The New Right’s Very Old Vision of Men
Summary
Ezra Klein interviews Atlantic writer Helen Lewis about "masculinism," a rising ideology on the New Right that seeks to restore traditional gender roles and hierarchical social structures. Lewis analyzes figures like the Bronze Age Pervert and Doug Wilson, whose ideas are gaining traction among Trump allies, who argue that modernity and feminism have hollowed out male purpose and vitality. The discussion explores how this movement blends nostalgia for the 1950s or ancient eras with critiques of liberal democracy, framing equality as a threat to natural order and male dominance.
Topics discussed
Intro: Death of a Salesman and the New Right
Scott Jennings and the critique of modern masculinity
The 'Trad Wife' fantasy and historical despair
The Last Man: Hormonal theory of politics
Bronze Age Pervert and the desire for hierarchy
Doug Wilson, Christianity, and anti-modernism
Boys' crisis, education, and social contagion
Eugenics, race, and the appeal of the manosphere
Helen Andrews, bureaucracy, and the 'woke' backlash
Self-deformation and the failure of mainstream culture
Aesthetics of politics: MAGA vs. the Left
Project 2025, family policy, and political strategy
Women leaving the GOP and the 'marmishness' of the right
Conclusion: Alienation, book recommendations, and credits
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