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
May 13, 2025 • 31min
#131 - The Loneliness Economy
An entire ecosystem is being built around confronting the loneliness epidemic. Matt and Karo discuss all the new ways help is there for you and all the pros and cons.The Government even has an entire program to help you become more socially fit.
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 X
Aaron Karo on Instagram, TikTok, and X Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
May 6, 2025 • 35min
#130 - #NoRegrets
We all have regrets in life – but we don’t often talk about friendship regret – that falling out you never reconciled, that misunderstanding you never corrected, that old pal you never picked up the phone and called. This week Matt and Karo talk about how to deal with and avoid friendship regret. Also, vasectomies.
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 X
Aaron Karo on Instagram, TikTok, and X Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Apr 29, 2025 • 32min
#129 - Rebound Friendships
This week, Karo and Matt dive into the world of rebound friendships—the new buddies you make following a friend break-up. We talk about how to move on without bitterness, what to look for in new friendships, and why rebounds aren’t just for romance.
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 X
Aaron Karo on Instagram, TikTok, and X Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Apr 22, 2025 • 35min
#128 - The Invisible Men
Karo and Matt tackle the quiet, heavy feeling of invisibility that can creep into male friendships. We explore why so many men feel unseen—even among their closest friends. We talk about the unspoken rules that keep guys from reaching out, and the cost of staying silent. Plus, how taking the smallest step to “be the friend” can help break the spell.
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 X
Aaron Karo on Instagram, TikTok, and X Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Apr 15, 2025 • 35min
#127 - Social Fitness Test Revisited
It's been a year since we last did our score count. Have you improved in any category? Is there a balance to your friendships? Are you being more vulnerable, scratching beyond the surface? Do you have a good circle that lives nearby? Have you built a trophy? We wanna hear from you!
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 X
Aaron Karo on Instagram, TikTok, and X Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Apr 8, 2025 • 31min
#126 - Moving for Friends
Matt and Karo give a scorching hot take. It's perfectly normal to move for a love interest, but it's really not at all discussed whether you should move for your friends. Matt chased after Karo in California and maybe you should move if your bff is elsewhere. It's at least worth debating.
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 X
Aaron Karo on Instagram, TikTok, and X Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Apr 1, 2025 • 32min
#125 - Our Final Episode (April Fools’!)
Don’t worry, you’re not getting rid of us that easily! Today Karo and Matt introduce “limited series” – friendship activities that have a finite end date so they’re not as much of a commitment. The guys also discuss April Fools’ Day, the prank-industrial complex, and why their hometown is famous for the greatest prank of all time.
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 X
Aaron Karo on Instagram, TikTok, and X Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Mar 25, 2025 • 33min
#124 - Q1 Friendship Check In
Since we are about to hit the end of our first fiscal friendship quarter, we thought it made sense to track our progress. How has your social fitness improved since Jan 1 and what are some areas to revisit and lock in on?
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 X
Aaron Karo on Instagram, TikTok, and X Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Mar 18, 2025 • 32min
#123 - Fake It Til You Make It
They say dress for the job you want. Well we want you to do that, but for friendship. If you have an acquaintance that you want to be a good friend, start acting like they’re ALREADY a good friend. Share with them, check in on them, invite them out. In other words, fake it til you make it.
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 X
Aaron Karo on Instagram, TikTok, and X Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Mar 11, 2025 • 35min
#122 - Keeping Score
Matt and Karo discuss the pros and cons of keeping track of friendship. Why it can be healthy to have some sense of the balance but unhealthy if it becomes a tit for tat transactional friendship.
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 X
Aaron Karo on Instagram, TikTok, and X Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
