This episode discusses sexual assault, consent, and allegations of sexual misconduct involving college students. The Cornell allegations remain the subject of ongoing legal proceedings.
Most parents can explain the rules of consent to their sons. But consent is only the legal minimum. Will he notice when someone isn’t okay? Will he speak up when his friends cross a line? And will the grown men around him show him how?
In this solo episode of The ManFlu, host Lucy McAfee starts with a show she was excited to talk about. Prime Video’s Off Campus gave millions of viewers college hockey players who check in, ask questions, and look out for the women in their lives. Then the Cornell fraternity sexual assault allegations made national headlines, along with disturbing messages reportedly shared in a fraternity group chat. Her plans for this episode changed.
Lucy brings in a perspective on the difference between consent and care. Care asks whether a person feels safe, feels comfortable, and is in any state to make a choice. She also pushes back on a familiar response. Every time headlines call for raising boys better, the job lands on mothers. So where are the grown men in this conversation?
Lucy offers one small shift drawn from Dr. Becky Kennedy and Eli Harwood, and it starts long before college with moments as ordinary as a playground or a wrestling match. Press play to hear practical ways to help boys practice care and courage, and why healthy masculinity needs grown men willing to model it.
Episode Breakdown:
00:00 Welcome to The ManFlu With Lucy McAfee
01:16 Off Campus and Hockey Players Who Check In
05:11 How the Cornell Case Changed This Episode
06:55 What We Know About the Cornell Allegations
11:14 The Perfect Victim Myth
13:06 Care Should Be the Standard
15:25 The Good Guy With the Text Fallacy
18:06 Where Are the Grown Men in This?
20:37 Practicing Courage With Dr. Becky and Eli Harwood
24:04 One Small Shift: Rehearse the Right Thing
Mentioned in this episode
Sources
Listener Support:
RAINN | National Sexual Assault Hotline
Free, confidential support available 24/7.
Phone: 800-656-HOPE (4673)
Connect with Lucy McAfee:
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm
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