1 00:00:01,840 --> 00:00:04,480 [aydian_dowling_]: Welcome to the State of Men, I am Aydian Dowling, 2 00:00:04,896 --> 00:00:06,096 [mike_watts]: And I'm Mike Watts. 3 00:00:06,880 --> 00:00:11,440 [aydian_dowling_]: and we are so happy to have you here. Uh, if you have not subscribed, we're 4 00:00:11,520 --> 00:00:15,280 [aydian_dowling_]: just go to tell you right away. Go subscribe to the podcast. Follow us on 5 00:00:15,360 --> 00:00:19,840 [aydian_dowling_]: Inigram at the State of Men, and Mike and I have been working on this thing 6 00:00:20,080 --> 00:00:22,560 [aydian_dowling_]: for probably far too long that I'd like to admit. 7 00:00:25,220 --> 00:00:26,220 [aydian_dowling_]: Is that not true 8 00:00:27,136 --> 00:00:32,176 [mike_watts]: It's been a while. I mean. I, you know it to me, the timing always works out. I 9 00:00:32,256 --> 00:00:35,456 [mike_watts]: to straighten you out on the computer. I realize you way over due to the other 10 00:00:35,516 --> 00:00:36,516 [mike_watts]: things we are working on. 11 00:00:37,856 --> 00:00:41,456 [mike_watts]: I think it's just you know the timing' perfect. but it has been awhil. and 12 00:00:41,456 --> 00:00:44,736 [mike_watts]: you'll hear about that in the upcoming episodes Will give you a little bit of 13 00:00:44,736 --> 00:00:48,816 [mike_watts]: background of how this state of man was created and how we kind of ended up 14 00:00:48,516 --> 00:00:49,516 [mike_watts]: here. 15 00:00:49,760 --> 00:00:53,600 [aydian_dowling_]: right? So we want to give you a little bit of what to expect, So we are 16 00:00:53,840 --> 00:00:55,200 [aydian_dowling_]: going to be posting on 17 00:00:56,800 --> 00:00:58,880 [aydian_dowling_]: Thursdays. No, that's a lie. 18 00:00:58,976 --> 00:01:00,816 [mike_watts]: No Tuesdays and Fridays. 19 00:00:59,280 --> 00:01:03,920 [aydian_dowling_]: Yes, Tuesdays and Thursday, Tuesdays and Fridays. Great, I already 20 00:01:03,476 --> 00:01:04,476 [mike_watts]: Yeah, 21 00:01:04,240 --> 00:01:09,200 [aydian_dowling_]: fucked it up. Um, that's fine, so I'll cut that part out. Um, so we want to 22 00:01:09,280 --> 00:01:12,640 [aydian_dowling_]: give you a little bit of what to expect, So we're going to be uploading on 23 00:01:13,040 --> 00:01:17,120 [aydian_dowling_]: Tuesdays and Fridays. We'll be putting up two episodes every single week 24 00:01:17,360 --> 00:01:20,720 [aydian_dowling_]: and we're really just going to. We're going to dive into some of our 25 00:01:20,880 --> 00:01:25,040 [aydian_dowling_]: personal life, right, Uh, Mike, Shdy, on. Uh, you know, his life in 26 00:01:25,040 --> 00:01:30,000 [aydian_dowling_]: masculinity, fatherhood, my journey as a transgender man on, you know, in in 27 00:01:30,160 --> 00:01:34,880 [aydian_dowling_]: the the world of masculinity and my own journey of fatherhood. Um, and we 28 00:01:35,040 --> 00:01:38,400 [aydian_dowling_]: really created this Podcast because we wanted. We just saw something that 29 00:01:38,480 --> 00:01:39,600 [aydian_dowling_]: wasn't there, which is 30 00:01:39,156 --> 00:01:40,156 [mike_watts]: Mhm. 31 00:01:40,020 --> 00:01:41,020 [aydian_dowling_]: a fun, 32 00:01:42,080 --> 00:01:47,200 [aydian_dowling_]: but also kind of serious. I don't know. serious. too serious of a word. 33 00:01:47,580 --> 00:01:48,580 [aydian_dowling_]: What do you think? 34 00:01:49,376 --> 00:01:54,016 [mike_watts]: no, I don't think so. I think it. I think having the only thing that comes to 35 00:01:54,016 --> 00:01:57,216 [mike_watts]: mind is when you say that is like self improvement for men. Right, 36 00:01:56,860 --> 00:01:57,860 [aydian_dowling_]: Mm, 37 00:01:57,936 --> 00:02:00,976 [mike_watts]: it is. it is like more of a serious topic topic like we 38 00:02:00,660 --> 00:02:01,660 [aydian_dowling_]: right? 39 00:02:01,216 --> 00:02:02,256 [mike_watts]: have to dive into 40 00:02:03,296 --> 00:02:08,656 [mike_watts]: these these conversations and talk about it from the perspective of as you're a, 41 00:02:08,896 --> 00:02:14,576 [mike_watts]: as a Trans-man and myself as a man and the dynamics that are the same as well as 42 00:02:14,736 --> 00:02:19,936 [mike_watts]: different, and also taking that into that's our own experiences, but also in 43 00:02:20,016 --> 00:02:24,416 [mike_watts]: interview processes through other people's lived experiences as well. and it, 44 00:02:24,816 --> 00:02:28,736 [mike_watts]: there is some fun and exciting around it, but it also becomes. it's also 45 00:02:28,516 --> 00:02:29,516 [mike_watts]: serious. 46 00:02:29,920 --> 00:02:34,080 [aydian_dowling_]: Yeah, and I think you know, Mike and I have seen a lot of very serious or 47 00:02:34,240 --> 00:02:40,560 [aydian_dowling_]: then super, um, like more emotional, and we're trying to find that nice 48 00:02:40,960 --> 00:02:45,440 [aydian_dowling_]: medium ground right where we can have like some serious masculinity talk. 49 00:02:45,920 --> 00:02:50,320 [aydian_dowling_]: Also kind of go out of the stereotypical version of masculinity and start 50 00:02:50,480 --> 00:02:54,160 [aydian_dowling_]: exploring some of that. And what does that feel like? And Um, talk about, 51 00:02:54,480 --> 00:02:59,840 [aydian_dowling_]: like the good parts, the bad parts, the fun parts. Um, and I mean, that's 52 00:03:00,000 --> 00:03:04,000 [aydian_dowling_]: really what this podcast is about. so we're really really happy to have you 53 00:03:04,160 --> 00:03:09,360 [aydian_dowling_]: here again. Make sure that you subscribe so you can get all the downloads 54 00:03:09,520 --> 00:03:13,120 [aydian_dowling_]: when they come out. Follow us on Ingram for some of our more interactive 55 00:03:13,280 --> 00:03:16,960 [aydian_dowling_]: stuff. or we ask you all some questions and we can start really building 56 00:03:17,120 --> 00:03:20,640 [aydian_dowling_]: this community. That's really what I. I think. Another part of this about 57 00:03:20,880 --> 00:03:25,280 [aydian_dowling_]: is like let's build a community of guys who who want to have fun and like 58 00:03:25,840 --> 00:03:27,760 [aydian_dowling_]: want to do our part in the world to 59 00:03:27,556 --> 00:03:28,556 [mike_watts]: Mhm. 60 00:03:28,000 --> 00:03:33,120 [aydian_dowling_]: to make it a better place. We kind of you know, think we've We've got 61 00:03:33,100 --> 00:03:34,100 [aydian_dowling_]: some work to do 62 00:03:34,256 --> 00:03:38,976 [mike_watts]: we get. we've got some work to do. Yeah, we have, as men, have caused a lot of 63 00:03:39,056 --> 00:03:40,256 [mike_watts]: damage and 64 00:03:41,776 --> 00:03:46,976 [mike_watts]: not that it's okay or good, but I think recognizing the damage that has been 65 00:03:47,136 --> 00:03:51,456 [mike_watts]: created and that the fact that like we can fix it, you know and we can, we can 66 00:03:51,616 --> 00:03:56,736 [mike_watts]: heal the past damage the best that we can, but also be able to take this forward 67 00:03:56,976 --> 00:04:02,656 [mike_watts]: to all right. How do we create a a world that is acceptive to everyone that like 68 00:04:02,340 --> 00:04:03,340 [aydian_dowling_]: right, 69 00:04:02,736 --> 00:04:06,656 [mike_watts]: we can be in this society to uplift that. What? that's across all categories 70 00:04:06,756 --> 00:04:07,756 [mike_watts]: here. People that 71 00:04:07,540 --> 00:04:08,540 [aydian_dowling_]: Mhm, 72 00:04:07,936 --> 00:04:12,416 [mike_watts]: includes business, non profits, you know, includes your yoga class. It includes. 73 00:04:12,556 --> 00:04:13,556 [mike_watts]: you know the 74 00:04:13,460 --> 00:04:14,460 [aydian_dowling_]: you, 75 00:04:13,556 --> 00:04:14,556 [mike_watts]: baseball teams. 76 00:04:14,900 --> 00:04:15,900 [aydian_dowling_]: yeah, 77 00:04:15,276 --> 00:04:16,276 [mike_watts]: It's like 78 00:04:15,760 --> 00:04:18,400 [aydian_dowling_]: your cross fit ▁jim your workout bro. 79 00:04:17,136 --> 00:04:22,256 [mike_watts]: y. you're cross fit jam. Yeah, and it's like as myself, growing up in the 80 00:04:22,336 --> 00:04:23,696 [mike_watts]: Midwest. You know you feel 81 00:04:24,976 --> 00:04:27,696 [mike_watts]: there was a guy who told me when I was looking for a job. once said he only 82 00:04:27,776 --> 00:04:31,056 [mike_watts]: hires people from the mid west because of their work ethic, right. It's how 83 00:04:31,136 --> 00:04:34,816 [mike_watts]: they're They get. Deal with the the knitty gritty of summer winter like this 84 00:04:34,976 --> 00:04:39,456 [mike_watts]: type of thing and so like I would say, our podcast kind of the angle that I'm 85 00:04:39,616 --> 00:04:43,456 [mike_watts]: looking at at eight and you can share yours too. But it is this place that it 86 00:04:43,616 --> 00:04:48,416 [mike_watts]: creates a. We have all the seasons, we have spring, fall, summer and winter, and 87 00:04:48,496 --> 00:04:51,936 [mike_watts]: that it allows this 'cause a lot of the stuff that we've seen out there. For why 88 00:04:52,096 --> 00:04:55,296 [mike_watts]: this is created it it only focuses on like the summer, or 89 00:04:55,060 --> 00:04:56,060 [aydian_dowling_]: M. 90 00:04:55,456 --> 00:05:00,416 [mike_watts]: it only focuses on one of the seasons, And so For using that out in the analogy, 91 00:05:00,896 --> 00:05:04,576 [mike_watts]: this podcast will allow that to take place to have all 92 00:05:04,220 --> 00:05:05,220 [aydian_dowling_]: Yep, 93 00:05:04,476 --> 00:05:05,476 [mike_watts]: the seasons. 94 00:05:06,000 --> 00:05:11,440 [aydian_dowling_]: I love it all full seasons in one podcast. Have you ever heard that? 95 00:05:14,480 --> 00:05:18,640 [aydian_dowling_]: Oh, yeah, I don't know. It might be a sneak peak of what's to come, So if 96 00:05:18,720 --> 00:05:22,320 [aydian_dowling_]: you liked any of that and if you didn't like it, please stay too, cause 97 00:05:22,640 --> 00:05:27,440 [aydian_dowling_]: that's wasn't that good. Um, go ahead. follow us here wherever you are 98 00:05:27,600 --> 00:05:31,680 [aydian_dowling_]: listening to this podcast subscribe, and we're really excited to have you 99 00:05:31,840 --> 00:05:35,360 [aydian_dowling_]: here. Can't wait to dive into some more stuff and will catch you on that 100 00:05:35,540 --> 00:05:36,540 [aydian_dowling_]: next episode.