Outside the Manosphere: a Nontoxic Bromance

8: Love Bombing

How can you tell the difference between the pure ecstatic joy of new love and the twisting knife of manipulation? This week Outside the Manosphere: Love Bombs. Skip and Carlos grapple with their history of dropping Love Bombs and try to differentiate where the line is between the Grand Gesture of romcoms and the relationship terrorism lies. The guys also chat about the Trump Slush Fund, Mamdani's budget, the blatant theft of our joys segment by the NYT Opinions podcast (we see you NYTs), and of course, our joys for the week. Plus, stay tuned after joys for a little book talk. Items Referenced: Facebook - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Outside the Manosphere⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.facebook.com/p/Outside-the-Manosphere-61576601092634/] Instagram - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Outside the Manosphere (@outsidethemanosphere) [https://www.instagram.com/outsidethemanosphere/] Snopes - Would Mamdani proposal eliminate NYC's $12B budget ... [https://www.snopes.com/news/2026/05/14/nyc-balanced-budget/] NYT - Justice Dept. Sets Up $1.8 Billion Fund That Could Funnel ... [https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/18/us/politics/trump-irs-lawsuit.html] NYT Opinions - How Strongmen Like Trump Get in Your Head [https://podcasts.apple.com/za/podcast/how-strongmen-like-trump-get-in-your-head/id1762898126?i=1000767729715]

7: Manosphere, more like Man O' Fear

This week on the pod, what are men so afraid of? Turns out for some guys, it's women and personal growth. Yes, despite a not insignificant percentage of men feeling like they could take on a bear or an elephant bare handed (see past episodes), they hesitate when confronted with a woman or...gasp...a therapist. The guys discuss what the heck is going on with that? Also up: complimenting dudes guns (or behavior), the European leg cross, old men's toenails *shudder*, giving back to the world, becoming beautiful old ladies, and as always, joys. Items Referenced: Facebook - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Outside the Manosphere⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.facebook.com/p/Outside-the-Manosphere-61576601092634/] Instagram - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Outside the Manosphere (@outsidethemanosphere) [https://www.instagram.com/outsidethemanosphere/] The Weekly Show - Media For Truth, Not Profit w/ Democracy Now!'s Amy ... [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHonUeO_ePU] The Guardian - 'Men and women hate each other' | The Global Dating Crisis ... [https://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2026/may/11/men-and-women-hate-each-other-the-global-dating-crisis-episode-2] YouTube - BIG GUY shocks Jennifer Aniston & Adam Sandler [https://www.youtube.com/shorts/ciGT_Gw5bKE]

6: Controlling Green: Jealousy & Financial Abuse

This week the guys fight the Green Eyed Monster. Skip and Carlos talk about their youthful struggles with jealousy and reveal where they are now. Spoiler alert: out of control jealousy is all about insecurity. Fix your relationship, don't lock up your partner. Also, Outside the Manosphere looks into the surprisingly pervasive practice of financial abuse and the corollary danger of Trad-wifing. Plus, the bird test, Carlos wants incumbents out, green flags, and joys. Items Referenced: Facebook - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Outside the Manosphere⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.facebook.com/p/Outside-the-Manosphere-61576601092634/] Instagram - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Outside the Manosphere (@outsidethemanosphere) [https://www.instagram.com/outsidethemanosphere/] The Guardian - The bird test: does your relationship pass with flying colours? [https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2023/nov/07/the-bird-test-does-your-relationship-pass-with-flying-colours] What is Financial Abuse? - The Hotline [https://www.thehotline.org/resources/financialabuse/]

5: The Performative Male...for Men?

This week: male posturing for man-on-man validation, a return to the Invisible Knapsack, the American Dream of fighting a mountain lion, and green flags. The guys dig deep on the need for male validation for men and insecurity that compels us to act like children, showing off, withholding affection, and pushing boundaries to look cool. You know, the stuff you did in front of friends when you were 12. Plus, Carlos wants to wrestle Skip, Trump gets psychedelic, green flags, and Outside the Manosphere's joys for the week. Items Referenced: Facebook - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Outside the Manosphere⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.facebook.com/p/Outside-the-Manosphere-61576601092634/] Instagram - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Outside the Manosphere (@outsidethemanosphere) [https://www.instagram.com/outsidethemanosphere/] Rolling Stone - How Ibogaine Became the Darling of the Psychedelic Right [https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/ibogaine-psychedelic-right-ptsd-addiction-iboga-1235544846/] Nature - Record number of researchers run for office in US mid-terms [https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-01134-2] Science AAAS - Trump fires every member of the U.S. National ... [https://www.science.org/content/article/trump-fires-nsf-s-oversight-board] PBS - Trump signs order to hasten review of psychedelics [https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/trump-signs-order-to-speed-review-of-psychedelics] Newsweek - A Surprising Number of Americans Think They Could Beat ... [https://www.newsweek.com/surprising-americans-beat-wild-animals-fight-experts-1691793] YouGov - Rumble in the jungle: what animals would win in a fight? [https://yougov.com/en-us/articles/35852-lions-and-tigers-and-bears-what-animal-would-win-f] UW Homepage - White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack [https://admin.artsci.washington.edu/sites/adming/files/unpacking-invisible-knapsack.pdf] Variety - The Onion Says It Has Deal to Take Over Alex Jones' ... [https://variety.com/2026/digital/news/the-onion-deal-taking-over-alex-jones-infowars-1236726130/]

4: Alpha Male Myth - What Women Want (Statistically)

This week: Fascist Faceplants, Male Competitiveness, The Myth of the Alpha Male, and What Women Do and Don't Want according to science. The guys get deep into male competitiveness and their own toxic histories with dominating games, debates, and even conversations. What's the deal with interrupting women? And is the biggest flex at all not feeling the need to flex? Plus, do women want a dominant guy, a submissive guy, or door number three? Find out this and get your weekly dose of joy on Outside the Manosphere. Items Referenced: Facebook - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Outside the Manosphere⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.facebook.com/p/Outside-the-Manosphere-61576601092634/] Instagram - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Outside the Manosphere (@outsidethemanosphere) [https://www.instagram.com/outsidethemanosphere/] Huffpost - JD Vance's Abysmal Crowd Size At Speaking Event Goes Viral [https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/jd-vances-abysmal-crowd-size-154435676.html] BBC - Carney says Canadians trust his plan after he wins majority [https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cp9vmepn010o] PBS - Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán ousted after 'painful' ... [https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/hungarian-prime-minister-viktor-orban-ousted-after-painful-election-result-ending-16-years-in-power] Greater Good Science Center - The Myth of the Alpha Male - Greater Good Science Center [https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/the_myth_of_the_alpha_male] BBC - What politicians can learn from chimps [https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-41612352] Chimpanzee Politics: Power and Sex among Apes [https://www.amazon.com/Chimpanzee-Politics-Power-among-Apes/dp/0801886562] Wikipedia - Goodhart's law [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goodhart%27s_law] The Guardian - Artemis II swings back around after completing record- ... [https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/apr/06/artemis-ii-astronauts-record-moon-earth-distance] Yahoo - Get yourself a 'Luddite boyfriend,' the biggest green flag in ... [https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/article/get-yourself-a-luddite-boyfriend-the-biggest-green-flag-in-modern-dating-120000784.html]