Real Feels

Charles Bukowski was one of the most famous and revered poets of the 20th century, but did his attitude and actions toward women negatively influence a generation of men? And is it possible to separate the art from the problematic artist? Host Brad Gage tries his best to do just that and fails mid-podcast to find that my moral threshold doesn’t allow him to admire people who demean and abuse women (no matter how much he loves their poetry).

Hosted, Edited, and Produced by Brad Gage

Logo by Nolan Fabricius

Theme Song by Russell Henson

What makes a guy a "creep"? And how can you make sure women aren't calling you one? While creepiness is subjective, it is the number one description to stay away from in dating or your social life. Being called a creep is one of the worst things for your reputation. Brad Gage takes time to figure out what are the traits of a “creep”, some actual examples of creepiness to give context, and some ideas on how to not become one.

Hosted, Edited, and Produced by Brad Gage

Logo by Nolan Fabricius

Theme Song by Russell Henson

Host Brad Gage talks to Marc Milberg - founder of Olley, an app for men to connect with new friends in their area based on personality, interests, & more. Basically what they’ve built is a friendship-finding app that functions similarly to dating apps, but it’s all platonic. Studies show that in 2021, 15% of men reported having no close friends, compared to only 3% in 1990. This is a fivefold increase since 1990. Especially for anyone who just recently moved to a new city, finding male friends is not easy, so there is a clear need for something like this.

Here is Marc Milberg’s explanation for why the world needs the Olley app, and how he and Brad may have just made ourselves friends IRL in the process of this podcast.

Download Olley: www.olleyapp.io

Hosted, Edited, and Produced by Brad Gage

Logo by Nolan Fabricius

Theme Song by Russell Henson

Brad talks to 2 time New York Times bestselling author Frederick Joseph about intersectional feminism, how people can be both oppressed and privileged at the same time, why he could beat Joe Rogan’s ass. Plus, they dive into the historical idea of women seen as property.

Fred has written the sometimes-banned books "The Black Friend" and "Patriarchy Blues", as well as "Better Than We Found It" and "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever - The Courage to Dream".

On this episode, Brad got to do something few people have done - talk with one of their favorite authors about specific passages of one of their favorite books.

Fred's Substack: https://frederickjoseph.substack.com/

Hosted and Produced by Brad Gage

Logo by Nolan Fabricius

Theme Song by Russell Henson

Brad talks to Michael Le (aka "Dr. Silk"), a men's coach, about how conversational artistry is pretty much the most important thing in talking to women. Michael talks about his emphasis on empathy, curiosity, and listening when it comes to engaging with women, or anybody successfully.

Brad's past episode about Pickup Artists and YouTube Dating Coaches caught Michael's attention, and the two talk about thoughtful, modern tactics in dating, as well as an explaination of the Andrew Tate phenomenon, MGTOW (men going their own way), and "black pill" mentalities.

Michael's Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@realmrsilk

Hosted and Produced by Brad Gage

Logo by Nolan Fabricius

Theme Song by Russell Henson

Brad talks to writer, entrepreneur, and guy who helps men get sober - Tom Matlack. Tom is one of the authors of the book The Good Men Project: Real Stories from the Front Lines of Modern Manhood and you should definitely check out his writing by searching his name in Substack.

What starts as a conversation of masculinity perspectives from a millennial guy versus a Gen X dude, turns into a deep assessment of life as a recovering alcoholic and money-obsessed individual. I’m so grateful to Tom for being so vulnerable, and zeroing in on why the dream of success and money is never really the answer to our inner troubles.

Tom's Substack: https://substack.com/profile/7575118-tom-matlack

Hosted and Produced by Brad Gage

Logo by Nolan Fabricius

Theme Song by Russell Henson

On today’s episode, Brad is talking to Dr. Caroline Heldman - a professor of Critical Theory and Social Justice at Occidental College in Los Angeles. She is also Executive Director of The Representation Project and has been featured in some of the most important documentaries on the subject of gender studies including Miss Representation and The Mask You Live In.

Caroline is a friend who has been instrumental in guiding Brad through his journey of exploration on the subjects of modern masculinity, rape culture, gender equity, and intersectional feminism. Basically, if Brad am ever confused about what to do or who to talk to about a certain subject, he's lucky to be able to reach out to Caroline. Today, we are chatting about the topics in her new book: The Sexy Lie - which is an update and deeper dive on her viral TED talk of the same name.

If you are interested in getting the book, there’s a link in the description or you can go to https://www.sororitymansion.org/books

Hosted and Produced by Brad Gage

Logo by Nolan Fabricius

Theme Song by Russell Henson

I think a lot of guys feel the exact same way as me. So why don't they talk about it openly? Because the patriarchy and modern masculinity tell us that if we do, we're breaking the bro code and we are the worst thing imaginable - feminine. But it's not gendered to feel emotions, it's human.

Written and Hosted and Edited by Brad Gage

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Research shows that tubesite porn use is leading men to be less engaged in real relationships, have more erectile dysfunction, and have less motivation to make human connections. Plus, the main porn industry is fraught with abuse and inequity. This is not a deep dive about the injustices of porn, while there are many. This is a practical, reasonable guide for guys who want to ween off of a genuine compulsion.

Written and Hosted and Edited by Brad Gage

Subscribe for more conversations around modern masculinity and the inner lives of men.

Guys, for the sake of your health, check in on the men in your life. Lean into the camaraderie you have in your community. And if you don’t have it, be brave and do the work to go get them. At least making male friendship connections should be a little less hard than dating.

Written and Hosted and Edited by Brad Gage

Subscribe for more conversations around modern masculinity and the inner lives of men.