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“Real Time” host Bill Maher made the case that young men should drink more during a lively conversation about rejection, friendships and relationships with the author of the best-selling “Notes on Being a Man,” a book that sounds the alarm about male loneliness.
On Friday, the late-night host praised author and NYU professor Scott Galloway for calling the drink a “lubricant” for socializing.
“It's not excessively, but yeah, drinking a little bit (maybe sometimes too much when you're a teenager) is probably better than sitting in that basement,” Maher agreed.
Noting that one in five men still live with their parents at age 30, Galloway attacked big tech's role in isolating young men, particularly from romantic relationships. He then urged them to take risks and endure rejection in the process.
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Democrats need to reach young men where they are on social media, sports and gaming websites, Progress Action Fund founder Joe Jacobson believes. (Getty/Istock)
“The only way to get to surprising 'yeses' is with a lot of 'no's,'” the professor added.
“If I could tell young men anything, it's that the anxiety and depression that you will eventually feel in your basement… is far greater than the fear of anything outside that room for you,” Galloway warned. “Get out of the damn basement, put your phone down.”
He later criticized “the worst” that young people face.
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“The worst thing that has happened to young people is the anti-alcohol movement,” he accused. “The risk to a 25-year-old's liver is dwarfed by the risk of social isolation.”
The professor and Maher considered how male loneliness could be contributing to the latest statistic exacerbating an already cited gap between men and women.
On Thursday, a Gallup poll reported that a record number of young women want to leave the United States.
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According to the survey, 40% of women aged 15 to 44 said they would move abroad permanently if given the opportunity. Meanwhile, only 19% of their male counterparts said they would like to leave the United States for good, marking what Gallup said was the widest gender gap on record.
“I thought it was because of Trump, but apparently this is it,” Maher reflected.
“It's true,” Galloway responded. “Men don't approach them. Basically there's a lack of mating.”
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Maher reflected on how the risks of rejection have changed since he grew up.
“The first thing men fear is girls,” Maher said. “It's just that there's something about that refusal to approach someone, like you said, cold. And you just have to get over that. And I feel like we're further away from that than we've ever been.”
Contrary to other reports, 80% of women still expect men to initiate romantic interactions, Galloway postulated.
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“Yes, they do,” Maher responded. “As they should.”
Singles look for love in different ways, as many experience frustration and fatigue on dating apps. (iStock/Bernadeta Serafin)
The author expressed, “One of the things that we, as men, really have to train our sons or give them the skill to do is endure rejection, but also find a way to express romantic interest and at the same time make that person feel safe.”
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Rejection in a platonic or romantic situation is perfectly acceptable, Galloway insisted.
“Guess what?” asked. “You'll both be fine. Take those photos.”
