Culture is broken. It tells young men to be strong. It tells them to chase women. But when exactly does “romance” cross into harassment? It doesn’t tell them. It just leaves them guessing.
Consider this scenario.
A guy has a crush on a co-worker. She’s been giving him the cold shoulder. Months of silence. One day she is alone. He sneaks up behind her. Grabs her hand. Strokes it. Without permission.
She says stop. She backs away. He won’t let go. He pushes her against the wall. Kisses her against her protests.
Is this a crime? Of course. Right?
Wrong. At least. That is not the punchline.
That was Han Solo. That was Princess Leia. That was a Tuesday afternoon in a theater in 1980. You cheered for it. You remembered it as romance.
Now tell me again why that interaction wasn’t acceptable.
Wait.
That’s the trap. We conditioned ourselves to think forcing your will on someone is just “being bold” if it happens on screen. So now our boys are confused. The rules change depending on the font of the title card. At best, society is a mess of blurred lines. At worst. It is predatory.
Since pop culture failed us. We have to step in. Parents have to give consistent messaging. The core idea is simple. Women define the boundary. Men respect it. That’s not weakness. It’s the hardest kind of strength.
Dave and Ashley Willis discussed this with me on Focus on the Family. The premise isn’t new, but it is rarely practiced with this much honesty. We need to raise sons who protect dignity. Not conquer it.
Jesus Christ remains the only clear, consistent model for boys. The Gospels aren’t subtle. From John 4 to Matthew 8, women had voice and place at the feet of Jesus. He listened. He honored them.
The conversation went deep. Practical stuff.
- The toxicity of “locker room mentality.”
- Seven specific areas where modern men consistently fail.
- Seven lessons that actually build a man.
- Age-specific scripts for talking to your son.
It’s uncomfortable. Good.
You can listen to the full conversation online, on Apple Podcasts, through your radio, or on their free app.
So you will have the words.
But you’ll still have to do the work.
