This week, Meagan and Sydney take a deep, unflinching look at the New York Times conversation that asked whether liberal feminism has “ruined” the workplace. The original title alone sparked widespread outrage, and the discussion that followed revealed just how pervasive patriarchal logic remains in mainstream discourse.
In this episode, Megan and Sydney unpack the rhetorical moves, logical fallacies, and internalized misogyny embedded in the arguments made by Helen Andrews, Leah Sargeant, and moderator Ross Douthat. Drawing on clinical experience, trauma-informed feminist theory, rhetorical analysis, and the real psychological impact these narratives have on women, they break down why this debate missed the mark—and why it matters.
Together, they explore:
• What “wokeness” actually means, and how awareness of harm has been pathologized
• The psychological and systemic relevance of the Me Too movement as truth-telling, not overreach
• How patriarchal systems manufacture women’s dependency and then weaponize it against them
• The realities of motherhood penalties, economic inequity, and the policing of reproduction
• The binary thinking underlying claims about “feminized” workplaces and why these binaries harm everyone
• Evidence that empathy, collaboration, accountability, and psychological safety strengthen institutions
• Why male loneliness, emotional suppression, and resistance to change are symptoms of patriarchal conditioning
• The historical and ongoing contributions of women that directly shape modern life and workplace progress
Through rhetorical analysis, clinical insight, and lived experience, Megan and Sydney prove that women have never “ruined” the workplace. Women transformed it.
For listeners who feel the resonance of this conversation—whether anger, validation, or relief—this episode offers grounding, clarity, and an invitation to challenge the narratives that limit all of us.
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