It seems like everywhere you look, men are struggling to find a sense of meaning and purpose. In fact, men are just getting kind of weird. On the other side of the equation, many women say they can’t find a “good man” who meets their expectations.

Enter Christine Emba, Washington Post columnist and author of the 2022 book Rethinking Sex: A Provocation. In a recent WaPo essay, she discusses the crisis of masculinity and where men are looking for models of masculinity, from Jordan Peterson to Andrew Tate and beyond. In this episode, we chat about her article, her book, the past and present mating economy, and the evolution of her own thinking since her college days and the emergence of “the Princeton mom.”

(Leave it to her to ask the questions Matt Walsh doesn’t.)

In the bonus, we talk about dating apps — everyone’s favorite gripe — in addition to the resurgence of matchmaking and how people got dates and met people in the pre-app world.

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WHO IS CHRISTINE EMBA?

Christine Emba is a writer for The Washington Post's Opinions section. She is also the author of Rethinking Sex: A Provocation, which challenges the narrative of sex positivity. Prior to joining the staff of The Washington Post, Emba was the Hilton Kramer Fellow in Criticism at the New Criterion and a deputy editor at the Economist Intelligence Unit. She grew up in Virginia and earned an A.B. in Public and International Affairs from Princeton University.

Follow her substack here: https://bit.ly/3Z8nJ49

Read her article, “Men are lost. Here’s a map out of the wilderness.” here: https://wapo.st/45KoHX4

Get her book “Rethinking Sex: A Provocation” here: https://amzn.to/3EvpU8A

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HOUSEKEEPING

Get your ticket to The Free Press debate with Grimes, Sarah Haider, Louise Perry and Anna Khachiyan: https://www.thefp.com/debates

Meet me at The Unspeakeasy Denver Retreat on September 30th: https://bit.ly/3qRWcaz

Join me at our sanity/real spa retreat in the Poconos with guest speaker Kat Rosenfield: https://bit.ly/3R8IKtL

Can’t come to the full, one-day retreat on September 30th? Join us for a co-ed party that same evening! https://bit.ly/45oCp1n

Join The Unspeakeasy, my community for freethinking women:https://bit.ly/44dnw0v

Follow my other podcast, A Special Place in Hell: aspecialplace.substack.com

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Introduction

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