A podcast on the inner lives of boys.
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This episode picks up where we left off with the Man Box—this time asking where all these stereotypes actually come from, whether any of them are accurate, and what it would look like if we didn’t have them at all. Lucas and Kashyap reflect on what they genuinely like about themselves that fits inside the box and what they value that falls outside it, from Kashyap’s non-mainstream music taste to…
This episode started with a very specific backstory: a student symposium in northern Alberta wanted a session on gender stereotypes with boys, and not a single teacher volunteered to facilitate it. So we recorded one instead—an accessible version of the Man Box activity that any educator listening could see themselves leading. Lucas and Kashyap take on the brainstorm as a competition, rattling off…
Season five of Breaking the Boy Code introduces two youth co-hosts—Lucas, in grade nine, and Kashyap, in grade eight—who join me as permanent co-hosts to explore masculinity, relationships, and what it means to grow up as a boy today through their own lived experiences. In this introduction episode, we get to know each other using Next Gen Men’s Cards for Masculinity discussion prompts. From…
“We carry guilt and regret on the calm blue waters. We carry the carnage of our home. We carry the dreams of our ancestors on our young backs.” — 14-year-old Yoel I heard back in one of our first recording sessions that the boys who participated in season four of Breaking the Boy Code had written spoken word poems as part of a school assignment—poems where they reflected on their identities and…
You have to imagine us in the school library one last time—wearing masks and sitting six feet apart, having persevered through multiple delays from school closures and the unpredictability of the pandemic—the boys giving their hearts and speaking their truth, joking with each other, learning from each other, and volunteering to imprint part of their adolescence online in a podcast. As we wrap up…
Before this session, my friend and past colleague Adrian and I played around with the Skills Assessment tool developed by The Umbrella Project—ultimately adding two categories called ‘resistance’ and ‘culture’ to discuss with our group of seventh- and eighth-grade boys of colour. In this episode, we unpack some of the complexities boys face in cultural communities and staying authentic. Siddig…
This week on Breaking the Boy Code, we continue our discussion on the power of representation in the media and on screen. Betsa, Siddig, Aksayan and Yoel explore the impact of seeing themselves in characters like Miles Morales, Naruto, and Will Smith's iconic Fresh Prince. From the startlingly low percentage of BIPOC characters in children’s books to the increase in lead roles of color in films,…
Whether it’s TikTok or Fortnite or the MCU, you can’t talk with preteen boys without talking about media. This week with Betsa, Siddig, Aksayan and Yoel, we discuss the damaging stereotypes in media, the need for more authentic stories, and the powerful impact of seeing oneself reflected on screen and in the media. The boys share firsthand accounts of how these representations affect their lives…
With that in mind, we discuss the dynamics of trust within family and friendships, the impact of racial stereotypes, and the emotional masks boys wear to navigate societal expectations. Through exercises and reflections, we unpack what it means to choose what to show the world and what to keep hidden. From Betsa’s struggle with being misjudged at school to Siddiq’s battle with exclusion and…
This week on Breaking the Boy Code, we explore the intersection of boyhood and race. Seventh- and eighth-graders, Yoel, Betsa, Aksayan, Kamari and Siddig, share heartfelt stories of navigating cultural identity, racial stereotypes, and societal expectations for boys. We candidly discuss tough topics, including being watched and judged, while also celebrating the rich heritage and customs that…
