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What Next | No, Women Didn't Ruin the Workplace

Nov 12, 2025
Join Danielle Kurtzleben, a political correspondent at NPR, as she dives into the heated discussions surrounding women's roles in the workplace. She analyzes the recent backlash against feminism, sparked by provocative headlines questioning women's impact. Kurtzleben critiques the 'Great Feminization' thesis and explores how social movements like Me Too have triggered societal pushback. The conversation connects historical patterns of gender backlash to contemporary politics, revealing the intricate dynamics of masculinity and media in shaping public perception.
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INSIGHT

Mainstreaming Provocative Gender Narratives

  • The New York Times headline "Did women ruin the workplace?" exemplifies mainstreaming provocative takes to stay relevant.
  • Danielle Kurtzleben warns outlets are platforming ideas that would once have been unacceptable.
INSIGHT

Vague Terms Let Big Claims Slide

  • Helen Andrews' "Great Feminization" thesis conflates wokeness with feminization and uses vague definitions.
  • Kurtzleben says undefined terms let authors smuggle broad claims about culture and gender.
INSIGHT

Edge Cases Used To Dismiss Movements

  • Critics often seize on ambiguous MeToo moments (e.g., Aziz Ansari) to declare the movement excessive.
  • Kurtzleben notes that MeToo was broadly liberating across political lines and not reducible to edge cases.
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