In this episode, Taylor and Pete tackle one of the most loaded phrases in modern culture: toxic masculinity. What does it actually mean? Who decides? And can we talk about it without turning it into a fight?

Through an honest, sometimes uncomfortable, but always thoughtful conversation, the guys unpack what’s behind the label and how it often gets misused. Together, Pete and Taylor dig into the difference between being masculine and being told what masculinity has to look like.

They cover where the phrase came from, why it triggers such strong reactions, and how it intersects with power, emotion, and the roles men learn to play from childhood. It’s not intended as a takedown of masculinity. Rather, it’s a closer look at what happens when the definition of “being a man” becomes a weapon instead of a mirror, whether used against men or against the people who love them.

This isn’t about shaming men. It’s about breaking open the language we use so we can have better conversations. Ones that include everyone instead of shutting people down. The goal isn’t to erase masculinity, but to make space for all the ways it can look healthy, human, and real.

• Why the term “toxic masculinity” gets misused and misunderstood
• The difference between labeling behaviors vs. labeling people
• How men inherit unearned power and what responsibility comes with it
• What happens when masculinity becomes a measuring stick
• How emotional expression in men is still policed (and by whom)
• “Toxic” as a conversation stopper vs. conversation starter
• How culture shapes what “manly” looks like, from kilts to construction sites
• The tension between strength, vulnerability, and fear

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Hosted by Taylor McCarrey & Peter Kingsley
Produced by McCarrey Counseling
Music by Taylor McCarrey & Sean Graham