As seen in The New York Times, on NPR, and the TODAY Show, Man of the Year is the #1 friendship podcast in the country! Comedians and friendship experts Matt Ritter and Aaron Karo will help you make new friends, reconnect with old ones, and build lifelong social fitness. Each November they award a gigantic Man of the Year trophy to one of their childhood friends – a tradition that has kept their crew going strong since the '80s. But the country is facing a friendship recession – 15% of men report having zero close friends – and they’re on a mission to change that with tips, hacks, and decades of hilarious stories. Join the revolution at manoftheyearpodcast.com and instagram.com/manoftheyearpodcast
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As seen in The New York Times, on NPR, and the TODAY Show, Man of the Year is the #1 friendship podcast in the country! Comedians and friendship experts Matt Ritter and Aaron Karo will help you make new friends, reconnect with old ones, and build lifelong social fitness. Each November they award a gigantic Man of the Year trophy to one of their childhood friends – a tradition that has kept their crew going strong since the '80s. But the country is facing a friendship recession – 15% of men report having zero close friends – and they’re on a mission to change that with tips, hacks, and decades of hilarious stories. Join the revolution at manoftheyearpodcast.com and instagram.com/manoftheyearpodcast
Matt and Karo interview Jourdann Lubliner, the founder of Doubles Social, the hit friendship app for couples to meet, to find out what the hype is all about. Would you and your partner go online to make friends? We explore all the pros and cons of a new way to make friends.
manoftheyearpodcast.com
Karo and Matt discuss friendships between people who seem like total opposites - from different worlds, backgrounds, or stages of life. We break down why these connections sometimes click, when they can get tricky, and the signs that help you tell the difference.
manoftheyearpodcast.com
Have we become so transactional that we've forgotten the value of Useless friends? We kid. Everyone has some "use." But this week is about praising the friends whose company we keep just...because.
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When your friends hang out without you, the sting of FOMO hits hard. Karo and Matt dig into why it feels so personal and what it really says about your relationships. And when you’re the one who plans something and has to leave people out, we unpack the guilt and how to handle both sides with clarity and kindness.
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Matt and Karo head home to celebrate the 22nd year of the greatest friendship ritual on Earth: the Man of the Year dinner at Peter Luger Steakhouse. A crew of friends from second grade, one annual winner, and a trophy etched with names for life. At its core, it’s about how tradition anchors friendship and removes the guesswork. That’s why we’re such big believers in creating your own ritual.
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Instead of trying to turn complete strangers into friends, we recommend starting with “fringe friends” – acquaintances you already kinda know. Karo and Matt discuss where to find fringe friends and how to turn them into binge friends – buddies you see all the time.
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We all have it easy when their are friends everywhere, in school, in the dorms, in your first apartment, at your office. But what happens as you get older and that surface area dwindles. Matt and Karo discuss how to handle it and make sure you have friends at all phases of life.
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In the second installment of their Friendship Myths series, Karo and Matt tackle whether friends should always take your side no matter what, if it’s possible to reconnect once you drift apart, and whether your friends should like all the same people you do.
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Matt and Karo discuss how in every friend group there's usually someone who takes the lead, so what does that leadership entail and what does it mean to be someone who models good friendship.
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Huge day!! Our new Audible Original “The Buddy System: A Modern’s Man Guide to Mastering Friendship” is out now – exclusively at audible.com/thebuddysystem – and if that wasn’t cool enough, we appeared on Chrissy Teigen’s Audible podcast “Self-Conscious” where we were joined by none other than John Legend!! And you can hear that episode right in this feed! But first go check out The Buddy System!!
The Buddy System: audible.com/thebuddysystem
Self-Conscious with Chrissy Teigen: audible.com/chrissy
Karo and Matt introduce the PALS test: a simple framework for evaluating whether a friendship truly serves you. The guys break down the four pillars—passion, appreciation, loyalty, and support—and explain how each reveals the strength of your connection.
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Matt and Karo have vastly different styles in life, Karo plans everything and needs 6 weeks notice, Matt lives in the moment. We examine the pros and cons of each when it comes to friendship.
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Karo and Matt break down the three-man crew - why rolling three deep can feel like the sweet spot, and when it can backfire compared to pairs or bigger squads. It’s the ultimate debate: is three really the magic number for friendship?
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Matt and Karo discuss a taboo topic: Territorial friends. Ever have a scenario where you're getting boxed out or frozen out from a friend's friend or a friend group? We discuss why this happens and how to deal with it.
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Karo and Matt celebrate their 150th episode AND their friendiversary! The guys discuss how to determine and why to celebrate the exact day you and your buddy became boys.
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Matt and Karo discuss Matt's first poker night in 20 years and the benefits of a game night and how needed it really was for all the dads at the table.
When was the last time you asked your buddy how he’s REALLY doing? This episode dives into friendship, vulnerability, and why men’s mental health deserves more than a passing “I’m fine.”
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Matt and Karo discuss a very frequent issue that no one ever talks about, sometimes you're just in a friendship dry spell. Like dating, these things happen, so you need to take action to snap out of it.
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Karo and Matt dive into the world of “social sports” – the games designed as much for connection as competition. From pickleball to padel to tennis, we explore how the court can become a friendship hub. So grab your paddle and your pals, because it’s all about playing together.
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Matt and Karo discuss the old axiom that you are the five people you spend the most time with. Is it true? And if it is, what does that say about you? Do you need to level up your five?
manoftheyearpodcast.com
As seen in The New York Times, on NPR, and the TODAY Show, Man of the Year is the #1 friendship podcast in the country! Comedians and friendship experts Matt Ritter and Aaron Karo will help you make new friends, reconnect with old ones, and build lifelong social fitness. Each November they award a gigantic Man of the Year trophy to one of their childhood friends – a tradition that has kept their crew going strong since the '80s. But the country is facing a friendship recession – 15% of men report having zero close friends – and they’re on a mission to change that with tips, hacks, and decades of hilarious stories. Join the revolution at manoftheyearpodcast.com and instagram.com/manoftheyearpodcast
