Why Valentine's Day is a Scramble for So Many Men

For the final episode, Aymann convenes four friends to talk about the hashtag #MenAreTrash and to debate whether it’s possible to critique manhood and masculinity without bashing men as a group. Then, Aymann’s colleagues ask him questions to figure out how much he’s changed since the show began almost a year ago, and Aymann shares the most common complaint he's heard from listeners.  Slate Plus members get ad-free podcasts and bonus episodes of shows like Dear Prudence and Slow Burn. Sign up now to listen and support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aymann tries to make sense of new polling data that shows men aren’t taking the outbreak of COVID-19 as seriously as women. First he talks to David Vega, a medical student who contracted the virus in early March after attending multiple gatherings with friends and family. Now, David says he should’ve been much more cautious, and he urges other men to learn from his mistakes. Then Aymann talks to Dr. Michael Smith, an internal medicine doctor and chief medical editor of WebMD. He says men have always been lousy at health precautions and now is the time for them to realize the error of their ways.  How has the coronavirus affected you, or a man in your life? What other stories should we tell about manhood in this crisis? Let us know, and we might help you work through it on the show. Give us a call at 805-626-8707 or email us at [email protected] Slate Plus members get ad-free podcasts and bonus episodes of shows like Dear Prudence and Slow Burn. Sign up now to listen and support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Aymann talks to Shuheng, a self-described extrovert who wishes he had more friends to talk to and commiserate with. Then Aymann hears from Slate podcast producer Ben Frisch, who talks about how he’s able to make the most of his alone time. And finally, a very socially active man named Dan explains how he’s been able to stay connected to friends all over the country and satisfy his need for close personal bonds.  How has the coronavirus affected you, or a man in your life? What other stories should we tell about manhood in this crisis? Let us know, and we might help you work through it on the show. Give us a call at 805-626-8707 or email us at [email protected] Slate Plus members get ad-free podcasts and bonus episodes of shows like Dear Prudence and Slow Burn. Sign up now to listen and support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As people continue to self-quarantine, single men are still out there trying to date and, in some cases, have sex. First Aymann talks to his coworker Katie Rayford, who was hit on by two men on the same day when she was stocking up on groceries. Then he checks in with Jeremy Cohn, a man who flirted with his neighbor via drone. Then Andrew Kahn joins the show to talk about men who are still trying to meet up through Grindr right now. And finally, Denver journalist Zack Newman talks about his experience going on FaceTime dates and explains why continuing to date is so important for him during these trying times.  How has the coronavirus affected you, or a man in your life? What other stories should we tell about manhood in this crisis? Let us know, and we might help you work through it on the show. Give us a call at 805-626-8707 or email us at [email protected] Slate Plus members get ad-free podcasts and bonus episodes of shows like Dear Prudence and Slow Burn. Sign up now to listen and support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Man Up host Aymann Ismail learns how the outbreak of COVID-19 is changing how men’s partners see them at home. What happens when a husband and wife have very different crisis modes? What do you do if your new boyfriend wants you to quarantine with him in Canada, and you don’t even live together? Aymann explores these questions, and many more, and tries to figure out how this crisis may change how we see each other in the future.   How has the coronavirus affected you, or a man in your life? What other stories should we tell about manhood in this crisis? Let us know, and we might help you work through it on the show. Give us a call at 805-626-8707 or email us at [email protected] Slate Plus members get ad-free podcasts and bonus episodes of shows like Dear Prudence and Slow Burn. Sign up now to listen and support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Man Up editor Lowen Liu explains why he’s so bad about taking sick days, even when a serious epidemic is dominating the news. But first, Slate’s culture editor Forrest Wickman lays out why he desperately wants his co-workers to go home when they show symptoms of a cold or flu. Then, Aymann talks to Mieke Beth Thomeer, associate professor of sociology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, about why men in particular are so bad at prioritizing their own health.  What makes you a work in progress? Do you want to talk through something you can’t quite crack related to manhood or masculinity? Let us know, and we might help you work through it on the show. Give us a call at 805-626-8707 or email us at [email protected] Slate Plus members get ad-free podcasts and bonus episodes of shows like Dear Prudence and Slow Burn. Sign up now to listen and support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Vivek, a man with Parkinson’s disease, tries to get back the confidence he had before his diagnosis at age 38. To help him out, Man Up host Aymann Ismail recruits Jimmy Choi, a husband, father, ultra-marathoner, and competitor on NBC’s American Ninja Warrior. Choi was diagnosed with Parkinson’s when he was 27, but now he’s in his 40’s, and he’s managed to thrive in spite of his chronic illness.  What makes you a work in progress? Do you want to talk through something you can’t quite crack related to manhood or masculinity? Let us know, and we might help you work through it on the show. Give us a call at 805-626-8707 or email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A young man wonders whether his habitual porn use has negatively affected the way he thinks about sex and relationships. Can porn cause erectile dysfunction? Is it even possible to have a healthy relationship to porn? To answer those questions and more, Man Up host Aymann Ismail turns to Dr. Emily Rothman, a professor and researcher who helped develop a program to teach teenage students about porn. She explains how porn actually affects the way people view sex, and then she offers concrete tips on how to enjoy porn responsibly.  What makes you a work in progress? Do you want to talk through something you can’t quite crack related to manhood or masculinity? Let us know, and we might help you work through it on the show. Give us a call at 805-626-8707 or email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After years of praying in mosques that treat women’s spaces as an afterthought, Aymann tries to find an alternative. First he talks to his wife Mira about the difference between men's spaces and women's spaces during prayer. Then Imam Khalid Latif joins the show to explain the origin of gender separation in mosques and how the various ways to interpret scripture and cultural teachings can offer a solution. What makes you a work in progress? Do you want to talk through something you can’t quite crack related to manhood or masculinity? Let us know, and we might help you work through it on the show. Give us a call at 805-626-8707 or email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on the show, a Texas man who struggles with romance tries to plan the perfect Valentine’s Day. But first, Aymann gets the cold hard truth about his past Valentine’s Day performances from his wife, Mira. Then he talks to psychotherapist Lori Gottlieb about the common mistakes couples make on Valentine’s Day and how to avoid them.  What makes you a work in progress? Do you want to talk through something you can’t quite crack related to manhood or masculinity? Let us know, and we might help you work through it on the show. Give us a call at 805-626-8707 or email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices