The New York Times unleashes a scathing attack on Sean Duffy and Rachel Campos-Duffy’s traditional Catholic family, revealing the media’s growing hostility toward those who reject progressive family models.
Key Takeaways
- New York Times journalist Caroline Kitchener published a highly critical piece targeting the Duffy family’s traditional Catholic lifestyle and their rejection of abortion.
- The article mockingly portrays traditional gender roles, their large family size, and even mundane choices like driving a minivan as symbolic of outdated values.
- Prominent conservatives including John Podhoretz and the Duffys’ daughter Evita Duffy-Alfonso have condemned the piece as a biased hit job against traditional family values.
- The article exposes an underlying cultural bias against traditional Catholic families who openly embrace their faith and conservative values in the public sphere.
Media Bias Against Traditional Family Values
In what can only be described as a thinly-veiled attack on traditional family values, The New York Times published a piece that takes aim at Sean Duffy and Rachel Campos-Duffy’s Catholic family lifestyle. The article, penned by Caroline Kitchener, a self-described “family journalist” with a history of abortion advocacy during her time at The Washington Post, begins with a patronizing tone about the family’s social media presence and quickly devolves into criticism of their traditional gender roles and family structure.
“A New York Times article authored by a “family journalist” and former Washington Post correspondent who covered abortion opens with the line: “Sean Duffy would like you to watch his family making pancakes,”” said Caroline Kitchener.
The article mocks even the most ordinary aspects of the Duffy family’s life, including their choice of vehicle. Kitchener’s reporting suggests that driving a minivan and maintaining traditional household roles somehow represent a problematic worldview. The contempt for traditional family structures is hardly concealed as Kitchener picks apart everything from the couple’s podcast discussions on gender roles to their skepticism about birth control and their embrace of natural family planning in accordance with their Catholic faith.
Ridiculing Religious Convictions
Throughout the piece, Kitchener portrays the Duffys’ religious convictions and traditional gender roles as archaic and worthy of derision. She characterizes their family dynamics with a tone that suggests their lifestyle choices are not just different but somehow suspect. The portrayal of Sean Duffy’s transition from reality TV personality to devoted father is framed not as admirable but as something curious or even inauthentic.
“In this all-American household, the roles were clear: Mom whisks and Dad mans the griddle,” Kitchener writes,” said Caroline Kitchener.
Particularly troubling is how the article dismisses Sean Duffy’s comments about the relationship between traditional family structures and happiness, despite research that supports his assertions. Studies have consistently shown correlations between religious practice, stable family structures, and reported happiness levels—yet Kitchener’s article presents his statements as outdated or misinformed. This selective approach to presenting facts reveals the ideological underpinnings of what purports to be objective journalism.
Swift Conservative Backlash
The reaction to Kitchener’s article was immediate and forceful. Sean Duffy and his daughter Evita Duffy-Alfonso publicly condemned the journalist’s approach and framing of their family. John Podhoretz, editor of Commentary magazine, didn’t mince words in his assessment of the piece, calling it a vile caricature designed to demean conservative figures who openly live by their traditional values.
“A red-blooded American male who once scored with reality TV stars, he is now a devoted dad with his own chicken coop and beehives, publicly pledging his commitment to his wife and their old Chrysler minivan,” Kitchener wrote,” said Caroline Kitchener.
The article’s closing mockery of the Duffy family’s planned “Great American Road Trip” further demonstrates the cultural divide. What many would view as a wholesome family activity becomes, through Kitchener’s lens, another opportunity for derision. This approach exposes a troubling reality: mainstream media outlets increasingly treat traditional family structures and religious convictions not as legitimate lifestyle choices deserving respect, but as targets for ridicule and objects of suspicion.
The Broader Culture War
This hit piece against the Duffy family represents more than just bad journalism—it symbolizes the intensifying culture war against traditional values in America. Large Catholic families who reject progressive gender ideology and abortion are increasingly portrayed as extremists rather than Americans exercising their religious freedom. The Times article reveals how deeply entrenched anti-traditional bias has become in mainstream media institutions, where journalists feel comfortable openly mocking family choices that don’t align with progressive orthodoxy.
As conservatives continue to push back against these biased portrayals, the Duffy family stands as an example of courage in publicly living their values despite increasing hostility. Their willingness to showcase their traditional lifestyle represents a direct challenge to the progressive narrative that such family structures are oppressive or outdated. The vigorous defense of the Duffy family from across conservative media demonstrates that many Americans still value and respect traditional family models, despite the mainstream media’s attempts to marginalize them.
