"Real Time" host Bill Maher made the case that young men should drink more during a spirited conversation about rejection, friendships and relationships with the bestselling author of "Notes on Being a Man," a book that sounds the alarm on male loneliness.
On Friday, the late-night host praised author and NYU professor Scott Galloway for calling drinking a "lubricant" to socializing.
"It’s not to excess, but yes, drinking a little bit – maybe sometimes a little too much when you’re an adolescent – is probably better than sitting in that basement," Maher agreed.
Noting that one in five men still live with their parents by age 30, Galloway tore into Big Tech’s role in isolating young men, particularly from romantic relationships. Then, he urged them to take risks and endure rejection in the process.
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"The only way you ever get to amazing ‘yeses’ is with a lot of ‘noes,’" the professor added.
"If I could say anything to young men, it’s that the anxiety and depression you will eventually feel in your basement…is far greater than the fear of anything that lays outside of that room for you," Galloway warned. "Get out of the f---ing basement, get off your phone."
He later criticized the "worst thing" young people are facing.
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"The worst thing that’s happened to young people is the anti-alcohol movement," he charged. "The risk to your 25-year-old liver are dwarfed by the risk of social isolation."
The professor and Maher considered how male loneliness could be contributing to the latest statistic sharpening an already cited rift between men and women.
On Thursday, a Gallup survey reported a record number of young women want to leave the U.S.
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According to the survey, 40% of women ages 15 to 44 said they would move abroad permanently if given the opportunity. Meanwhile, only 19% of their male counterparts said they would like to leave the U.S. for good, marking what Gallup said was the widest gender gap recorded.
"I thought it was ‘cause of Trump, but apparently it’s this," Maher mused.
"It’s true," Galloway replied. "The men aren’t approaching them. You basically have this lack of mating."
Maher reflected on how the risks of rejection have changed since he grew up.
"The number one thing men are afraid of is girls," Maher stated. "It’s just, there’s something about that rejection of going up to somebody—like you said—cold. And you just have to get through that. And I feel like we are further from that than ever."
Contrary to other reports, 80% of women still expect men to initiate romantic interactions, Galloway posited.
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"Yes, they do," Maher replied. "As they should."
The author expressed, "One of the things we as men really have to train our boys or give them the skill around is one to endure rejection but also to figure out a way to express romantic interest while making that person feel safe."
Rejection in a platonic or a romantic situation is perfectly acceptable, Galloway insisted.
"Guess what?" he asked. "You’re both gonna be fine. Take those shots."
