Women spend a lot of time wondering what men really think about love and relationships. 

In this episode, Christiana sits down with Holly Solem, advice columnist and creator of the social media series Manthropology, to discuss what she’s learned from interviewing men about dating, masculinity, and loneliness. They also play a game revisiting iconic fictional men in pop culture and how they shaped millennial women’s understanding of love and relationships.

Holly’s Vogue essay

Follow Holly on Instagram

Follow Mathropology on Instagram

Follow Pop Syllabus: YouTube | Instagram | TikTok | Substack

Merch available now!

Sponsor Pop Syllabus: [email protected]

If there’s a topic you’d like us to deconstruct, tell us in the comments.

Email: [email protected] 

01:19 Meet Holly Solem 

06:20 Holly’s move back to LA 

07:14 Creating “Manthropology”

11:28 What Holly has learned about men while making “Manthropology” 

13:34 How men in LA compare to men in NY

14:45 How women absorb the shame of men  

16:09 Misogyny in 2026

18:02 Platonic relationships between straight men and women 

22:20 How Holly reacts during Manthropology interviews

23:20 White girlhood vs. Black girlhood 

25:51 Fictional pop-culture men game 

27:14 Chandler Bing from “Friends” 

28:58 Ross Geller from “Friends”

29:39 Batman 

30:50 Superman 

32:24 Homer Simpson 

34:10 Lawrence from “Insecure”

35:13 Big from “Sex and the City” 

37:13 Don Draper from “Mad Men”

38:18 Walter White from “Breaking Bad” 

40:13 Nick Young from “Crazy Rich Asians” 

41:35 Prince Akeem from “Coming to America” 

42:46 Austin Powers 

43:37 James Bond

46:40 Wolverine

48:13 Adam Sackler from “Girls”

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices