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  • Natalism and The New York Times

    Natalism and The New York Times
    2026/07/18

    As part of the national push by natalists to roll back the clock on gender policy in the United States, recent articles about birth rates have started popping up in the country's paper of record. One of those articles, published just last week, was written by someone we've covered quite a bit on the show already. This week, Josh and June check it out alongside four other articles about birth rates in The New York Times to get a sense of how the issue is being framed, both in good and bad faith, as a matter of news and public opinion.

    ***WANT MORE ILL CONCEIVED? Every other week, we release B-side supplements to the main episodes where we read your e-mail responses and discuss things further. Come check us out at Patreon.com/illconceived!***

    ***WE WANT YOUR THOUGHTS FOR THE WORLD FAMOUS MAILBAG! Send an email with feedback about this week's episode to illconceivedpod@gmail.com***

    EPISODE ART: The headquarters of The New York Times in midtown Manhattan

    AUDIO CLIPS:

    • 26:07 – The "Gen Z boss and a mini" TikTok that made a lot of men extremely angry

    SOURCES:

    • “The Quest to ‘Make America Fertile Again’ Stalls Under Trump” by Caroline Kitchener (The New York Times, January 13, 2026)
    • “The Birthrate Is Plunging. Why Some Say That’s a Good Thing.” by Sabrina Tavernise and Jeff Adelson (The New York Times, February 27, 2026)
    • “Women in Their 20s May Not Be Having Babies, but by 45 Most Probably Will” by Claire Kane Miller (The New York Times, April 9, 2026)
    • “A Conservative Role Model for Ending the Fertility Crisis” by Anenoma Hartocollis (The New York Times, July 8, 2026)
    • “The Population Bust Is Coming Sooner Than Anyone Is Prepared For” By Lyman Stone (The New York Times, July 11, 2026)

    FOLLOW THE SHOW:

    • Website: illconceivedpodcast.com
    • Bluesky: ‪@illconceivedpodcast.com
    • Tumblr: @illconceivedpod

    FOLLOW JOSH:

    • Website: joshboerman.com
    • Bluesky: @bosh.worstpossible.world
    • Other podcast: The Worst of All Possible Worlds
    • Stream: Traditional Scrench

    FOLLOW JUNE:

    • Bluesky: @junlper.beer
    • Other podcast: Kill The Computer
    • Writing: June's Substack

    ILL CONCEIVED THEME SONG BY: Caleb (Linktree / Bluesky)
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    1 時間 34 分
  • Vladimir Putin

    Vladimir Putin
    2026/08/10
    Under President Vladimir Putin, the Russian Federation managed for a time to greatly slow the population and fertility decrease that the country experienced in the wake of the fall of the Soviet Union. However, things stalled out in the mid-2010s, and the escalation of the war in Ukraine has only made matters worse. This week, Josh and June take a look at Putin's attempts to engineer demographic growth in Russia over the years and discover how the war has created an insurmountable roadblock that is nevertheless changing fundamental principles of Russian society. ***WANT MORE ILL CONCEIVED? Every other week, we release B-side supplements to the main episodes where we read your e-mail responses and discuss things further. Come check us out at Patreon.com/illconceived!*** ***WE WANT YOUR THOUGHTS FOR THE WORLD FAMOUS MAILBAG! Send an email with feedback about this week's episode to illconceivedpod@gmail.com*** EPISODE ART: Vladimir Putin, the president of the Russian Federation. First elected president in 2000, Putin will theoretically be able to serve as Russia's president until 2036 thanks to a series of rule changes and constitutional amendments. AUDIO CLIPS: 1:17:25 – Putin's remarks at the 2026 Mother Heroine Awards SOURCES: Announcement of The Order of Parental Glory (Russian Kremlin, June 1, 2026)Announcement of the Year of the Family (Russian Kremlin, January 23, 2024)Putin's remarks from meeting with participants and winners of all-Russian family contests (Russian Kremlin, January 23, 2024)Announcement of Executive Order on social support measures for large families (Russian Kremlin, January 23, 2024)Total fertility rate statistics for Russia and Ukraine (The World Bank)English-language constitution of the Russian Federation, including the 2020 amendmentsFull text of Russia's demographic growth conceptCoverage of a Yakutian family winning in the 2025 Family of the Year competition (Yakutiya 24, 2025)"Putin Honors Large Families, Links Mother Heroine Awards to Traditional Values" (APT, June 1, 2026)"There are almost no reasons left for abortion" by Varvara Petrenko (Gazeta.ru, February 14, 2012)"The Russian Orthodox Church and its fight against abortion: taking on the state and losing" by Pål Kolstø (Religion, State & Society, 2023, vol. 51 no. 2)"Putin considers it necessary for families to "be born early" in Russia" (TASS, January 25, 2024)"Russia Is in Demographic Free Fall. Putin Isn’t Helping." by Anna Nemtsova (The Atlantic, April 29, 2025)"Russian kindergarteners, schoolchildren and students began to be massively taken to taken on excursions to registry offices" (Verstka, March 3, 2026)VKontakte post about a school trip to a civil registry officeCDC data on births in the United States from 1999 FOLLOW THE SHOW: Website: illconceivedpodcast.comBluesky: ‪@illconceivedpodcast.comTumblr: @illconceivedpod FOLLOW JOSH: Website: joshboerman.comBluesky: @bosh.worstpossible.worldOther podcast: The Worst of All Possible WorldsStream: Traditional Scrench FOLLOW JUNE: Bluesky: @junlper.beerOther podcast: Kill The ComputerWriting: June's Substack ILL CONCEIVED THEME SONG BY: Caleb (Linktree / Bluesky)
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    1 時間 42 分
  • Natalism and The New York Times: The B-Side (PREVIEW)

    Natalism and The New York Times: The B-Side (PREVIEW)
    2026/07/24

    THIS IS A PREVIEW OF A BONUS B-SIDE EPISODE. For access to the full length version of this and every other biweekly bonus B-side, go to Patreon.com/illconceived

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    Wouldn't you know it, right after we put out our episode about the Times, they published yet another weird soft-focus profile of an anti-feminist woman. We're talking about it, plus we read your letters about:

    • The tragedy of Andrea Yates
    • Vanity license plates and car culture as a reflection of natalism
    • The relationship between right-wing ideology and social conformity
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    25 分
  • Viktor Orbán: The B-Side (PREVIEW)

    Viktor Orbán: The B-Side (PREVIEW)
    2026/06/27

    THIS IS A PREVIEW OF A BONUS B-SIDE EPISODE. For access to the full length version of this and every other biweekly bonus B-side, go to Patreon.com/illconceived

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    This one's mostly about Rod Dreher. We also read your letters about:

    • Performing sex live on stage (this is a reminder to get your tickets to Thursday's Chicago live show!)
    • Why grandparents can't retire
    • The mechanics of Orbán's Home Building Allowance for Families policy and its longer-term impacts on the Hungarian housing market
    • The overlap between Fidesz and the Heritage Foundation, as well as their connecting link: the Danube Institute
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    25 分
  • Viktor Orbán

    Viktor Orbán
    2026/06/21
    ***TICKETS TO OUR JULY 2 SHOW IN CHICAGO ARE ON SALE! GET YOUR TICKETS NOW BY CLICKING HERE!!!!*** While natalism as a political project has its proponents, few heads of state have been willing to attempt to use the full force of the state to raise birth rates. However, one leader does stand out: Hungary's recently-ousted prime minister, Viktor Orbán. This week, June and Josh take a look at Orban's 16-year term as PM, the effects of his policies, and the ways that right-wing authoritarianism in Europe both mirrors and partners with similar movements in the United States. ***WANT MORE ILL CONCEIVED? Every other week, we release B-side supplements to the main episodes where we read your e-mail responses and discuss things further. Come check us out at Patreon.com/illconceived!*** ***WE WANT YOUR THOUGHTS FOR THE WORLD FAMOUS MAILBAG! Send an email with feedback about this week's episode to illconceivedpod@gmail.com*** EPISODE ART: Viktor Orbán, the former prime minister of Hungary. AUDIO CLIPS: 1:08:34 – Marco Rubio speaking in Budapest in February 2026, declaring a "golden era" in relations between Hungary and the United States1:14:09 – JD Vance calling Donald Trump at an April 2026 Viktor Orban election rally in Budapest SOURCES: How Viktor Orban hollowed out Hungary’s democracyHow Viktor Orbán’s Hungary Eroded the Rule of Law and Free MarketsHungary’s opposition struggles to beat Viktor Orban’s stealth autocracyHome Building Allowance for FamiliesViktor Orban’s pro-natalist policies are not workingIn a state of necessity. How has Orban changed HungaryHungary passes constitutional amendment to ban LGBTQ+ public eventsHungary Ends Legal Recognition for Transgender and Intersex PeopleHungary’s ongoing demographic decline: an increase in birth rates is the only hopeAuthoritarian Populism in Disguise: Orbán’s Anti-Worker ‘Pro-Worker’ RegimeHungary races to build border fence as migrants keep comingOrbán rejects the European Union’s migration agreement and defends keeping asylum seekers out of EU territoryConference of U.S. conservatives opens in Orban’s HungaryHungary offered €30,000 to couples having 3 kids—but its birth rate has still fallen to a record monthly lowVance, after rallying in Hungary for Orban, says he wasn’t surprised by the autocrat’s defeatHungary: Prime Minister Viktor Orbán announced a seven-point family protection action planHungary’s New Leader Reveals Viktor Orbán Was Paying CPAC Here's why American conservatives are heading to Hungary for a big conferenceAt CPAC, Hungary’s Orban decries LGBTQ+ rights, migration What one country's experiment says about attempts to boost birth rates Farewell To Hungary, And To Europe FOLLOW THE SHOW: Website: illconceivedpodcast.comBluesky: ‪@illconceivedpodcast.comTumblr: @illconceivedpod FOLLOW JOSH: Website: joshboerman.comBluesky: @bosh.worstpossible.worldOther podcast: The Worst of All Possible WorldsStream: Traditional Scrench FOLLOW JUNE: Bluesky: @junlper.beerOther podcast: Kill The ComputerWriting: June's Substack ILL CONCEIVED THEME SONG BY: Caleb (Linktree / Bluesky)
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    1 時間 32 分
  • Simone & Malcolm Collins: The B-Side (PREVIEW)

    Simone & Malcolm Collins: The B-Side (PREVIEW)
    2026/06/07

    THIS IS A PREVIEW OF A BONUS B-SIDE EPISODE. For access to the full length version of this and every other biweekly bonus B-side, go to Patreon.com/illconceived

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    We weren't able to cover everything we wanted to discuss about the Collins family in the main episode, so this week we dug in for a look at the Based Camp Discord community, the Collins Institute's bespoke homeschool learning management system Parrhesia.io, and Malcom's attempt at crafting a core family theology.

    Plus, we read your letters about:

    • Josh blowing it on knowing anything about Lord of the Rings

    • The sociopolitical context of the University of St Andrews in Scotland

    • The creative output of genetic dead-enders like us
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    40 分
  • Simone & Malcolm Collins

    Simone & Malcolm Collins
    2026/05/30
    In mainstream media coverage of natalism, one specific couple keeps popping up. Their eccentric appearance and apparent ironclad commitment to the principles of tech natalism make them catnip to curious reporters, who have profiled them exhaustively. But who are Simone and Malcolm Collins, and what are they actually trying to sell you? This week, Josh and June do their best to find out. ***GET TICKETS TO JOSH'S SHOW IN CINCINNATI HERE AND THE ILL CONCEIVED JUNE 4TH LIVE SHOW IN CHICAGO HERE!!!*** ***WANT MORE ILL CONCEIVED? Every other week, we release B-side supplements to the main episodes where we read your e-mail responses and discuss things further. Come check us out at Patreon.com/illconceived!*** ***WE WANT YOUR THOUGHTS FOR THE WORLD FAMOUS MAILBAG! Send an email with feedback about this week's episode to illconceivedpod@gmail.com*** EPISODE ART: Malcolm and Simone Collins in a press photo by Hannah Yoon AUDIO CLIPS: 18:35 – Simone Collins in a YouTube video entitled "Are You an Ambivert?" originally uploaded in November 201124:15 – Simone performing a cover of the Firefly theme song in a video originally uploaded to YouTube in July 201146:59 – Simone introduces Malcolm to the channel in a video originally uploaded to YouTube in November 2014 1:00:08 – Malcolm and Simone discuss "A Pragmatist's Take on the Red Pill" originally uploaded to YouTube in March 20201:16:46 – The introduction to the Based Camp episode "One Conspiracy Explains All Modern Culture (This Explains EVERYTHING)" originally uploaded to YouTube in May 20261:20:09 – The Bort license plate scene from "Itchy And Scratchy Land" (The Simpsons, S06E04) SOURCES: "How I Proposed to My Girlfriend on Reddit" by Malcolm Collins (Huffington Post, August 6, 2013)ArtCorgi's profile on Crunchbase"Why Many Entrepreneurs Are Turning to a ‘Search-Fund’ Model" by Glenn Hunter (D Magazine, January 9, 2017)"Scoop: Dialog, a secretive forum, plans D.C.-area campus" by Mike Allen (Axios, August 7, 2025)Simone's LinkedIn profileMalcolm's LinkedIn profileSimone's Reddit accountMalcolm's Reddit account"Meet the ‘elite’ couples breeding to save mankind" by Io Dodds (The Telegraph, April 19, 2023)"About Simone and Malcolm Collins’ Smear Campaign Against Me" by Lyman Stone (Medium post, October 22, 2024)"America’s premier pronatalists on having ‘tons of kids’ to save the world: ‘There are going to be countries of old people starving to death’" by Jenny Kleeman (The Guardian, May 25, 2024)Based Camp on YouTube FOLLOW THE SHOW: Website: illconceivedpodcast.comBluesky: ‪@illconceivedpodcast.comTumblr: @illconceivedpod FOLLOW JOSH: Website: joshboerman.comBluesky: @bosh.worstpossible.worldOther podcast: The Worst of All Possible WorldsStream: Traditional Scrench FOLLOW JUNE: Bluesky: @junlper.beerOther podcast: Kill The ComputerWriting: June's Substack ILL CONCEIVED THEME SONG BY: Caleb (Linktree / Bluesky)
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    1 時間 59 分
  • JD Vance: The B-Side (PREVIEW)

    JD Vance: The B-Side (PREVIEW)
    2026/05/16

    THIS IS A PREVIEW OF A BONUS B-SIDE EPISODE. For access to the full length version of this and every other biweekly bonus B-side, go to Patreon.com/illconceived

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    The natalist arguments of people like JD Vance are increasingly being used to defend new laws rolling back bodily autonomy, and in Wyoming, a newly signed "fetal heartbeat" bill has made this connection explicit. We're talking about it, plus we read your mail about:

    • The tendencies of fundamentalist Catholicism vs. more mainstream Catholicism and the people they tend to attract

    • The varying cultural tendences of different ethnic Catholic traditions

    • JD's connection to Erika Kirk and her whole deal
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    28 分