The Naked Man Podcast

Hi friends, I'm Andy Greene… and I'm The Naked Man.  The Naked Man Podcast is my journey of vulnerability, to reconnect with my body and rediscover the child inside. In our first two seasons, we read my birth chart, we spoke to my ancestors, we even met my therapist.  Now, in our third season, I'm peeling back even more layers.  I'm being coached on intuitive eating. I'm confronting my shame about not having a circumcision. I'm trying to figure out who I am without gender as a crutch. …because this is The Naked Man Podcast. Remove your armor, unleash your curiosity and join me, wherever you podcast. The podcast is going video! Subscribe to our ⁠YouTube Channel⁠. Follow us on: ⁠Instagram⁠ ⁠TikTok Season 3 Features: --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/nakedmanpod/support

"Almost every moment I've been hurt or that I've hurt others has come when I was trying to act like a man or how I thought a man was supposed to act, or when I was acting differently than a man should." This week, I talk about a fateful journey to the bookstore and identifying as gender nonconforming. This tale touches upon the frightful nature of all-male spaces, shame, privilege, King David and the Underground Rave, Christmastime jewelry and the power of sampler trays. References Beyond the Gender Binary by Alok Vaid-Menon Alok on the 'Man Enough' Podcast --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/nakedmanpod/support

“You're here to transform yourself.” This week, Danny Santos (@santoscrystalvisions) AKA the Astro Daddy reads my astrological chart. Danny Santos is an archetypal astrologer on a mission to become an ayahuasca shaman. So yeah, he's rad. The result is a deeper dive into astrology that uncovers where I've been, what I'm good at, what I need to work on, and what my DESTINY is. It's a lot. We see why I love quality, nature, food, art and music, appreciating things as they are. Why I desire stability. Why my soul can't develop any further through the Taurus perspective. How my Scorpio Rising indicates a need to go underneath, inward. We uncover my potent karma, to be the friggin' Grim Reaper of my bloodline on a mission to heal ancestral trauma. We uncover a wounded sense of boundaries that has been around early in life. I learn that I'm "an incredibly Venus-oriented person" and that I have a lot of healing/work to do in the fields of eroticism, sensuality and sexuality that has long been infected by shame. I start that work in this episode, revealing my primary wound. Who was I in a past life? Why does travel help me? What are my destiny signs? (Spoilers: PISCES and LEO, call me.) Why do I need to learn how to dream? Why the hell does improv come up? How does my mom fit into the equation? What is up with my gut? How is 'Daddy' part of my destiny? Take a trip with Danny and I through "the proponents of the universe," the stars. "This is what weaves our universe together." - Danny Santos. References Astro Daddy Podcast Book a Session with Danny! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/nakedmanpod/support

This week, I'm joined by actor-carpenter-podcaster David Marlowe (@dwmarlowe) of the Shudder Show to discuss his experiences and struggles with ADHD. Starting with an ADHD diagnosis in second grade, David chronicles a lifelong tale of stigmas and over-explaining that has necessitated a bushel of metaphors at his disposal. David relates a difficult college experience after he went off meds, how his walls are up when it comes to conversations revolving around mental health in a blue collar workplace and how South Park did ADHD a disservice. While "pills don't make skills," we also bemoan the heartbreaking travails with health insurance and the difficulties in getting Adderall. References How to ADHD YouTube Channel Driven to Distraction Book ADHD ReWired Podcast Hacking Your ADHD Podcast I Have ADHD Podcast --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/nakedmanpod/support

"Self-care is the opening towards a spiritual practice and the key to healing." This week I'm joined by picture book writer-illustrator and oracle Priyanka Vashee (@gulabimagic) to talk about her spiritual journey, my spirit guides, the difficulty and power of shifting mindsets and our paths to finding picture books, and subsequently, each other. We talk about Captain Bartlett, the leader of Andy's spirit council, and the joyful afterlife. We change roles, as the ever-caring, empathetic and understanding Priyanka plays host to a dose of Andy therapy. We also discuss Priyanka's "breathless" experience with COVID, her career change, the shame and embarrassment associated with difficult things and "psychic stuff." Is a technical glitch really spiritual intervention? How did Priyanka's journey start with a terrible palm reading? Why is it so hard to believe in yourself when that is so clearly the thing we need most? We attempt to explore these questions and more. Please rate, subscribe and tell your friends. Shop at Priyanka's Etsy shop! Book a session with Priyanka or visit her website. Listen to Priyanka's Messages From Spirit playlist. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/nakedmanpod/support

“I just started to hear this voice in my head that was like, ‘You can do this. You are capable.' It was the first time that I can remember hearing a voice like that in my head.” This week I'm joined by comedian and filmmaker Monica Andrade (@vape__sommelier) to discuss their journey to sobriety. Oftentimes the decision to get sober is where the discussion ends, but as Monica tells us, it's the start of a new story, and it's a difficult path. At the time of this conversation, Monica is less than a month sober – this is raw and immediate and Monica's strength imbues every word they speak. Monica relates their trial and error experiences with getting clean and what they've learned about themselves along the way. We talk about powerlessness and the overwhelm. We talk about how substances were a way to control emotions and feelings and the need to be present, to find joy in the boring, small moments home alone. We discuss decision fatigue and how the decision to be sober isn't just one decision, but an infinite number, and how long it takes for the urges to lessen. We end on the story of a fateful whitewater rafting trip that awakened a powerful voice within them. Please rate, subscribe and tell your friends. Listen to Monica's Mixtape! If you're out there, scared and struggling with your sobriety, please know you're not alone and you matter. Call the SAMHSA National Helpline at 1-800-662-4357. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/nakedmanpod/support

This week, I finally talk about what's going on in my life -- and it all starts with a rock in my shoe. I've been in physical therapy for the past couple months and that has coincided with a depression that has made it hard to do everything, including this podcast. The journey begins in childhood and is ongoing, but here's the story for now. If you'd like to join and participate in The Naked Man community and my umbrella of projects, join my biweekly newsletter Wanderings. In the meantime, please rate and subscribe! If you have a monologue that you'd like to perform (regardless of gender/sex), don't hesitate to reach out to us at nakedmanpod@gmail.com. If you want to join our community, follow us on Instagram @nakedmanpod. Better yet, give us a call at 747-231-7120 and share your thoughts and feelings with us. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/nakedmanpod/support

"Am I growing? Am I evolving, reaching my full potential? Am I aware of my full capacity? Do I have hidden talents that I don't even know I'm good at? Are there things that are there to be uncovered, are there treasures that are waiting to be discovered inside of me that I haven't found yet?" This week, Andy has a flower essence consultation with Katie Hess, the founder of LOTUSWEI's flower elixirs who simply wants us all to see the magic again. This is the first episode where someone found me, reached out to me with a product and we address the skepticism inherent in that situation, particularly something that can be seen as so "woo." How do we maximize the things that make us uniquely us? We discuss the magic and wonder of the natural world and how it has stopped becoming an essential part of our day to day life, how everything on Earth is here for us. Katie helps us harken back to our childhood when it was easy to know and remember this magic. Andy reveals some of the dirt of the past couple months and what he's been working through. He wonders if pharmaceuticals are right for him, he feels clunky and combative when setting boundaries, he still struggles to say no (“If you're not fuck yeah, don't do it”) and highlights the times when anxiety is the hardest to withstand. We also explore the arrogance and comedy in wanting to "save the world." We wonder after the very nature of self-care (particularly in men) and reframe it as: how do we best grow? We reframe "how can I help people?" to "how can I help myself?" Katie asks Andy the ultimate question: “If you're a total, absolute failure, what does that mean about you?” Listen for Andy's answer. References: LOTUSWEI Katie's Meditations Forest Bathing and Nature Therapy: Study Greenlights --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/nakedmanpod/support

“It wasn't until he stopped believing in me that I stopped believing in him.” This week, I'm joined by fellow artist and courageous new friend, Marissa Wasseluk (@realmarissapaige) to talk about the end of her 10-year marriage and where she's at in her journey to put herself first. Marissa tells the story of the end, highlighting red flags along the way. In the midst of a pandemic and all the other insanity of the world, Marissa realized that they weren't in it together. We talk about self-trust or lack thereof, boundaries or lack thereof, shaking anger, resentment, unfair expectations and the importance of friends to act as reflections. How outdated are marriage vows, and how is the societal pressure and expectations around marriage toxic? Here's a hint: it encourages thoughts like, "I have to save my husband's life or I'm a shitty wife." If you'd like to join and participate in The Naked Man community and my umbrella of projects, join the Patreon! Join the Wanderers' Union Discord or receive the biweekly newsletter Wanderings by following the links. In the meantime, please rate and subscribe! If you have a monologue that you'd like to perform (regardless of gender/sex), don't hesitate to reach out to us at nakedmanpod@gmail.com. If you want to join our community, follow us on Instagram @nakedmanpod. Better yet, give us a call at 747-231-7120 and share your thoughts and feelings with us. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/nakedmanpod/support

"Do less, but better." This week, Andy returns with a Naked Manologue, except this time it's unscripted, an improvised life update that includes where his podcast headspace is at and where he's been and what he's working on, and why he constantly feels like "The Weary Traveler." This episode chronicles overwhelm, burnout, anxiety, a medication change, a recent trip to Mexico that included getting COVID-19. What was the fallout? The answer involves essentialism and calls to mind a life-changing massage in Santa Fe, New Mexico. References "Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less" by Greg McKeown "No Place Like Home: Searching For Answers on The Road" by Andy Greene Santa Fe Oxygen Bar: One Sacred Body Spa --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/nakedmanpod/support

This week, I'm joined by Better Boys, Better Men author Andrew Reiner to talk about a new masculinity and the lack of male role models. We start our conversation with a PIES check-in, sharing our physical, intellectual, emotional and spiritual states. Andrew and I connect over never having a mentor in our career and shared grief over a dear friend. We try to distance ourselves from that inner voice of shame (“You're not doing it right”) and practice meeting ourselves where we are: Andrew's coming out of a period of depression and brain fog, while I'm overwhelmed and exhausted. We discuss three of Andrew's heroes, Barack Obama, Bruce Springsteen and Mister Rogers, and why he looks up to them. We explore why asking for help, asking for a mentor, is really hard, and delve into our conflicted relationship with crying by swapping breakdown stories, and examine the backlash men face from their partners when being vulnerable. In addition, Andrew and I explore the need for an end to our cynical, cancel culture that is a self-fulfilling prophecy for isolation and alienation and wonder after a path forward. If you'd like to purchase Andrew's book Better Boys, Better Men, go here. If you'd like to join and participate in The Naked Man community and my umbrella of projects, join the Patreon! Join the Wanderers' Union Discord or receive the biweekly newsletter Wanderings by following the links. In the meantime, please rate and subscribe! If you have a monologue that you'd like to perform (regardless of gender/sex), don't hesitate to reach out to us at nakedmanpod@gmail.com. If you want to join our community, follow us on Instagram @nakedmanpod. Better yet, give us a call at 747-231-7120 and share your thoughts and feelings with us. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/nakedmanpod/support

"Don't be afraid to look shame in the face and tell it to fuck off." This week, we get magical as spiritual guide and tarot reader CIRCE gives me a reading. Three readings, in fact, using The Fountain Tarot Deck (created by Jonathan Saiz, written by Jason Gruhl and designed by Andi Todaro). We do a Past, Present and Future reading surrounding finances. We do a What I Want vs. What I Need reading and finish on a Mind-Body-Spirit reading. Circe identifies my need to be more grounded. She sees that so much of my energy is focused outward, and that I mustn't forget to focus inward, that I must explore the things I don't want to look at. Circe spots how imbalanced I am. Not only when it comes to my mind, body and spirit -- I'm a MIND-dominated person, for sure, but I'm also imbalanced when it comes to masculine-feminine energy. She reminds me to replenish, that my focus must be keener for the challenges to come. Circe knows I'm stuck in the past and that the only one who needs to forgive me is myself. Circe is full of wisdom: "what people think of you is none of your business." As she says: "Trust yourself, dammit!" And what's for sure is that after spending an hour with Circe, I find that a lot easier to do. I hope you feel the same way.If you'd like to meet Circe (@mindingmylyons) and answer the call from the universe, visit SeekingAllSeekers.com. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/nakedmanpod/support

“I have to be steadfast in what I believe I should be putting out there and know that there's someone that it will reach and mean something to. That's what I'm doing it for.” This week I'm blessed with my friend Alyssa Onofreo's presence. Alyssa is the social creative producer/director for Crypt TV, a horror themed digital content space that is breaking into NFT's and Alyssa has received a lot of (personal) backlash for it. Which is why Alyssa and I are talking about online toxicity – about the binary, us vs. them, right vs. wrong, moral vs. amoral, black vs. white space the internet (and world) has become. If you're like me, you groaned when you saw the acronym “NFT.” You rolled your eyes. You don't want to hear about it. I'm just now getting used to Web2, and now we have Web3 to worry about? Fuck, man. But I'm glad we have people like Alyssa being curious, exploring the new frontier. Alyssa is entering a space dominated by men, by tech bros and is doing so to create a new space for queer content and to be fairly compensated for it. In return she's been bullied, threatened and accused of queerbating. We talk about how Alyssa changed her mind about NFTs, what scares us about NFTs (Where does the money come from? Where does it go? What if Alyssa becomes a crypto shill?), about the willingness to be wrong, our history with the internet, and of course, a bag of dicks. We start believing that the internet was a mistake but we end on a note of hope. Together, we go into the cave and get a little more comfortable being inbetween. As we are not fixed, neither is society. References To be part of Crypt TV's newest venture, check out [but don't talk about] Monster Fight Club. OMGChomp's YouTube Channel Bryan Fuller's Queer for Fear: The History of Queer Horror is coming to Shudder this summer. If you'd like to join and participate in The Naked Man community and my umbrella of projects, join the Patreon! If you can't afford anything right now but want to join our Discord or receive the biweekly newsletter Wanderings, reach out to me. In the meantime, please rate and subscribe! If you have a monologue that you'd like to perform (regardless of gender/sex), don't hesitate to reach out to us at nakedmanpod@gmail.com. If you want to join our community, follow us on Instagram @nakedmanpod. Better yet, give us a call at 747-231-7120 and share your thoughts and feelings with us. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/nakedmanpod/support

“I was the only one who wasn't particularly upset.” This week, I'm uncovering an old interview with my grandma, Nancy B. Greene. It may very well be the origin story, the seed for what would become The Naked Man Podcast. But really, this is Grandma holding court, in her element as an orator, telling her story, which is filled with drama and trauma that she reveals in a matter-of-fact way that only she can. Grandma talks about being an orphan, being adopted, about her birth mom trying to kidnap her and her private investigator bodyguard Mr. Rakestraw. We talk about Poor Dave Leary, going to University of the Pacific, sorority life, meeting my grandfather, having children, divorcing my grandfather and a long and illustrious career in the juvenile and adult probation departments in the Bay Area. This episode runs the gamut and goes where you don't expect it, so be careful, as this takes on a bit of a true crime tint -- how does Grandma's story connect with Charles Manson? What cases still haunt her? We end on useful advice: don't help friends who have murdered their wives. If you'd like to join and participate in The Naked Man community and my umbrella of projects, join the Patreon! If you can't afford anything right now but want to join our Discord or receive the biweekly newsletter Wanderings, reach out to me. In the meantime, please rate and subscribe! If you have a monologue that you'd like to perform (regardless of gender/sex), don't hesitate to reach out to us at nakedmanpod@gmail.com. If you want to join our community, follow us on Instagram @nakedmanpod. Better yet, give us a call at 747-231-7120 and share your thoughts and feelings with us. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/nakedmanpod/support

Full disclosure: this isn't a Naked Man Podcast episode, so I guess chalk this up to April Fool's? But it is my friend Jon Marquis and I continuing an annual tradition that began in 2017 when we went to the Academy Awards together: talking for two plus hours on Oscars Eve about our favorite movies of the past year. The Oscars were overtaken by you-know-what, so if you actually wanted to know about the movies of 2021, this is for you. We discuss Wes Anderson ["I love being up his ass" vs. "There's nothing new in this ass"], where we landed on the Paul Thomas Anderson's Licorice Pizza, the space and intention in The Power of the Dog, watching Bad Trip on Christmas, all those Spider-Men, Bo Burnham and jealousy, dick out movies, being The Worst Person in the World, Drive My Car driving our hearts to new heights and a majestic little movie called PIG. We also laud the great years from Rebecca Hall, Sparks, composer Jonny Greenwood, Maggie Gyllenhaal and interrupt each other a lot to do so. PLUS: Christine Berg makes a surprise guest appearance with perfect comic timing. This unedited odyssey deserved a home, so voila. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/nakedmanpod/support

"If I haven't found a partner yet, it must be my fault." This week, we dispel that notion once and for all, thanks to my friend and fellow artist, Marissa Flaxbart, who joins us to talk about being single as a hopeless AND hopeful romantic, and her fears and discomfort associated with online dating. We return to our fumbling teenage selves and bond over our shared love of teen drama, and how much we think about romance and even how much we think about thinking about romance. We're inspired not to settle by a postcard from Marissa's mom. We wonder after the damage done by How I Met Your Mother and reflect on the new Westside Story. Marissa questions her instincts -- are they reasons or excuses? -- and wonders how far out of her comfort zone she can go before it's an act of self-betrayal. We discuss "having a boyfriend for boyfriend's sake" and the prejudiced perspectives on singlehood in our society. We discover how little we know about the reality of other people's romantic lives. Marissa is brave enough to read emotional passages from her diary and her play A Mere Conception, which is now a feature film called The Mirror Game arriving on April 1st. Marissa realizes that she's looking for something special, something rare, and that's why she hasn't found it yet, not due to any faults of her own. For more Marissa: Listen to the Soundtrack to Marissa's Life. Buy tickets to see The Mirror Game, Marissa's forthcoming movie about two old friends and single-dom. Subscribe to Marissa's free weekly publication, Metaforia. Enroll in Sweet Valley High and listen to Marissa's podcast, Sweet Valley Diaries Follow along with Marissa's Wallpaper Wednesdays on her IG. References: KCRW's Life Examined - "Why good listening matters" If you'd like to join and participate in The Naked Man community and my umbrella of projects, join the Patreon! If you can't afford anything right now but want to join our Discord or receive the biweekly newsletter Wanderings, reach out to me. In the meantime, please rate and subscribe! If you have a monologue that you'd like to perform (regardless of gender/sex), don't hesitate to reach out to us at nakedmanpod@gmail.com. If you want to join our community, follow us on Instagram @nakedmanpod. Better yet, give us a call at 747-231-7120 and share your thoughts and feelings with us. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/nakedmanpod/support

This week, we're talking about making decisions or more accurately, my struggle to do so. My whole life I've been indecisive and that has trickled its way into every part of my day-to-day. But recently, I started taking a Decision Masters course with coach Kirsten Parker and I wanted to share with you how it's helping. What are my core values? What is my vision statement for myself? Why can't I commit to one project? Where does my indecisiveness come from? Why do we get hung up on logistics? Can I find a way to be kinder to myself when confronted with hard choices? How does my identity fit into this? Let's find out, shall we? Thank you for listening. For more information on Kirsten Parker (@kpcoaching), check out her website KirstenParker.com. Please rate and subscribe! If you have a monologue that you'd like to perform (regardless of gender/sex), don't hesitate to reach out to us at nakedmanpod@gmail.com. If you want to join our community, follow us on Instagram @nakedmanpod. Better yet, give us a call at 747-231-7120 and share your thoughts and feelings with us. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/nakedmanpod/support

I had been planning on taking a hiatus before starting season 2 of The Naked Man Podcast, but the world intervened and I realized this conversation needed to be released NOW. This week, I'm joined by my friend and THE trans horror historian Logan-Ashley Kisner, three months removed from his top surgery. We talk about Logan's journey -- from when he first started questioning his gender identity and when he first started planning the surgery itself, and what that process was like and how COVID affected it all. We lambast Texas Governor Abbott and his offensive and dangerous comments on trans youth. We discuss the proper terminology for Logan's transition and clarify other misconceptions. We talk about how insurance and money clouds the ability for trans people to be who they are. We explore the fear of dedicating to things and the dedication inherent in such a surgery. We glow about Logan's support system, his friends, his family and we compare the trans coming out conversation to helping your parents with new technology. Because we're us, we indulge ourselves on how horror and art influences all of this, including the feedback loop of media and the political landscape. To help reshape the narrative, Logan recommends three horror films to accompany our conversation (Sleepaway Camp, Evil Dead, Ginger Snaps). Lastly, we both discover that we're mirrored threshold guardians in one another's story, and get excited for our future together. Logan-Ashley Kisner's Work: Transgender Horror: A Visual History: Logan's visual essay on trans horror. Made to be Monsters Series: a collection of essays examining Logan's favorite horror films through the lens of transgender bodies and feelings. A Timeline on Transgender Horror: The article that sparked our friendship. The Transgender Evil Dead: A personal essay on dudes named Ashley. Movies with Friends: Bit (2019) with Coffee! Additional Information & Resources for Texas: Resources for Transgender Youth in Texas Transgender Education Network of Texas National Center for Trans Equality Trans Health Consulting If you liked this episode, join The Naked Man Podcast's Patreon. Follow the show on Instagram and Facebook @nakedmanpod or reach out to us at nakedmanpod@gmail.com. Better yet, give us a call at 747-231-7120 and share your thoughts and feelings with us. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/nakedmanpod/support

This week, I record a therapy session with my therapist, who understandably wished to remain anonymous. The result is this unedited peek inside my brain and our personal therapy. I talk about what is on my mind: this very episode (how meta) and the pressure and anxiety I feel about it in the moment. Is it still authentic? Can it be? Is it different? How is it different? What calculations did my therapist have to make before agreeing to do this? Was she nervous to do this too? We discuss my block with money -- making it, asking for it, deserving it, participating in the economy. All of it. With my Patreon looming on the horizon, this struggle to ask for money weighs on me heavily. It feels wrong and uncomfortable. Why? Would it be easier if I had a tangible service or product I was offering? Why does it feel like I'm tricking people? Am I tricking myself? Have I ever had fun making money? Do I know what I'm doing? How does my anxiety manifest itself? Does money take me out of the moment? How do you make money without it becoming validation for your art? Are edibles the only time I allow myself to be in the moment? Why do I have to endure pain or hardship before allowing myself a reward or "deserving" fun? The whole conversation features the privilege demon rearing its horned head and ends with a brief conversation about self-care. What are you doing for self-care this week? Let us know on Instagram @nakedmanpod or reach out to us at nakedmanpod@gmail.com. Better yet, give us a call at 747-231-7120 and share your thoughts and feelings with us. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/nakedmanpod/support

This week, I'm switching things up because the news surrounding Neil Young, Spotify and Joe Rogan wasn't something I could ignore. Can I use Spotify anymore? Personally or for this podcast? Is it simply a choice between what's easy and what's right? Or is something more happening? Why does it feel like I'm grieving? I made a decision that feels right for me, but it was a journey to get there. Here is the story of that journey, which touches on the never-ending moral chess matches we're forced to play and will always lose in 2022. Let me know what you think of my decision, let me know what decision you're making. Thank you for listening. If you have a monologue that you'd like to perform (regardless of gender/sex), don't hesitate to reach out to us at nakedmanpod@gmail.com. If you want to join our community, follow us on Instagram @nakedmanpod. Better yet, give us a call at 747-231-7120 and share your thoughts and feelings with us. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/nakedmanpod/support

"I knew it was a dream and he wasn't real." This week, on our last Naked Manologue of the first season, I talk about a dream of childhood, of baseball and my childhood best friend, John Marsh. Thank you for listening. If you have a monologue that you'd like to perform (regardless of gender/sex), don't hesitate to reach out to us at nakedmanpod@gmail.com. If you want to join our community, follow us on Instagram @nakedmanpod. Better yet, give us a call at 747-231-7120 and share your thoughts and feelings with us. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/nakedmanpod/support

“I always felt like when I was a parent my career would never take off.” This week, I speak with a long lost friend from my first screenwriting class in college, Elissa Klie (@evklie), an actress, teacher, an artist and a new Mom. Elissa and I welcome you to join us at another critical crossroads: becoming a parent and finding your Niche. We ask the following questions: How can you be a mom and actress if you haven't made it yet? Can you ever be ready to be a parent? When did Elissa give herself permission to have a kid? What if we can't provide as good a life for our kids as our parents provided for us? What are we trying to teach our kids? And does it all come back to Dawson's Creek?! (Obviously.) We also discuss starting to teach during the pandemic, the ever-increasing pressure on teachers, kids and parents when it comes to education, planting seeds and finding your niche. This conversation is about taking ownership over what you want. About giving yourself permission to do what you want, to be a parent even when you don't have everything figured out. It's something I'll try to keep remembering in the years ahead. References John Dapolito, Acting Coach, Founder of the "Acting-Niche": https://johndapolito.com/ Thank you for listening. If you have a monologue that you'd like to perform, don't hesitate to reach out to us at nakedmanpod@gmail.com. If you want to join our community, follow us on Instagram @nakedmanpod. Better yet, give us a call at 747-231-7120 and share your thoughts and feelings with us. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/nakedmanpod/support

"I am a drug user." This week, I start the new year off with a monologue on drugs inspired by Dr. Carl Hart, a neuroscientist and psychologist at Columbia University who has researched drug use and drug abuse for 30 years. As Hart says, people are going to use drugs, whether they are legal or not. How can we make them safer for EVERYONE? The answer, as always, is honesty. Our dishonesty surrounding our collective drug use "is killing people." I hear you, Dr. Hart, and I agree. So, this is me talking about my history and present with drugs. From alcohol and marijuana to cocaine, acid and MDMA all the way to caffeine and Prozac. This journey also references New Year's resolutions and the punishment inherent with Dry January. Happy New Year. Be kind to yourself. References KCRW's Life Examined Podcast, "Behind the front lines of drug legalization and harm reduction" Dr. Carl Hart's book: "Drug Use for Grown-Ups: Chasing Liberty in the Land of Fear" Get help: Valley Community Counseling Thank you for listening. If you have a monologue that you'd like to perform (regardless of gender/sex), don't hesitate to reach out to us at nakedmanpod@gmail.com. If you want to join our community, follow us on Instagram @nakedmanpod. Better yet, give us a call at 747-231-7120 and share your thoughts and feelings with us. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/nakedmanpod/support

In today's unplanned crossover episode with Andy's other talk show, Movies with Friends, Candy Cane Greene and Naked Man pilot guest Kyle Dickinson have a Christmas feast with the Cratchits, enjoying Christmas Pudding and a Smoking Bishop cocktail as they discuss BBC's version of A Christmas Carol (1984). Welcome to A Naked Man Christmas Carol. [DISCLAIMER: The episode is intercut with clips from the film & other references. The audio isn't the best, my apologies.] What Christmas carol do Kyle and Andy attempt to sing? Is A Christmas Carol a time travel movie? Why does Andy feel bad for Jacob Marley? How does capitalism fail even the Scrooges of the world? Is this a commentary on Margaret Thatcher era England? How does Christmas change as you go from childhood to adulthood to parenthood? Why are carols so important to Kyle? What creates that proprietary blend of magic and melancholy omnipresent during the holidays? Are Kyle and Andy the cutest? All these answers and more come for those willing to journey to England and with the help of the Ghost of Christmas Past, return back to childhood and rediscover the magic of Christmas. This is a cinematic sleigh ride undertaken to promote The Los Angeles Mission, a nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating homelessness by providing food, drink, shelter, health care and employment to those who need it. To donate to the LA Mission: https://losangelesmission.org/ways-to-give/ If you'd like to watch the visual component to the episode or check out any other episodes of Movies with Friends, a YouTube talk show where friends come together to talk movies with a food and/or drink pairing from local businesses, go here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnU0cnUDJUqOQjjaeBSwyUw/ Thank you for listening. If you want to join our community, follow us on Instagram @nakedmanpod. Better yet, give us a call at 747-231-7120 and share your thoughts and feelings with us. I do not own the rights to A Christmas Carol. I am not being paid to promote any of these products or businesses. I did so of my own accord because I am so grateful to the small businesses the world over that have kept us afloat the past few years. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/nakedmanpod/support

“I am supposed to be here, I belong here. I'm doing the right things, I'm there, it just takes time.” This week, I speak with the artist who designed the tie I wore to my wedding, Marcel P. Ames, the owner of X of Pentacles (@xofpentacles), a bespoke Neopolitan clothing company (https://xofpentacles.com/). During our first live conversation together, we swap experiences with anxiety and our fear of failure. I reveal my childhood fear of buttons, whereas Marcel was a button collector, the King of Buttons. Marcel talks about the hardships that helped him kick imposter syndrome and his fear of failure. We both discuss the illusion of stability, fashion's role in self-discovery and how we can go from being passive dreamers to lucid dreamers. Andy reveals his therapy origin story. Like Batman, we work through the pain together, while glimpsing each other's artistic processes. We strive not to be trash but compost. We become friends. To learn more about Marcel's story, check out this motivational speech: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VwEaIwVCxC4&feature=emb_title Thank you for listening. If you have a monologue that you'd like to perform (regardless of gender/sex), don't hesitate to reach out to us at nakedmanpod@gmail.com. If you want to join our community, follow us on Instagram @nakedmanpod. Better yet, give us a call at 747-231-7120 and share your thoughts and feelings with us. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/nakedmanpod/support

“Grief is lonely… doing it on your own, it's not worth it. It's way better to have partners on this journey together.” This week, I speak with an old friend from high school, Galen Emery. Following the loss of my friend Chris, Galen reached out and offered his ear and heart if I ever needed to talk because he had similar experiences. I took him up on the offer and this podcast that explores grief and depression is the result. Galen and I remember the loved ones we've lost and compare our grieving processes and how we're handling it. We discuss guilt, regrets and resentments. We bemoan the barrier to entry in the mental health space. We wonder how time outs served to keep us from processing our emotions, how this and other societal pressures taught us to minimize and bury our emotions. We discuss how grief feels in our body and where it hits us. We talk about how hard it us for us to cry, to stay in the moment and allow ourselves to give in to our feelings. I talk about how hard it is to know what I'm feeling sometimes and how frustrating that is. We connect over our loss and realize how inspired and influenced we are by their memories. Thank you for listening. If you have a monologue that you'd like to perform (you don't have to be a man), don't hesitate to reach out to us at nakedmanpod@gmail.com. If you want to join our community, follow us on Instagram @nakedmanpod. Better yet, give us a call at 747-231-7120 and share your thoughts and feelings with us. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/nakedmanpod/support

This week in another Naked Manologue, I talk about a friend who passed away six months ago, whose birthday is in October. This leads into our next episode that will explore grief in more detail. In my friends' honor, I'm embarking on an ambitious expedition for October: "Horror Movies with Friends," an all-month long horror movie talk show coming to YouTube and IGTV. 31 days, 31 movies, 31 different guests and 31 different drink pairings provided by small businesses I admire. It might sound antithetical, but I'm trying to do this in the same way I approach this podcast. To coincide with the event, I'm running a fundraiser in my friend's name through The Trevor Project. I will update with more information when it is available. Thank you for listening. If you have a monologue that you'd like to perform (you don't have to be a man), don't hesitate to reach out to us at nakedmanpod@gmail.com. If you want to join our community, follow us on Instagram @nakedmanpod. Better yet, give us a call at 747-231-7120 and share your thoughts and feelings with us. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/nakedmanpod/support

This week in another Naked Manologue, I talk about my first kiss. The story begins with shame and embarrassment in high school and connects back to shame and embarrassment from childhood, discussing homophobia, bullying and a repressed memory. Thank you for listening. If you have a monologue that you'd like to perform (you don't have to be a man), don't hesitate to reach out to us at nakedmanpod@gmail.com. If you want to join our community, follow us on Instagram @nakedmanpod. Better yet, give us a call at 747-231-7120 and share your thoughts and feelings with us. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/nakedmanpod/support

This week I welcome artist, activist and yogi of sketches, Sheila Darcey (@SketchPoetic). In our first time meeting after riding the whims of fate, Sheila and I create a sacred space around big topics like trust, forgiveness and anxiety. Sheila has made a sketch for over 1,500 days in a row, on a mission to feel, to understand her emotions and translate her pain; to heal. By exploring her artistic process together, we learn about each other. We talk about our struggles staying grounded and in the moment. We discuss imposter syndrome and how originality is a roadblock to creativity. We explore Andy's hang-ups on memory. We shift our definition of transformation, we rebel against perfectionism, people pleasing and instead seek our inner child. Because that's what art is: an act of remembering yourself. Ultimately, we rid ourselves of expectations and Surrender to the conversation gods. In so doing, we become friends. Sheila's new book "Sketch by Sketch" arrives in stores December 2021, but you can preorder now through SketchPoetic.com. In the meantime, join The Naked Man community: follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter @nakedmanpod, and don't hesitate to reach out to us at nakedmanpod@gmail.com. If you have any thoughts and feelings you'd like to share, call the Naked Man phone line at 747-231-7120. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/nakedmanpod/support

This week in another Naked Manologue, I'm talking about the 2021 Anthony Bourdain documentary "Roadrunner." I've been unable to shake Morgan Neville's documentary about the man because I so clearly see myself in its subject. I was humbled by that, I was inspired by that, but mostly I was frightened because Bourdain's story doesn't have a happy ending. Listen as I discuss my restlessness, my endless cycle of leaving and returning home and the struggles of keeping both eyes open on the world and yourself. Thank you for listening. If you want to join our community, follow us on Instagram @nakedmanpod and don't hesitate to reach out to us at nakedmanpod@gmail.com. Better yet, give us a call at 747-231-7120 and share your thoughts and feelings with us. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/nakedmanpod/support

This week in another Naked Manologue, I'm talking about making mistakes -- in particular, the story of the biggest mistake of my life: my DUI. I discuss my journey of depression and self-loathing to the brave act of learning from my mistakes and trusting myself again. Thank you for listening. If you want to join our community, follow us on Instagram @nakedmanpod and don't hesitate to reach out to us at nakedmanpod@gmail.com. Better yet, give us a call at 747-231-7120 and share your thoughts and feelings with us. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/nakedmanpod/support

"If you fuck up, fuck up with clarity." Lately I've been wondering if I have some empathic abilities, so this week I bring on my good friend and Naked Man composer Robert Panico (@robpanico) to discuss his life as an empath-- someone with an innate sense for the emotional state of others. Rob and I bond over our shared issues: negative thought loops, negative energy, "mind reading" our friends and partners and the noxious roommate that lives in our head that we can't evict. What was Rob's origin story? What is synesthesia and how is that part of his story? What was it like growing up around boys and men as an empath? Does anyone like P.E. class? How did the 1985 Joe Dante film Explorers change Rob's life? Answers to these questions and more await intrepid explorers. If you want to join our community, follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter @nakedmanpod, and don't hesitate to reach out to us at nakedmanpod@gmail.com. Or if you have any thoughts and feelings you'd like to share, call the Naked Man phone line at 747-231-7120. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/nakedmanpod/support

This week, I'm joined by dear friend and fellow world traveler Mary-Anne Tangey while she's stuck in quarantine in her Australian homeland. We met while backpacking in Belfast ten years ago and reconvene to discuss why we travel, where the itch comes from and what we hope to accomplish whenever we leave home. MA and I explore the trauma of being caught overseas during COVID and the regrets we have. We debate the double-edged sword of independence/loneliness and wonder after the magic of relationships forged on the road. When we travel, are we running away from something? If so, is that so bad? What are we anxious about when we travel? How does FOMO shape our trips? Is it possible to "do" a trip wrong? Will our bed bug discussion negate any positive feelings toward backpacking and hostels? Let's find out, shall we? Join the Naked Man community @nakedmanpod on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Call our Google Voice line at 747-231-7120 with any thoughts and feelings. Please rate, subscribe and tell your friends. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/nakedmanpod/support

"Online we found a way to be accepted in a way that we weren't in real life." This week, I'm joined by one of my oldest friends... yet this episode marks the first time we've ever spoken face to face! Meet Goki, a friend I met on the Marvel.com message boards when I was 13 years old going by the moniker DrDoom2099. While Goki's real name and whereabouts remain a secret, the community we created for each other is not! Goki and I travel back to the golden age of the Internet to discuss the online identities we created for ourselves, the online community we discovered, online “girlfriends,” the delight and fear of meeting online friends in person and how social media has changed our comfort level on the Internet. Join the Naked Man community @nakedmanpod on Instagram and don't hesitate to reach out to us at nakedmanpod@gmail.com. Better yet, give us a call at 747-231-7120 and share your thoughts and feelings with us. Please rate, subscribe and tell your friends. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/nakedmanpod/support

This week, I'm doing something different: a monologue. A Naked Manologue, if you will. And I hope you do, because there are more to come in the future. I've been having a tough bout with anxiety of late and wanted to share my story with anxiety. I wanted to talk it out with you and reveal the steps I'm taking to help myself. If you want to join our community, follow us on Instagram @nakedmanpod and don't hesitate to reach out to us at nakedmanpod@gmail.com. Better yet, give us a call at 747-231-7120 and share your thoughts and feelings with us. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/nakedmanpod/support

"You need to cry. You need to grieve... It's really healing is what it is.” This week, I crack open a can of Tab Cola and bring on my first LA friend, Matt Chamberlin (@mrchamberlin), to swap stories of childhood shame and discuss our difficulties expressing emotions. After a supremely difficult year and a half with a lot of tears, Matt and I talk about crying and how it was modeled for us growing up. We also bond over our favorite Ninja Turtle and keeping our passions secret, as we both learned early that it wasn't cool for boys to care. Matt and I share our common experiences with baseball and when we started to overthink, while highlighting the importance of adult role models to light the way. This one's for you, Mr. Hatchimonji. Join the Naked Man community @nakedmanpod on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Call our Google Voice line at 747-231-7120 with any thoughts and feelings. Please rate, subscribe and tell your friends. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/nakedmanpod/support

"If you care about me, I care about you." I have a grade school level excitement about my new friend and fellow Pacey Witter lover Kat Pettibone (@kat__writes), who joins the show to talk about the often confusing nature of female-male friendships. But why do I feel so guilty about bringing Kat on? And why is Kat so down to listen to my shame and guilt? Because that's what friends do, Andy. Oh! And so, Kat and I talk about our head spaces going into our new friendship, the problems with "biding your time" as a friend when you secretly want more, whether you can be friends after sex, and if you can be friends when you're attracted to them. We also discuss how men/I conflate emotional connection with sex and how that warped my perspectives on relationships with women for years. I hope you enjoy this snapshot of our awkward, baby friendship. Join the Naked Man community @nakedmanpod on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Call our Google Voice line at 747-231-7120 with any thoughts and feelings. Please rate, subscribe and tell your friends. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/nakedmanpod/support

Andy Greene begins his conversational journey with father, husband, writer and friend, Kyle Dickinson (@kmdickinson). We open the door to explore the confusing and overwhelming issues surrounding Identity. We begin where our friendship began, in Munich, Germany on a lonely Christmas, and from there, travel across the clarifying and terrifying landscapes wrought by the various identities we share and don't share. Kyle and I investigate the BS "Nice Guy" mythos we inhabited in our adolescence, our traumatic origins as "Drawers," and why we can't look away from the Big Bad Wolf. We introduce the Wolf/Dog concept with a hat tip to Derek DelGaudio's In & Of Itself (streaming on Hulu). We read poems about parenthood, struggle with our masculinity, with being the nerd or the chubby kid on the baseball team. We try to be better together. Join the Naked Man community @nakedmanpod on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Call our Google Voice line at 747-231-7120 with any thoughts and feelings. Please rate, subscribe and tell your friends. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/nakedmanpod/support

Every show needs a theme song. Enter: The Naked Man Theme Song, written and composed by my talented and generous friend, Robert Panico (@robertpanico). We started with Philip Glass as our North Star and the result is this emotional, probing and circular musical journey that encapsulates the forthcoming podcast to come. This full-length version deserves its own spotlight, so close your eyes, take a deep breath and give it a listen. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/nakedmanpod/support

It's time to get naked. (Emotionally, of course.) Join host Andy Greene as he embarks on a conversational journey to explore masculinity and practice honesty and vulnerability with the help of friends, family and strangers. Every episode, Andy and his guest bare it all and get comfortable revealing the uncomfortable. The pilot premieres May 11th wherever you get your podcasts. Join the community @nakedmanpod. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/nakedmanpod/support