The boys are not alright. They are falling behind in education and employment, and many have responded by leaning into the politics of the aggrieved. For decades, these major cultural developments have laid the groundwork for Donald Trump's re-election. Today Brittany talks with Hanna Rosin. Fifteen years ago she started researching what was going on with men. Her groundbreaking book The End of Men was one of the first to note this societal shift for men. Over a decade later, her assessment is more accurate than ever.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
Full Episode
Hello, hello. I'm Brittany Luce, and you're listening to It's Been a Minute from NPR, a show about what's going on in culture and why it doesn't happen by accident. All right.
So in the aftermath of this election cycle, I've been hearing a lot about men, the role they played in reelecting Donald Trump, how Joe Rogan and podcast bros are a growing political force, and how all of this is connected to the economy. And every time I hear one of these conversations, I think about Hannah Rosen. Hannah Rosen, welcome to It's Been a Minute. Thank you. Excited to be here.
Because Hannah began reporting about all of this 15 years ago, eventually publishing a book in 2012 called The End of Men. And Hannah... I don't want to be the one to have to tell you, but there are still men. There are still men.
Some of them live in my house, Brittany.
Mine too. It's wild how that happens. What did you mean when you titled your book The End of Men?
You know, at the time, I felt like I had discovered something a little bit unsayable, that women were surpassing men. If you look at almost any category, race, demographic, income, men or boys in that category are doing worse than women or girls in that category. I mean, men are increasingly falling behind in all the measures that help you lead a successful life.
That may sound counterintuitive. After all, the gender pay gap still exists, and who knows when we might see a woman president. But if you look at the statistics, what Hannah saw 15 years ago is even clearer today. In their pursuit to close the gender gap, women have found ways to slowly outpace men.
Like, it feels crazy. Like, it feels like, what? No. Like, boys rule the world. That's a no. It's just hard to, it's hard to get our heads around.
Boys and men are less likely to graduate from school. Traditional job prospects and manufacturing are disappearing, and their wages have stagnated. Meanwhile, women have thrived.
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