Whether we’re talking about the murders and attempted murders of pro-abortion rights lawmakers in Minnesota, the MAGA Republicans in Congress attacking our rights, Donald Trump’s 2024 election win, or any other number of current political and social issues, there’s a question that keeps coming up: What the hell is up with men these days? It’s clearer than ever that (mostly white) men are hurting—but why is this happening, and what can be done to change things?
We go in search of the answers to these questions on the latest episode of On the Issues, where host Michele Goodwin is joined by Jackson Katz, Gary Barker and Cody Thompson to talk about the issues facing men—and how we can address them, in order to get our democracy back on track.
If you want to go even deeper, Katz also guest-edited a special “Report on Men” for our Summer issue (which you can get right now as a standalone for just $5)—including pieces that delve into the rise of the “bro-casts,” the clinicians combating the “male loneliness epidemic,” JD Vance and the performance of masculinity, and so much more.
If you’ve been enjoying the recently-released documentary Dear Ms. on HBO, and want to go deeper into the history and legacy of Ms., you’re in luck! Our latest podcast Looking Back, Moving Forward explores through the lens of Ms. not only how we got to where we are now, but how our shared histories illuminate the path toward an intersectional feminist future—featuring the voices of iconic feminist leaders like legendary labor activist Dolores Huerta, reproductive rights advocate Renee Bracey Sherman, Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey, civil rights attorney Debra Katz and more.
And our new partnership with ProQuest means that for the first time ever, the full catalog of Ms. issues will soon be available to access online. (If you’re interested, contact your local public library about acquiring the ProQuest archive!)
When I think about Ms.’ legacy, more than the covers or the stories, I think about the vision that drove us to do the work we did—and that we continue to do. It’s a vision of a better world, for women and girls: a future without violence, and with autonomy, equal pay, and equal legal rights and protections. Such a world will be better for men as well.
As our podcast title suggests, I don’t want to look back without looking forward too—there are so many lessons we can take from our past struggles to forge the fight forward. We’re going to need those lessons more than ever.
P.S. From the very beginning, Ms. has always enjoyed the support of our male allies. In celebration of the release of our special report on men, we’re bringing back an iconic piece from actor Alan Alda that ran in Ms.’ original report on men in the October 1975 issue:
