

Man of the Year - Champions of Friendship
Matt Ritter and Aaron Karo
As seen in The New York Times, on NPR, and the TODAY Show, Man of the Year is the #1 friendship podcast in the country! Comedians and friendship experts Matt Ritter and Aaron Karo will help you make new friends, reconnect with old ones, and build lifelong social fitness. Each November they award a gigantic Man of the Year trophy to one of their childhood friends – a tradition that has kept their crew going strong since the '80s. But the country is facing a friendship recession – 15% of men report having zero close friends – and they’re on a mission to change that with tips, hacks, and decades of hilarious stories. Join the revolution at manoftheyearpodcast.com and instagram.com/manoftheyearpodcast
Episodes
Mentioned books

Nov 21, 2023 • 40min
#54 - Trophy Life – The 20th Annual Man of the Year Dinner
It’s the Tuesday before Thanksgiving – aka our Super Bowl! Matt, Karo, and the rest of their childhood crew gather at Peter Luger Steak House in Brooklyn for the 20th annual awarding of their coveted Man of the Year trophy. The guys discuss the origins of the night, the importance of friendship traditions, and oh yeah Karo got a FREAKIN’ TATTOO!
Watch this episode on YouTube!
Get MOTY merch at manoftheyearpodcast.com
Man of the Year on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok
Matt Ritter on Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter
Aaron Karo on Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter
Man of the Year is produced by Thelonious Friedman in Hancock Park, Los Angeles Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Nov 14, 2023 • 37min
#53 - The Pride of Plainview
It’s the week before Thanksgiving and Matt and Karo are headed home to Long Island to talk bagels, New York accents, and setting the alarm off when you’re staying at your parents’ house. Let us know what it’s like when you visit your hometown – but keep it positive! Watch this episode on YouTube! Get MOTY merch at manoftheyearpodcast.com Man of the Year on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok Matt Ritter on Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter Aaron Karo on Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter Man of the Year is produced by Thelonious Friedman in Hancock Park, Los Angeles Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Nov 7, 2023 • 35min
#52 - Getting FUBAR with Travis Van Winkle
Matt and Karo interview actor, mentor, and – according to Karo – full on smoke show Travis Van Winkle. They discuss Travis’s new Netflix show FUBAR, the importance of Men’s Groups, and of course, becoming friends with Arnold Schwarzenegger. Watch this episode on YouTube! Get MOTY merch at manoftheyearpodcast.com Man of the Year on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok Matt Ritter on Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter Aaron Karo on Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter Man of the Year is produced by Thelonious Friedman in Hancock Park, Los Angeles Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Oct 31, 2023 • 31min
#51 - Slenderman of the Year
Happy Halloween! Matt and Karo discuss why October 31st is one of the best days of the year to make friends. They also chat about murder houses, Karo’s Batgirl costume, and Matt’s run-in with the law dressed as a clown.
Watch this episode on YouTube!
Get MOTY merch at manoftheyearpodcast.com
Man of the Year on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok
Matt Ritter on Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter
Aaron Karo on Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter
Man of the Year is produced by Thelonious Friedman in Hancock Park, Los Angeles Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Oct 24, 2023 • 35min
#50 - The Man of the Year 50th Episode Friendtacular!
Matt and Karo celebrate one year working in the most respected field in America: Podcasting. The guys look back at their first 50 episodes – the tips, the hacks, the ups, and the downs. Also we’re still trying to figure out what to call our fans! Buddies? Champs? Send in your ideas!
Watch this episode on YouTube!
Get MOTY merch at manoftheyearpodcast.com
Man of the Year on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok
Matt Ritter on Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter
Aaron Karo on Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter
Man of the Year is produced by Thelonious Friedman in Hancock Park, Los Angeles Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Oct 17, 2023 • 35min
#49 - How To Teach Your Kids About Friendship
Matt and Karo always say it’s never too late to make a new friend, but is it ever too early? The guys discuss making friends as little kids, give some bullying advice to their buddy Oscar, and Matt literally steals candy from a baby. Get ready for some parallel play!
Watch this episode on YouTube!
Get MOTY merch at manoftheyearpodcast.com
Man of the Year on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok
Matt Ritter on Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter
Aaron Karo on Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter
Man of the Year is produced by Thelonious Friedman in Hancock Park, Los Angeles Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Oct 10, 2023 • 35min
#48 - Country Club Adjacent with Griff Pippin!
Matt and Karo welcome their first-ever in-studio guest – Griff Pippin: comedian, scratch golfer, and one fourth of the golf comedy podcast Country Club Adjacent! Griff discusses making friends on the golf course, roasting Trump in the tee box, and why Stoicism is the cure for absolutely everything, like literally everything.
Watch this episode on YouTube!
Get MOTY merch at manoftheyearpodcast.com
Man of the Year on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok
Matt Ritter on Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter
Aaron Karo on Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter
Man of the Year is produced by Thelonious Friedman in Hancock Park, Los Angeles Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Oct 3, 2023 • 40min
#47 - Becoming BFFs with Bumble’s Beth Berger
Matt and Karo interview Beth Berger, the head of the hottest friendship app in town – Bumble For Friends. Beth and the guys discuss how to choose the right photo, how to find potential buddies in your neighborhood, and how to go from stranger to acquaintance to friend. Also, Matt has never been on a dating app but Karo has plenty of horror stories for him.
Watch this episode on YouTube and get MOTY merch at manoftheyearpodcast.com
Man of the Year on Instagram and TikTok
Matt Ritter on Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter
Aaron Karo on Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter
Man of the Year is produced by Thelonious Friedman in Hancock Park, Los Angeles Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Sep 26, 2023 • 37min
#46 - The Eternal Question: Can Men And Women Be Friends?
Matt and Karo expand their pool of potential friends to the opposite sex, and navigate the tricky waters of making female friends. In other news, Matt goes full dad mode, Karo gets friend zoned, and Producer Theo gets cucked.
Watch this episode on YouTube and get MOTY merch at manoftheyearpodcast.com
Man of the Year on Instagram and TikTok
Matt Ritter on Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter
Aaron Karo on Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter
Man of the Year is produced by Thelonious Friedman in Hancock Park, Los Angeles Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Sep 19, 2023 • 39min
#45 - Talking Faith and Friendship with Rabbi Steve Leder
Matt and Karo talk to Steve Leder, one of the country’s most influential rabbis, about how men can rethink their relationships, what the Bible can teach you even if you don’t believe in God (Karo), and whether rabbis can have friends. The guys also lament how Rabbi Leder got staffed on a Netflix show before they did.
Watch this episode on YouTube and get MOTY merch at manoftheyearpodcast.com
Man of the Year on Instagram and TikTok
Matt Ritter on Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter
Aaron Karo on Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter
Man of the Year is produced by Thelonious Friedman in Hancock Park, Los Angeles Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.