Boy Problems

This week, Liz sits down with Recess Therapy creator and host Julian Shapiro-Barnum — a self-proclaimed "boy problem" — to hash out the messy, unspoken rules of flirting, trust, and why so many of us struggle to date without baggage. They get into why Liz doesn't trust men (and why that's not crazy), what kids can teach us about love, and Julian's new book How to Grow Up Without Becoming a Grown-Up!

Remember to let us know in the comments if you want to join our Patreon book club and help us find an answer to the question: are you allowed to flirt with other people when you’re in a relationship? 

Make sure to subscribe, follow the show, and leave a comment, so you never miss an episode 💕 

Buy Julian’s new book here!

Find the article Julian mentioned about heartbreak here!

⁠Join the Patreon! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Submit your boy problems ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!

Check out⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Airplane Mode with Liz Plank⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!

Liz Plank is an award-winning journalist, filmmaker, international bestselling author, and producer of several critically acclaimed digital series at Vox Media and NBC News. She currently hosts⁠⁠⁠⁠ Boy Problems⁠⁠⁠⁠, a podcast that tackles love, masculinity, dating disasters, and life’s biggest questions.

If you've ever spent all of August grieving the end of summer instead of actually living it, this episode is for you. This week on Boy Problems, Liz is breaking down what she calls "end of summer syndrome" — and why we're NOT doing it this year. Liz shares the surprisingly simple, behavioral science-backed habits she used to make this her best (and longest-feeling) summer yet. No reading list, no pilates, no major lifestyle overhauls, just tips and tricks that actually work with your brain - not against it.

Subscribe if you're not already, because new episodes drop every week! And if you know someone who's currently mourning the end of the summer, send this to them. It might actually help.

Join the Patreon here! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Submit your boy problems ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!

Check out⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Airplane Mode with Liz Plank⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!

Liz Plank is an award-winning journalist, filmmaker, international bestselling author, and producer of several critically acclaimed digital series at Vox Media and NBC News. She currently hosts⁠⁠⁠⁠ Boy Problems⁠⁠⁠⁠, a podcast that tackles love, masculinity, dating disasters, and life’s biggest questions.

Happy Boy Problems Thursday! Today, Liz is doing something new -- a full grab bag episode dedicated entirely to your boy problems, and it does not disappoint. This week she's unpacking everything from a partner with genuinely alarming hygiene standards to a decade-long friendship that's giving toxic. Plus: the great wipe debate and the hygiene gap that keeps us up at night (and away from certain beds...)

Let us know in the comments where you land in the great wipe vs. shake debate 👀

Remember: no problem is too weird, too petty, or too embarrassing. Send us your Boy Problems — we're ready. ❤️

⁠⁠⁠⁠Join the Patreon here! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Submit your boy problems ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!

Check out⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Airplane Mode with Liz Plank⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!

Liz Plank is an award-winning journalist, filmmaker, international bestselling author, and producer of several critically acclaimed digital series at Vox Media and NBC News. She currently hosts⁠⁠⁠⁠ Boy Problems⁠⁠⁠⁠, a podcast that tackles love, masculinity, dating disasters, and life’s biggest questions.

This week on Boy Problems, Liz is hard launching her new boyfriend (yes, really) and she has THOUGHTS on how she found him. Counterintuitive advice, green flags, and a manifesto on why you should be pickier and whimsier this summer.

Also: the great allulose incident of 2026. Do NOT Google sugar free Haribo candy on Reddit unless you want to feel seen in the worst way possible.

Drop your toilet event stories in the comments. This is a safe space.

Leave a review, drop a comment, and keep sending in your boy problems — the more specific, the better — we want all the tea!! Subscribe so you never miss an episode, and we'll see you next week! 💛

⁠⁠⁠Join the Patreon here! ⁠⁠⁠⁠

Submit your boy problems ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!

Check out⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Airplane Mode with Liz Plank⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!

Liz Plank is an award-winning journalist, filmmaker, international bestselling author, and producer of several critically acclaimed digital series at Vox Media and NBC News. She currently hosts⁠⁠⁠⁠ Boy Problems⁠⁠⁠⁠, a podcast that tackles love, masculinity, dating disasters, and life’s biggest questions.

This week on Boy Problems, you're getting a front-row seat to our live show at The Elysian. Recorded in front of a studio audience on Canada Day, Liz joins the inimitable Marc Maron and the endlessly curious David Farrier for an unfiltered conversation you do not want to miss.

Together they unpack why young men are choosing hate over sex, whether the manosphere is just repressed homosexuality, what made Marc Maron change his ways, and why the pursuit of happiness might be the most dangerous thing about America. Three brilliant minds, zero media training, and enough hot takes to start a fist fight.

Thanks for hanging out with us! If you laughed, learned something, or started mentally drafting a text to your ex-best friend, do us a favor: subscribe, follow Boy Problems, and leave a comment below—we read them all. Your support helps more people find the show, and we couldn't do it without you. See you next week!

Join the Patreon here to watch the full, uncut live show! ⁠⁠⁠⁠

Submit your boy problems ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!

Check out⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Airplane Mode with Liz Plank⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!

Liz Plank is an award-winning journalist, filmmaker, international bestselling author, and producer of several critically acclaimed digital series at Vox Media and NBC News. She currently hosts⁠⁠⁠⁠ Boy Problems⁠⁠⁠⁠, a podcast that tackles love, masculinity, dating disasters, and life’s biggest questions.

This week on Boy Problems, Liz sits down with comedian, former engineer, and man who successfully met his wife in the DMs, Matthew Broussard. What starts as a chat about overbearing moms (and vulvas) spirals into a deep dive on ADHD, relationships, and why so many of us are walking around calling ourselves idiots when we're actually just wired differently.

If you're new here — welcome to the family. We are so glad you found us. If this episode hit home, share it with a friend who needs to hear it. Leave a review, drop a comment, and keep sending in your boy problems — the more specific, the better — we want all the tea!! Subscribe so you never miss an episode, and we'll see you next week! 💛

⁠⁠Join the Patreon here! ⁠⁠⁠

Submit your boy problems ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!

Check out⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Airplane Mode with Liz Plank⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!

Liz Plank is an award-winning journalist, filmmaker, international bestselling author, and producer of several critically acclaimed digital series at Vox Media and NBC News. She currently hosts⁠⁠⁠⁠ Boy Problems⁠⁠⁠⁠, a podcast that tackles love, masculinity, dating disasters, and life’s biggest questions.

This week on the show, Liz is joined by the human ray of sunshine Zach Noe Towers. They start the episode talking about doorbells, but quickly devolve into chaos -- getting into sperm consistency, swallowing etiquette, and red flags you can flag before getting hot and heavy. Along the way: pheromones are fake (RIP to everything we believed about attraction), Taylor Swift's wedding drama, why New York men hit different, Tom Brady's new “Good Nut” drink (who is it for?), and a thorough debate on airplane etiquette.

Do not operate heavy machinery during this episode. Just trust us.

Thanks for watching and for all the wild, unhinged comments—you genuinely make this episode what it is. If you enjoyed it, share it with your most unwell friend, hit subscribe so you never miss a Boy Problems spiral, and drop a comment with your worst red flag theory (we’re collecting data at this point).

⁠Join the Patreon here! ⁠⁠

Submit your boy problems ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!

Check out⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Airplane Mode with Liz Plank⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!

Liz Plank is an award-winning journalist, filmmaker, international bestselling author, and producer of several critically acclaimed digital series at Vox Media and NBC News. She currently hosts⁠⁠⁠⁠ Boy Problems⁠⁠⁠⁠, a podcast that tackles love, masculinity, dating disasters, and life’s biggest questions.

This week, Liz sits down with Rachel — comedian, stuntwoman, and the first female cast member of Jackass — for a conversation that is somehow both deeply unhinged and deeply moving. They talk about what it actually means to choose pain, why women have been choosing pain since before it was a franchise, and why emotional pain will always hit harder than licking a taser. 

If this episode made you feel seen, made you laugh, or made you text a friend "omg listen to this" — that's the whole point. Follow Boy Problems wherever you listen, leave a review if you're feeling generous, and come find us on Patreon where we go even deeper!

Join the Patreon here! ⁠

Submit your boy problems ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!

Check out⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Airplane Mode with Liz Plank⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!

Liz Plank is an award-winning journalist, filmmaker, international bestselling author, and producer of several critically acclaimed digital series at Vox Media and NBC News. She currently hosts⁠⁠⁠⁠ Boy Problems⁠⁠⁠⁠, a podcast that tackles love, masculinity, dating disasters, and life’s biggest questions.

To celebrate 1 year of Boy Problems, I created a Patreon where I'm unpacking boy lore for close friends only. Remember Regina George? Well, there's something I didn't tell you guys about him that's pretty crucial to why it didn't work out...

See you on Patreon!

Submit your boy problems ⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠!

Check out⁠⁠⁠⁠ Airplane Mode with Liz Plank⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Substack!

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Liz Plank is an award-winning journalist, filmmaker, international bestselling author, and producer of several critically acclaimed digital series at Vox Media and NBC News. She currently hosts⁠⁠⁠⁠ Boy Problems⁠⁠⁠⁠, a podcast that tackles love, masculinity, dating disasters, and life’s biggest questions.

Welcome back to an extra special episode of Boy Problems -- today, we're celebrating one whole year of the show!!! 🎂 🥳 This show wouldn't be what it is today without all of you, so thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Today I'm sharing a dose of radical honesty about eating disorders — what they actually cost you (financially, physically, romantically) and why awareness alone doesn't fix them. Everyone's been talking about Ariana Grande's diminishing frame. The concern is real, but so is the anger, the grief, and the uncomfortable truth that our obsession with her body says a lot more about us than it does about her.

Also in this episode: Boy Problems is moving to Thursdays (it's always been a Thursday show in my heart,) we are launching a Patreon for close friends only, and I share my thoughts on the hoodie of the summer (spoiler alert, it's boy problems merch!)🎙️✨

Join the Patreon here!

Submit your boy problems ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!

Check out⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Airplane Mode with Liz Plank⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!

Liz Plank is an award-winning journalist, filmmaker, international bestselling author, and producer of several critically acclaimed digital series at Vox Media and NBC News. She currently hosts⁠⁠⁠⁠ Boy Problems⁠⁠⁠⁠, a podcast that tackles love, masculinity, dating disasters, and life’s biggest questions.