Raising Boys in the Midst of the Masculinity Crisis with Ruth Whippman

Save 10% on your next Fleshlight with promo code 10PRIVATE at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠fleshlight.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. For the 244th episode of Private Parts Unknown, host Courtney Kocak welcomes journalist and author Ruth Whippman. Ruth is the author of BoyMom: Reimagining Boyhood in the Age of Impossible Masculinity, a blend of memoir and reporting that asks a question many parents—people in general—are wrestling with: how do we raise good men in a culture that makes that incredibly difficult? In this conversation, Ruth reflects on becoming the mother of three boys in the middle of the reckoning, how that moment collided with her lifelong feminist instincts, and what research actually tells us about boys’ emotional vulnerability. We dig into why patriarchy harms boys too, how emotional suppression fuels loneliness and radicalization, what’s really going on with the incel movement, and why boys may need more tenderness, not less. Ruth also shares a big tip for parents and what gives her hope about the next generation of boys—and yes, there is some hope at the end of this rainbow. This episode is for anyone trying to make sense of masculinity in a very confusing moment. For more from today's guest, Ruth Whippman: Buy Ruth's book ⁠BoyMom: Reimagining Boyhood in the Age of Impossible Masculinity

You can listen to Raising Boys in the Midst of the Masculinity Crisis with Ruth Whippman online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

Raising Boys in the Midst of the Masculinity Crisis with Ruth Whippman is an episode from Private Parts Unknown (FKA Reality Bytes) by Courtney Kocak.

This episode is 33:17 long.

This episode was published on Jan 28, 2026.

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