Over the last decade, podcasts have become big business, with more than a fifth of UK adults listening to podcasts each week. The format particularly resonates with men, who are more likely than women to identify as podcast fans. Men are also overrepresented as podcast hosts.
In a society where the political divide between men and women is deepening, this influential form of media is shaping expectations and experiences of gender. There is a perception among some that podcasts aimed at men are hosted strictly by “alpha males” presenting anti-feminist rhetoric and rigid ideas of masculinity.
But the world of podcasts contains both traditional and shifting ideas of masculinity. Some podcasts, including pro-feminist podcasts and those focused on men’s mental health, communicate inclusive and flexible ideas of masculinity.
In a recent study, we examined what men gain from listening to a men’s mental health podcast. Research suggests that podcasts can offer men a low-barrier option to engage with their mental health. This is important considering the current high rates of mental distress and suicide among men.
We interviewed listeners of a podcast produced by a UK-based men’s mental health support service. The service has around 300 users who engage with online content, some of whom also attend in-person support. The podcast’s long-form episodes feature conversations between men who have some connection to the service, as well as the podcast host. They discuss their personal experiences of helping others, breaking taboos around mental health and offering exposure to emotive conversations between men. They openly discuss topics such as bereavement, interpersonal relationships, anger, substance misuse and suicide.
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We found that this type of content encouraged listeners to reflect on, and challenge, rigid ideas around masculinity. Several of the men we interviewed described how the podcast demonstrated a culture of positive masculinity. One man said that the kindness between men, communicated through the podcast, led him to feel that the version of masculinity he had previously internalised had not been helpful.
The men we interviewed reported feeling more understood and less isolated. The podcasts provided a catalyst for discussing difficult issues, as well as exposing them to emotional vulnerability.
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Men’s mental health can be affected by deeply-ingrained, gendered values, attitudes and expectations placed upon boys from a young age. Self-sufficiency and stoicism, for example, are qualities that young boys in particular are encouraged to possess.
These constraints can act as barriers to men accessing traditional mental health support services such as counselling and psychotherapy. For men who do not feel ready to attend more traditional forms of help-seeking, mental health podcasts can provide a point of entry to informational support.
It is clear from our study that podcasts wield a power that can affect their audience. When it comes to issues like masculinity, this power must be used in a responsible manner.
The regressive side of men’s podcasts
Podcasts can also be a vessel for the normalisation and mainstreaming of ideas which are popular with the manosphere. This is an ecosystem of online communities united by anti-feminist values and the promotion of men’s dominance over women. This type of content is often appealing to men who are navigating social isolation and personal challenges.
Many podcasts targeting a male audience discuss themes of status, physical appeal and romantic connection, often in a problematic way. They may offer self-improvement “hacks” for men, attracting younger listeners who are lacking in confidence and searching for role models. Self-improvement to boost one’s “sexual market value” is a recurring theme in the manosphere. This can lead to young men having a reductive view of themselves, and of women.
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While not the overtly offensive content created by some manosphere figures, similar, underlying tropes can be weaved into reasonable conversations through popular, mainstream, podcasts. Humour and irony can make regressive ideas seem palatable to audiences – subtly reinforcing sexism while framing it as “banter”.
Often, these conversations are underpinned by justifications of biological essentialism. This is the idea that men’s power over women is a natural and fixed social order based on biological sex differences.
This was behind a recent controversy around an episode of Steven Bartlett’s popular podcast, The Diary of a CEO. In it, Bartlett interviews psychiatrist Dr Alok Kanojia. The pair discuss declining birth rates and male loneliness.
Bartlett asks if there should be systemic intervention to ensure lonely men can reproduce with women. Critics argued that this framing gave the suggestion that men are the victims of a political injustice – and that that “injustice” is women’s bodily autonomy.
Amid major social media backlash to the episode, a spokesperson for the podcast rejected claims that the podcast promotes manosphere ideologies. They noted that “Steven Bartlett does not adopt the opinions of his guests, nor is the format intended to pass judgment on personal viewpoints.”
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Our research shows how podcasts can lead to positive conversations around masculinity. For example, by sharing vulnerable discussions of how men experience the weight of traditional masculinity and changing societal roles.
Podcasts can encourage men to challenge restrictive beliefs about gender, help them improve interpersonal relationships and even encourage them to seek further help.
In our research, we recommend tactics for podcast creators who want to make content which supports men’s mental health. They must first ask how their content helps men reflect on versions of masculinity that don’t rely on the subordination of others. This approach can offer a counter-narrative to soft-manosphere content: critical self-awareness, vulnerability instead of irony, and avoiding a narrative of blame.
