Scott Galloway, 61-year-old Californian investor and podcaster, has been outspoken on the developing threats to today’s masculinity. Earlier this week, he opened up in a powerful livestreaming video about his emotional process and realizations, addressing community turmoil and his own transformation. Here, Galloway reflects on the acute sense of isolation that most men feel today. He argues that political movements focus on everything except young men.
Galloway, a popular media entrepreneur known for his blunt, acerbic style, sold his data analytics firm L2 for $155 million in 2017. Since then, he has undergone a dramatic transition in the inner emotional terrain. This has helped him feel more comfortable getting emotional, especially when watching sensitive things such as the TV series Modern Family. “People say, ‘Oh, your kids are so lucky to have you,’ and I get self-conscious because there are so many weekends where I’m so wrapped up in my own shit and not spending enough time or attention with my kids,” he explained, revealing a deeper introspection about his role as a father amidst his busy life.
His recent emotional experiences coincided with the passing of his father earlier this year, prompting him to reassess his relationships and the scorecard he had kept since childhood. This realization is the primary breakthrough that Galloway describes. It gives him the strength to face his past and the weight of expectations that masculinity brings.
While Galloway journeys through his own awakening, he’s diagnosing systemic failures in our world. He contends that Democrats have abandoned the interests of young men in favor of other special interest constituencies. “I’m not saying that women need to lower their standards. I think men need to level up,” he stated, emphasizing the importance of personal responsibility for men in today’s society.
In discussing attraction, Galloway identifies three key qualities that women find appealing: signaling resources, kindness, and intellect. These, he argues, are the qualities that every good man needs to practice to develop — and earn — the deep relationships men should have with others. He makes clear the gendered roles he expects men to take with his repeated mantras that “men protect, provide and procreate.”
From Koyaanisqatsi to Crazy Rich Asians, Galloway uses cultural references to make his case. Yet he’s inspired by actors such as Keanu Reeves, who exude the warrior power without losing touch with their benevolent side. In his discussions about masculinity, he often refers to the need for men to channel their physical strength for good: “Real men don’t start bar fights; they break them up.”
Despite his insights into masculinity, critics have pointed out that Galloway often overlooks nuances related to race and sexuality within his work. He admits this gap, but insists that it’s for the best because he’s more interested in preparing men to fight the battles of a confusing, multi-faceted, modern life.
On the latest podcasts—especially Prof G Pod, Raging Moderates, Pivot—Galloway fires up, giving you his perspective on what’s happening in the world today. He wants to use his Democrat-friendly podcast network as a springboard to their nation’s 2026 and 2028 elections. He knows developing a space for honest conversation is key. It will better enable our society to address the many challenges that today’s youth face.
Pithy codes and maxims provide little real substance to the alternative masculinity that Galloway has offered. Yet he insists that we have a more complex understanding of strength that marries this legacy with contemporary understandings of the term. “For the last 3,000 years, we’ve been taught if you demonstrate weakness – and a way to demonstrate weakness is crying – that some other dude might take your shit, fuck your wife and eat your children,” he remarked, indicating the long-standing societal stigma around male vulnerability.