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HBO and The Ringer's Bill Simmons hosts the most downloaded sports podcast of all time, with a rotating crew of celebrities, athletes, and media staples, as well as mainstays like Cousin Sal, Joe House, and a slew of other friends and family members who always happen to be suspiciously available.
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In this episode, we sit down with George Bell — author of Be a Man About It: Building a Healthier Idea of Masculinity — to unpack one of the most important and misunderstood conversations of our time: men, mental health, and modern masculinity.
Released during Movember, Men’s Health Awareness Month, this episode dives into why so many men are struggling in silence, how cultural expectations around strength and emotion are affecting them, and what needs to change in the way we talk about masculinity.
George shares what inspired him to write the book, the patterns he’s seen through his research and interviews, and how we can all play a part in breaking unhelpful cycles and creating healthier models of strength, vulnerability, and connection.
We talk:
💭 The silent pressure cooker men are living with today
🧠 How the myths of masculinity are fuelling disconnection and burnout
💬 Why vulnerability isn’t weakness and what healthy strength looks like
🌍 How we can all play a part in reshaping the conversation
KEY MOMENTS:
0:00 Introduction & Meet George
2:00 Why men are cracking under the weight of cultural & societal norms
4:30 Have men always felt this way or is it new?
6:15 Why is male mental health still fairly unspoken about?
9:30 Opening up emotionally to men vs. women
16:15 Learning emotional intelligence at school
18:00 Is the damage already done or can it be reversed?
19:30 George’s thoughts on Netflix’s Adolescence
22:30 How social media has shaped the idea of masculinity
27:30 Breaking the cycle for future generations
30:15 Advice for men who didn’t have positive role models
37:00 The role women play in the cycle
47:30 Interviews from the book that will change your perspective on masculinity
52:30 Steven Fry’s review of the Be a Man About It book
55:00 What gives George hope that the conversation is starting to change
58:30 Hot takes on men fearing emotion, needing vulnerability, and the difference between how men & women talk to their friends
1:05 What George wishes he knew sooner
🎙 Hosts: Senna & Serenity
📍 Guest: George Bell (@georgeybell)
🔗 Follow us @whatiwishiknewsoonerpod
12 episodes
