Normally Podcast: Outrage Culture, War Zones & Emotional Labor

Summary

Episode Summary: "Outrage Culture, War Zones & Emotional Labor"

In this episode of The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show, hosted by iHeartPodcasts, Clay Travis and Buck Sexton delve into three major topics: the controversy surrounding a Sydney Sweeney American Eagle advertisement, the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict, and the evolving dynamics of emotional labor in modern relationships. Through intelligent analysis and humor, the hosts navigate these complex issues, providing listeners with insightful perspectives and notable commentary.

---

1. Sydney Sweeney's American Eagle Ad Controversy

Overview: The episode kicks off with a discussion about a newly released American Eagle advertisement featuring actress Sydney Sweeney. The ad's tagline, "Sydney Sweeney has great genes," has sparked significant backlash online, with critics accusing it of echoing Nazi eugenics propaganda due to its emphasis on Aryan characteristics like blonde hair and blue eyes.

Key Points:

• Ad Content: Sydney Sweeney is depicted working on a muscle car, emphasizing her physical attractiveness and "good genes" (03:00).
• Public Backlash: Social media influencers and segments on platforms like TikTok have labeled the ad as a racist dog whistle, drawing parallels to historical eugenics movements (04:49).
• Hosts' Analysis: Clay and Buck contemplate whether the outrage is justified or merely an overreaction. They suggest that a small group of vocal critics may be amplifying the controversy disproportionately, likening it to a "cultural reply all" (07:31).

Notable Quotes:

• Host 3 [03:00]: "Are you scandalized yet, Kelly?"
• Host 1 [07:31]: "Is it nothing burger that people just like to get mad about?"

2. Media Dynamics and the Nature of Outrage

Overview: The hosts explore how minor controversies can gain massive traction through media amplification, often overshadowing more substantial issues.

Key Points:

• Cultural Reply All: The concept where a small number of complaints generate a large-scale online uproar, perpetuating the issue beyond its initial scope (07:45).
• Insufficiency of Criticism: With only a handful of people genuinely opposing the ad, the widespread media attention seems disproportionate (06:37).
• Influencer Impact: The role of influencers in sensationalizing issues, sometimes leading to misinformation or exaggerated narratives (14:10).

Notable Quotes:

• Host 3 [16:31]: "So fun. So there's a whole thread of those that he came up with if you guys would like to check them out."
• Host 1 [14:10]: "It's giving Red Pill podcast, bro with no marketing experience, clearly running their ad department."

3. Israel-Gaza Conflict and Humanitarian Aid

Overview: Transitioning from cultural controversies, Clay and Buck address the ongoing Israel-Gaza war, focusing on Israel's military strategies, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, and the challenges of aid distribution amid conflict.

Key Points:

• Military Operations: Israel's efforts against multiple fronts, including Hezbollah, Houthis, and Hamas, highlighting their strategic successes and the brutality of ground operations in Gaza (20:28).
• Humanitarian Crisis: The significant reduction of Gaza's infrastructure and the dire situation for civilians, exacerbated by allegations of Hamas manipulating aid supplies (23:08).
• Media Representation: Critique of how major outlets like the New York Times portray the suffering in Gaza, sometimes without full context, leading to misinformed public perceptions (24:22).

Notable Quotes:

• Host 3 [23:43]: "And in Fact, his brother was standing in the photo and was cropped out, one might imagine, because he didn't look unhealthy."
• Host 1 [25:17]: "Stop misrepresenting things, because that makes everybody go, but what is real? What can we trust and what can we not?"

4. Emotional Labor in Relationships: The Concept of "Man Keeping"

Overview: The episode concludes with a deep dive into the emotional labor involved in modern relationships, specifically focusing on the term "man keeping," which describes the efforts women put into maintaining the emotional and social well-being of their male partners.

Key Points:

• Definition of "Man Keeping": Coined by Angelica Puzio Ferrara, it refers to the emotional and social responsibilities women often undertake to support their male partners (39:41).
• New York Times Article: The hosts discuss an article highlighting women's fatigue over the increasing emotional labor required to meet their partners' needs, leading to feelings of imbalance and resentment (39:41).
• Gender Dynamics: Exploration of societal expectations that pigeonhole women into default caretaker roles, contrasting with the evolving needs for men to have more robust social and emotional support systems (41:02).

Notable Quotes:

• Host 3 [39:41]: "It describes the work women do to meet the social and emotional needs of the men in their lives."
• Host 1 [44:34]: "It reminds me so much of like being a zookeeper. As if you were... maintaining an exotic animal in your life that is completely incapable of understanding what."

---

Concluding Insights

Throughout the episode, Clay and Buck emphasize the importance of discerning genuine issues from amplified outrage, understanding the multifaceted nature of international conflicts, and addressing evolving relationship dynamics with empathy and communication. They challenge listeners to critically evaluate media narratives, recognize the complexities of humanitarian aid in war zones, and rethink traditional gender roles to foster healthier, more balanced relationships.

Additional Notable Quotes:

• Host 3 [25:42]: "Have you met the UN? Like, do you remember?"
• Host 1 [41:28]: "I can't imagine there are, I would say, many contradictory things that I feel like are asked of the men..."
• Host 3 [45:23]: "Trust me. Like, this is. It's just normal stuff. Being pathologized is part of, I think, the downfall of society."

---

This comprehensive summary encapsulates the key discussions, insights, and conclusions from the episode, providing a clear and engaging overview for those who haven't listened.

Transcript

[Host 1]

This is an iHeart podcast.

[Host 2]

Let's be real. Life happens, kids spill, pets shed and accidents are inevitable. Find a sofa that can keep [e-mail] Starting at just $699, our sofas are fully machine washable inside and out so you can say goodbye to stains and hello to worry free living. Made with liquid and stain resistant fabrics, they're kid proof, pet friendly and built for everyday life. Plus changeable fabric covers let you refresh your sofa whenever you want. Neat flexibility. Our modular design lets you rearrange your sofa anytime to fit your space whether it's a growing family room or a cozy apartment. Plus, they're earth friendly and trusted by over 200,000 happy customers. It's time to upgrade to a stress free mess proof sofa. Visit washablesofas.com today and save that's washablesofas.com offers are subject to change and certain restrictions may apply.

[Cindy Crawford]

Let your imagination take flight with an AI powered PC from Lenovo. Whether it's creating digital art, designing new software or building a portfolio for a Future career, our PCs are powered by Intel Core Ultra processors to help students unlock smarter learning and unleash their creativity. That's the power of Lenovo. With intel inside all, all you have to do is choose the one that fits your passion. Head to lenovo.com to shop AI PCs and find your perfect companion. Plus get 5% off when you create an education account.

[Kelly Maher]

So do you want to look and feel your best this summer? Well, don't just think skin deep, think cell deep with Prolon. Prolon is a plant based nutrition program featuring soups, snacks and beverages that nourish the body while keeping it in a fasting state which triggers cellular rejuvenation and renewal, target fat loss, support lean muscle and reset your metabolism so you look and feel your best all summer long. Prolon is science backed nutrition that can help change your relationship with food in just five days. Get 20% off plus a $40 bonus gift when you subscribe [e-mail] iheart that's prolonlife.com iheart.com.

[Host 3]

Hey guys, we are back on Normal the show what Normalish Takes for when the News gets weird. Carol is enjoying her trips and Kelly Maher of Colorado joins me again today. Her organization is Restoring standards dot com. She's just working on being normal, basically improving the incentive structure in politics so that people who enter it can be more normal. It's a beautiful thing.

[Host 1]

It is restoring standards. That's what we're trying to do.

[Host 3]

Hence the name. Thanks for being with us.

[Host 1]

Absolutely.

[Host 3]

There's, like, important things going on in the world, but first, I think we need to talk about a vibe shift ad campaign starring Sydney Sweeney, which. Okay. For anyone who's been living under a rock and has not seen this, Sydney Sweeney is a starlet of buxom proportions. She's lovely. I like her. I first saw her in White Lotus, I think, and I think she's good. She's interesting. One of the things I like about her, actually is she has an interesting face. Instead of looking exactly like the carbon copy of every Instagram influencer these days. I know many people would say her face is not the first thing they notice, but I'm just saying, for me, at any rate, Sydney Sweeney, who's the starlet, she was hired by American Eagle to do a jeans commercial. And since that time, about a week and a half ago, I have never thought or talked about American Eagle so much in my life. And this is the reason. So Sydney Sweeney is a blonde, blue eyed, beautiful woman. She's hot. She looks hot in jeans. She's working on an old muscle car in the, in the ad, by the way, I was wondering, like, what's, what's Sydney fixing in the car? Which was she working on in there? We just changing an air filter. Like, what's going on? Anyway, so, yeah, she closes the hood, a nice shot of the rear, she goes to the car, she zooms off. And some of the, over the, the, the voiceover for these ads is her saying that she has good genes, right? Yeah, good genes. Because she's hot. So it's G E N E S and J E A N S. Yeah. Okay. Are you, are you scandalized yet, Kelly?

[Host 1]

So scandalized.

[Host 3]

You should be scandalized. According to the media. The media says this is. And many. Well, it started with influencers, right? So TikTok crazy people are like, this is Nazi eugenicism because it refers to genes. It she's blue eyed and blonde haired. This is a racist dog whistle. To which I say, like, it's just a hot chick wearing jeans. That's it. There's a hot chick wearing jeans. So now it's become like a mainstream controversy. So let me play Good Morning America explaining this controversy. Time to check the pulse.

[Host 2]

We begin with the backlash over a new ad campaign featuring actress Sydney Sweeney.

[News Anchor]

Yeah, the ads are for American Eagle and the tagline is Sydney Sweeney has great genes.

[Host 3]

Now, in one ad, the blonde hair, blue eyed actress talks about genes, as.

[News Anchor]

In DNA being passed down from her parents.

[Host 2]

The play on words is being compared to Nazi propaganda with racial undertones.

[Host 1]

The pun good genes activates troubling historical associations for this country. The American eugenics movement in its prime between like 1900 and 1940 weaponized the idea of good genes just to justify white supremacism.

[News Anchor]

Despite that backlash, American Eagle stock has been sore.

[Host 3]

Despite the backlash, Some might argue because of the backlash, it is up apparently 18%. There's a notable change. Is this controversy real, Kelly? Does anybody actually object to this ad?

[Host 1]

That's, I think that's really the question. Right. But my, when I see stuff like this and there's always something like this, right? There's always some controversy somewhere with somebody. Is the person who made the ad, Were they anticipating that this was gonna happen and then were like walking up to like the, the controversy line or the outrage line in order to just try to push people to pay attention? Because as you said, you haven't paid this much attention to American Eagle. I haven't since I was like a 13 year old. Angsty, wanted to wear good jeans, you know, like, haven't haven't thought about it that much. And now it's, is it too cute by half? Is it nothing burger that people just like to get mad about?

[Host 3]

This is a thing that I refer to as a cultural reply all. You know, when you're in a big group of people or in an office setting or what have you, and someone accidentally sends out a full company email.

[Host 1]

Yeah.

[Host 3]

And then everyone replies all to this massive reply all.

[Host 1]

Good point.

[Host 3]

And they keep replying all to say stop replying all to this. Thereby perpetuating the reply all issue. I think that's what this is. There's like four people who said it was a problem.

[Host 1]

Right?

[Host 3]

Those four people got a lot of attention. The attention got attention. Thereby creating more TikTok psychos who are happy to be psycho about any number of things. And they're like, this is the thing to be psycho about. So I'm going to do that. Ben Dreyfuss, by the way, wrote a piece entitled everyone upset about the Sydney Sweeney ad is mentally ill. And I think that's my, that's my take. And then because it's rating to talk about these insane people, right. Media continues to talk about it and continue to validate it because many left of center people have this leftover 20, 20, 21 act angst that makes them want to say like, yes, this turn toward like, oh, I don't know, a more like Budweiser circa 1991 vibe in our advertising is not what we want. We want the Woke ads of 2020 and 2021.

[Host 1]

Right, well, and this goes back to that, by the way.

[Host 3]

I'm replying. All right now.

[Host 1]

Exactly. We're part of the problem. Acknowledging it while still talking about it.

[Host 3]

I'm the problem, not the solution. I tweeted about it like four times yesterday.

[Host 1]

I mean, but this goes back to this underlying question of. I think you know this story. One of our mutual friends and I make a joke all the time about your metabolism as we eat cheese and chocolate and we're like, ah, Mary Catherine and her metabolism as we're snacking. You, my brunette friend?

[Host 3]

Yes. I talk about your genes all the time.

[Host 1]

Right. Like the idea that some people are naturally pretty like you. That's not.

[Host 3]

The feeling's mutual.

[Host 1]

Oh, thanks. Yeah, No, I. I think admiration, like.

[Host 3]

The good genes are hot. Jeans. That's the point. Yeah. Ben writes. Ben Dreyfuss writes. The ad is a Nazi ad. Duh. How is it a Nazi ad? The real question is, how isn't it a Nazi ad? Because it's obviously a Nazi ad. Let me count the ways. Number one, it's visual and the Nazis loved visuals. Number two, it's in Eng, a Germanic language. Number three, Sydney Sweeney is blond and blue eyed and the Nazis loved those things. Number four, American Eagle. Eagle. Hitler loved eagles. Americans love bald eagles. But this is not a bald eagle. It's just an eagle. Could have hair. Could not have hair. How am I supposed to know? Anyway, American swastika. Number five, the Nazis liked eugenics. I mean, eugenics. And number six, Sidney Sweeney equals ss. Makes you think.

[Host 1]

Yeah.

[Host 3]

I mean, again. And it is working for American Eagle. Of course, I'm not sure that they anticipated it would work this well, but whatever staff put this together has got to be like, well done.

[Host 1]

That is my question with some of these things. Right. Like, sometimes when these things blow up, it either goes very poorly or it goes very well. And it's just a gamble. You just don't know.

[Host 3]

Yeah. To me, this is so funny because the ad itself is so anodyne. It's like so much less risque than so many things we've seen over the years. It's like, I think, tastefully shot. She's a fun chick.

[Host 1]

Like, it's so not advertising clothes.

[Host 3]

Yeah. It's so not something to be mad about. And yet the headlines are Vanity Fair, Sydney Sweeney under fire after controversial American Eagle ad campaign. Backlash against Sydney Sweeney jeans. Jeans Ad gets mocked by the white House. So now it's to the president as well. Does does Sydney Sweeney's American Eagle great jeans campaign mark a shift for advertising? I like that one because it's from NPR and notably not insane, which makes makes me think they're like, please give us our money back. We are not insane. But nobody's going to give you your money back because it's our money. But she's also in government.

[Host 1]

But like, I digress.

[Host 3]

I looked it up because I remembered that she was in trouble for something else before, like a couple years ago. Oh, really? And it's the stupidest thing. This happened in 2023. I knew she had been in trouble, in trouble, quote, backlash, quote, under fire for something right leaning or right coded in the past. And it is this, that in 2023 she went to a birthday party for her mother who turned 60 and she took some pictures there and she's in some pictures there. And the hats made for this event were red and said make 60 great again. Business Insider. Sweeney and her family faced criticism last August over what people on social media perceived to be MAGA hats, popularized by former President Donald Trump and his supporters. Sweeney's brother Trent pointed out that they say make 60 great again. But it became a whole thing and she had to like, she didn't really back down, which is one of the reasons I like her. She did just say, like, these are my mom's friends. It's my mom's birthday party. It's like, what are you doing? People are crazy. Yeah. So people are crazy. And she did not, I think, sort of cave in that instance and recognized it to be silly. And I hope the same is true of her and American Eagle this time around. I think it probably will be. Yeah.

[Host 1]

Being hot is sometimes, at least in part a genetic thing. It just is.

[Host 3]

It's. Oh, I do have. I, I also have audio of one of the insane influencers and she's a, she's a surgeon. So she wants to give you a scientific take on this. Do we have that one?

[Host 1]

The Sydney Sweeney Aryan Eagle ad is not only xenophobic and racist, it's also scientifically inaccurate. She says jeans often determine hair color and eye color. I'm sorry, often? That's literally what they do. If they're not determining hair color and eye color, what is. It's giving Red Pill podcast, bro with no marketing experience, clearly running their ad department. And I just hate when companies make content trying to use medical or scientific terms and then completely fuck it up. Like, it's not that hard to Google what genes do, how DNA works. Do genes often determine our traits or do they always determine our traits?

[Host 3]

Okay, can I say one thing, which is that if I ever met my surgeon and she talks like this, I am going to ask for another surgeon.

[Host 1]

Also, she's never heard of colored contacts, nor has she ever heard of hair dye before.

[Host 3]

But like, whatever, sometimes a box at the drugstore does determine our hair color.

[Host 1]

Yeah, sure. Yes.

[Host 3]

Yes, ma'. Am. Anyway, it's like, sorry, I made a difference.

[Host 1]

I can't determine what she or they are.

[Host 3]

We cannot definitively say.

[Host 1]

Right, right.

[Host 3]

But oh my gosh.

[Host 1]

Notably that surgeon. Pretty, genetically hot looking.

[Host 3]

She's blond and blue eyed. Yeah, yeah. I mean, I want to be like, okay, is there a dog whistle here? Anyway, I think American Eagle will happily continue to make more money. I don't anticipate that they'll back off of this over the 17 people who are actually mad about it. As Ben Dreyfus calls them the most insufferable people on the Internet. I think we're all very familiar those types of people. I did want to notice. Also Jarvis, the the great Ex account or he says he offers some upcoming Sweeney projects. Number one, Sydney Sweeney is an elite race car driver. Elizabeth Fast Rubber. But can she win the season title and become a master grand champion? Find out this fall, only in theaters in Master Race.

[Host 1]

Oh no.

[Host 3]

So fun. So there's a whole thread of those that he came up with if you guys would like to check them out. Okay, I think we're done with the cultural reply all. Who knows how long it will last Again, when this happens with the whole company, it can be days and days of back and forth with people saying stop talking about it. Stop talking about it.

[Host 1]

The question is, what actual news are we not paying attention to because of this? And the answer is probably a lot. Right?

[Host 3]

Probably a lot. Probably a lot. Congress isn't in session at the moment, are they? So we're clear on that front or are they anyway, 3% GDP growth? What? Perhaps if Congress had better jeans, I would pay more attention. Okay, shall we move on to actual serious news?

[Host 2]

There's nothing like sinking into luxury. At washablesofas.com, you'll find the Annabe sofa, which combines ultimate comfort and design at an affordable price. And get this, it's the only sofa that's fully machine washable from top to bottom. Starting at only $699. The stain resistant performance fabric, slipcovers and cloud like frame duvet can go straight into your wash perfect for anyone with kids, pets or anyone who loves an easy to clean spotless sofa. With a modular design and changeable slipcovers, you can customize your sofa to fit any space and style. Whether you need a single chair, loveseat or a luxuriant large sectional, Annabe has you covered. Visit washablesofas.com to upgrade your home. Right now you can shop up to 60% off store wide with a 30 day money back guarantee. Shop [e-mail] Add a little to your life. Offers are subject to change and certain restrictions may apply.

[Cindy Crawford]

Hi, I'm Cindy Crawford and I'm the founder of Meaningful Beauty.

[Host 3]

Well I don't know about you but.

[Cindy Crawford]

Like I never liked being told oh wow, you look so good for your age.

[Host 3]

Like why even bother saying that?

[Cindy Crawford]

Why don't you just say you look.

[Host 3]

Great at any age, every age. That's what Meaningful Beauty is all about.

[Cindy Crawford]

We create products that make you feel confident in your skin at the age you are now. Meaningful Beauty. Beautiful skin at every age. Learn [e-mail].

[Shipt User]

My favorite thing about Shipt since I signed up For Target Circle 360 no Price Markups when I order same day delivery from tons of local stores. Only a handful of alcohol retailers and items don't count. I won't lie, I've had too much fun being like markups on groceries not in my fridge. Markups on pet food not for my dog. Markups on tools, electronics, home goods, meds. Not in my house. Anyway, it's awesome. Order [e-mail] 360 terms apply.

[Cindy Crawford]

Unlock smarter learning with Lenovo AI powered PCs powered by Intel Core Ultra processors. Head to lenovo.com and choose from multiple devices to fit your passions. If you're a gamer, you can spend less time stressing about GPUs and CPUs and more time dominating with your AI enabled smart engine which optimizes your game performance in real time. Or maybe you're a scientist on the verge of a groundbreaking discovery and need a device with a longer battery life and AI enhanced tools to give you extra time to finish your research. Or you're a musician preparing for your biggest break and need better, faster AI tools to make digital art a breeze, like creating band posters and T shirt designs. Or you're a soon to be graduate needing to catch a recruiter's eye to land that dream job. So you need cutting edge smart tools to build your portfolio from scratch. That's the power of Lenovo with Intel inside plus college students and teachers get 5% off with an education account on lenovo.com a better future is waiting and it needs you.

[Host 3]

We should just chat through an update on the Israel Gaza war and Israel fighting on many fronts, having subdued many of its would be annihilators, from Hezbollah to the Houthis to Hamas. It's you know, as usual, Israel's performance has been improbable. They have, their intelligence service has done amazing things eliminating many of these forces and their leadership through all sorts of crazy daring do. And also the on the ground war that is not intelligence based like the Hezbollah hits and such. The on the ground war in Gaza remains pretty brutal with Israeli soldiers dying there, with much of Gaza reduced to nothing or very little infrastructure except for the infrastructure that Hamas terrorists would like to keep in place underground. Even that has taken a hit. And the question, the big issue as it has been throughout the war is the the care and distribution of food to civilians within the Gaza Strip. Always very challenging, always unlike any other war footing in history. It is considered Israel's responsibility to fully maintain the civilian population of Gaza as it's fighting a war. Hamas, which rules Gaza, which is the government of Gaza on the international stage, has no responsibility for feeding or housing its own civilian population and in fact uses them and abuses them in awful, awful ways to make things worse for Israel and to make it harder to fight them. But there has been like a fairly large shift. A couple days ago there was an attempt at yet another ceasefire and you'll never guess who didn't accept the terms. Kelly, was it Israel? What is it? Was it Israel refusing to cease fire or was it Hamas saying? It was once again Hamas saying no. And in that moment, as Hamas once again illustrated that it will not return hostages or accept terms of a ceasefire, suddenly it became like a real strident, full media wide, international community wide outrage that even though all these people have been saying that many people in Gaza have been starving the whole time, suddenly they were really, really, really, really, really more starving.

[Host 1]

Right. And a lot more pictures of like starving looking children.

[Host 3]

Right.

[Host 1]

Hitting the media, which is the thing that makes people get real edgy.

[Host 3]

Yes. And a note on that front, the Washington Post posted a picture of a child like heart wrenching photo of a child held by his mother. His spine is visible, his ribs are visible. And the implication, in fact I think outright claim was that Israel is specifically starving this child.

[Host 1]

Yes.

[Host 3]

And in fact that child had other nutrition or other medical issues, which is why he looked the way he did. And in Fact, his brother was standing in the photo and was cropped out, one might imagine, because he didn't look unhealthy.

[Host 1]

Hmm.

[Host 3]

So the New York Times. Excuse me, the New York Times posted this photo. I think I said Washington Post earlier. So New York Times posted this and they added on their New York Times Communications PR X feed. Not on the main feed, not on the front page of the paper where the photo was featured.

[Host 1]

Right.

[Host 3]

An appended editor's note. Children in Gaza are malnourished and starving, as New York Times reporters and others have documented. We recently ran a story about Gaza's most vulnerable civilians, including Mohammad Zakaria Al Mutawak, who is about 18 months old and suffers from severe malnutrition. We have since learned new information, including from the hospital that treated him and his medical records and. And have updated our story to add context about his pre existing health problems. This additional detail gives readers a greater understanding of his situation. Our reporters and photographers continue to report from Gaza bravely, sensitively, and at personal risk so that readers can see firsthand the consequences of the war. Okay, so again, that's not a proper correction. It doesn't even take responsibility for having not given people the real information. And this is the thing. I believe that people are suffering in Gaza. I for sure think that's real. Yes. Stop lying about it.

[Host 1]

Right.

[Host 3]

Stop misrepresenting things, because that makes everybody go, but what is real? What can we trust and what can we not? And then the other question is, how are people still starving when millions and millions and millions and millions and millions and millions and millions of meals. Yeah. Have gone into the country throughout the entire conflict?

[Host 1]

I mean, this is, this is one of these, like, larger questions about what aid looks like.

[Host 3]

Right.

[Host 1]

Just in general. I had. I had a. Was it a presentation by a really fascinating guy from the Acton Institute a couple weeks ago and talking about, like, African aid. We're talking about these. When, when you are in a conflict situation, oftentimes the ruling party. Right. Hamas, for instance.

[Host 3]

Yeah.

[Host 1]

Plenty of evidence that they take the aid in whatever form it is. Right. And turn it into a weapon.

[Host 3]

Yes.

[Host 1]

Right. Whether you're trading it, whether you are using it as a tool of oppression against your own people. What. And this is, this is, you know, on a much smaller scale. I was. I was driving with my two boys, 6 and 8, the other day, and in Denver right now, there's lots of, you know, panhandlers. And my children were like, the sign says, he's hungry, mom.

[Host 3]

Right, Right, Hungry.

[Host 1]

This is a Hungry person. We must act, we must like. And both of my kids go to Catholic school, so they're like, Jesus says mom, right? We have to give this person money, Right? And like, the nature and question of aid is a really hard one because we are called to help hungry people. And also in some cases, it is possible that those methods that we use are then turned on the population and can be in fact more harmful for those people trying to. A six and eight year old is trying to. But it's essentially the same argument that one would make on an international stage because that's about where our reading level is.

[Host 3]

Yes. And you know, there is evidence, despite what the New York Times says, which came out with this wild ass story, right, headlined no proof, Hamas routinely stole UN aid. Israeli military officials say that is wild. That is counter to everything that pretty much like, even people who are nominally like pro Palestinian cause or even pro Hamas are like, yeah, they, they mess with these supplies. They resell them. They, they, they take charge of them. They're the ones who in the past have claimed to have been distributing them. If they're not distributed, that seems like it should be on them and it never is. So because this is a problem with unrwa, which is the refugee agency of UN that works hand in hand with Hamas because UNRWA is so notoriously bad. Israel and the US got together and formed the Gaza Humanitarian Fund to feed hungry Gazans. And they have a way that they do that that is approved by these two organizations to keep aid workers as safe as possible to allow the food to actually get to hungry Gazans are right. Two people our friend Guy Benson knows the Gaza Humanitarian Fund is feeding hungry Gazans with the US footing the bill and Israel blessing the efforts we've distributed, they've distributed tens of millions of meals. Hamas has murdered their aid workers. That happened a couple weeks ago and threatened and attacked Gazans who accept the aid. And the UN is effectively partnering with Hamas against the Gaza Humanitarian Fund with the help of much of the global media. There is no bottom with these people who pretend to care about acute hunger in Gaza to prove this point. And we will note that it is a, you know, a government entity, so, you know, you can take it with a grain of salt. But the IDF takes reporters out to this field where UN aid is sitting undistributed to show them we are like, we are trying. This aid is here rotting in the sun. And Jon Favreau of the Pod Save America guys was like, like it's believable that the UN would just leave food sitting around instead of feeding Gazans. It's like, have you met the un? Like, do you. Do you remember? But I'm sure they don't. Even though it took place during the time that all these guys have been in politics, right? The UN famously, in many places, specifically with refugee services and aid, makes people have sex with them to get food, right? That's like a normal thing that nobody gets fired for that they covered up for a decade that finally was, like, uncovered at some point after about 10 or 12 years. So, yeah, it is believable that the UN would do that.

[Host 1]

It's such a complicated and multifaceted problem, Right. Because we have the issue you and I talk about often, which is the issue of like, the reliable narrator. And the New York Times has done a fabulous job at undercutting their own.

[Host 3]

Ruining itself. Yes.

[Host 1]

And everyone else's credibility in the long run. Right. Then we have like, the nature and struggles of AID in situations like this. And then we have just like a general interest in Sydney Sweeney versus this, because this is depressing and it's hard to talk about and it's hard to think about. And there are no easy answers, right?

[Host 3]

There aren't easy answers because it's war. And I do think that's one of the things that is cynically used against Israel, which is like, war is terrible, and terrible things happen in war. And you can do your best to ameliorate them, as I think that Israel does and shows itself to do nearly every turn.

[Host 1]

Right.

[Host 3]

And is given absolutely no credit for it. But then I think the next question is, like, what does become of Gaza? What becomes of Israeli efforts there? The problem with fighting a death cult that is in a holy war with you is that they don't surrender, right? You just, like, do the best you can. And so that. That's very complicated situation.

[Host 1]

Israel finds it's like the perpetual cusp of peace with just this constant underlying, like, we were talking about generation after generation after generation of the same thing over and over and over.

[Host 3]

And despite all its dominance over, you know, you know, in this basically seven front war, right. You know, it's. It's very unsatisfying for the Israeli people to look around and be like, well, we can leave Gaza once again, which they did in two. They did 20 years ago and handed the whole thing over. And this is October 7th was the result.

[Host 1]

Yeah.

[Host 3]

It wasn't a flourishing Palestinian state on the Mediterranean, which was the opportunity, but it was relinquished. So, yeah, I don't know what comes next. And it is disappointing to see many people, even otherwise rational people fall for some of the propaganda not to weigh the claims of the Gaza Health Ministry, which is just Hamas, and not be part of, you know, the Gaza humanitarian funds attempts to actually get people fed. That's the tell. Like they're there to do the thing. Yeah, they're there to do the thing. Yes.

[Host 1]

If somebody is handing somebody else food, support them.

[Host 3]

Yeah, right. By the way, I'm going to close this out with one clip real quick that will show the shift in the Democratic Party and which previews what the next primary season for them is going to look like. These are the Pod Save America bros of the Obama administration talking about how nothing can ever be the same. Moving on. And that funding Israel militarily should not be basically shouldn't be on the table for Democratic candidates and administrations. So we'll close with that little clip. The times there are changing and I.

[News Anchor]

Don'T think Democratic candidates should take money from AIPAC or vote to fund military support for Israel anymore.

[Host 1]

Like I really don't in this government. Absolutely not. And that especially includes, I think the.

[News Anchor]

Next Democratic nominee for president. Things I want to see Democrats at least calling for is cutting off military assistance to Israel. It's a rich country by the way. They don't need our 3 billion a year. And hands up right, Barack Obama signed a 10 year MOU for 3.3 billion a year. Like so we're part of the problem here. Let's correct it. I would like to see talk about sanctioning Israeli government officials who use genocidal rhetoric or who talk about ethnic cleansing openly. We should support a ceasefire resolution at the un. We should demand that international press be allowed into the Gaza Strip to report on what's happening without an IDF minder. It's insane. The press still can't go into Gaza and cover what's happening. And the also think like there has to be a total mindset change in the Democratic Party when the war ends. We are not going back to the pre October 7th status quo because it's not where the party is, it's not where the world is. We are not going to shovel billions a year in military aid. We're not going to veto every effort to recognize the Palestinian state at the un. We should not take money from aipac and like I will hold out hope for better political leadership in the US and in Israel. But we have to also recognize that the Biden era hug VB Netanyahu strategy has to be thrown in the trash can.

[Host 3]

We'll be back with another insane New York Times dating themed piece to lighten the mood on Normally.

[Host 2]

There'S nothing like sinking into luxury. At washablesofas.com, you'll find the Annabe sofa which combines ultimate comfort and design at an affordable price. And get this, it's the only sofa that's fully machine washable from top to bottom. Starting at only $699. The stain resistant performance fabric slipcovers and cloud like frame duvet can go straight into your wash. Perfect for anyone with kids, pets or anyone who loves an easy to clean spotless sofa. With a modular design and changeable slipcovers, you can customize your sofa to fit any space and style. Whether you need a single chair, loveseat or a luxuriously large sectional, Annabe has you covered. Visit washablesofas.com to order. Upgrade your home Right now you can shop up to 60% off store wide with a 30 day money back guarantee. Shop [e-mail] Add a little to your life. Offers are subject to change and certain restrictions may apply.

[Meaningful Beauty Representative]

Now I'd like to introduce you to Meaningful Beauty, the famed skincare brand created by iconic supermodel Cindy Crawford. It's her secret to absolutely gorgeous skin. Meaningful Beauty makes powerful and effective skin care simple and it's loved by millions of women. It's formulated for all ages and all skin tones and types and it's designed to work as a complete skin care system leaving your skin feeling soft, smooth and nourished. I recommend starting with Cindy's full regimen which contains all five of her best selling products including the amazing Youth Activating Melon Serum. This next generation serum has the power of melon Leaf stem cell technology. Its melon leaf stem cells encapsulated for freshness and released onto the skin to support a visible reduction in the appearance of wrinkles. With thousands of glowing five star reviews, why not give it a try? Subscribe today and you can get the amazing Meaningful Beauty system for just $49.95. That includes our introductory five piece system, free gifts, free shipping and a 60 day money back guarantee. All that [e-mail] I already love same.

[Shipt User]

Day delivery with Shipt, but it's so much better since I signed up for Target's Circle 360. Why? Because I no longer pay price markups from the majority of stores through Shipt, only a handful of alcohol retailers and items don't count. That means no markups on groceries, pet food, even home goods and makeup. So to recap, I have more time to catch up on life while someone shops for me and I spend less. It's a win win order [e-mail]360 Terms apply.

[Cindy Crawford]

Unlock smarter learning with Lenovo AI powered PCs powered by Intel Core Ultra processors. Head to lenovo.com and choose from multiple devices to fit your passions. If you're a gamer, you can spend less time stressing about GPUs and CPUs and more time dominating with your AI enabled smart engine which optimizes your game performance in real time. Or maybe you're a scientist on the verge of a groundbreaking discovery and need a device device with a longer battery life and AI enhanced tools to give you extra time to finish your research. Or you're a musician preparing for your biggest break and need better, faster AI tools to make digital art a breeze, like creating band posters and T shirt designs. Or you're a soon to be graduate needing to catch a recruiter's eye to land that dream job. So you need cutting edge smart tools to build your portfolio from scratch. That's the power of Lenovo with intel tell inside plus college students and teachers get 5% off with an education account on lenovo.com a better future is waiting and it needs you.

[Host 3]

Okie doke back on normally with Kelly Maher of Restoring Standards. You can find that@restoring standards.com and the new York Times is always supplying us good stuff on the dating scene, right? And or on just relationships in general. And I think a lot of relationship writing, and I understand why it happens this way, but a lot of relationship writing is just taking your own relationship and then projecting it onto society. And that is not always wise.

[Host 1]

Right?

[Host 3]

And so this is the new sort of feminist gripe. And I'm not saying that uncharitably. That's what this article is. It's like, here's our new feminist gripe. Are you ready for it?

[Host 1]

I'm ready.

[Host 3]

Hit me. The headline is why Women are Weary of the Emotional labor of man keeping as male social circles shrink, female partners say they have to meet more social and emotional needs. Okay, so there's a little I'll read you a little bit down here. This is a relationship where both are busy attorneys, it says. But she Ms. Tilly Colson hyphenated, but she tends to take charge of their social plans. Ms. Tilly Colson has hung out with her boyfriend's close friends a handful of times. He hangs out with hers several times a week. Her role as the de Facto social director of the relationship, includes more serious concerns, too. When are we going to meet each other's parents? When are we going to do our first vacation together? She said. And if all of that onus is on me to kind of plan, then I also feel all the responsibility if something goes wrong. Man keeping put a word to her feelings of imbalance. I feel responsible for bringing the light to the relationship, she said. Okay, I'm cringing so hard that I.

[Host 1]

Like, feel it in my back.

[Host 3]

And I might need to go to.

[Host 1]

Pilates after this just to stretch it out because is just, I think being a man is just so hard in this society.

[Host 3]

I can't imagine there are, I would say, many contradictory things that I feel like are asked of the men because it feels like the old gripe was, if I may generalize, that men were not sharing their feelings with their romantic partners and that that for that therefore did not lead to emotional intimacy and that they needed to do more of that.

[Host 1]

Great.

[Host 3]

But now the complaint seems to be that they are sharing too much and that that is hard on women. I do think, honestly, I think this piece would be a very helpful and good piece if it were focused on the fact that men oftentimes do have fewer social relationships than women do and it might be healthier for them to have more. Now those are relationships are going to look different than women's relationships. And I think too much of the New York Times staff wants them to look exactly like women's relationships and they don't have to. But I think that part might have been the pitch for this piece if it were me instead of the women are complaining because men don't have enough friends.

[Host 1]

You know, I just finished a book that you recommended to me of boys and men.

[Host 3]

Yes.

[Host 1]

And it was Richard Reeves, and he's a Brookings Institute guy. And you recommended it to me because I am raising two young, hopefully men, if I can help them transition from boyhood into manhood. And this is. It's a hard thing to think about. You know, how do you raise children? How do you raise young men who can operate in a world where, like, therapy and feelings is okay and we have to access what real masculinity looks like, but it does just seem like it's a no win situation.

[Host 3]

Feels pretty no win. By the way, one of the lines in this, this, this particular it says, it says that a therapist says that often with his straight male clients, they tell him that they rarely open up to anyone but their girlfriends or wives. Their partners have become their Unofficial therapists, he said, doing all the emotional labor. That particular role now has a name, man keeping. The term, coined by Angelica Puzio Ferrara, a postdoctoral fellow at Stanford University, has taken off online. It just. This is the sentence. It describes the work women do to meet the social and emotional needs of the men in their lives. From supporting their partners through daily challenges and inner turmoil to encouraging them to meet up with their friends. Our friend Emily Zanotti tweeted about this and said, tbh, I'm not sure you guys understand what relationships require like this. That's just being in a relationship.

[Host 1]

Yeah.

[Host 3]

Yeah.

[Host 1]

It is so interesting to me that the term man keeping.

[Host 3]

Yeah. Is so.

[Host 1]

Reminds me so much of like being a zookeeper. Right. As if you were.

[Host 3]

As if you are.

[Host 1]

As if you must maintain this exotic animal in your life that is. Is completely incapable of understanding what. It's a fascinating shift from the duality of masculine and feminine to default women. And then the men are kind of orbiting around the default woman and the.

[Host 3]

Struggles of that to that point. By the way, what if you reversed this column and a dude wrote a column that was just like, ugh, they're always talking to me about their feelings so hard. And I have to listen to it all the time. Like, obviously canceled and sexist. And the other thing I thought when I was reading this as she says that she's hung out with his friends a couple of times and he's hung out with hers several times a week. I think you're an extrovert who is with an introvert and this might just be something called a personality difference that you need to work out in your personal relationship and not an issue where you're doing something that is beyond the expectations of a normal relationship. Just, girl, y' all have different expectations.

[Host 1]

Trust me. Like, this is. It's just normal stuff. Being pathologized.

[Host 3]

Yes.

[Host 1]

Is part of, I think, the downfall of society.

[Host 3]

Yes. All right, well, on that note, the good news is that, like, these are actually normal things. You just like, you need to discuss them with your partner and you don't want to be hanging out three times a week. And he only wants to be hanging out once every now and then. Like, that's fine. Y' all figure out if you can make more. Okay. Bless you all in your man keeping endeavors. Thanks for joining. Joining us on normally Normally airs Tuesdays and Thursdays and you can subscribe anywhere you get your podcast. Get in touch with us@ normallythepodmail.com thanks for listening. And when things get weird, act normally.

[Kelly Maher]

Want to feel more creative but don't have the right laptop? Lenovo.com can help. Look through our legendary lineup of AI powered PCs and devices and find the one that fits fits your passion. Our PCs, powered by Intel Core Ultra processors as well as cutting edge AI tools allow students to focus, learn and create with ease. That's the power of Lenovo with Intel Inside plus, college students and teachers can get 5% off their order. Shop now on Lenovo.com the future's waiting and it needs you.

[Host 1]

This is an iHeart podcast.