We talk men: They’re falling behind in school, crunched (or checked out) in the labor market, confused about their purpose. Not all men (of course, of course). But signs point toward what we in the media are calling “a masculinity crisis,” a landscape explored in two new books, Richard Reeves’ Of Boys and Men and Nicholas Eberstadt’s post-pandemic update of Men Without Work.

How did the pandemic hit men? Why do men struggle to make friends? Are there too many women teachers? (And is calling your teacher “Miss” a regional thing?) Should we be red-shirting boys by starting them a year later in school so their brain development can catch up, or should society maybe just stop telling them we don’t need them? A little kindness and appreciation might go a long way.

Also on the docket: The NYU organic chemistry professor fired for being too hard, and Sarah sounds off on the magical thinking toward middle-aged celebrities and their pregnancies (but also, we’re sincerely happy for Hilary Swank).

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