The expectations on men
6/22/202649 min
Sean talks with journalist Jordan Ritter Conn about his book “American Men,” an intimate look at four men trying to figure out what manhood and masculinity have given them versus what they have cost them, and what to do with the gap between the men they think they’re supposed to be and the men they actually are. They talk about being fathers and sons as well as about violence, shame, ambition, male friendship, loneliness, and why being a “good man” might mean finally letting go of the desire to perform manhood.
Host: Sean Illing (@seanilling)
Guest: Jordan Ritter Conn (@jordanconn)
We would love to hear from you. To tell us what you thought of this episode, email us at thegrayarea@vox.com or leave us a voicemail at 1-800-214-5749. Your comments and questions help us make a better show.
And you can watch new episodes of The Gray Area on YouTube. New episodes drop every Monday and Friday.
Listen to The Gray Area ad-free by becoming a Vox Member: vox.com/members.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsSpeaker 10:00
Avoiding your unfinished home projects because you're not sure where to start? Thumbtack knows homes, so you don't have to. Don't know the difference between matte paint finish and satin or what that clunking sound from your dryer is? With Thumbtack, you don't have to be a home pro. You just have to hire one. You can hire top-rated pros, see price estimates, and read reviews all on the app. Download today.
Speaker 20:24
We've all been there. You pop into the shop for five minutes, and all of a sudden, you've forgotten where you parked.
Speaker 30:30
Car? Car?
Speaker 20:32
Unfortunately, that lost feeling is what it's like trying to manage your policy with other insurers.
Speaker 30:39
Here, car. Come out, come out, wherever you are. Please.
Speaker 20:42
With GEICO, you can use the app to easily manage all your policies in one place.
Speaker 30:47
Did this parking lot have a waterfall?
Speaker 20:49
I think you've wandered too far, mate.
Speaker 40:52
It feels good to find what you're looking for. It feels good to GEICO.
Sean Illing· Host0:55
Most of the discourse about American men is focused on what's wrong with them. Why are they lonely? Why are they falling behind? Why are they retreating into the manosphere? But those conversations don't tell us much about the subjective experience of being a man today. They don't tell us what it's like to grow up absorbing all of these conflicting ideas about what a man is supposed to be and then realizing that that's not you, or it is