
- Politico and other media outlets are starting to notice the issue with American men because they are turning away from the Democratic Party.
- Traditionally, the roles of men were to protect, defend, and provide for their families and communities.
- There is a culture that shames men for fulfilling these traditional roles and instead celebrates individualism.
- Divorce parties are becoming more common as divorce is seen as a liberation rather than a tragedy.
- Divorce disrupts the potential fulfillment of male and female in monogamous marriage, which is the foundation of family and society.
- Men lose themselves when they are not part of this institution, while women lose themselves when they're not part of providing emotional comfort and defense within marriage.
- Removing one half of a whole makes the other half seem insufficient. Men deprived of their goals and duty can exhibit toxic masculinity.
Toxic masculinity and societal breakdown
05:51 - 11:58
- Depriving men of their goals, duty, and positive outlets for aggression leads to toxic masculinity.
- Society should acknowledge the importance of traditional patterns of life that provide a framework for success.
- Apathy towards moral standards is actually opposition to them, leading to chaos.
- The breakdown of marriage and opposition between men and women is detrimental to society.
- Media's valorization of abortion and toxic aggression contributes to toxic femininity and masculinity.
- Base instincts are indulged without consequences due to birth control, leading to unhappiness.
- Men are experiencing difficulties in dating, lack of friendships, and long-term goals.
- Some men are disappearing into video games, porn, or joining misogynistic communities.
Jordan Peterson and rethinking masculinity
11:33 - 17:39
- Companies are trying new ways to reach men, such as tactical hoodies and targeted ads.
- Many men struggle to relate to women, lack friends, and have no long-term goals.
- Some men disappear into video games, porn, or misogynistic online communities.
- Society used to encourage men to channel their aggressive instincts into building, but those institutions have disappeared.
- Jordan Peterson became famous overnight with his book tour for Twelve Rules for Life in Antidote to Chaos.
- Peterson has filled a vacuum in modeling manhood and gained fame and book sales.
- Masculinity has been betrayed and needs a positive rethinking.
- Progressive gains for women should not be mistaken as zero-sum; helping men does not mean less space for women.
- A positive vision of masculinity recognizes distinctiveness without pathologizing it.
- Most people do not want a completely gender-neutral society but seek new ways to valorize masculinity.
Political implications and societal reactions
17:09 - 23:15
- Democratic geniuses argue that the problem with men is that they are falling behind as the world changes around them.
- Hostile sexism is a powerful predictor of Trump voting.
- Threatening men's masculinity leads to higher support for war, more homophobic attitudes, and interest in buying an SUV.
- Precarious masculinity was predictive of voting Republican in 2018.
- Democrats need to embrace the idea of the good man who provides, defends, and protects within marriage.
- Democrats believe in the sexual revolution and reject traditional societal standards.
- Telling men to take low-paid traditionally feminine jobs exacerbates precarious masculinity.
- The left argues that societal institutions like marriage are the problem, while the right reacts by treating women as enemies or chattel.
- Andrutate exemplifies using aggressive instincts against women due to feeling superfluous.
Critique of Andrutate's solutions
22:56 - 29:10
- Andrutate's diagnosis of the feminist movement is often correct, but his recommendations are wrong.
- Andrutate's response to the new world is to embrace toxic masculinity and engage in promiscuity.
- Many on the right agree with Andrutate's diagnosis but not his solutions.
- Tape has emerged of Andrutate discussing his involvement in the camgirl industry and making a lot of money from it.
- Andrutate criticizes feminism while participating in it, which is contradictory.
- Andrutate discusses coercing women using the 'Loverboy' method and exploiting them for financial gain.
- This behavior is seen as evil and disgusting, but not surprising given the liberation from traditional institutions.
- The Andrutate phenomenon represents men and women liberated to be their worst selves due to societal changes.
- Leading a model lifestyle involves marriage, children, providing for and protecting one's family.
- Married men tend to be more productive members of society and earn more income.
The importance of marriage and family
28:41 - 34:40
- Married men tend to make more money than unmarried men because they have something they're committed to.
- Women should help men engage in marriage and family because it is good for both parties and society as a whole.
- Men collapsing in terms of performance, suicidal ideation, income, and education has a greater impact on society compared to women's self-destructive tendencies.
- A society that gives people a purpose and the opportunity to build families is crucial for addressing these issues.
- The book 'Bronze Age Mindset' has become popular among young men as it provides them with personal goals but fails to offer a vision for building a better society.
- Going to the gym and prioritizing physical health is important for everyone, but turning it into a political statement can be problematic.
- Reversion to paganism and the destruction of old institutions leads to chaos in both men and women.
Capitalism, family, and societal decline
34:22 - 40:09
- Marriage and family decline as capitalism becomes focused on the present rather than the future.
- Capitalism is not inherently based on the uprooting of family; family provides the basis for capitalistic success.
- Treating capitalism as a moral system instead of a tool for prosperity is misguided.
- Capitalism makes products cheaper, better, safer, and more useful.
- Capitalism depends on family because it provides a reason to provide for a wife and children.
- Subsistence economics leads to economic stagnation and consumes the future for the present.
- There are economic systems that build things now for the future and those that consume the future for the present.
- Europeans are becoming poorer due to lackluster economic growth, an aging population, and lack of future orientation.
- The collapse of European systems is imminent due to their lack of future orientation.
- The NHS in the UK is facing serious trouble with overcrowding, lack of space, understaffing, and burnout among doctors and nurses.
The importance of a future-oriented society
39:52 - 46:42
- The current economic system is focused on the present rather than the future, leading to a lack of entitlement reform and a disregard for the elderly.
- China's economic system is also failing due to its short-term focus.
- Canada has seen an increase in euthanasia cases, indicating a lack of care for the elderly.
- A future-oriented society values and cares for its elderly population.
- Government programs often lead to a lack of personal responsibility and outsourcing of problems.
- Empathy can sometimes be seen as simply outsourcing issues to a third party.
- Society is becoming increasingly present-oriented, neglecting institutional frameworks for the future.
- Barack Obama's policies polarized American politics and his recent comments on book bans are misleading.
- The left's intersectional coalition faces internal conflicts due to differing beliefs among minority groups.
Internal conflicts and misinformation
57:18 - 1:03:23
- Minorities have internal conflicts, such as Muslims not being fond of LGBTQ+.
- The left claims that right-wingers are perverting Muslims to be socially conservative, which is misinformation.
- Misinformation and disinformation are used as predicates for censorship.
- Releasing private text messages to make someone look bad is a desire for victimhood.
- BB Rexha shared a text message criticizing her weight gain from her boyfriend, but it was a reasonable message.
- Not everything in life makes you a victim; thinking of yourself as one makes you a victim of yourself.
- Having a partner who can honestly communicate with you is important.