The Prof G Pod with Scott Galloway
Media Tumult, Masculinity, Failure, and Fatherhood — with Jake Tapper
Thu Jul 20 2023Description
This episode covers a wide range of topics including finance, relationships, masculinity, media landscape, politics, entertainment industry economics, and personal reflections. It explores the challenges faced by men in dating and the workforce, women's preferences in mate selection, efforts to level up men economically and emotionally, the importance of the American middle class, tabloid journalism, changing media landscape, political landscape, modern masculinity, parenting advice, overcoming failure, and finding happiness. The episode provides insights into these topics and offers valuable advice for individuals navigating various aspects of life.
Insights
Men's Challenges in Dating and Workforce
Men are facing difficulties in both the dating game and the workforce. Women are becoming more selective on dating apps, leading to men losing out. Men are also dropping out of the workforce, representing the largest drop in employment among those aged 25-34. These challenges highlight the need for men to have honest conversations about mating and understand what attracts women as sexual partners or mates.
Efforts to Level Up Men Economically and Emotionally
Efforts should be made to level up men economically and emotionally. Ideas include red-shirting boys, expanding freshman seats in college, increasing vocational training opportunities, and implementing tax policies that benefit young people. These efforts aim to address the struggles faced by men and young people, support household stability, and reduce inequality.
The Importance of the American Middle Class
The American middle class has played a crucial role in funding important programs and driving innovation. It has faced challenges due to financial pressure, divorce rates, and the loss of male role models for young men. Investing in education, recognizing these struggles, and supporting household stability are essential for the future. Transferring wealth from young people to old people hinders prosperity and happiness.
Changing Media Landscape and Tabloid Journalism
The podcast discusses the rise of tabloid journalism and the changing media landscape. It explores declining cable news viewership, evolving book consumption habits, and the importance of adapting to changes in entertainment consumption patterns. Social media platforms like TikTok, Twitter, and Instagram are highlighted as effective tools for reaching younger audiences. The ongoing writers' strike and its impact on the entertainment industry are also discussed.
Economics of the Entertainment Industry and Political Landscape
The economics of the entertainment industry pose challenges for actors, leading to low incomes. Income inequality among executives is a contributing factor. The political landscape is uncertain, with concerns about Joe Biden's age and lack of enthusiasm among Democratic voters. Trump's support remains strong among Republican voters despite doubts about his electability. Potential Democratic nominees and personal reflections on legacy and masculinity are explored.
Modern Masculinity and Parenting Advice
Modern masculinity involves encouraging pursuits like athleticism and fostering strong friendships. Creating a safe space for boys to express emotions is important. Being a positive role model for both boys and girls requires demonstrating love, affection, and healthy behaviors. Advice for young fathers includes cherishing moments, embracing fatherhood, and supporting children's innate preferences. Maintaining a productive marriage involves regular date nights and active listening.
Overcoming Failure and Finding Happiness
The episode explores the concept of failure and emphasizes the importance of resilience and perseverance. It encourages listeners to mourn failures but then get back up and start again. Making others happy and finding opportunities to connect with people can lead to happiness. Leveraging strengths in professional life can result in a rewarding life. Despite experiencing uninspired moments, things will get better if one keeps going.
Chapters
- Mercury and Memberful
- Jake Tapper and Christine Enbough
- Men's Challenges in Dating and Workforce
- Women's Preferences and Economic Viability
- Efforts to Level Up Men Economically and Emotionally
- The Importance of the American Middle Class
- Tabloid Journalism and Changing Media Landscape
- Economics of the Entertainment Industry and Political Landscape
- Potential Democratic Nominees and Personal Reflections
- Modern Masculinity and Parenting Advice
- Overcoming Failure and Finding Happiness
Mercury and Memberful
00:01 - 07:04
- Mercury offers up to 5 million in FDIC insurance, 20 times the per bank limit
- Mercury makes it easy to invest any cash above the FDIC insured amount in a money market fund
- Memberful is a membership and subscription platform that integrates with services you already use
Jake Tapper and Christine Enbough
00:01 - 07:04
- Jake Tapper, CNN's chief Washington correspondent, discusses his latest book and thoughts on the current media landscape
- Jake Tapper shares insights on being a good father and partner
- Washington Post columnist Christine Enbough's essay explores confusion around masculinity and lack of role models for young men
Men's Challenges in Dating and Workforce
00:01 - 07:04
- Men are dropping out of the workforce and represent the largest drop in employment among those aged 25-34
- Men are losing in the dating game, with women being more selective on dating apps
- More men now live with their parents than with a romantic partner
- Online dating has led to Porsche polygamy, where women have finer filters for selecting partners
- Men need to have an honest conversation about mating and understand what attracts women as sexual partners or mates
Women's Preferences and Economic Viability
06:37 - 13:04
- Women are attracted to men who have credentials, intelligence, and kindness.
- Humor is a crisp way to communicate intelligence.
- Economic viability is a key component in mate selection for women.
- There has been tremendous progress among women in terms of education and homeownership.
Efforts to Level Up Men Economically and Emotionally
06:37 - 13:04
- Efforts should be made to level up men economically and emotionally.
- Ideas include red-shirting boys, expanding freshman seats in college, and increasing vocational training.
- Top universities should lose their non-profit status if they don't grow their freshman class size faster than population growth.
- There needs to be a massive increase in vocational training opportunities.
- Tax policies disproportionately benefit old and rich people at the expense of young people.
- The transfer of wealth from current income earners to those with capital gains is causing inequality.
The Importance of the American Middle Class
12:53 - 20:07
- The American middle class has been the greatest innovation in the history of America.
- The middle class funded important programs like the space program, food stamps, welfare, and Social Security.
- The middle class became a force after seven million men returned from war and were given opportunities to level up.
- Household formation and attractiveness to women are influenced by young men's emotional and economic viability.
- Financial pressure is a major source of marital problems and divorce.
- Divorce leads to the loss of male role models for young men, resulting in negative outcomes.
- Investing in education, recognizing struggles faced by men and young people, and supporting household stability are crucial for the future.
- Transferring money from young people and children to old people hinders prosperity and happiness.
- Investing in the future means investing in America's middle class.
Tabloid Journalism and Changing Media Landscape
19:48 - 27:04
- The podcast discusses the rise of tabloid journalism due to the son of Sam murders and the disillusionment in the post-Watergate era.
- The main characters are Aiken and his sister Lucy, who are dealing with their own struggles and uncertainties.
- Aiken is an AWOL Marine working on Evil Can Evil's pit crew in Butte, Montana, reflecting on the state of the United States in 1977 and drawing parallels to today's disillusioned society.
- The host asks about writing fiction as an outlet for someone who pursues truth professionally. The guest explains that it is a different part of their brain and provides an escape from real-world issues.
- The conversation shifts to the changing media landscape, including declining cable news viewership and evolving book consumption habits.
- The guest emphasizes the importance of meeting audiences where they are and adapting to changes in entertainment consumption patterns.
- They mention using social media platforms like TikTok, Twitter, Instagram, etc., to reach people.
- The host shares their experience watching movies from their childhood with their teenager and reflects on how slower-paced films from that era might not get made today.
- The guest is asked what they would do if they were in charge of CNN. They suggest highlighting their global resources more on social media platforms where younger audiences get their information.
- They discuss the ongoing writers' strike and its impact on talent-studio relationships, streaming models, data transparency, and income inequality within the industry.
Economics of the Entertainment Industry and Political Landscape
26:34 - 33:51
- The economics of the entertainment industry may not be able to support the labor pool of actors, leading to low incomes for many.
- Income inequality among executives in the industry is a contributing factor to the overall struggle.
- The compensation packages for CEOs have significantly increased compared to average workers, raising questions about their necessity.
- Some writers push back against demands for minimum room numbers, arguing that they don't need a large staff if they are the sole writer.
- COVID and streaming platforms have changed the way writers are hired and involved in projects, potentially saving money for companies.
- There is uncertainty and concern about both Joe Biden and Donald Trump as leading candidates in the 2024 race.
- Biden faces lack of enthusiasm among Democratic voters and concerns about his sharpness at age 80.
- Trump has not done anything since losing in November 2020 to win over former supporters or new voters.
- Joe Biden currently holds an advantage with double haters, people who dislike both candidates, which could impact Trump's chances of winning.
- Republican voters and officeholders continue to support Trump despite doubts about his electability.
- If something were to happen to Joe Biden, there would likely be a strong effort to rally around Vice President Harris as a potential Democratic nominee.
Potential Democratic Nominees and Personal Reflections
33:29 - 40:35
- If Joe Biden were not the Democratic nominee, there would be a big effort to rally around Vice President Harris.
- Dumping Harris for someone else could suppress Democratic-based voters.
- There are skilled Democratic politicians waiting in the wings, such as Mitch Landrieu, Gavin Newsom, Gretchen Whitmer, Jared Polis, and Josh Shapiro.
- The Republican side lacks a clear frontrunner other than DeSantis.
- Trump's support is soft and can be swayed.
- Anything could happen in the race for the Republican nomination.
- The speaker is content with their professional life and has various projects they want to pursue.
- They have an interest in creating a graphic novel within the next 20 years.
- Journalists don't typically have legacies or get remembered often.
- The father-son issue is important to the speaker personally and is a subtext in their new novel.
- Masculinity and its modern interpretation are discussed in relation to the speaker's interactions with their father and son.
Modern Masculinity and Parenting Advice
40:17 - 47:30
- Modern masculinity is exemplified by encouraging pursuits like athleticism and fostering strong friendships.
- Boys may struggle with expressing emotions, but it's important to create a safe space for them to do so.
- Being a positive role model for both boys and girls involves demonstrating love, affection, and healthy behaviors.
- Advice for young fathers includes loving their children, embracing fatherhood, and cherishing the fleeting moments.
- Children can have innate preferences for certain toys or activities that may not align with societal expectations.
- Maintaining a productive marriage involves regular date nights and active listening without always offering solutions.
- Success is not a linear path; it consists of ups and downs. Sharing low moments can be valuable in building connections.
- A personal low moment was feeling directionless after college, leading to isolation and unhappiness. Returning home helped find a new path.
Overcoming Failure and Finding Happiness
47:11 - 53:26
- The speaker experienced a low point in their life where they didn't enjoy being awake and felt like a failure.
- They decided to go back to Philadelphia and start over, even though it meant giving up on their dream of being a film producer or writer.
- The speaker reflects on the concept of failure and how it can be seen as giving everything until there's nothing left to give.
- They discuss the challenges and disappointments they faced throughout their life.
- The importance of forgiving oneself and recognizing that failures aren't always one's fault is emphasized.
- The speaker encourages listeners to mourn, then get back up and start again with resilience and perseverance.
- They highlight the potential for happiness in making others happy and finding opportunities to connect with people.
- The speaker believes that everyone has strengths that can be leveraged by firms, leading to a rewarding life.
- It is acknowledged that life will have both joy and tragedy, but things will get better if one keeps going despite feeling uninspired at times.