What do you do when the friend you thought you could count on turns out to be the source of harm? In this episode, Henry sits down with Brad Gage to explore the complicated terrain of male friendship, emotional isolation, and the reckoning that can come when the people closest to us fall short. They talk about what it means to confront toxic behaviors—both in others and in ourselves—and how moments of rupture can open the door to accountability, growth, and more honest connections. Together, they reflect on creating content around healthy masculinity and how to reach men who are still figuring out where they stand.

Brad Gage is a New York-based speaker, TV producer and mental health advocate. His engagement in masculinity and gender dynamics began in 2019 after he found out a friend of his had abused women in his community. Through understanding the signs of abuse, and the larger issues of the male dominance hierarchy, Brad leaned into educating himself and other men about how to embrace empathy and cooperation more in their lives.

He currently hosts the web series and podcast Real Feels about men’s self-improvement and freeing ourselves from harmful gender roles.

Brad was recently featured in NAMI’s best-selling book “You Are Not Alone” talking about men’s relationships with therapy and gender roles.

In a bonus episode of Pod Talk, Henry, co-founder of Under the Hood Talk and host of Pod Talk, meets with author and educator Andrew Reiner to discuss themes from his latest book, Better Boys, Better Men. Their conversation explores what it means to raise boys in today’s world and how we can foster a healthier, more expansive vision of masculinity for future generations. They examine the cultural pressures that shape boys and men—pressures that often lead to emotional isolation, unrealistic expectations, and struggles with vulnerability.

Andrew Reiner is a Senior Lecturer at Towson University, where he teaches courses in men’s studies, cultural studies, and writing. His work on contemporary masculinity has been widely published in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, Inside Higher Ed, and in his book, Better Boys, Better Men: The New Masculinity That Creates Greater Courage and Emotional Resiliency (HarperOne). He has also been interviewed on this topic by major media outlets, including PBS NewsHour, CNN, CBC, and publications such as The New York Times, Wired, and France’s L’Express.

Does size matter? Is porn hurting my sex life? Why do I keep getting friend-zoned? Henry, co-founder of Under the Hood Talk and host of Pod Talk, sits down with Cindy Pierce. Cindy is a social sexuality educator, storyteller and author of Sexploitation: Helping Kids Develop Healthy Sexuality in a Porn-Driven World and Sex, College and Social Media: A Commonsense Guide to Navigating the Hookup Culture.