Dr. James Dobson is a clinical psychologist, founder of Christian media empire Focus on the Family, a spiritual advisor to every Republican President since Reagan, and a paragon in the Evangelical Christian movement. And he's a massive dick.
Join therapists Jake (a former Evangelical) and Brooke (who knows almost nothing about Evangelical culture) as they read and tear apart Dobson's works. Get ready to laugh, cry, and rip your hair out as we explore the very many reasons why I Hate James Dobson.
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Dr. James Dobson is a clinical psychologist, founder of Christian media empire Focus on the Family, a spiritual advisor to every Republican President since Reagan, and a paragon in the Evangelical Christian movement. And he's a massive dick.
Join therapists Jake (a former Evangelical) and Brooke (who knows almost nothing about Evangelical culture) as they read and tear apart Dobson's works. Get ready to laugh, cry, and rip your hair out as we explore the very many reasons why I Hate James Dobson.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
It's a family affair on this episode of I Hate James Dobson, as Jake and Brooke are joined by Kevin - Jake's older brother, a rocket scientist*, and one cool guy. It's exciting! What's less exciting is that they are talking about creationism. Boo. A family that laughs about shared trauma together stays together?
References:
Answers in Genesis. (2014, February 4). Bill Nye Debates Ken Ham - HD (Official) [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6kgvhG3AkI
Boston, R. (2019, July 31). Ken Ham's Ark Park Floats On A Sea Of Taxpayer Subsidies. Americans United. https://www.au.org/the-latest/articles/ark-park-money
Inspiring Philosophy. (2022, January 7). The Origins of Young Earth Creationism [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLcNTAi0Cw4
Lucke, J. (2023, October 26). Mike Johnson defended Noah's Ark attraction in Kentucky before becoming U.S. House speaker. Kentucky Lantern. https://kentuckylantern.com/briefs/mike-johnson-defended-noahs-ark-attraction-in-kentucky-before-becoming-u-s-house-speaker/#:~:text=By:%20Jamie%20Lucke%20-%20October%2026,U.S.%20Rep.
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This episode is a case study in going with the flow as both Jake and Brooke made last-minute pivots to cover the new season of Shiny Happy People. It's like a greatest hits of I Hate James Dobson - and Brooke learns the real reason for the season. Plus, the episode is just a vibe, really.
Works Cited:
Crist, O. et al. (Directors). (2025, July 23). Shiny Happy People Season 2: A Teenage Holy War. [Docuseries]. Amazon Prime Video. https://www.amazon.com/Shiny-Happy-People-Teenage-Holy/dp/B0FD3G7PP7
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Welcome back, readers! It's good to see you again! It's less good to get back to talking about the Duggars though. In this episode, Jake tells Brooke about the history of the Duggars as political figures, and weaves the story of their cult leader, Bill Gothard. They do not have particularly kind things to say about that man - or really anyone in power in these stories. Turns out staying under their umbrellas leads to destruction! (Is that anything?)
References:
Challis, M. (2023, June 7). How the new documentary series Shiny Happy People intersects with mainstream Christianity. BaptistNews.com. https://baptistnews.com/article/how-the-new-documentary-series-shiny-happy-people-intersects-with-mainstream-christianity/
Crist, O. & Nason, J. W. (Directors). (2023, June 2). Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets [DocuSeries]. AmazonPrime. https://www.amazon.com/Shiny-Happy-People-Duggar-Secrets/dp/B0B8TR2QV5
Duggar, J., et al (2023). Counting the Cost: A Memoir. Gallery Books.
Duggar, J., Duggar, M. (n.d.) Our Story. DuggarFamily.com. https://www.duggarfamily.com/our-story/
Espada, M. (2023, June 2). The True Story Behind the Duggar Family Docuseries Shiny Happy People. Time.com. https://time.com/6284603/shiny-happy-people-duggar-family-true-story/
Gurley, A. (2023, July 19). Who is Bill Gothard? Everything to Know About the Institute in Basic Life Principles Founder. People.com. https://people.com/who-is-bill-gothard-the-institute-in-basic-life-principles-founder-7506014
Radnofsky, C. (2022, February 6). Ministry that once nourished Duggar family's faith falls from grace. NBCNews.com. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/ministry-nourished-duggar-familys-faith-falls-grace-rcna14024
Timeless truths from God's Word for our lives and relationships. IBLP.org. https://iblp.org/basic-life-principles/
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Hey readers, speeders, and pizza eaters! Today, Brooke is taking the lead to explore just who the heck the Duggars are and how the broader, secular world understands them. Next episode, Jake will be a usual nerd and talk about the theology, psychology, and politics related to the Duggars, so enjoy this nice break while you can. Also, Brooke was very very excited for this one :)
Citations:
Crist, O. & Nason, J. W. (Directors). (2023, June 2). Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets [DocuSeries]. AmazonPrime. https://www.amazon.com/Shiny-Happy-People-Duggar-Secrets/dp/B0B8TR2QV5
Duggar, J., et al (2023). Counting the Cost: A Memoir. Gallery Books.
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Things sure are bleak out there, huh? Thankfully, Jake and Brooke are here to lighten it up by talking about furries, conspiracy theories, and cartoons. That's right, distinguished listeners, today we are going to be talking about the life and times of the one and only Jack Chick. Get ready to laugh at awful things.
Buy merch! ihatejamesdobson.printful.me or ihatejamesdobson.com
References:
Alberto Rivera. (2025, March 23). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Alberto_Rivera_(activist)&oldid=1281921120
Chick Publications (n.d.) About Jack Chick. https://www.chick.com/authors/jack-chick
Chick Publications. (n.d.) Tracts. https://www.chick.com/products/category?type=tracts#&&Category=All&SortBy=A-Z&PageNumber=1&Language=English&ShowCount=12&Status=Stock
Daniels, D. (2016, Oct 16). You Don't Know Jack [Playlist]. Youtube. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=totLO3sV6-Y&list=PLhmAbEGx-AnTTNoJgObb_sbvekP6tscLl
Jack Chick. (2025, May 15). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jack_Chick&oldid=1290569957
John Todd (conspiracy theorist). (2025, May 1). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=John_Todd_(conspiracy_theorist)&oldid=1288193460
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Gay! For this year's Pride Month extravaganza, Jake and Brooke look at the stories of queer people who knew James Dobson. Since we aren't talking about Dobson directly, there's at least 50% less trauma attached to it.
Also: we have merch now! Check it out at ihatejamesdobson.printful.me :)
References:
Cantorna, A. (2017). Refocusing My Family: Coming Out, Being Cast Out, and Rediscovering the True Love of God. Fortress Press.
Cantoran-Wylde, A. (2023). Out of Focus: My Story of Sexuality, Shame, and Toxic Evangelicalism. Westminster John Knox Press.
Rosebush, M. (2021, July 29. I Lived the Most Unusual Gay Christian Life Ever. GAYoda on Medium. https://medium.com/gayoda/i-lived-the-most-unusual-gay-christian-life-ever-cbf864aff18b
Rosebush, M. (2021, August 13). Fired for NOT Providing Conversion Therapy. GAYoda on Medium. https://medium.com/gayoda/fired-for-not-providing-conversion-therapy-50e905645851
Rosebush, M. (2021, August 22). My Insider Story of hte "Focus on the Family" v. "Gay Rights" Culture War. GAYoda on Medium. https://medium.com/gayoda/my-insider-story-of-the-focus-on-the-family-v-gay-rights-culture-war-a06f7798f65c
Rosebush, M. (2021, September 11). Gay Husband + Straight Wife = Mixed Bag. GAYoda on Medium. https://medium.com/gayoda/gay-husband-straight-wife-mixed-bag-f5271a1f598d
Rosebush, M. (2021, September 16). You Can Be Gay and Christian at the Same Time. GAYoda on Medium. https://medium.com/gayoda/you-can-be-christian-and-gay-at-the-same-time-36ff2f894c4e
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As you can tell by this very normal episode length, today's episode is... a lot. Today, Jake goes through a Dobson Heavy-Hitter "Parenting Isn't For Cowards" with Corina and Brooke. This book takes us to places, well exactly where you'd expect honestly. And yet somehow it's still surprising and upsetting. Yay.
Listen to "Lessons from the Couch" wherever you get your podcasts!
References:
C. Jamie Mater “The Troubled Teen Industry and Its Effects: An Oral History” University of New Hampshire Inquiry Journal, April 2022 https://www.unh.edu/inquiryjournal/blog/2022/04/troubled-teen-industry-its-effects-oral-history
Hollihan, T. A. & Riley, P. (1987). The Rheotircal Power of a Compelling Story: A Criqute of a “Toughlove” Parental Support Group. Communication Quartely (35:1, pp 13-25).
Robertson, E. L. (2023, August 30). Aggressive Children Need Parent-Focused Interventions. PsychologyToday.com. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/what-psychopathy-is-and-isnt/202308/aggressive-children-need-parent-focused-interventions
Stockton, A. (2022, October 11). Can you punish a child's mental health problems away? New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/10/11/opinion/teen-mental-health-care.html
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Happy Monday, readers! Today, Jake and Brooke are joined by Corina (host of "Lessons from the Couch") to talk about love, intimacy, marriage - and how James Dobson gets it all wrong. Things get wild when 3 therapists talk shit about another clinician. You know us, famous for getting wild on this blog.
Listen to "Lessons from the Couch" wherever you get your podcasts!
Book referrals:
References:
Brittle, Z. (2015, July 30). Committment. The Gottman Institue. https://www.gottman.com/blog/commitment/
Carothers, Bobbi and Harry Reis. “Men and Women Are from Earth: Examining the Latent Structure of Gender,” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 104, no. 2 (2013).
Gaspard, T. (2019, April 24). What to Do if You Don’t Trust Each Other. The Gottman Institute. https://www.gottman.com/blog/what-to-do-if-you-dont-trust-each-other/
George, M. B. (2025, February 5). What Do Trust and Commitment Look Like in a Relationship? The Gottman Institute. https://www.gottman.com/blog/what-does-trust-and-commitment-look-like-in-a-relationship/
James, D., & Drakich, J. (1993). Understanding gender differences in amount of talk: A critical review of research. In D. Tannen (Ed.), Gender and conversational interaction (pp. 281–312). Oxford University Press.
What is the Sound Relationship House? (2020, November 30). The Gottman Institute. https://www.gottman.com/blog/what-is-the-sound-relationship-house/
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Public education was nice while we had it, too bad it's being lit on fire (like everything else). And yes, it is James Dobson's fault (also like everything else). Today, Jake and Brooke explore Dobson's influence in the homeschooling movement - and hear from the big D himself. So, you have that to look forward to in this episode I guess.
References:
Campbell, F. A., Pungello, E. P., Burchinal, M., Kainz, K., Pan, Y., Wasik, B. H., ... & Ramey, C. T. (2012). Adult outcomes as a function of an early childhood educational program: an Abecedarian Project follow-up. Developmental psychology, 48(4), 1033.
Dobson, J. (Host). (2010, September 10). School Can Wait [Audio podcast episode]. In Family Talk. Focus on the Family. https://www.drjamesdobson.org/broadcasts/school-can-wait
Dobson, J. (Host). (2010, November 24). Update on Homeschooling [Audio podcast episode]. In Family Talk. Focus on the Family. https://www.drjamesdobson.org/broadcasts/update-on-homeschooling
Hampton, G. (Director). (2022). Schoolhouse Rocked: The Homeschool Revolution. [YouTube Video]. Bronze Oxen Films LLC
Heckman, J., Pinto, R., & Savelyev, P. (2013). Understanding the mechanisms through which an influential early childhood program boosted adult outcomes. American economic review, 103(6), 2052-2086.
Lavin, T. (2024). Wild Faith: How the Christian Right is Taking Over America. Legacy Lit.
McClelland, M. M., Acock, A. C., Piccinin, A., Rhea, S. A., & Stallings, M. C. (2013). Relations between preschool attention span-persistence and age 25 educational outcomes. Early childhood research quarterly, 28(2), 314-324.
McCoy, D. C., Yoshikawa, H., Ziol-Guest, K. M., Duncan, G. J., Schindler, H. S., Magnuson, K., ... & Shonkoff, J. P. (2017). Impacts of early childhood education on medium-and long-term educational outcomes. Educational researcher, 46(8), 474-487.
My blog research spreadsheet/mental breakdown: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/19fNvWgzwYTWy2xJrDUnv5eX1wlAKjIviWHzmOZd-GRc/edit?usp=sharing
Reynolds, A. J., Temple, J. A., Ou, S. R., Arteaga, I. A., & White, B. A. (2011). School-based early childhood education and age-28 well-being: Effects by timing, dosage, and subgroups. Science, 333(6040), 360-364.
von Suchodoletz A, Lee DS, Henry J, Tamang S, Premachandra B, Yoshikawa H (2023) Early childhood education and care quality and associations with child outcomes: A meta-analysis. PLoS ONE 18(5): e0285985. https://doi.org/ 10.1371/journal.pone.0285985
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If the name "James Dobson" sends a chill down your spine, or if you just like listening to two friends read horrible books, do we have the show for you! Welcome to I Hate James Dobson, a podcast where two therapists break down the works of clinical psychologist/child abuse advocate James Dobson. It's a good time about a terrible person. Thanks for listening to our show :)
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James Dobson has like 4 topics he writes about, so let's talk about masculinity again! Jake and Brooke go through Dobson's book "Straight Talk to Men" published in the year of our Lord Y2K. Surprisingly, Dobson gets a bunch of stuff wrong. Let's find out together!
Benny Bingo and the Evangelikids: https://www.theannoyance.com/show/the-evangelikids
References:
DeAngelis, T. (2001, December 1). Are men emotional mummies? Monitor on Psychology, 32(11). https://www.apa.org/monitor/dec01/mummies
Laoutaris, N. (2024, November 18). Men’s Issues and Therapy Techniques. FirstSession.com. https://www.firstsession.com/resources/mens-issues-therapy-techniques
Levant, R. F., Allen, P. A., & Lien, M. C. (2014). Alexithymia in men: How and when do emotional processing deficiencies occur?. Psychology of Men & Masculinity, 15(3), 324.
Levant, R. F., Hall, R. J., Williams, C. M., & Hasan, N. T. (2009). Gender differences in alexithymia. Psychology of men & masculinity, 10(3), 190.
Liaqat, H., Malik, T. A., & Bilal, A. (2020). Impact of masculinity and normative male alexithymia on interpersonal difficulties in young adult males. Mediterranean Journal of Clinical Psychology, 8(2).
London, D. (n.d.) What’s Not Normal About Male Normative Alexithymia. ThePsychologyGroup.com. https://thepsychologygroup.com/male-normative-alexithymia/
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Welcome back, here's what you missed on I Hate James Dobson: Jake was a closeted evangelical kid, which was like really cringe but also bad for them. Then they left the church and found stability but still had a bad horrible fashion sense. Brooke cried as Jake read Defying Gravity because two theater kids are just like that sometimes. And also they talked about the band Skillet (flop). And that's what you missed on I Hate James Dobson.
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Happy 1 year anniversary everyone! This episode, Jake and Brooke get personal and explore Jake's journey of deconstructing from Evangelical Christianity. Ever thought you'd have someone discuss Skillet and Wicked in the same hour? That's the kind of ground-breaking, high quality content you can expect from I Hate James Dobson.
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Love is in the air - and crosshairs. Today, Brooke and Jake take a dive into the mailbag, and then discuss Dobson's hateful and unhinged 2004 book "Marriage Under Fire". It's bad, y'all. It is bigoted, dumb, and full of a surprising amount of WWII references for some reason. To quote Lana Ja'Rae, at this point all you can do is laugh.
References:
Canada Bill C-16 (2016): https://www.parl.ca/DocumentViewer/en/42-1/bill/c-16/royal-assent
Canada Bill C-250 (2004): https://www.parl.ca/DocumentViewer/en/37-3/bill/C-250/royal-assent
Etymology of Homophobia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homophobia#Etymology
Fulton v. City of Philadelphia: https://www.oyez.org/cases/2020/19-123
Lawrence v. Texas: https://www.oyez.org/cases/2002/02-102
LGBT Adoption Laws in the US: https://www.lgbtmap.org/equality-maps/foster_and_adoption_laws
Matthew Shephard Foundation: https://www.matthewshepard.org/
Norway & the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Better Life Index: https://www.oecdbetterlifeindex.org/countries/norway/
Norway's parental benefits: https://www.norden.org/en/info-norden/parental-benefit-and-parental-leave-norway
Obergefell v. Hodges: https://www.oyez.org/cases/2014/14-556
Sheerin, J. (2018). Matthew Shephard: The murder that changed America. BBC.com. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-45968606
Yurcaba & Sopelsa (2025): Lawmakers in 9 states propose measures to undermine same-sex marriage rights. NBCNews.com. https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-politics-and-policy/lawmakers-9-states-propose-measures-undermine-sex-marriage-rights-rcna193743
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It's back to the Dobson literature this episode and today we are talking about psychology and therapy! Jake and Brooke read through (an updated version of) Dobson's second-ever book. We see again how Dobson is not only a bad person, but he's also lazy and wrong as he takes us through his greatest "hits" of obviously-fake-stories. Wanna see Dobson 'in his lane'? That's what this book is.
References:
Coopersmith, S. (1967). The Antecedents of Self-Esteem. W. H. Freeman and Company.
Dr. Becky Kennedy: https://www.goodinside.com/about/
Dunn, J. (2018). How not to hate your husband after kids. Little, Brown and Company.
Gershoff, E. T., & Grogan-Kaylor, A. (2016). Spanking and child outcomes: Old controversies and new meta-analyses. Journal of family psychology, 30(4), 453.
Laska, K. M., Gurman, A. S., & Wampold, B. E. (2014). Expanding the lens of evidence-based practice in psychotherapy: a common factors perspective. Psychotherapy, 51(4), 467.
Ms. Rachel: https://www.youtube.com/@msrachel
Payne Bryson, T) & Siegel, D. J. (2011). The Whole-Brain Child. Bantam.
Dobson's Copy/Paste Q&A
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Quick, go vacuum and make your bed - because today we have a guest! Jake is joined by Talia Lavin, author of "Wild Faith: How the Christian Right is Taking Over America". They talk about Talia's book, deconstructing from fundamentalist religions, surviving fascism, and sandwiches.
Links to find Talia's work!
Buy Wild Faith: How the Christian Right is Taking Over America
Buy Culture Warlords: My Journey into the Dark Web of White Supremacy
Subscribe to Talia's newsletter: The Sword and the Sandwich
Find Talia on BlueSky: @swordsjew.bsky.social
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Well today sucks! But you're not alone. Join Jake & Brooke as they read Talia Lavin's incredible book: "Wild Faith: How the Christian Right is Taking Over America" and discuss how we got here, what comes next, and what to do about it. It's a good time! Well, not good. It's a fun time! No, fun isn't exactly the right word either. It's a time! But I hope you enjoy it nevertheless :)
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We now return to our regularly scheduled sadness as Jake and Brooke examine 3 different adaptations of "Left Behind" to see what they tell us about Evangelicalism's evolving relationship to the end of the world.
Also, Nicholas Cage.
References:
Mendoza, Francisco G. III (2021) "The End of the World According to Q," PANDION: The Osprey Journal of Research and Ideas: Vol. 2: No. 1, Article 12.
About LaHaye's lawsuit: https://web.archive.org/web/20080817074214/http://christianfilmnews.com/1007/left-behind-author-sues/
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Happy Holidays, readers! Today, Brooke takes over to teach Jake how to take the Christ out of Christmas. Make some hot chocolate, grab a blanket, and get cozy as we build traditions that are new and gay.
References:
Brooke
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