MModern Wisdom
← All episodes
George TheTinMen21 March 2024

Why Does No One Care About Men’s Mental Health? - George TheTinMen - #760

0Frameworks
19Insights

Insights & moments

The myth-busts, hot takes, explainers, and tools worth keeping.

Myth Buster· 5

Myth Buster37:30

Why a Woman Legally Cannot Commit Rape in the UK

George explains that under the UK's Sexual Offences Act, rape is legally defined as requiring penile penetration, meaning a woman cannot be charged with rape no matter what she does — only with 'forced to penetrate' or as an accessory in a joint offense. He argues this legal gap distorts statistics that claim 99% of rapists are men, since women are structurally excluded from the category.

  • UK's Sexual Offences Act defines rape as requiring a penis, so women cannot be prosecuted for rape
  • The offense a woman can be charged with instead is 'forced to penetrate', which is rarely captured in data
  • The '99% of rapists are men' statistic is misleading because women are legally excluded from that category
  • A woman helping a man commit rape (joint venture) is the only scenario where a woman can be legally tied to rape in the UK

If you don't have a penis, you can't commit rape. Doesn't matter what you do.

George · 37:30
#UK law#sexual assault#statistics#legal system
Myth Buster44:00

Domestic Violence Is Not Just a Male Problem

George lays out what he sees as three blind spots in the domestic violence conversation: bilateral abuse is common, causes go beyond 'male power and control,' and it isn't a purely gendered issue. He also highlights that male suicides caused by domestic abuse and psychological pressure, along with tactics like parental alienation, are almost never discussed despite being widespread.

  • About 77% of domestic homicides are men killing women, but male suicides caused by domestic abuse are rarely counted or discussed
  • When suicides from abuse are factored in, George claims more male deaths result from domestic violence than female
  • Parental alienation — turning a child against the other parent — is described as an unrecognized form of abuse
  • London Mayor Sadiq Khan's claim that male violence victims are mostly harmed by other men is challenged with a stat that only ~1% of domestic violence against men is committed by other men

The constant bombardment pressure of psychological abuse by both men and women is horrific and not discussed.

George · 47:30
#domestic violence#suicide#parental alienation#statistics
Myth Buster59:30

Unmarried Fathers Have Zero Legal Rights in the UK

George explains that in the UK, an unmarried father who isn't named on the birth certificate has no legal rights to his child, while the mother retains full rights regardless of marital status. He argues this is a stark, rarely discussed example of structural discrimination against men.

  • UK fathers must be married to the mother or named on the birth certificate to have any legal rights to their child
  • Mothers retain full parental rights whether single, divorced, or married — no such requirement applies to them
  • George calls this the reverse of typical patriarchy claims: men needing marriage to access rights women get automatically
  • He suggests spending time outside UK family courts reveals widespread stories of systemic bias against fathers

Imagine a woman not having rights to something unless she was married to a man. That is the ultimate patriarchy definition.

George · 60:30
#custody rights#UK law#fatherhood#legal system
Myth Buster62:00

Leg-Lengthening Surgery and the Rise of Male Body Dysmorphia

Responding to a Billie Eilish comment that men don't face body criticism 'because women are nice,' George counters that men increasingly show more body dysmorphia symptoms than women, particularly around height, hairlines, facial hair, and penis size. He details the extreme, dangerous cosmetic procedures men now pursue, including femur-breaking leg-lengthening surgery and risky penile implants.

  • George cites data suggesting men now show more signs of body dysmorphic disorder than women
  • Leg-lengthening surgery involves surgically breaking femurs, inserting titanium rods, and extending them over months for about 6 inches of height
  • Penis implants ('femina' — a silicone insert) are described as extremely dangerous and largely unnecessary
  • Many men pursuing these procedures report psychological motives like feeling inadequate compared to an ex-partner, not medical need

For someone like Billie Eilish who has learned a lot about being shamed and objectified for her body, she should know better.

George · 63:00
#body image#men's mental health#cosmetic surgery#double standards
Myth Buster67:30

The Biggest Hiring Bias Study Ever Found Men Are Now Discriminated Against

George cites what he calls the largest study ever conducted on hiring bias, spanning 40 years and roughly 18 studies with hundreds of thousands of applicants, which found bias against women in male-dominated fields has disappeared or reversed, while bias against men in female-dominated fields remains consistent. He also cites an Australian blind-hiring experiment for government jobs that was scrapped after it produced more male hires.

  • Large meta-study found bias against women applying to male-dominated fields has largely vanished or reversed
  • Bias against men applying to female-dominated fields (teaching, healthcare, psychology) remains consistent
  • Public and academic perceptions of hiring bias were found to be three to four times off from the actual data
  • Australia tried blind (gender-removed) CVs for government hiring, got more male hires, and scrapped the policy

Biggest study ever done into hiring bias has found that men are the ones being discriminated against.

George · 69:00
#hiring bias#workplace discrimination#research#gender equality

Hot Take· 1

Hot Take82:00

Why Circumcision Gets a Pass While FGM Doesn't

George argues it's inconsistent for the political right to campaign fiercely against trans-affirming surgery on minors while ignoring infant circumcision, a non-consensual surgery performed on millions of baby boys with almost no medical benefit. He points out that circumcision removes tissue biologically comparable to FGM Type 1A, one of which is illegal and one of which is culturally normalized.

  • Roughly 60% of baby boys and 80% of American men are circumcised, mostly for cultural, aesthetic, or religious reasons rather than medical need
  • Circumcision removes more than half of the penis's nerve endings and its most sensitive tissue
  • Complications include erectile dysfunction, infection, and reportedly over 100 infant deaths per year in America
  • FGM Type 1A removes biologically comparable tissue to circumcision (the clitoral hood/prepuce vs. foreskin) yet one is illegal and one isn't
  • 14 national health organizations, mostly in Europe, have come out against circumcision as a bodily autonomy violation

It blows my mind how people think that right-wing pundits don't seem to mind ideological altering of baby's genitals.

George · 82:30
#circumcision#bodily autonomy#double standards#medical ethics

Explainer· 6

Explainer11:30

Inside 'Are We Dating the Same Guy' Facebook Groups

George explains how these women-only Facebook groups, originally meant to help vet dates for safety, morphed into spaces for doxxing men, sharing their photos, workplaces, and bodies for humiliation, and even tracking partners via phone facial recognition, Apple Tags, and reflections in glasses. He says the fallout has included suicides and men unable to get false content removed.

  • Groups exist in most major Western cities with 10,000 to 150,000+ members, women-only
  • Started as dating safety groups, evolved into doxxing and body-shaming forums
  • Tactics described include unlocking a sleeping partner's phone via facial recognition and planting Apple Tags on a partner's car
  • George says it has contributed to suicides and at least one case of a man being killed by a partner
  • Men report being unable to get false posts removed even after contacting Facebook

It became a space where women were sort of sharing photos and names and workplaces... basically doxing them.

George · 12:00

If that was the inverse of a group of hundreds of thousands of men sharing the photos and names of women, that would be outrageous.

George · 14:00
#online safety#doxxing#dating culture#men's mental health
Explainer15:00

The Female Equivalent of Incels: Pink Pill and Female Dating Strategy

George draws a parallel between Reddit's r/thepinkpill and r/femaledatingstrategy and the male incel community, describing both as spaces of generalized anger toward the opposite sex. He suggests these women, much like incels, are shaped by difficult personal experiences and calls for more research into what drives women toward this kind of online radicalization.

  • Pink pill / female dating strategy communities generalize hatred toward men as a category, not individuals
  • George calls them 'the female equivalent of incels'
  • He references William Costello's research tracking demographic patterns among incels
  • He argues both groups are products of negative life experiences rather than being 'born bad'

These to me feel like the female equivalent of incels. Angry, bitter, lonely women who need help.

George · 16:00
#online communities#incels#gender relations#radicalization
Explainer55:00

The Case for Men Having a 'Paper Abortion'

George argues men have effectively no reproductive choice once a woman is pregnant, since she alone decides on abortion, adoption, or safe-haven surrender. He describes a hypothetical concept called 'paper abortion' or 'voluntary parental surrender,' backed by some pro-choice feminists like Karen DeCrow, that would let a man formally forfeit parental rights and financial responsibility early in a pregnancy.

  • After conception a man has no legal choice — the woman decides abortion, adoption, or safe-haven surrender
  • Safe haven laws let a woman give up a baby anonymously up to 3 weeks after birth with no consequence
  • 'Paper abortion' / 'voluntary parental surrender' would let a man forfeit rights/responsibility if he notifies the mother early and helps cover medical costs
  • Feminist Karen DeCrow has supported the idea that a woman's unilateral choice shouldn't obligate a man to finance it
  • George links unwanted pregnancy to worse outcomes for children in general, and wants that logic extended to fathers

Consenting to sex is not consenting to parenthood. And I agree. And that applies to men and women.

George · 58:00
#reproductive rights#fatherhood#policy#child support
Explainer76:30

Gamma Bias: Why We Remember Sarah Everard's Killer But Not the Man Who Died Saving a Stranger

George introduces the concept of 'gamma bias' — the tendency to highlight male perpetration while minimizing male victimhood and heroism. He contrasts the intense, prolonged media coverage of Sarah Everard's murder with the near-total silence around a man who drowned the same week diving into the Thames to save a stranger who had jumped in to end her life.

  • Gamma bias describes overemphasizing male perpetration ('knife man,' 'gun man') while underreporting male victimhood and heroism
  • Sarah Everard's murder by a police officer sparked massive, sustained national outrage
  • The same week, a man died saving a stranger who had jumped into the Thames, and it received almost no coverage
  • George notes even Sarah Everard's own friends said her death was being used for causes she wouldn't have endorsed

We never talked about male heroism or male sacrifice or male bravery.

George · 78:00
#media bias#gamma bias#male heroism#gender narratives
Explainer97:00

The Double Standard of Biphobia in Dating

George explains that bisexual men face a distinct kind of stigma in dating that bisexual women largely don't: many women, he says, won't date bisexual men out of stereotypes that they're 'dirty,' diseased, or secretly gay, while most men have no comparable issue dating bisexual women. He cites a stat that only about one in five women would have sex with a bisexual man.

  • Most men report no issue dating a bisexual woman; George's own girlfriend is bisexual
  • George cites data suggesting only around 1 in 5 women would have sex with a bisexual man
  • Comments he received included men admitting they hide having slept with a man from partners, pretending to be straight
  • He distinguishes this stigma from ordinary dating 'preference,' calling the stereotype-driven avoidance biphobia

I don't even tell women I've had sex with a man. I just pretend I'm straight.

George (quoting commenters) · 98:30
#biphobia#dating#double standards#sexuality
Explainer100:00

Where Men's Advocacy Sits on the Diffusion of Innovation Curve

George applies the classic 'diffusion of innovation' model — used to explain how ideas from civil rights to iPhones go mainstream — to men's and boys' advocacy, arguing the movement is still in its early visionary/early-adopter phase (roughly the first 2–13.5% of the curve) and hasn't yet hit the roughly 16% tipping point needed for mass acceptance.

  • Diffusion of innovation theory holds that an idea needs about 16% adoption to reach a tipping point toward mass acceptance
  • George places men's and boys' advocacy in the 'visionaries' (2%) and 'early adopters' (12.5–13.5%) stages
  • He credits Chris Williamson with helping make these conversations mainstream, intellectual, and shareable
  • He frames the current moment as early but progressing

We are very early on in that graph... we're still quite low down.

George · 100:30
#men's advocacy#social change theory#cultural trends

Story· 6

Story00:00

The Social Media Meltdown Over 'Two Guy Nights a Week'

Robin Dunbar's study found men need roughly two nights a week with friends to protect their mental health, given the strong link between male loneliness and suicide. When the finding spread on social media, the backlash was intense, with commenters mocking the idea and demanding to know why women weren't held to a stricter standard, entirely missing the point about male isolation.

  • Robin Dunbar's study links insufficient time with friends to male loneliness and suicide risk
  • Two nights a week with guy friends was found to be the beneficial amount
  • Social media reaction was overwhelmingly hostile, with commenters calling the idea 'catering to men'
  • Critics conflated 'men' as a group with fathers/husbands neglecting family, which wasn't the claim

This article was written by a man child. Everyone caters to men enough as it is, we're tired of hearing you whining.

George (reading comment) · 01:00

There's nothing wrong with wanting to spend a bit of time with your mates.

George · 01:30
#male loneliness#mental health#social media backlash#friendship
Story04:30

The Best House Party Was the One With No Women

George recounts a university house party where almost no women showed up, leaving an all-male group free to stop performing for anyone. Arm-wrestling tournaments and a giant banana hanging from the ceiling turned into what he calls one of the best, almost 'spiritual' nights of his life, illustrating his broader point about the value of unselfconscious male spaces.

  • Only one woman attended and quickly left, leaving an all-male party
  • Freed from trying to impress women, the group bonded over arm wrestling and games
  • George describes the night as 'almost spiritual' and the best party he's been to
  • He connects it to a wider argument about the loss of male-only spaces in society

It was just the most amazing house party I've ever been to and it was almost like it was spiritual.

George · 05:00
#male spaces#friendship#anecdote#socialization
Story20:00

When Women's Media Bragged About Hitting Their Boyfriends

George describes 'Bad Girls Advice' and a Jezebel article (Jezebel has since gone bankrupt) where women and editors openly bragged about physically abusing male partners — punching them, smashing their glasses — framed as empowerment rather than shame. He contrasts this with research showing domestic abuse is frequently bilateral and that women make up a large share of non-reciprocal abusers.

  • Bad Girls Advice and a Jezebel article featured women bragging about physically abusing male partners
  • Research by Daniel Whittaker found half of domestic abuse relationships are bilateral (both partners abusive)
  • In non-reciprocal abuse cases, women make up 70% of the abusers
  • George says the Jezebel article is still online and hasn't been retracted

There's a clear double standard between men who are violent to women and women who are violent to men.

George · 21:30
#domestic violence#double standards#media#abuse research
Story53:30

She Stabbed Her Boyfriend 108 Times and Got Community Service

George recounts a recent UK case where a woman stabbed her boyfriend to death 108 times and received only 100 hours of community service, reportedly excused by a cannabis-induced episode. He uses the case to argue that courts sometimes strip women of legal autonomy in a way that would never apply to a man committing the same act.

  • Woman stabbed her boyfriend 108 times and killed him
  • Sentence was 100 hours of community service, justified by a claimed cannabis-induced 'rage' state
  • George argues this removes her autonomy/culpability in a way the justice system wouldn't extend to a man
  • He contrasts it with the certainty that a man doing the same to a partner would face severe punishment

That's less than 1 hour per stab.

Chris · 54:00

We're depriving women of autonomy of their own decisions and their own actions.

George · 54:00
#justice system#domestic violence#double standards#UK courts
Story86:00

Oprah Winfrey's Face Cream Is Made From Baby Foreskins

George shares the story of a luxury face cream, reportedly used by Oprah Winfrey, formulated from cloned baby foreskins sourced in Korea and costing hundreds of dollars. He highlights the irony that Oprah is a prominent anti-FGM advocate, questioning why using male infant tissue for cosmetics draws no comparable outrage.

  • A celebrity face cream is reportedly formulated from cloned/cultured baby foreskin cells sourced from Korea, costing hundreds of dollars
  • Oprah Winfrey, a vocal anti-FGM advocate, is reported to use the product
  • George questions the lack of outrage compared to how FGM is discussed
  • He compares it to the idea of making protein powder from female body parts, which would be unthinkable

What happened to the sanctity of the human body? What happened to bodily autonomy and rights?

George · 87:00
#circumcision#double standards#celebrity#bodily autonomy
Story92:30

Boko Haram Took 10,000 Boys and No One Made Signs

George contrasts the global 'Bring Back Our Girls' campaign after Boko Haram kidnapped 276 Nigerian girls in 2014 with the near-total silence around roughly 10,000 Nigerian boys taken as child soldiers by the same group in the following years, calling it a stark example of male disposability.

  • The 2014 kidnapping of Nigerian schoolgirls triggered a massive global campaign, including celebrities and governments
  • Boko Haram had reportedly been kidnapping and killing boys for years before that, with no comparable attention
  • An estimated 10,000 boys were taken and turned into child soldiers or killed in the following years with no equivalent movement
  • George uses this as his clearest example of what he calls 'male disposability'

10,000 boys gone in the following three years. Didn't hear anything. That to me is male disposability.

George · 94:00
#male disposability#global crisis#Boko Haram#media bias

Q&A· 1

Q&A02:00

Steel-Manning the Criticism of Guys' Nights

Chris pushes George to give the strongest version of the opposing view. George concedes there's a real, valid complaint underneath the outrage: some women have dated men who prioritized nightly Xbox sessions or drinking with friends over the relationship, and that pattern deserves acknowledgment even while male-only spaces remain valuable.

  • The 'boys' night every Saturday' meme became genuinely toxic when taken to excess
  • George has dated/heard from women with legitimate complaints about neglectful partners
  • He still defends male-only spaces as important for male bonding and socialization
  • He believes the backlash stems from a fundamental misunderstanding of male loneliness rather than pure malice

If you peel back all the outrage and hysteria, there is actually a fair point.

George · 02:30

I just don't think women can quite understand what it's like to be a lonely man.

George · 03:30
#relationships#male spaces#criticism#loneliness