“Do you really think you’re tougher than Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt or Lord of Winterfell, Ned Stark?” This is the seemingly nonsensical question Marcus and Esme pose to their male listeners in this week’s episode (Please note: This question will make sense once you listen to the episode). One of the central tenets of traditional masculinity is that men must be protectors and providers for their families. This is not a bad impulse in-and-of itself. Men should want to take care of the people they care about. However, manosphere grifters like to use the concept of being a protector to justify aggressive, domineering, and violent behaviors and attitudes towards women. The problem with this framing is that men – specifically husbands, boyfriends, and fathers - are the leading perpetrators of violent crime and homicide against women and children globally. In other words, these traditional beliefs might lead men to become the antithesis of protectors. But, Marcus and Esme still think that being a protector is a good impulse; and they identify two things men can do to help them become the kind of protectors who partner with their loved ones to ensure their families’ physical and emotional safety. Now, some men won’t like it when they hear what this two-step process entails. But this is when those same men must ask themselves the very peculiar question from the top of the description (which, again, will make sense once you listen to the episode . . . promise). Visit our website: crazytogetherpod.com Contact us: https://www.crazytogetherpod.com/contact Sources for this episode include: World Health Organization. Child Maltreatment. 8 May 2026, https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/child-maltreatment. United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, and UN Women. Gender‑Related Killings of Women and Girls (Femicide/Feminicide): Global Estimates of Female Intimate Partner/Family‑Related Homicides in 2022. UNODC & UN Women, 2023, https://www.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/2023-11/gender-related-killings-of-women-and-girls-femicide-feminicide-global-estimates-2022-en.pdf. Gračanin, Asmir, et al. “Is Crying a Self-Soothing Behavior?” Frontiers in Psychology, vol. 5, 2014, p. 502, doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00502. PubMed Central, PMCID: PMC4035568, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4035568/. Millings, Abigail, et al. “Holding Back the Tears: Individual Differences in Adult Crying Proneness Reflect Attachment Orientation and Attitudes to Crying.” Frontiers in Psychology, vol. 7, 2016, p. 1003, doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01003. PubMed Central, PMCID: PMC4934120, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4934120/. Murube, Juan. “Hypotheses on the Development of Psychoemotional Tearing.” The Ocular Surface, vol. 7, no. 4, Oct. 2009, pp. 171–75. Elsevier, doi:10.1016/S1542-0124(12)70184-2. Burgess, Lana. “8 Benefits of Crying: Why Do We Cry, and When to Seek Support.” Medical News Today, updated 19 May 2026, https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/319631. Grabmeier, Jeff. “Domestic Violence Often Comes From Men Who Repress Emotions, Feel Threatened, Study Finds.” Ohio State News, 8 Dec. 2002, https://news.osu.edu/domestic-violence-often-comes-from-men-who-repress-emotions-feel-threatened-study-finds. Petts, Richard J., Chris Knoester, and Jane Waldfogel. “Fathers’ Paternity Leave‑Taking and Children’s Perceptions of Father‑Child Relationships in the United States.” Sex Roles, vol. 82, nos. 3–4, 2019, pp. 173–188, doi:10.1007/s11199-019-01050-y. PubMed Central, PMCID: PMC7030161. Noori, Rebecca. “Paternity Leave Benefits: Important But Often Overlooked.” Benepass Blog, 30 May 2024, https://getbenepass.com/blog/paternity-leave-benefits. Our theme music Midnight—Declan DP [Audio Library Release] Music provided by Audio Library Plus Watch: • Midnight — Declan DP | Free Backgroun... Free Download / Stream: https://alplus.io/midnight-declan-dp
