Are you caught in a bad bromance?
Oct 29, 2025•20 min
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Episode description
What can we all learn from stories of men trying to find friends...and failing?
Men in real life - and in the movies - are trying to figure out how to be friends. There's been a lot of talk alleging lonely men are the cause of cultural tensions, and Hollywood has caught on (despite a similar number of women saying they are lonely, too!). Several films this year depict how society leads men into fraught, messy friendships. So, what can we all learn from toxic (or good!) friendships between men?
Brittany is joined by NPR arts and culture reporter Neda Ulaby and IndieWire awards editor Marcus Jones to dig into it.
(0:00) We're all obsessed with lonely men...why?
(3:12) 'Friendship' and how to deal with being rejected
(8:17) 'Twinless' and how friendship is kinda romantic
(13:43) 'Lurker' and how real life relationships are parasocial too
(17:55) What male friendships can teach us all about being more vulnerable
Follow Brittany Luse on Instagram: @bmluse
For handpicked podcast recommendations every week, subscribe to NPR’s Pod Club newsletter at npr.org/podclub.
See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.
NPR Privacy Policy
Men in real life - and in the movies - are trying to figure out how to be friends. There's been a lot of talk alleging lonely men are the cause of cultural tensions, and Hollywood has caught on (despite a similar number of women saying they are lonely, too!). Several films this year depict how society leads men into fraught, messy friendships. So, what can we all learn from toxic (or good!) friendships between men?
Brittany is joined by NPR arts and culture reporter Neda Ulaby and IndieWire awards editor Marcus Jones to dig into it.
(0:00) We're all obsessed with lonely men...why?
(3:12) 'Friendship' and how to deal with being rejected
(8:17) 'Twinless' and how friendship is kinda romantic
(13:43) 'Lurker' and how real life relationships are parasocial too
(17:55) What male friendships can teach us all about being more vulnerable
Follow Brittany Luse on Instagram: @bmluse
For handpicked podcast recommendations every week, subscribe to NPR’s Pod Club newsletter at npr.org/podclub.
See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.
NPR Privacy Policy
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