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Culture War Roundup for the week of November 24, 2025

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I think there's a simpler explanation for the demise of the Promise Keepers than wicked feminist scheming: it's religion, Jake.

As a religiously-based and affiliated organisation, it was never going to get traction in the mainstream. And within its own little sphere, later on new fads came along and this faded. Anybody else remember the foofarah around Purity Rings and Purity Balls and the rest of it? They may still be going, but it's years now since I read shocked denunciations of the incestuous vibe of it all on social media.

Re: the Duluth model, I had to look this up and by the Wikipedia article it's been much criticised. I'd be a tiny bit more sympathetic about your complalnt there, save that I read this story in the news very recently. Ex-partner attacks woman with axe, sets fire to house, drowns himself. "Why this foolish notion that women are at risk from men?" you ask, and I point to this. Except for some guys who really are walking around with "I'm trouble" labelled on their face, how do you know that if you take up with Joe and then break up with Joe, Joe is not going to try and axe-murder you? It's a gamble!

Anybody else remember the foofarah around Purity Rings and Purity Balls and the rest of it?

I do. It did reek of Evangelical desperation to me, and very obviously seemed cringey. On a second though I think you're right about the Duluth Model in the sense that I do believe it's a sexual Marxist concept designed to benefit the oppressed class of women but I don't think it was meant to somehow compel men to claim responsibility for women. I should not have included it.