From Limbaugh to Rogan: The Rise of the Conservative ‘Brocast’

In the wake of Trump’s reelection—America’s first “podcast election”—commentators pointed to his surprising success with young male voters, driven in part by appearances on popular “brocasts” like The Joe Rogan Experience and Bussin’ With the Boys. These shows, often focused on comedy, sports and self-improvement, gave Trump a platform to project masculine authenticity and connect with disaffected young men. As UFC CEO Dana White put it, podcasters like the Nelk Boys and Adin Ross played a pivotal role in Trump’s victory.

Conservative media has created a space where right-wing ideas feel rebellious and “real men” vote Republican. These podcasts offer not just political messaging but a sense of belonging during a “loneliness epidemic.” Unless Democrats figure out how to enter these spaces and shift the narrative, they risk losing another generation of young male voters.

Forget East Coast Cool—Joan Didion Was a California Woman

An excerpt of The World According to Joan Didion, by Evelyn McDonnell, out July 29:

In a little-known 1978 speech, Joan Didion wrestled with the meaning of womanhood, feminism and identity in her home state of California.

Didion wrote, “I realized that I have been writing about the California woman all my adult life, that what it means to be a California woman has been a great question to me—the California woman has been—if not exactly my subject—at least quite certainly my material.”

Being a woman in a long line of mothers of courage, in community with other women, and a link in a chain to future women was intrinsic to Joan Didion’s identity.

Finding My Fight Again: How Billie Jean King Lit My Fire—Twice

I’m tired. Maybe you are too.

I’ve been fighting for gender equality for over two decades—pushing against outdated norms, challenging industries that resist change and speaking up in rooms where I wasn’t always welcome. And while I’ve seen progress, the setbacks have a way of draining your spirit.

But last week, I felt a shift in my energy.

I saw Billie Jean, the new play about Billie Jean King, at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater. And just like that, something inside me reignited.

I’m writing thisn ot to share a story about a play, but to share a truth about persistence. The path to equality is long, winding and punishing. But it is also worth every step.

What Would Social Media Look Like if it Was Made for Women? How Women are Navigating Social Media During the Second Trump Administration

Following the 2024 election and the presidential inauguration, women faced a dramatic increase in online harassment. Across X, TikTok, Facebook and other social platforms, statements calling for the repeal of the 19th Amendment resurfaced and increased by 633 percent compared to the previous week. Increasingly jarring, “Your body, my choice,” became a trending phrase on Facebook and grew by over 4600 percent on X. 

Olivia DeRamus, the founder and CEO of Communia, a social networking app and self development platform made for women, said that the social networking app has become a place for women to take refuge from the dramatic uptick in online harassment following the 2024 election and the inauguration. 

Thank You, Cassie Ventura. Your Voice Broke the Silence for Millions of Survivors.

Dear Cassie Ventura,

Millions who do not have the celebrity, resources or platform to speak out are exceptionally grateful for your voice, and the voice of all the courageous women who literally take the stand. 

The millions of women who have experienced rape and sexual assault are grateful at a time when resources for them are in danger of elimination.

Now Streaming: New Film ‘Lilly’ Tells Transformative Story of Equal-Pay Hero Lilly Ledbetter

It’s tempting these dark days to dismiss the idea that any one person can make a difference. And yet, every day ordinary people fight injustice. And some days, those people persist long enough, resist long enough, that their fights rise to national prominence.

One such fight is chronicled in the new film Lilly, released in theaters this May and now available for rent. The brainchild of director Rachel Feldman, Lilly tells the story of Lilly Ledbetter, “an ordinary woman who became extraordinary,” in the words of Patricia Clarkson, who portrays her in the film.

Fast Facts About Bea Feitler, the Pioneering Graphic Designer You’ve Never Heard Of

For our Summer 2025 issue, Ms. is going retro. The cover for the latest print issue is an homage to the October 1975 issue, which offered a “Special Issue on Men.” Both covers, 50 years apart, show a man in jeans and a T-shirt (the 1975 model was, no joke, Robert Redford) with a rolled-up issue of Ms. in his back pocket, honing in on the idea that women’s rights is a men’s issue too.

It’s the perfect time to remember Bea Feitler, the early Ms. art director who designed the 1975 men’s issue cover. Despite being a prominent designer (she art-directed Harper’s Bazaar and other magazines throughout the 1960s and ’70s), Feitler is largely unknown today.

In honor of her incredible legacy, which inspires Ms. staffers to this day, here are some of our favorite facts about Feitler and her remarkable life and work.

What’s Up With Men?

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