The Aporia · A Parent Should Play Favorites

A Parent Should Play Favorites

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Cite

APA MLA Chicago

Goldberg, J. (2026, September 23). A Parent Should Play Favorites. The Dispatch. https://thedispatch.com/newsletter/gfile/hannah-jones-parent-child-favoritism/

Dated when The Aporia collected the article, usually within hours of publication. Check the original for its exact date and byline.

Quick Summary

Jonah Goldberg’s G-File discusses Bridget Phetasy’s tweet from a month ago, where she mentioned it had been two years since her dog died. Goldberg uses this as an opportunity to explore how dogs exist outside societal norms regarding hierarchy and favoritism, suggesting that parents could learn from this by playing favorites with their children more openly and without guilt.

Written by AI on 2026-09-24, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

AI analysis

Story summary

Jonah Goldberg's recent issue of "the G-File," his twice-weekly newsletter on politics and culture, discusses a tweet by Bridget Phetasy marking two years since her dog’s passing. Goldberg emphasizes how unique dogs are in the way they do not adhere to traditional ranking systems that humans impose on other aspects of life, suggesting that it's okay for parents to have favorite children, much like one can favor their pet over others without societal judgment. This opinion piece uses the context of mourning a lost dog to explore broader themes about human relationships and societal expectations.

Written for “Parenting Advice” on 2026-11-04, grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.

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0 of 3 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")

Leaning

not political

takes no side on a contested political question

Publisher signals

61/100

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Publisher

The Dispatch · 425 article(s) · 2 correction(s) detected

Running correction rate · 2 correction(s)

2026-11-03

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2026-10-06

What We Got Wrong in September

Who wrote this

Jonah Goldberg

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