The Prof G Pod with Scott Galloway

How to Raise Good Men — Scott Galloway & Richard Reeves Answer Your Questions

November 21, 2025

Key Takeaways Copied to clipboard!

  • The conversation about pornography for boys must shift from explaining mechanics to emphasizing the vast, artificial gap between online content and real-life sex, ideally starting earlier than traditional methods allow. 
  • For teachers, especially female teachers, difficulty relating to teenage boys may stem from the boys' underlying issues like device addiction, lack of sleep, or the absence of strong male role models, rather than a failure of the teacher's effort. 
  • Modeling healthy masculinity is best achieved through consistent 'show, don't tell' actions—such as serving others, showing respect to a partner, and demonstrating thoughtfulness—which boys internalize over time, even if they initially resist the explicit instruction. 

Segments

Sponsor Messages Introduction
Copied to clipboard!
(00:00:00)
  • Key Takeaway: Podcast sponsors include Apollo Global Management, Zoom, and Netflix’s Train Dreams.
  • Summary: The initial segment features advertisements for Apollo Global Management, focusing on capital for industrial modernization, and Zoom, promoting its unified platform for work collaboration. A promotion for the Netflix film ‘Train Dreams’ follows, highlighting its themes of endurance and purpose against a changing America.
Introduction and Guest Welcome
Copied to clipboard!
(00:01:35)
  • Key Takeaway: The special series ‘Prop G on Masculinity’ features Richard Reeves discussing identity, fatherhood, and masculinity with Scott Galloway.
  • Summary: Scott Galloway welcomes Richard Reeves, founding president of the American Institute for Boys and Men, to the special series focusing on listener questions about masculinity. Reeves mentions he is currently in Reykjavik, Iceland, where the president publicly referenced Galloway’s book, ‘Notes on Being a Man.’
Talking to Boys About Pornography
Copied to clipboard!
(00:02:56)
  • Key Takeaway: Parents should focus on explaining the vast difference between real-life sex and artificial pornography rather than immediate moral shaming.
  • Summary: A listener question asks how to maintain dialogue with a six-year-old boy about sex and pornography. Reeves advises that conversations must happen earlier due to the ubiquity of online content, stressing that porn is like a fantasy movie compared to real-life sex. Data indicates 1 in 5 children aged 10-12 are unintentionally exposed, with first exposure averaging age 12.
Teacher Challenges and Boy Behavior
Copied to clipboard!
(00:07:30)
  • Key Takeaway: Teenage boys’ increased difficulty in classrooms may be linked to dopamine-seeking behavior from device addiction, causing them to lash out for reaction.
  • Summary: A female teacher asks for advice on commanding attention from teenage boys, noting changes attributed to ‘iPad parenting’ and the manosphere. Galloway suggests that boys accustomed to instant dopamine hits from devices struggle to sit still for passive learning, sometimes acting out just to elicit a reaction. Teachers may be bearing the brunt of collective failures regarding boys’ basic needs like sleep and mentorship.
Modeling Positive Masculinity
Copied to clipboard!
(00:15:41)
  • Key Takeaway: Raising good men relies on ‘show, don’t tell’ modeling, emphasizing service, protection, and respect, particularly by being good to the boy’s mother.
  • Summary: A new father asks how to navigate narrow definitions of masculinity. Reeves emphasizes that showing what it means to be a man through service—like ensuring guests’ luggage is handled or offering a seat to someone in need—is more effective than lecturing. Galloway adds that demonstrating deep affection and deference to his wife models healthy relationships and respect for women.
Paying on Dates
Copied to clipboard!
(00:20:25)
  • Key Takeaway: Offering to pay on a date signals service and a willingness to spend resources on a woman, acknowledging the biological asymmetry in the value of time spent dating.
  • Summary: Galloway advocates that a man should always offer to pay on a date to demonstrate seriousness and recognize the greater biological time constraint women face. Reeves refines this, stating that offering to pay signals service and the willingness to spend resources, not necessarily economic superiority, a distinction his son articulated.
Concluding Remarks and Credits
Copied to clipboard!
(00:23:44)
  • Key Takeaway: Thoughtful gestures, like walking street-side of a woman, maintain symbolic value as a signal of intent and consideration, even if physical risk is minimal.
  • Summary: Reeves cites Barack Obama walking street-side of Michelle Obama as an example of a gesture that signals thoughtfulness and consideration, even if the original protective necessity has diminished. The episode concludes with production credits for Jennifer Sanchez, Laura Janaire, and Drew Burroughs, followed by final sponsor messages.