#208 - The End of Fridays

Friday night used to be the official start of the weekend, but increasingly, people are staying home. This week, we look at the decline of Friday-night socializing, what’s behind it, and what we lose when the night that once brought everyone together becomes just another night at home. Check out our new Audible Original THE BUDDY SYSTEM Watch this episode on YouTube! Get MOTY merch at manoftheyearpodcast.com Man of the Year on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok Matt Ritter on Instagram, TikTok, and X Aaron Karo on Instagram, TikTok, and X Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

It was an amazing run in so many ways, but the thing that struck us is that they were not the most athletic or talented, but they were by far the most in sync group of actual friends we may have ever seen in sports and we explore how that played a part in the championship that friendship built! Check out our new Audible Original THE BUDDY SYSTEM Watch this episode on YouTube! Get MOTY merch at manoftheyearpodcast.com Man of the Year on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok Matt Ritter on Instagram, TikTok, and X Aaron Karo on Instagram, TikTok, and X Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Making friends as an adult is hard, but maybe the solution is surprisingly simple: join something. This week, we explore the rise of adult activity fairs, why clubs and group activities are having a moment, and how finding your people might start with getting off the couch and putting your name on a sign-up sheet. Check out our new Audible Original THE BUDDY SYSTEM Watch this episode on YouTube! Get MOTY merch at manoftheyearpodcast.com Man of the Year on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok Matt Ritter on Instagram, TikTok, and X Aaron Karo on Instagram, TikTok, and X Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

How do we as parents model for our children what healthy friendship looks like? When we don't have friends around, how does that affect their view of what friendship looks like. And when we have healthy friendships and our children see the importance of it in our lives, how much better will their outlook be? We also tackle questions like how do you balance your children and your friendships and how do you rebuild friendships if you went into the blackhole when you had kids. Check out our new Audible Original THE BUDDY SYSTEM Watch this episode on YouTube! Get MOTY merch at manoftheyearpodcast.com Man of the Year on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok Matt Ritter on Instagram, TikTok, and X Aaron Karo on Instagram, TikTok, and X Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

There’s something special about walking into a bar, coffee shop, or restaurant where everybody knows your name, or at least knows your order. This week, Karo and Matt are talking about the underrated social power of becoming a regular, and how simply showing up to the same place over and over can turn strangers into acquaintances and acquaintances into friends. Check out our new Audible Original THE BUDDY SYSTEM Watch this episode on YouTube! Get MOTY merch at manoftheyearpodcast.com Man of the Year on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok Matt Ritter on Instagram, TikTok, and X Aaron Karo on Instagram, TikTok, and X Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

NY Magazine and the Cut came in hot this week with an article titled "My Husband Has No Friends" - catchy, but really not very helpful in terms of solutions to a real problem. In fact it's one we've been working on since Episode 1. You may be the husband in question, feeling like that article resonated, or maybe you feel attacked, or maybe you're the wife or partner that felt heard by it. But since they didn't think to call us and ask for actual help, we decided we'd do what we always do and give you helpful tips if you're dealing with this issue. Check out our new Audible Original THE BUDDY SYSTEM Watch this episode on YouTube! Get MOTY merch at manoftheyearpodcast.com Man of the Year on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok Matt Ritter on Instagram, TikTok, and X Aaron Karo on Instagram, TikTok, and X Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We live in a world of instant intimacy, but maybe the best friendships are the ones that take their time. This week, Karo and Matt explore the rise of “slow friendship,” discuss why oversharing isn’t the same as closeness, and debate whether letting trust build gradually can lead to deeper, more lasting relationships. Check out our new Audible Original THE BUDDY SYSTEM Watch this episode on YouTube! Get MOTY merch at manoftheyearpodcast.com Man of the Year on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok Matt Ritter on Instagram, TikTok, and X Aaron Karo on Instagram, TikTok, and X Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

When you go to a party where a host has put some thought into it, you feel it immediately and you feel great when you leave. What if we started putting just a tiny bit more thought into our hangs? We discuss how small tweaks can make it feel better than the normal routine that may be getting stale. Check out our new Audible Original THE BUDDY SYSTEM Watch this episode on YouTube! Get MOTY merch at manoftheyearpodcast.com Man of the Year on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok Matt Ritter on Instagram, TikTok, and X Aaron Karo on Instagram, TikTok, and X Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Karo and Matt are joined by returning champion Adam Pally to celebrate their 200th episode of Man of the Year! The guys chat about Hollywood, wellness, and working with friends. Stick around for the end when Adam roasts Karo for not casting him in the Tickle Me Elmo movie. Check out our new Audible Original THE BUDDY SYSTEM Watch this episode on YouTube! Get MOTY merch at manoftheyearpodcast.com Man of the Year on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok Matt Ritter on Instagram, TikTok, and X Aaron Karo on Instagram, TikTok, and X Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Karo and Matt have both recently returned from trips to London, which got them thinking about how friendship differs across the pond. They discuss why American friends tend to be more expressive, British friends tend to be more deeply-rooted, and how both qualities can be taken too far. Plus, what each country could learn from the other about being a better friend. Check out our new Audible Original THE BUDDY SYSTEM Watch this episode on YouTube! Get MOTY merch at manoftheyearpodcast.com Man of the Year on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok Matt Ritter on Instagram, TikTok, and X Aaron Karo on Instagram, TikTok, and X Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.