Working Toward A Better Man | Michael Ian Black on Fatherhood, Empty Nesting, Ironic Detachment
To some, addressing the question “what is masculinity?” is just about as intimidating as it gets. Where do you even start? Is masculinity about being strong? Brave? Physically fit? From the moment we’re born we are shaped to some degree by the traditional notion of what it means to be “masculine.” As dads, how do we model or communicate healthy masculinity to our sons? Comedian Michael Ian Black has spent a LOT of time thinking about this, and has become something of a thought leader on the topic. Not only has he written books about it, including 2020's “A Better Man,” an open letter to his college-bound son Elijah, but he dropped in to Modern Dadhood to open our minds. This is part one of a two part interview.
Modern Dadhood | Unpacking Fatherhood + Parenting for Dads (and Moms!) · Michael Ian Black, Marc Checket, Caspar Babypants, Pete Morse, Spencer Albee, Adam Flaherty, Chris Ballew
Audio is streamed directly from the publisher (chtbl.com) as published in their RSS feed. Play Podcasts does not host this file. Rights-holders can request removal through the copyright & takedown page.
Show Notes
Episode 65 of Modern Dadhood opens with a brief discussion about being run down and defeated by our children. The guys gab for a bit before introducing comedian Michael Ian Black into the conversation. Michael is a father of two college-age children, Elijah and Ruthie, and is best known for his roles in Wet Hot American Summer, The State, and the comedy troupe Stella. Additionally, he hosts the podcasts "Obscure," "How To Be Amazing", and Topics (with Stella cohort Michael Showalter). Michael has written books for grown-ups and kids, and his 2020 book A Better Man: A (Mostly Serious) Letter to My Son, which balances the exploration of topics like "toxic masculinity" and gender inequality with personal anecdotes from his childhood and career in comedy. Conversation topics include:
• Becoming empty nesters
• How your relationship with your kids changes as they grow
• Kitchen appliance trends
• Sarcasm vs sincerity as a dad
• Ironic Detachment
• What is "strength," really?
• And more!
This is part one of a two part conversation. Subscribe now to be alerted when part two drops!
LINKS:
Michael Ian Black (official)
Michael Ian Black (Instagram)
A Better Man (book)
Obscure (podcast)
Stella
Michael & Michael Have Issues
Caspar Babypants
Red Vault Audio
Spencer Albee
Stuffed Animal
#moderndadhood #fatherhood #parenthood #parenting #parentingpodcast #dadding #dadpodcast