We have some excellent commentary here, but I want you to keep in mind an adage that will serve you well on the modern internet.
"If something immediately makes me feel anger, repulsion, or joy, with even a simple blurb, it's probably manipulating me."
First off, Newsweek is hardly an unbiased source these days. The majority shareholder is Dev Pagrad, is exceptionally wealthy, and has been repeatedly pushing newsweek to be an arm of the right wing's propaganda machine. It is HARD LINE far-right, Anti-trans, anti-woman, anti-immigrant, anti-science
To cite the Southern Poverty Law Center (by way of Wikipedia)
In November 2022, theย Southern Poverty Law Centerย reported thatย Newsweekย had "taken a markedย radical rightย turn by buoying extremists and promoting authoritarian leaders" since it hired conservative political activistย Josh Hammerย asย editor-at-large. It noted the magazine's elevation ofย conspiracy theorists, publication of conspiracy theories aboutย COVID-19, views such as support for a ban on all legal immigration to the United States and denying adults access toย trans-affirming medical care, and failure to disclose potentialย conflicts of interestย in the content published on Hammer's opinion section and podcast.
https://web.archive.org/web/20221106005834/https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2022/11/04/newsweek-embraces-anti-democracy-hard-right
Newsweek, when even linking to the study it cites, doesn't... actually link to the study. It just links to newsweek's "study" tab. It does MENTION the study, which allowed me to track it down.
https://www.ipsos.com/en-uk/almost-third-gen-z-men-globally-agree-wife-should-obey-her-husband
IPSOS is a MARKETING FIRM, whose CEO Jean Laurent Poitou, was the former head of Accenture, under whose leadership, sure did a lot of fraud, engaging in tax avoidance, and other such conservative-leaning behaviors, and who generally is affiliated with the traditional right.
Let's add another one.
The group "Global Institute for Womenโs Leadership at Kingโs Business School, Kingโs College London" just so happens to be at the school that the Current CEO of newsweek is not just an alum of, but is a major contributor to the funding for. It's always weird when something extremely polarizing comes from, a group that's directly funded by the CEO or owner of the conservative newspaper that's publishing it, as well as from research done by a Marketing firm in the pockets of wealthy conservatives! Funny how that always seems to happen!
But if we actually look at IPSOS's study, you'll see that a lot of the numbers have been gently massaged and their methodology is EXTREMELY opaque. After all, they're not a scientific institution. They're a MARKETING FIRM.
The biggest conclusion if you read their own paper, is ACTUALLY, that MOST PEOPLE seem to hold progressive views on women's autonomy, but think that THEIR COUNTRY still majority holds draconian views on women's autonomy.
Things their own study says:
A Majority of Gen Z believes that women shouldn't "always obey" their husbands.
A Majority of Gen Z has concerns that their society holds draconian beliefs about women.
What the results of the SPIN on this facts, as well as how many in the comments are reacting, is actually perpetuating the Traditional Right's views on Gender and Marriage.
I need you to understand that it actively benefits the traditional right when you lean into gender essentialism and believe that Men Are Evil. That Men Are Monsters. It makes the default assumption of men be that they will always be predators, meaning that when they DO do something predator, nobody's surprised; well that's just how men are; when he finds the RIGHT woman who can Tame Him, then he'll behave; that's the duty of a woman after all; to put up with men abusing her until she finds one who is the Right One, who she can handle.
What this article ALSO does, is scare progressive women, scares queerfolk, scares young folk, and makes conservatives feel emboldened and empowered.
You need to ALWAYS, ALWAYS, remind yourself: "If something immediately makes me feel anger, repulsion, or Joy, with even a simple blurb, it's probably manipulating me."
And more than that, you need to remember the follow up:
WHO BENEFITS FROM MAKING ME FEEL THIS WAY?
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