The Anti-Toxic Masculinity of Modern-Day Rom-Coms

The Anti-Toxic Masculinity of Modern-Day Rom-Coms

From Engagement Party by CNN Podcasts

June 19, 2026 · 40 min

About this episode

The episode discusses modern rom-coms and their portrayal of masculinity, alongside a debate on phone-free live events and social media trends.

Amazon's wildly popular "Off Campus" is just the latest in a parade of BookTok-beloved titles to gain new fans as streaming shows, and the pairing of explicit sex and non-toxic masculinity means these aren’t your mom’s rom-coms. And as fans react to Phoebe Bridgers’ announcement of a phone-free arena tour this summer, Audie and Ari debate the merits of locking away devices for live events. Plus, "Wild Card" host Rachel Martin is over menopause-friendly salmon recipes in her feeds. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

People in this episode

Host: Audie Cornish

Guest: Ari

Topics covered

  • rom-coms
  • toxic masculinity
  • BookTok
  • live events
  • menopause

Keywords

  • rom-coms
  • toxic masculinity
  • BookTok
  • Phoebe Bridgers
  • Rachel Martin
  • live events
  • menopause

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Off Campus, Wild Card

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