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By now, you’ve probably seen this picture…
…and heard about Gillette’s new ad, The Best Men Can Be
Maybe you’ve even heard about the American Psychological Association’s Guidelines for Psychological Practice with Boys and Men, which some applaud and some condemn. (Two recent headlines: “Toxic Masculinity is Under Attack. And That’s Fine,” from a left-leaning website, and “The American Psychological Association Has Made Choosing a Therapist Easy,” from a right-leaning site.)
Discussion of these videos, pictures and guidelines have dominated social media recently — for better and for worse. For better: People are publicly discussing masculinity and the expectations placed on boys and men. For worse: Many people are jumping to conclusions without looking at the actual source material. In many corners, “discussion” has devolved into shouting.
In this episode, Jen & Janet dive in & discuss:
- The APA Guidelines for Psychological Practice with Boys and Men
- The Gillette ad, The Best Men Can Be
- The encounter between the boys of Covington High School, tribal elder Nathan Phillips and the Black Hebrew Israelites
Note: On 1/21/19, Twitter suspended an account which spread the initial 1-minute video of the encounter in DC after realizing that the account was likely part of a network of anonymous accounts that were working to amplify the video. Soon after that initial, short video sparked outrage, a longer, nearly 2-hour video of the encounter was posted on YouTube to an account called “John Duncan.” As of 1/23/19, no one seems to know who recorded or posted the video. One journalist Jen spoke with said, “We all have serious questions about the origins of the vids and related content and the fact that finding a human attached to any of it proves elusive.”
Links we mentioned (or should have) in Episode 145:
APA Guidelines for Psychological Practice with Boys and Men
We Believe: The Best Men Can Be — the Gillette ad
Gillette Responds to Controversial Advert Challenging Toxic Masculinity — Forbes.com article
MAGA Losers Bothering a Native American — short 1 minute video that ignited controversy
Full video of what transpired regarding Catholic High students — “John Duncan” video
Episode 143: How Confidence & Joy Spark Success
Episode 105: Masculinity in the Age of #MeToo
Let’s Stop Assuming the Worst About Boys — Jen’s U.S. News & World Report article
After listening, a Texas mom commented, “Thank you for addressing this issue straight on, Janet and Jen. You have a unique position in today’s world.”