Ted and Patrick kick off with fatherhood, vasectomies, and the chaos of modern life before diving into social media radicalization and how to raise better men. They unpack how algorithms weaponize outrage, why politics feels broken, and what empathy and curiosity can still save. Then it’s on to Taylor Swift's new album, the burnout, and why joy might be her only way forward. Enjoy! 💬 Send us your questions in the comments or at mandownpodcast@varianceincorporated.com Listen to us on Megaphone (or find our RSS Feed!): https://cms.megaphone.fm/channel/VI9326253269?selected=VI1151133526 Follow us on our Socials: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLzsGH4hM9TxHC4hHPvgMJw X: https://x.com/ManDownPodcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:lm4shifbvs6k63eb54k2gmho Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mandown.podcast/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mandownpodcast 00:00 – Intro: Taylor Swift’s album and unexpected politics 00:36 – Patrick’s vasectomy waitlist story 01:10 – Ted’s “50% emissions” joke and pregnancy talk 02:17 – SlutCon, fertility, and age gaps in parenting 03:35 – Miscarriage, exhaustion, and parenting at 30+ 05:21 – The mental load of fatherhood 06:20 – Patrick’s parenting stories and “Hungry Caterpillar” moment 07:20 – Simple explanations as a superpower 07:55 – Anxiety, media, and radicalization begins 09:10 – The YouTube funnel and algorithmic outrage 10:49 – How right-wing influencers hook young men 12:44 – Why creators drift toward divisive content 14:49 – Jordan Peterson and the pull of extremism 17:13 – Boris, Trump, and populism’s moral void 18:57 – Radicalization and real-world violence 19:53 – Why platforms won’t shut down hate speech 21:10 – The collapse of consequence and fake morality 22:16 – Raising boys in the algorithm era 23:16 – The endless scroll and “slop content” culture 24:13 – Creating positive role models 25:12 – Housing, inequality, and political drift 27:07 – Media narratives vs. real voter concerns 31:23 – Local government and reform myths 33:37 – Depression, vulnerability, and radicalization 35:11 – Escaping social media doom loops 36:08 – Touching grass and finding purpose offline 37:41 – Why the world isn’t as bad as it seems 39:41 – Community and connection 40:15 – Education, critical thinking, and curiosity 43:52 – Raising resilient boys and men 45:45 – Taylor Swift, Elon Musk, and modern fame 47:09 – Taylor’s new album: where’s the fun? 49:27 – Lyrical fatigue and self-parody 51:36 – When success kills creativity 53:10 – Sally Rooney and artistic stagnation 54:10 – What Taylor needs next 56:07 – Cowboy boots and Copenhagen fashion detour 57:28 – Outro: podcast reflections and upcoming break 59:03 – What Man Down meant to Ted and Patrick 1:01:06 – Final thanks, Patreon shoutouts, and goodbye