I Hate James Dobson

It's episode 69, y'all, let's get sexual. I'm not sure how explicit I can make this episode description, I'm sure the SEO for this episode will be shot anyway. Nevertheless, enjoy an overly-academic psychosexual analysis of a dead guy, and Brooke's incredible writing skills. This is a good one, though maybe not one to listen to in mixed company.

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So like the answer is clearly no, because Vance is Catholic. Right? Jake and Brooke dig into the truth - and, more interestingly, the propaganda. Warning: we talk about American politics. This is as close to a "midterm" episode as we will get I promise.

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References and Recommended Readings:

Epstein, G. (2026, February 12). AI-Powered Surveillance Is Turning the United States into a Digital Police State. Now is the TIme to Stop it. Technology for Liberty Policy Counsel. https://www.aclum.org/publications/ai-powered-surveillance-is-turning-the-united-states-into-a-digital-police-state-now-is-the-time-to-stop-it/

Leslie, P. (2025, Spring-Summer). The Misuse of Rene Girard by Peter Thiel, J.D. Vance and the American Right. Salmagundi Magazine. https://salmagundi.skidmore.edu/articles/1176-from-philosophy-to-power

Luscombe, R. (2026, April 14). JD Vance defends Trump amid spat with Pope Leo: 'Stick to matters of morality'. TheGuardian.com. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/14/jd-vance-defends-trump-pope-leo-spat

Nelson, L. (2012, May 25) PayPal Founder Peter Thiel Continues to Tout Anti-Government Manifesto. Southern Poverty Law Center. https://www.splcenter.org/resources/reports/paypal-founder-peter-thiel-continues-tout-anti-government-manifesto/

Smith, G. A., et al. (2026, June 12). On the Country's 250th Anniversary, the American People Are in a Sour Mood. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/2026/06/12/on-the-countrys-250th-anniversary-the-american-people-are-in-a-sour-mood/

Tait, R. (2026, September 13). JD Vance's Catholicism could be at odds with Maga evangelicals in 2028. TheGuardian.com. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/sep/13/jd-vance-religion-catholic-evangelical-maga

Volksgeist. (2025, November 5). The Antichrist is Here: Story of Peter Thiel. YouTube.com. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAeTKyY3LB4

Volksgeist. (2025, December 19). God's Favorite Hypocrite: The Story of JD Vance. YouTube.com. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFnFTcYlZ9I

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Good morning/afternoon/evening to you, dear reader. Today, Jake and Brooke take a step back, take a breath, and laugh at the weird world of Christian Kids Media. Come for the nostalgia, stay for the donut man song. It's an unironically fun one today, I think we all deserve it.

Watch "You Can't Fool Me" here, if you dare: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mZUk9P1BzQ

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Howdy pardners! Today, Jake and Brooke take a dip into the world of true crime as they discuss the recent Netflix Documentary "The Death of the Pastor's Wife", and how it ties in to Love & Respect, and the extended Dobson-verse more broadly. Spoilers for the documentary contained within. Go watch that first, it's worth your time. Even if Netflix isn't worth the money anymore - they want you to pay how much for streaming? Remember when Hulu was free? Now that's a true crime story.

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We are so back, everyone. And this might be the episode that breaks Jake, or at least one where they find a new opp. Today, Jake and Brooke talk about the putrid publication "Love & Respect". It gets really dark and Jake "full Muppet" (their own description). This may be your favorite - or least favorite - episode, depending on how much of a masochist you are. Either way, we are in this together.

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References:

Gregorie, S. W. (2019, January 14). A Review of How Love and Respect Gets Sex Horribly Wrong. BareMarriage.com. https://baremarriage.com/2019/01/love-and-respect-review-how-sex-portrayed/

Gregorie, S. W. (2020, January 15). An Open Letter to Focus on the Family about Love & Respect and Emerson Eggerichs. BareMarriage.com. https://baremarriage.com/2020/01/open-letter-focus-on-the-family-love-respect-emerson-eggerichs/

n.a. (2024, March 27). Religious Change in America. Public Religion Research Institute. https://prri.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/PRRI-March-2024-Religious-Change-1.pdf.

n.a. (2025, July 21). Exvangelicals: Who They Are, Why They Left, and What They Believe. Public Religion Research Institute. https://prri.org/spotlight/exvangelicals-who-they-are-why-they-left-and-what-they-believe/

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This third and final novel puts Jake and Brooke's mental fortitude to the test. We finally get the answers to questions no one was asking, like "What happens to Kevin Tolbert?" (nothing) and "Will Matthew Adams finally face justice?" (kind of). All that and more in this episode.

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References: Gonya, D. (2017, Jan 10). From The Start, Obama Struggled With Fallout From A Kind Of Fake News. NPR.org https://www.npr.org/2017/01/10/509164679/from-the-start-obama-struggled-with-fallout-from-a-kind-of-fake-news

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We're unfortunately back, back, back, again with another Dobson novel. It's a sequel to his first novel, "Fatherless", and it's somehow even hornier than last time. It's also a poorly written mystery, and entirely ineffective social critique - all in 1! Wow!

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Ill-Conceived Podcast can be found at https://www.illconceivedpodcast.com or wherever you get your podcasts

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I feel like the title really says it all on this one, folks. Dobson wrote a novel about eugenics. It's wildly horny. It's pretty bad. Jake and Brooke will tell you all about it - and also a lot about sandwiches. That's mostly unrelated.

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Wowza! We have guests! Today, Jake is joined by Kevin and Kelly to talk about what comes after James Dobson. You know, ironically, James Dobson did bring my family closer together - through shared hatred. Talk about family values.

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Happy Pride part 2! Today, Jake and Brooke dive back into the tragic world of Bringing Up Boys to talk about the rot under the hood. While they tear apart conversion therapy and its proponents, there are also big laughs and lots of silliness. The two genders.

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Some medical organizations statements against conversion therapy:

American Medical Association: https://www.ama-assn.org/system/files/conversion-therapy-issue-brief.pdf

American Psychological Association: https://www.apa.org/topics/lgbtq/evidence-against-conversion-therapy

American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy: https://plus.aamft.org/chiles-v-salazar-faq/

References:

The Patrick Custer Show. (2025, December 12). Michael Passons (Pt 1) Breaks Silence: His Truth About Avalon, Christian Music & 20‑Year Return [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmWXtnECYP0

The Patrick Custer Show. (2025, December 23).Michael Passons' Full Story (Pt 2): Forced Out of Avalon, Out of The Closet & Conversion Therapy [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZ9ctLW-2Yo

Skinner, J. (Host). (2020, September 22). Michael Passons [Audio Podcast Episode]. In Jonah and the Whale. Lasting Media Group. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/jonah-and-the-whale/id1396748811

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Happy Pride, Readers! This is an episode Jake has been waiting to make for a second now, so get ready as Jake and Brooke talk about the story of John Paulk, first told in Bringing up Boys and then re-examined 25 years later in the podcast "Atonement: The John Paulk Story". It's a story of pain, redemption, and c*nty letters from TV producers - it really is everything you'd want from a Pride episode.

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Howdy ho, readers! On this episode, Jake and Brooke discuss the finale of the Focus on the Family Film series, a movie with a title so obnoxious it was one of the first running jokes of the blog: What Wives Wish Their Husbands Knew About Women. Brooke and Jake discuss the content, as well as just why Dobson is so bad at all of this. And now, we never have to talk about this terrible title ever again.

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Hi there readers! Ready to hear James Dobson talk about the birds and the bees? No? Too bad, that's what today's episode is. Jake and Brooke (and very special guest Josh Boerman from The Worst of All Possible Worlds) to talk about the next two videos in Dobson's classic "Focus on the Family" film series. And if I put what the conversation is about, I will ruin all SEO opportunities so you'll have to listen and find out what happens!

Check out Josh's work:

https://joshboerman.com

https://www.patreon.com/cw/WorstOfAll

https://illconceivedpodcast.com

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References:

Kerner, I. (8 December 2016). Press Release on Sex Addiction. American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists. https://www.aasect.org/sites/default/files/AASECT_Press_Release_on_Sex_Addiction.pdf

n.a. (n.d.) AASECT Position on Sex Addiction. American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists. https://www.aasect.org/position-sex-addiction

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Hi! Today, Jake and Brooke conclude their conversations on "The Strong-Willed Child" a series that feels like it's been going on since these books were first published. They talk about the 2004 reprint, how Dobson's views did (not) evolve over time, and what the legacy of this collection of trash has meant for so many.

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Welcome back, readers, to another installment in everyone's least favorite Dobson work, the one that just won't end - The Strong-Willed Child. Today, Jake and Brooke watch Dobson's 2-part lectures on raising the so-called Strong-Willed Child and take a walk down memory (traumatic flashback) lane as they revist all the worst parts. However frustrated you are, just imagine how much moreso Brooke is at the thought of going back to this garbage pile of source material.

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References:

n.a. (February 2019). Resolution on Physical Discipline of Children By Parents. American Psychological Association. https://www.apa.org/about/policy/physical-discipline.pdf

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Break out your tie dye shirts and make sure your latch key kids have snacks in the fridge because today, Jake & Brooke travel back to the 1980s to discuss the life and legacy of Harold Morris - and how that legacy was coopted by James Dobson to... mixed results. We talk about prison, DARE, and Punky Brewster, among other salacious topics.

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Hello! Welcome and welcome back! Today, Jake and Brooke discuss an early Dobson work, back when he was still a working psychologist. What a horrifying thought. There's time to talk about Freud, Middlemarch, and too many checklists.

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Howdy readers! Today, Jake and Brooke start with an extra-exciting announcement: the launch of the official I Hate James Dobson Patreon! Then they get into less exciting things, like the rise of Christian Nationalism and so-called "counter-terrorism" directives. Important and interesting, but less exciting. This episode has it all!

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References:

Hundley, M. (2021). A Moral Crusade: The Preservation fo Segregation by Southern Baptists in Alabama. The Crimson Historical Review. University of Alabama. https://crimsonhistorical.ua.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Moral_Crusade_Final.pdf

Klippenstein , K. (2025). Trump's NSPM-7 Labels Common Beliefs As Terrorism "Indicators". KenKlippenstien.com. https://www.kenklippenstein.com/p/trumps-nspm-7-labels-common-beliefs

n.a. (2025). New immigration Crackdown: Where Americans Stand. Public Religion Research Institute. https://prri.org/research/the-new-immigration-crackdown-where-americans-stand/

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Hi! Today, Jake and Brooke discuss one of Dobson's very first films "What Dads Need to Know About Fatherhood", a movie that is truly... nothing. At least we will always have Cats in the Cradle, I suppose. This is a silly one, readers.

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Put on your best Elle Woods cosplay, readers, because today Jake and Brooke discuss the legal organization called the Alliance Defending Freedom. This Dobson creation continues to wreak havoc on all of our lives in big and small ways. Even if you've seen the John Oliver segment on it, you still don't hate them enough.

References:

Bragman, W. (2026, Jan 5). Experts Warn U.S. in Early Stages of Genocide Against Trans Americans. ImportantContext.com. https://www.importantcontext.news/p/experts-warn-us-in-early-stages-of

Last Week Tonight. (2025, May 12). Alliance Defending Freedom [Video]. HBO & YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCAuHH5EYnE

LIttlefield, A. (2021, November 30). The Christian Legal Army Behind the Ban on Abortion in Mississippi. The Nation. https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/alliance-defending-freedom-dobbs/

Ward, I. (2024, march 25). The Group Behind Dobbs Does Not Want to Talk About What Comes Next. Politico. https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2024/03/25/head-of-alliance-defending-freedom-Kristen-Waggoner-speaks-on-mifepristone-00148565

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