A Manly Podcast

What White Lotus says about men

White Lotus suggests men are too focused on pride, power and ego instead of thinking about their personal happiness and others they care about. It finds a way to dig inside the deepest, darkest parts of American life while making it enjoyable to watch through the vicarious vacation we get when we enter the show.

Masculinity and gender identity

On this episode, I talk about masculinity in relation to gender roles and gender stereotypes. We get into American perceptions of gender, and how they conflict with evidence for a diversity of gender identity and gender existing not in boxes, but along a spectrum.

Watching my wifes reality shows

Watching my wife's reality shows, seeing her reactions to the big moments (even if I’m only half-watching them 😉) is delightful. Even though these shows have plenty of toxicity, they are one of the few places in American culture where we see men men trying to work through conflict in healthy and productive ways.

Men and The Substance

Men are hardly in The Substance at all, but their patriarchal values in society and culture dominate the film. I take a look at what makes this a great horror film.

The Super Bowl and Masculine Identity

Masculine identity at the Super Bowl oozes out of every pore. I give my honest take on football because I have a love-hate relationship with watching it. The football field is a space where skilled athletes play a complex and nuanced game, but tap into elements of toxic masculinity hit after hit can cause CTE and long-lasting health issues.

Spider-Man and Masculine Identity

Spider-Man’s masculine identity is more inclusive and relatable than other superheroes like Batman, Superman, Captain America, Iron-Man or even Wolverine.
His soft, nerdy masculine identity as Peter Parker is what helps him learn and grow as a superhero to be a smarter and better fighter. His emotional vulnerability and shortcomings as Peter make him a more relatable superhero.
Men come in all colors, shapes, sizes and personalities. Understanding instead of judging or attempting to censor a person’s expression of their personal identity, understanding how different men express their masculine identity can open us up to thinking about the world in new and unexpected ways.

Gift guides, Consumerism, and Climate Change

Consumerism in the age of the attention economy has led to a crisis of overconsumption. I believe being pro-environment is important to a positive, inclusive masculinity. This is especially true now, with environmental decline and biodiversity loss linked to climate change.
The gift guide industry is a microcosm of post pandemic America going all in on the convenience of online shopping, and choose your own entertainment media landscape that cemented the dominance of powerful global tech companies in the US.
In a world that runs on attention fueled by entertainment and convenience, is there room for sustainability?

Masculinity in Gladiator II

Action films in Hollywood tend to reinforce perceptions of toxic masculinity in American culture. Gladiator II is an excellent action film and it reaches for a relevant political commentary about our lives today. The narrative though is driven by spectacle, exhilarating moments of battle with a highly masculine protagonist. The message rings hollow as the gladiator of the film, Lucius has risen to be the people’s champion because of these same patriarchal institutional values that give him glory, love and devotion.

Masculinity in America and Me

I start by defining masculinity, traditional masculinity, and understanding the difference between manliness and toxic masculinity. We'll get into a Pew Research Report on American perceptions of men and masculinity, and talk about it in relation to the 2024 election results. I'll wrap up by talking about my own masculinity.