The New Right’s Very Old Vision of Men

Ezra Klein and guest Helen Lewis discuss the rise of 'masculinism' on the New Right, exploring how figures like J.D. Vance, Scott Yenor, and the Bronze Age Pervert advocate for a return to traditional, patriarchal gender roles. They analyze how these once-fringe ideas about women's suffrage and careers have increasingly entered mainstream conservative politics.

Helen Lewis discusses how masculinism has emerged as a unifying ideology within the otherwise fractured MAGA coalition. She and Ezra Klein examine the movement's nostalgic, idealized vision of 1950s gender roles and its push to legally and politically restructure American society around male breadwinners.

Ezra Klein and Helen Lewis critique the literature of the New Right concerning masculinity, focusing on Charles Cornish-Dale's book, The Last Man. They analyze the book's hormonal theory of politics, which attributes declining testosterone and fertility rates to the pacification of men in liberal democracies, while noting the anti-climactic nature of its practical solutions.

The hosts discuss how Donald Trump became a vehicle for masculine performance and grievance in the 2024 election, despite his personal contradictions. They also introduce Bronze Age Pervert, a key intellectual figure of the New Right whose online persona combines bodybuilding, eugenics, and Nietzschean philosophy.

Ezra Klein and Helen Lewis discuss the influence of the book 'Bronze Age Mindset' and its author, Bronze Age Pervert, among young conservatives. They critique the ideology's rejection of modern safety and its nostalgic, 'cosplay' version of masculinity, linking it to elite overproduction and modern ennui.

Helen Lewis and Ezra Klein discuss the New Right's nostalgic appeal to historical eras like Salem in 1650 or ancient Sparta, noting how these critiques often rely on vibes and irony rather than empirical facts. They analyze how figures like Doug Wilson and essays on "the longhouse" by Lomas attempt to critique modern society by invoking idealized or undefined pasts.

Ezra Klein and Helen Lewis discuss the intellectual roots of the New Right, exploring the tension between its pagan, Nietzschean wing and its Christian wing. They analyze how figures like Bronze Age Pervert embrace hierarchy and submission, while others attempt to retcon the historically passive figure of Jesus into a hyper-masculine patriarch.

Helen Lewis and Ezra Klein discuss the New Right's romanticized view of ancient hierarchical societies, contrasting it with the reality of those eras using John Rawls's 'veil of ignorance' thought experiment. They also explore the modern challenges facing men and boys, including education systems, ADHD diagnoses, and declining social and economic outcomes.

The discussion explores how young men are increasingly falling into unhealthy spirals of body dysmorphia and unrealizable physical aesthetics, driven by online influencers. This obsession with physical perfection is linked to a darker history of eugenics and social Darwinism, which historically found support across the political spectrum in the United States.

Ezra Klein and Helen Lewis discuss the resurgence of regressive ideologies, highlighting the antisemitism present in texts like Bronze Age Mindset. They also analyze how figures like Andrew Tate prey on the insecurities of young men who feel alienated by modern society.

Ezra Klein and Helen Lewis critique Helen Andrews's essay 'The Great Feminization,' which argues that the rise of women in professional institutions leads to a decline in rigor and the rise of cancel culture. They challenge her historical examples, such as the ousting of Larry Summers from Harvard, and argue that modern cancellation dynamics are driven by technology like social media rather than gender demographics.

Ezra Klein and Helen Lewis critique the New Right's view of masculinity, arguing that the shift away from violence and toward institutional rules is a civilizational advance rather than a sign of decline. They discuss how figures like BAP and Helen Andrews mischaracterize modern social structures and offer a repellent, anxious model of manhood compared to the comfortable, diverse ways men actually live.

Helen Lewis and Ezra Klein critique the New Right's vision of masculinity, arguing it lacks genuine virtues, fatherhood, and healthy relationships. They highlight figures like Donald Trump, Nick Fuentes, Doug Wilson, and Elon Musk as examples of this unsettling and anxious worldview.

Ezra Klein and Helen Lewis discuss the rise of online self-help figures like Andrew Tate and Nick Fuentes, arguing that their advice has become pathological and disconnected from genuine human connection. They critique the mainstream's failure to offer a compelling vision of human flourishing, leaving a void filled by extremist algorithms and social media.

Ezra Klein and Helen Lewis discuss the role of aesthetics in modern political movements, contrasting the distinct visual identity of MAGA with the less defined aesthetic of the mainstream Democratic Party. They explore how conservative movements draw on nostalgia and the past, while progressive movements struggle to project a cohesive vision of the future.

Ezra Klein and Helen Lewis discuss the power of cultural aesthetics in politics, comparing Donald Trump's populist, "middlebrow" tastes with the left's preference for elite or intellectual styles. They explore how Trump's unrefined aesthetic resonates with everyday voters, and how political movements must embrace visual identity, even if it occasionally borders on "cringe."

The segment explores the policy goals and ideological visions of the New Right regarding gender roles, family structures, and military standards. The hosts discuss proposals from conservative figures and institutions, such as the Heritage Foundation's opposition to daycare and Doug Wilson's advocacy for household voting. They also analyze how these fringe ideas might shape the future of the Republican coalition post-Trump.

Helen Lewis and Ezra Klein discuss how minoritarian ideas like those of the New Right are advanced incrementally through bureaucracy and state houses, similar to the campaign against Roe v. Wade. They also examine the disillusionment of women leaving the MAGA movement, drawing parallels to feminist theories of misogyny and the cultural dynamics of social media platforms like Twitter.

Ezra Klein and Helen Lewis discuss how the removal of moderation on X has exposed extreme right-wing figures like Nick Fuentes, creating political challenges for the conservative coalition. They also explore the limits of culture war messaging for voters facing economic pressures and share book recommendations on alienation and historical biography.

Helen Lewis shares her final book recommendations, including Nancy Mitford's biography of Versailles and David Plotz's 'The Genius Factory,' which details a bizarre eugenics-focused sperm bank in California. She and Ezra Klein reflect on these historical narratives before closing the episode.