Miss Amanda Chen Show

Hello and welcome back to the Miss Amanda Chen Show. We’re now in Season 2 of the 100 Masked Men series, where I anonymously interview different men from all around the world about gender roles, expectations from society and how that affects our self worth.

Hello and welcome back to the Miss Amanda Chen Show. We’re now in Season 2 of the 100 Masked Men series, where I anonymously interview different men from all walks of life about what masculinity means to them, gender expectations and how that affects how they interact with women.

Hello and welcome back to the Miss Amanda Chen Show. If you’ve been following this podcast, I am almost halfway through the 100 Masked Men Series, where I interview men anonymously about what masculinity means to them and how their self worth is measured against their interactions with women.

Hello and welcome back to the Miss Amanda Chen Show. We’re now in Season 2 of the 100 Masked Men series, where I anonymously interview different men from all around the world about gender roles, expectations from society and how that affects our self worth.

Hello and welcome back to the Miss Amanda Chen Show. We’re now in Season 2 of the 100 Masked Men series, where I anonymously interview different men from all walks of life about what masculinity means to them, gender expectations and how that affects how they interact with women.

Hello and welcome back to the Miss Amanda Chen Show. We’re now in Season 2 of the 100 Masked Men series, where I anonymously interview different men from all around the world about gender roles, expectations from society and how that affects our self worth.

Hello and welcome back to the Miss Amanda Chen Show. We’re now in Season 2 of the 100 Masked Men series, where I anonymously interview different men from all around the world about gender roles, expectations from society and how that affects our self worth.

Hello and welcome back to the Miss Amanda Chen Show. We’re now in Season 2 of the 100 Masked Men series, where I anonymously interview different men from all walks of life about what masculinity means to them, gender expectations and how that affects how they interact with women.

Welcome back to the Miss Amanda Chen Show! If you've been following this podcast you know I have a series called the 100 Masked Men where I investigate how our sexuality affects our self worth through the interactions of others.

In today’s episode I’m going to talk about using your sexuality to cultivate self worth and put it into practice. Lean in to your authentic self and accept every part of it, not just the parts you think are strong. Self worth is about the lesson you can learn from the interactions of others. Not about what you can do as a way to prove yourself to others. 

Welcome back to the Miss Amanda Chen Show! Over the last three months I've dropped 25 interviews of the 100 Masked Men Series, where I anonymously interview men from all around the world about what masculinity means to them, how their sexuality affects their self worth, and how media and pop culture has shped the gender roles we play in.

To sum up the first season, I was seeking anyone with a penis to get on the show. Friends, family, friends of friends, I was desperate for male voices. And all it nerves, or guilt for silencing men every chance I had, I was pretty sure no men would want to speak with me. Surprisingly, that wasn't the case at all, and in fact, I realized something about myself - I had set the bar so fucking low for men that I welcomed basically anything with arms wide open. And this is when I learned that I had also set the bar so low for mysef, that I would have to tolerate shity guys on the show as a way to appease my own feelings of being just as toxic to them as they have to me. And the biggest learning is that the world is not equal. And definitely genders are not equal. We can't just swap one for one and call it a day.

This week I'm opening up Season 2 with the second quarter of the 100 Masked Men Series, with full transparency. This time, we're going to find out how much do men actualy know about themselves? We'll interview men that are fathers of daughters, that work with other men in men's goups, advocates for mental health for men, and just regular ass men trying to figure it all out.

Hello and welcome back to the Miss Amanda Chen show! If you’ve been following this podcast, it’s been nearly 3 months and I’ve dropped 25 interviews of the 100 Masked Men Series, where I anonymously interview men from all around the world about how their sexuality affects their self worth and how media and pop culture has shaped the gender roles we play in.

When I first started this podcast I expected some friendly debate. I was a woman scorned and I had questions. I wanted answers. And I hoped that some of these men would speak on behalf of some other ghosted guys in my past and tell me what I always wanted to hear. That they were wrong, that I was right and that my feelings are valid and they’re so so sorry for undervaluing my worth. I wanted to restore my hope in men. I wanted to give them a chance to get involved in women's issues. I wanted them to openly and honestly about their feelings, why they do what they do, what their thought process is, and why we butt heads so badly.

During this time I’ve been getting really curious about linguistics and gender - how men talk to other men and how women talk to other women. And this is where things break down, we literally don’t know how to speak to the other, and so we might not speak at all. I learned that there’s a pecking order with men, who’s the lead and who follows. There’s a winner, there’s a loser. There are games, there are rules, there is a fuck ton of strategy. Girls? It’s about establishing relationships and intimacy. We don’t play sports or indulge in friendly competition with each other, we play house. We share stories. We play roles. Not responsibilities. And back in the day men enjoyed women because they knew who was boss, and women didn’t know better so they obliged to the subordinate role. Now in 2021, everything has shifted, and one thing’s for sure - we are all just really fucking confused.

As we close off this chapter I learned that courage and vulnerability best comes out when I express those characteristics myself. I didn’t expect to bring up rape and consent as much as I did in these conversations. And I didn’t expect not to bring up masturbation or sex toys as little as I did. I guess we all just had so many feelings we needed to get out first.

In these first 25 episodes we have real conversations with real people in real situations. Sometimes I can’t even listen to another famous podcast sponsored by a famous person interviewing another famous person in shameless self promotion with the smallest attempt to relate to “regular people.” I hope this raw, informative, expressive, emotional series touches you as much as it has touched me to host it.

Hello and welcome back to the Miss Amanda Chen Show. I’ve got some new episodes for the 100 Masked Men series, where I anonymously interview different men from all around the world about how gender roles, sexuality, and our self worth are all intertwined in the relationships we have with others.

This week, I wrap up the first quarter of men with a special focus on my favourite topic - taboos with sex! We get up close and intimate with what some of us are hiding behind closed doors that we’re too afraid to publicly share.

Masked Man #25 and our final episode of this season is the Naked Man. He shares his story of entering the nudist and swinger community with his partner, that he actually feels more natural naked than he does clothed. Listen to this if you want some real experiences and reflections on nudist resorts and swingers clubs, and how contrary it may be to how society portrays them. We have a heated discussion on how society tends to over sexualize us while we’re clothed and shame us for natural things like having sex or being naked.

What I found most interesting is hearing about some people try swinging as a way to  ‘take one for the team’ for the sake of making their partner happy. How important is it to keep our partner sexually satisfied, and how do we do this in a safe way? We tackle this thought and how we might be able to have more sex, better sex, and improve our relationships overall. We can have it all. At least, I believe we can. I hope you enjoy the show.

Well, that wraps up the first quarter of guys in the 100 Masked Men Series. And what a way to send off - can we talk about improving our relationships please? I feel like having these open and honest conversations will most likely result in better sex, and isn’t that what we all want? I was so intrigued by this conversation and I hope you enjoyed it just as much. Who were your favourite men so far? Who were your least favourite? Who’s missing that needs to be on the show? Let me know as we prepare for Season 2.

Hello and welcome back to the Miss Amanda Chen Show. I’ve got some new episodes for the 100 Masked Men series, where I anonymously interview different men from all walks of life about dating, sex, gender roles, and the meaning of masculinity.

The internet is a wonderful thing, loaded with more than enough information and the ability to connect with anyone in the world. And here I found myself with a gay man who writes in the woman’s voice for erotica novels and I needed to learn more.

Masked Man #24 is the Erotica Writer. We talk about the cliches we always see in erotica novels, that there’s a rich attractive man that somehow takes interest in this lowly woman who obviously works for him. And how this titillating content can bleed into our own desires for relationships in real life. Does it need to feel like a romcom to be worthwhile, or are we doomed to always be wanting to live out someone else’s sexual desire?

It makes me wonder, how much do I really know about what I’m attracted to, versus what I’ve been trained to think I’m attracted to? And even though we may think there’s every type of porn available on the Internet, maybe it’s not as accessible as we think. I hope you enjoy the show.

Ok yes, we all know there’s more to relationships than just sex, but with all the focus on how attracted we are to our partners, how much is it really about that connection than it is just checking off the box we set for our sexual fantasies? And to take this even further, are we being set up to all think the same one type is the one and only type we should all be attracted to? What does that say about us if we’re not attracted to the standard society has set up for us? This has been an exciting conversation and I hope you enjoyed it as well.

Hello and welcome back to the Miss Amanda Chen Show. I’ve got some new episodes for the 100 Masked Men series, where I anonymously interview different men from all walks of life about dating, sex, gender roles, and the meaning of masculinity.

This week, these guys get real intimate with their sexual kinks as we break barriers to what most men say are off bounds when it comes to sex talk.

Masked Man #23 is the Masked Caller. One of the very few guys that really focus on listening to women, he often has phone sex with platonic female friends. He has a curiosity to learn more about people’s sexual desires, and says this type of conversation is off bounds when it comes to his male colleagues.

But there are consequences to being a rare breed - this man shares his disappointment with romantic relationships that involve damaged women projecting their past experiences onto him. And the unfairness of having to undergo undeserved punishment from the actions of other men in her life. Well I guess in this story we can really say, “not all men.”

Here’s a rare story of the guy that never gets a break because so many of us are hurting and used to hurting back. I am definitely guilty of bad decisions in my own relationships and I honestly am still struggling on not putting all men in the same bucket. But I do like the idea of breaking barriers when it comes to sharing porn, talking about masturbation and having phone sex. What do we think guys, can we open up this conversation with people we’re not actually having sex with?

Hello and welcome back to the Miss Amanda Chen Show. I’ve got some new episodes for the 100 Masked Men series, where I anonymously interview different men from all walks of life about how gender stereotypes contribute to our values of self worth and self identity.

If you listened to the last episode on the pressure to follow the status quo, we dig even deeper in this conversation with an actor that puts on multiple masks for a living. Masked Man #22 is the Unbroken Man. He shares his story about the journey in finding his true purpose, letting go of the expectations of others, and how acting was always with him, all he had to do was find it within himself.

We get into some interesting conversation about the roles women and men play in his life based on their expectations for him, and how he navigates around the definition of what it means to be a “good man” - is there only one type of good man? Let’s get into it. I hope you enjoy the show.

Hello and welcome back to the Miss Amanda Chen Show. I’ve got some new episodes for the 100 Masked Men series, where I anonymously interview men from all walks of life about how gender norms contribute to our values of self worth and self identity.

As we approach the first quarter of men in this series,I noticed a lot of guys responded to my question about negative ideas their female friends have about themselves that are usually associated with their physical appearance and how that would diminish their self confidence.

So I had to interview a male makeup artist to get the scoop behind the scenes. Masked Man #21 is the Beauty Queen. He shares his perspective on the beauty industry, that ugly isn’t a look, it’s an attitude. And the surprisingly positive effect instagram influencers have had on individuality and celebrating diverse body types.

I think the biggest thing is hearing him say that he never really gets a confident woman sitting in his chair. And in contrast, men are more confident about their looks than they should be. I guess if looks were a form of currency, the value is way higher for women than it is for men. Let’s get into it. I hope you enjoy the show.

I think it’s super interesting that there’s this trend to follow the status quo so badly that some of us are having secret relationships because what we’re attracted to isn’t widely accepted. Do you guys have any experience with this? Let me know!

Hello and welcome back to another episode of the Miss Amanda Chen Show. If you've been following this show I've just started the 100 Masked Men series, and I've just dropped 20 interviews of anonymous men. This week I revealed conversations with three different single men on why they’re still single. If you're a single woman like me, who has definitely gone through the question internally asking, why won’t he just commit, today’s episode is for you. 

Here's my take on what I've been hearing so far - there's a lot of fear in making a commitment to the wrong person and getting hurt. So it's safer to just quit now while you're ahead. And honestly, I used to get upset about over-committing to noncommittal guys, but now I just feel compassion. The world is hard enough as it is, and to leave yourself out of love because you think you don't deserve it isn't a sign of a strength, but a sign of weakness. 

As I put together some trends in avoidant attachment behaviour, I reflected back on my last trip to Taiwan when my cousins spoke about how guys need to be rich in order to have a girlfriend. And if she ever discovered you weren't really rich, then you'd have to go and find a new girlfriend. How insane is that? Talk about a tight mask to keep up. And as heartbreaking as it is to hear all of this, it really shows much love we are seeking in the world, and how we're looking for it in all the wrong places. I hope you listen to my first-ever monologue episode and let me know what you think!

Hello and welcome back to the Miss Amanda Chen Show. I’ve got some new episodes for the 100 Masked Men series, where I anonymously interview men from all over the world to collect as many different perspectives on relationships and the role of masculinity.

This week we deep dive into why some single guys stay single, and if you listened to the last episode, here’s a different perspective behind another non committal man.

Masked Man #20 is the Work in Progress - he believes that for anything to be “worth it” there needs to be a challenge, and you’ve got to struggle to get there. If it comes too easy, there’s a problem.

I appreciate that he has such high expectations for himself and isn’t blaming the women he’s with, but it’s almost unachievable that he’s literally given up on dating altogether and hasn’t been with anyone for over two years. Out of sight, out of mind, right? The more guys I meet the more i notice how fearful we are at starting relationships because we don’t want to waste someone else’s time. As noble as this man is as a work in progress, i kind of feel like he’s missing out on some amazing relationships. but i’ll let you be the judge of that. let’s get into it.

Hello and welcome back to the Miss Amanda Chen Show. I’ve got some new episodes for the 100 Masked Men series, where we uncover perspectives of different men all around the world on dating, sex, gender roles, and the meaning of masculinity, fear and self worth.

This week we deep dive into single men and why they’re still single.

You know the type. That handsome, multi-talented, well-travelled man with all the options available for him - how could he ever settle down? There's too much in the world to explore to be tied down right now. Say hello to Masked Man #19: The Noncommittal Man.

He’s your digital nomad type that has been able to travel the world while working in a creative profession. We talk about what dating apps look like to him, what his expectations are when approaching women and what he’s looking for in a relationship. What we uncover is a lot more about the pressure behind choosing THE ONE (if we agree that there is only one) and if there isn’t, why bother making the commitment at all?

I find it very interesting that this type is incredibly romantic in his conception of what relationships should be for him. That this life partner would essentially complete him in every single way, shape and form somehow and make him lose the need to continue exploring. We get pretty philosophical here. I hope you enjoy the show.

Hello and welcome back to the Miss Amanda Chen Show. I’ve got some new episodes for the 100 Masked Men series, where I anonymously interview different men from all walks of life about dating, sex, gender roles, and the meaning of masculinity. This week we’re talking about why some guys stay single and what they’re really looking for in a relationship.

Masked Man #18 is the Jovial Man. An absolute hoot to be around, I totally understand why everyone is so attracted to his energy. But relationships were never much of a thing in his life. He’s never had a girlfriend and he didn’t even have sex until he was over 30.

He shares his story on growing up in the Middle East, moving to Toronto and adjusting to the hustle mentality, boys locker room talk, and the unhealthy addiction behind porn and masturbation.

I think what’s very interesting to hear about is how guys talk to each other about sex, but make sure to separate that from feelings. And the fear, at least for this guy, about how his male friends might see him differently after being vulnerable in front of them. I mean, if you can’t even do it in front of your best friends, how on earth would you be comfortable in an intimate relationship? I got questions. Let’s get into it.

This man definitely has an unpopular opinion here when he says that sex isn’t that big of a deal and is actually glad he waited till he was mature enough to practice it, in contrast with some of the other guys we’ve had on the show who said sex was the highlight of high school locker room chat. But what are your thoughts on the subject? Could you relate with him, or do you think we’re missing on some other details?

Hello and welcome back to the Miss Amanda Chen Show. It’s the first Wednesday of 2021 and I’ve got some new episodes for the 100 Masked Men series, where we unpack what lies behind gender roles, the meaning of masculinity, fear and self worth with 100 interviews of anonymous men from all walks of life.

This week we’re talking about body image and the expectations we feel we need to fulfill in society. So why not go to the source and ask someone who works in the entertainment industry?

Masked Man # 15 is the Masked Entertainer. Coming from a background in dance, he reveals a lot of discrepancies of the body image expectations between boys and girls, how young the sexualization of women’s bodies begin, and how much the entertainment industry is focused on looks over talent. We even get into some dangerous territory on what YouTube videos might falsely portray about how perfectly some performances might appear, when in fact they’ve probably rehearsed it for weeks. I think it’s also interesting to note that this is coming from a gay man’s perspective and how that can be wildly different coming from a straight man. I hope you enjoy the show.

Hello and welcome back to the Miss Amanda Chen Show. At this time I’ve done about 20 interviews for the 100 Masked Men Series, where we uncover perspectives of different men all around the world on dating, sex, gender roles, and the meaning of masculinity, fear and self worth.

Hello and welcome back to the Miss Amanda Chen Show. I hope you are all staying safe this holiday season and I feel like it’s time to bring in some female energy. I sat down with Hanna Salazar, from the Advice From Hanna Podcast, a no fluff, no nonsense guide on how to make more intuitive decisions. We get up close and personal on what married life is like these days. As a very single person I have absolutely no clue what having a sex life with the same person for nearly a decade feels like, and we get in a little debate on what makes a “real man,” what we find attractive or desirable in men, and is there an actual time clock for when we decide we want children? I got questions. I hope you enjoy the show.

Welcome back to the Miss Amanda Chen Show. Today in the 100 Masked Men series. I am bringing you 2 conversations that focus on family.

The 12th Masked Man is the Family Man. he’s not your typical version we know like in The Simpsons or Family Guy, but what remains true is that this man puts family above all else.

He knows that he may not always agree with them but he loves them unconditionally and will be there for them no matter what, even if they don’t reciprocate - and he talks to me about the specific challenges of creating a family as a member of the LGBTQ community. Because there are no accidental babies there, and you know how obsessed I am about intentions in relationships. 

Hello you are listening to the Miss Amanda Chen Show. This week we are continuing our 100 Masked Men Series, where I talk to men about life, love, sex and masculinity. Because it's the holidays I’ve decided to bring you two conversations that focus on family.

Both of these men have a  unique unconventional perspective on family that is shaped by their upbringing and the challenges they’ve faced.

masked man # 11 The Fatherless Father. This guy is that ambitious hustler business type and we talk about how he thinks about his role as a father after growing up without one and how becoming a father himself forced him to reevaluate his life, get out of the criminal lifestyle he was caught up in and eventually build a multimillion dollar business. if you know me from my entrepreneurial journey, I think you’ll really like this one.

Hello and welcome back to the Miss Amanda Chen Show. This week I’m dropping 3 episodes for you as part of the 100 Masked Men series.

If you are new to the show, 100 Masked Men is a series where I talk to men from from all walks of life about dating, sex and how they define masculinity. As 2020 finally comes to an end and we all get ready to make resolutions and set intentions for the new year, I thought I’d bring you some conversations about self-improvement and growth.

Our 9th Masked Man is the Equalizer. This small town boy shares his story on moving to Toronto and finding himself along the way. We hear his take on my method of setting intentions and putting sex on the table right at the start, debate on gender role reversals and he shares a really hot tip on dealing with fights in relationships.

Welcome back to the Miss Amanda Chen show. Thanks for joining me for the 8th instalment of the 100 Masked Men Series, where I interview men from all walks of life about what masculinity means to them and interacting with women in 2020.

I truly enjoyed the open and honest conversations i had this week. Masked Man #8 is The Masked Chef. He talks about growing up with three moms, toxic masculinity in the hospitality industry, the idea of customers acting like your boss, and we even talk about what consent is like for people in long-term committed relationships. I truly enjoyed the open and honest conversations I had this week and I hope you enjoy the show.

Hello and welcome back to the Miss Amanda Chen Show. Thanks for joining me for the 7th instalment of the 100 masked men series, where I interview men from all walks of life about what masculinity means to them and having relationships in 2020.

Today i’m dropping two episodes for you, and I’ve noticed we struggle not only about what to say, but also on finding the right time to have hard conversations. i t seems like we’re never really ready for it, so how do we get the courage to talk openly and honestly about our feelings?

In this episode I sit down over a couple drinks with our masked man number 7, Mr. Monogamy, who has been happily married for 7 years. He talks about his discomfort with dating apps today, shares his candid true love story on meeting the one, getting called out about his intentions, choosing love over fear and ultimately rising up to become a husband for his wife.

Welcome back to another episode of the Miss Amanda Chen Show. This week I dropping episodes 6 and 7 of the 100 Masked Men Series.

If you’ve been following along on my journey I’ve been on a mission to gain as many perspectives as possible on masculinity and how men define themselves in 2020.

This week I’m talking to 2 men from the LGBTQ community who share their coming out story, what shapes their perception on healthy relationships, negative heteronormative stereotypes, gender expectations and the importance of family and community.

Masked Man #6 is The Masked Nurse. He’s one of the “healthcare heroes” everyone’s been praising throughout the pandemic, but know that he doesn’t want your applause unless you are equally responsible for your actions and are doing your part to mitigate the spread of COVID.

We get into how his life changed when he moved from the Philippines to Canada and coming out to his family in his early 20s. We talk about the traditional “straight way” of looking at relationships - from choosing one person, getting married, having kids and living in the suburbs, to finding someone with the same interests and values of yourself. And of course, in order to do that, you have to figure out who you are first! so let’s get into it. I hope you enjoy the show.

Welcome back to another episode of the Miss Amanda Chen Show. I’ve just put up 5 episodes of the 100 Masked Men Series and wow I gotta say, it’s already been a journey.

Today I want to introduce you to an incredible man I encountered on my search for allies who are also working on improving connections through a better understanding our sexuality and ourselves.

Devin Fredericksen helps men harness their sexual power, embody masculinity and transform their lives, and is also hoping to level the playing field by developing group work that includes him and his partner.

We talk about what might get in the way of our sexual power, and I learn a lot about his interpretation of the inner masculine and feminine. And I absolutely love his personal motto, that how you have sex is how you live your life.

If you’ve been following along on my journey to better understand men and where their sexual shortcomings may be, listen up - this is an incredible episode and I am SO honoured to have him here with us.

Welcome back to the Miss Amanda Chen Show. Thanks for joining me for the 5th instalment of the 100 Masked Men series, where I interview men from all walks of life about what masculinity means to them and interacting with women in 2020.

In this episode I sit down over a couple drinks with our masked man number 5, Husband Material, who has been happily married for 7 years. He talks about his discomfort with dating apps today, shares his candid true love story on meeting the one, getting called out about his intentions, choosing love over fear and ultimately rising up to become a husband for his wife. Single men take note! Let’s get into this. I hope you enjoy the show.

Welcome back to another episode of the Miss Amanda Chen show. As you know we are continuing with the 100 Masked Men Series, where I have hard and sometimes awkward conversations with men from all walks of life. We get real about gender roles, dating, sex, and what masculinity means in 2020. I’m leaning into the discomfort and hoping to unravel some misconceptions we often have when interacting with the opposite sex so that we can all better understand each other and ultimately improve our relationships.

For the next few weeks I’ll be dropping two episodes every Wednesday to reach my 100 men target. This week I talked to both of my guests about some pretty heavy, but important topics - the impact of strong women in their lives, gender roles, consent, and ultimately our approach to having hard conversations and when is the right time to have them.

The fourth masked man is the Responsible Man, who thinks men need to take more responsibility for their actions. We talked about how growing up with a single mom shaped his perception of what it means to be a man, and how he confronts and combats racial stereotypes specifically in relationships. What I find the most interesting is the concept of entitlement men seem to have about a woman’s body and how we still don't have the language or capacity to discuss the role of alcohol when it comes to consent.

Today on the third episode of my 100 Masked Men series, I sit down with the The Fall Guy, who shares his story on getting let go for sexual harassment. But what I find really interesting is that “allegedly” no women in this case came forward, instead his male manager just let him go out of precaution and he took the fall. Are men using this guy as the scapegoat for their own misdemeanours? We talk about this new fear men have on how to express themselves carefully among women, and if you listened to the last episode, he answers back on why guys can’t just tell women about their intentions right off the bat. What I think is the most important thing to get out of today’s conversation is that although I know women are physically fearful of men, perhaps there’s a mental fear men have of women? I understand where this is coming from, but i don’t like that the responsibility is still 100% in the woman’s hands. I hope you enjoy the show.