On Friedersdorf, the conversation kicks off with Mark discussing his column on purity balls, where fathers pledge to protect the chastity of their daughters. They next talk about Mark’s profile of David Frum—are Frum’s politics a psychological reaction to his famous mother? Conor disagrees with Frum’s dismissal of libertarianism, but thinks he deserves credit for publicly changing his mind at some cost to his financial well-being. The two go on to consider what the goal of parenting is, and the thing that parents in Mark’s neighborhood fear most. They discuss the good and the bad (but mainly the good) of the sexual revolution, and Conor argues that society should stigmatize absent fathers.
Play entire videoMark on purity balls
Jessica Valenti’s book, “The Purity Myth”
Mark’s profile of David Frum
Michael Brendan Dougherty on the Obamacons
Frum’s diavlog with Jonah Goldberg
Frum’s 2003 piece, “Unpatriotic Conservatives”
Conor and Phoebe Connelly on the role of parenting
Conor on the goal of parenting
E.D. Hirsch’s book, “The Schools We Need: And Why We Don’t Have Them”
Jonathan Last on the sexual revolution
Ross Douthat on the sexual revolution
Noah Millman on the sexual revolution
Elizabeth Anscombe’s 1972 essay, “Contraception and Chastity”
Katie Roiphe on single mothers
Dougherty on single mothers
Millman on single mothers
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