Yes, young men are in crisis, but young women are too. Why aren't we talking about it?Over the past two years, statistics about men's mental health, educational advancement, and financial well-being have made headlines. And, in turn, sparked an industry of organizations, pundits, and others ringing the alarm about men, particularly young men, being in crisis. But, the data shows young women are struggling at the same rates in most categories. In this episode we're looking at broader data — across genders — to see if it paints a more accurate picture of what's going on and to understand why when one gender suffers...all genders do.Brittany is joined by Faith Hill, staff writer at the Atlantic, and Dr. Meg Jay, clinical psychologist and author of the Twentysomething Treatment to unpack the unspoken crisis women are facing.Interested in more conversations about modern adulthood? Check out these episodes:The myth of modern "adulthood"The political power of Gen Z womenMake America Male Again?Support Public Media. Join NPR Plus.Follow Brittany on Instagram: @bmluseFor handpicked podcast recommendations every week, subscribe to NPR’s Pod Club newsletter at npr.org/podclub.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The stakes feel especially high for this year's top Oscars prize.It feels like every few years there are two films that really set the tone for where American culture is headed. In 2017: it was Moonlight versus La La Land. In 2019: it was Green Book versus BlackKKlansman. And now, in 2026: it’s Sinners versus One Battle After Another. And there’s one question that host Brittany Luse has at the top of her mind: How do these films capture what it means to live in this moment? And how does the conversation surrounding them become so contentious? Host Brittany Luse is joined by Nadira Goffe, staff writer of culture at Slate, and Robert Daniels, associate editor at rogerebert.com to unpack the discourse taking the internet by storm.Interested in other episodes about cultural critique? Check these out:Pop culture has a 'bean soup problem'Yes, romance & fantasy novels are political.What's so hot about Heated Rivalry?Support Public Media. Join NPR Plus.Follow Brittany on Instagram: @bmluseFor handpicked podcast recommendations every week, subscribe to NPR’s Pod Club newsletter at npr.org/podclub.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

A "pathetic man" is the guy who gets you to take care of him, because he's purposefully not taking care of himself.These are the men who lean into the hardships of modern manhood...and expect women to sooth their pain. They're popping up in our TV shows, social media feeds, and real lives. So much so that Tiktoker Josh Lora (aka tellthebeees) has declared 2026 the year of pathetic men. Host Brittany Luse and Josh raise a toast to the men who lean into the ways patriarchy and masculinity have failed them…maybe too much.(0:00) What is a "pathetic man?" And how does he manipulate people?(4:18) How to spot a "pathetic man" in pop culture and real life(8:52) How men ask others to support him...rather than supporting himself(15:18) Why society is primed to excuse men's behavior(18:46) Pathetic men are the logical evolution of soft boys and baby girls(24:06) Women are in crisis too...so why do struggling men get all the attention? Interested in other episodes about modern dating? Check these out:"The End of Men" by Hanna RosinThe Embarrassing Truth of Dating MenIs he a good guy? Or is he manipulating you?Support Public Media. Join NPR Plus.Follow Brittany on Instagram: @bmluseFor handpicked podcast recommendations every week, subscribe to NPR’s Pod Club newsletter at npr.org/podclub. To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Are Americans actually becoming less healthy?That’s an idea that Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has been repeating for a while now. While there are some nuggets of truth in that – on the whole, American life expectancy has gone up a lot in Kennedy’s lifetime. So why does a backward-looking narrative serve his agenda? And what would actually move the needle forward on improving Americans’ health?Brittany is joined by NPR health policy correspondent Selena Simmons-Duffin to get into the nuances of what “healthy” means.Want more about modern health? Check out these episodes:The difference between losing weight & being "healthy" Exercise is more important than everSex is pleasurable. It should feel safe too.Support Public Media. Join NPR Plus.Follow Brittany on Instagram: @bmluseFor handpicked podcast recommendations every week, subscribe to NPR’s Pod Club newsletter at npr.org/podclub. To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

As the old vanguard of civil rights leaders pass, who will fill the void?Last month, the world lost a titan in the struggle for civil rights: the Reverend Jesse Jackson Sr. His style of leadership is deeply familiar: masculine, charismatic, and inspiring. But is that archetype of the modern Moses-style social justice leader still as salient as it once was? And if not, what would does that mean for civil rights organizing moving forward? We're getting into why it all starts with you and your communities.Brittany is joined by Dr. Marcus Lee, assistant professor of African American studies at Princeton University, and Dr. Kellie Carter Jackson, the chair of Africana Studies at Wellesley College, to find out.Interested in more conversations about civil rights and protest? Check out these episodes:The biggest threat to Trump? Ordinary people.Is The Squad dead? Cori Bush on the future of progressive politicsSupport Public Media. Join NPR Plus.Follow Brittany on Instagram: @bmluseFor handpicked podcast recommendations every week, subscribe to NPR’s Pod Club newsletter at npr.org/podclub.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Politically "independent" used to mean you were moderate. Not anymore. It's no secret that Americans are politically divided, as faith in political parties erodes. In the past, so-called "independent" voters were likely shifting between Democrats and Republicans. But now, especially Gen-Z, are pushing in new directions, far from the center. In this episode, we explore how "independent" became a rallying cry for change on the left and the right. Danielle Kurtzleben guest hosts with Elena Moore, a political reporter for NPR, and Dr. Omar Ali, a professor of African American political history at UNC & author of In the Balance of Power: Independent Black Politics and Third Party Movements in the United States.Want more episodes on political culture? Check out these episodes:Woke is BACK! ...really?MAGA has a DEI policy. Just ask Nicki Minaj.The Swoletariat: a history of leftist fitnessSupport Public Media. Join NPR Plus.Follow Brittany on Instagram: @bmluseFor handpicked podcast recommendations every week, subscribe to NPR’s Pod Club newsletter at npr.org/podclub.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Can you afford to get married? Or get a divorce?Nothing sets the internet on fire more than the fantasy of finding a partner (usually a man) to pay for your lifestyle. We’re here to put those fires out: dating across class is rare (we will explain why) and financial differences can hurt the partner who has less. Plus, with more women becoming the breadwinners, are women actually the new power partners?Brittany is joined by Wailin Wong, Business and Economics journalist and co-host of The Indicator from Planet Money, and Reema Khrais, host of Marketplace’s This is Uncomfortable (which just had a BRAND NEW season drop. Check it out!)(0:00) The explicit and implicit ways money shows up in dating(6:49) Why marriage is a GOOD financial investment(12:10) Why marriage is a BAD financial investment(20:13) Dating someone wealthier than you is harder than you think(37:54) Will women surpass men as the breadwinners?Want more episodes on dating and finances? Check out these episodes:Is marriage worth it? Single women say no.Want to date a rich man? It's harder than you think.Your date gave you 'The Ick?' That might be a YOU problem.Support Public Media. Join NPR Plus.Follow Brittany on Instagram: @bmluseFor handpicked podcast recommendations every week, subscribe to NPR’s Pod Club newsletter at npr.org/podclub.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

If the apps aren't working for you, don't stress – there’s a different way to date.Dating apps have quickly become a fixture of modern dating. They do work for a lot of people – but many are also dissatisfied with the endless swiping and paywalled features. With the apps so ubiquitous, is it still possible to date offline? Or have dating apps made some people too scared of face-to-face rejection?Brittany is joined by Manuela López-Restrepo, All Things Considered producer and writer, to get into her offline dating journey – and what she’s learned along the way.(0:00) Are you fed up with dating apps? Us too!(4:48) The dating app paradox: who makes money when you swipe...(15:09) How dating apps change what rejection feels like(23:05) A trip to a real life singles night (will Manuela find a date?)Want more about modern dating? Check out these episodes:The embarrassing truth of dating menIt's never too late to find a good relationship. Here's proof.Your date gave you 'The Ick?' That might be a YOU problem.Support Public Media. Join NPR Plus.Follow Brittany on Instagram: @bmluseFor handpicked podcast recommendations every week, subscribe to NPR’s Pod Club newsletter at npr.org/podclub.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Who gets to be "hot" in America? And, at what cost?Some young men are pushing beauty boundaries with guidance from an online trend that's been making headlines: looksmaxxing. Looksmaxxing celebrates intense fitness & skincare routines, extreme body modification, and notably Eurocentric features as the holy grail of modern beauty, but who gets locked out of looksmaxxing when "Chad" is the gold standard? And how painful is it to pursue perfection that's skin deep?Brittany is joined by Jason Parham, senior writer at WIRED covering internet culture, online dating, and the future of sex.(0:00) What is "Looksmaxxing" and why it went mainstream(2:15) How politics influence who gets to be "attractive"(7:10) Eugenics and the backlash to Black looksmaxxers(13:28) Why pursuing beauty standards leaves you feeling lonely(18:43) How to redefine beauty and feel more confident in your body Interested in more conversations about body politics and beauty standards? Check out these episodes:MAGA has a DEI policy. Just ask Nicki Minaj.The privilege of being "skinny"Support Public Media. Join NPR Plus.Follow Brittany on Instagram: @bmluseFor handpicked podcast recommendations every week, subscribe to NPR’s Pod Club newsletter at npr.org/podclub.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Why is the culture so obsessed with men on the down low?To some, they're a secret, sexy symbol. To others, they're carriers of diseases and lies. What is the truth about men who live their sexual lives 'on the DL', and what does our culture's recurring fascination with them say about how society treats men whose sexualities don't fit into neat boxes? Brittany is joined by Dr. Jeffrey McCune, author of Sexual Discretion: Black Masculinity and the Politics of Passing, and Kai Wright - a journalist and host for the Guardian who has been writing about sexual politics for the last 30 years.Support Public Media. Join NPR Plus.Follow Brittany on Instagram: @bmluseFor handpicked podcast recommendations every week, subscribe to NPR’s Pod Club newsletter at npr.org/podclub.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy