Enjoyed this one. Thanks for having me mate!

You guys have to do one of these every month, they’ve all been great

Thank you very much for bringing up circumcision.

If you aren't circumcised in the US you are definitely in the minority. I'm the only intact male in my family. My mother had just turned 16 when was born in 1951. We were in a state medical program and it was the policy in most states to not pay for circumcisions as they were considered unnecessary surgeries. This was in New York City. I wasn't aware that I was different until I started Junior High School where you showered after gym class. There were a handful of White boys who were intact, the majority being Puerto Rican and Black. We moved to Miami when I was 13 and it was even more distinctive. There were three White boys in a class of about 60 boys. I knew of one because he would stand on the bench in front of his locker while dressing and a really fat boy whose penis you could barely see.. When I was in the Navy I had just finished my first physical since boot camp. The doctor pointed at my penis with his pen and told me I had to "have it fixed". "Why" I asked. He sad, "You'll be a lot happier without all that skin on it:. I told him I was happy with it the way it was and the discussion ended. That was the first time I'd ever had criticism of my intact penis. I had no dating experience growing up. I'd worked from an early age and had no time for it. My parents had had 7 more children and my father was in and out of an asylum for mental issues. We were very poor. Before working my mother depended on me to run errands, go shopping and go to the laundromat. We had a lot of laundry. My first date was with my supervisor's wife's best friend who was in college and was visiting over the Christmas/New Year's break. I was her escort for the week. It was a pleasant experience and after she left I wrote her a thank you note. She wrote back. We then started a daily letter each. I April I was on leave and I took her as a guest to my Uncle's wedding. That night I proposed and she accepted. Like me she hadn't dated because she was working her way through college and had no time. In September we married and lived overseas for the next three years. Our wedding night was a first for both of us. She had no idea what to expect and my status didn't bother her. I'd heard that a lot of American girls were very critical of intact men but she had no prejudices. In September we'll have been married for 51 years. I was always clean and there was never a smell to my penis. I had one bad experience a few years ago during a biopsy for prostate cancer. Bacteria had been introduced into my urinary tract and I got a very bad infection under my foreskin. It itched terribly and my glans turned fiery red with sores. Some anti-fungus cream cleared it up in a few days. The US rejected the quackery of the Eugenics program decades ago but one thing still hangs on, Circumcision. It was started because the powers that be in the program like that nut job John Kellogg thought it would stop boys from masturbating and wasting their "good sperm". He also recommended putting acid on new born girls clitoris so they would associate pain with the sex act. Truly he was a nut job. Britain stopped circumcising after the National Health Service was started because they didn't want to pay for an unnecessary medical procedure. But here in the US we're still inflicting boys with a Bronze Age tradition that affects sex. Mutilation of the foreskin reduces the lubrication it provides during sexual intercourse. The loss of 20-30,000 nerve endings is why a higher ratio of men report premature ejaculation according to some researchers. The callous that builds up from rubbing on clothing reduces sensitivity. This barbaric tradition needs to be stopped. If state medical insurance programs and health insurance companies would stop paying for it and people had to pay for it out of pocket t would go a long way into helping.

There should be no word for a mutilated child.

the study that Chris mentioned about women wanting to be stay-at-home moms was a study that was done on pregnant women and mothers, i think this was something important to bare in mind about the statistic.

Awesome podcast guys 2 of my faves, really looking forward to your collaboration together anf Chris's book

this podcast is strangely so fulfilling to me, id be so thankful to have guys like you in my life.

I like the hallucinatory wood joke too. Good one! Looking forward to you two bringing something forward. Also, thanks for making Chris laugh...

Bangin podcast, should make this a regular collab. I'm kind of glad I started thinning in my early 20s, and resolved to shaving my head at 26. 11 years later I don't even give my bald head a second thought.

I love my man who was never circumcised. AND his hair line is still receding at 62. Don’t worry guys. It’s all good. 1:15:08

Tell us about it James. Tell us about it.

Absolutely brilliant podcast, I could listen to you guys all day 😀 keep them coming 👌

Zero chance that I was going to listen to this when it was watchable 🤣 Great pod as always 🤌🏻

Absolute belter this! Pissing myself on the drive home earlier

What a Monday treat- two of my faves. James, kind of hoping you might have some commentary on the dog training world it's a culture wars nightmare, I would love to know your take on it. Also sad to say I did used to walk on a treadmill on the nights before book club when I hadn't finished the book. Could read uninterrupted and burn some low key calories- wasn't in a public gym though. Love you both!

Great chat. Great chaps. 👏👏

In my opinion, the most deplorable aspect of child circumcision, is that circumcised boys grow to become fathers obsessed with having their sons cut. My mother shut this discussion down by threatening to divorce my father. How did circumcision become de rigeur in a country that is only 2-3% Jewish, and that had a trivial Muslim population as recently as 1980? Nobody really knows. I do know that 100 years ago, quite a few doctors believed that boys who were unretractable in infancy, remained intractible throughout their adult lives. And before antibiotics, unretractable men were seen as being at risk of serious infections. This despite the fact that most intact doctors became retractable sometime between the ages of 3 and 19. A 1949 study by Douglas Gairdner did much to bring clarity to the maturation of the intact penis.

What a podcast! Thank Odin this exists.

"Unparaplegic". Brilliant - love it. Your reference to tribalism is spot-on. To me, the biggest problem with the circumcision issue is the prejudice. And when you've got two major religions and a country that is the self-proclaimed leader of democracy which think you're a second-class citizen if you're not a foreskin-amputee, it's hard for most to see the plain logic of leaving things well-enough alone and being natural. To me, circumcision is the McDonalds of surgery; thoughtless. "You want fries with that?"

I enjoy when Chris and James get together! Time for another one soon lads 👍

What an amazing podcast guys. Do you think I can join you two next time your down the pub? I’d just be sitting there in awe watching you two talking 😮‍💨

What a duo

Watching two lads talk so eloquently, yet still a million galaxies away from the simplicity of being born again is simultaneously hilarious and heart-breaking. Keep asking, keep seeking, keep knocking lads....He's created every molecule in every breathe you inhale and every cell by which you inhale it :)

@The James Smith Podcast @1:17:57 "We're all weird aren't we. Everyone on this planet. Men, women, the lot - we're just fucking weird" haha! I personally struggled a lot with confidence growing up and the older I have got and the more I have come to realise this and it has made me feel more comfortable being me, I don't think this simple point is noted enough. Great podcast!

Shit… while listening to this episode I got this download of lining up 3 profound quotes that I got from your podcast: "At the end of your life, you will regret the things you didn’t do more than the things you did do. However, you will have to choose your regrets. You can do anything you want in life, but you can’t do everything you want".

These 2 are class

Omg. Intelligence! banter! mutual affection and regard! sensitivity! humor! more intelligence! maturity! youth! decency! fun! smart! funny! adorable! emotionally generous! if I were fifty years younger I would marry either one of you, or both.

This was fire asf

Hence the even the name :influencer .The young are vulnerable

With any of your mates who say they'll circumcise their son, do you ever challenge them to justify it? Or debate it with them?

Chris is the goat

I have often said one would be arrested for needlessly amputating any other part of a new-born than his foreskin. I hugely appreciate the appendix analogy. American here- mutilated but restored.

So true regarding smart phones. Amazing tool but a poison chalice too. Life was possibly better back when the Nokia 3210 and SMS texting was the norm!

Loved the show, On population... I am sure there are lots of elephants, rhinos, wolves etc. that may think a downward human population trend might be a good thing. My background is in biology, have you ever seen a petri dish filled with agar exposed to (you name) the micro fauna? The agar will be consumed until it can no longer sustain what is consuming it. We really aren't far removed from that bacteria or fungus but we think we are.

James, you need to promise the public you will NOT bugger off to Texas when your podcast takes off properly.

If you just use youtube on the internet on your phone, when you go full screen there’s no adds

It's similar in Canada, boys get the cut as a matter of common practice. I don't know specific statistics but it's common enough. Not sure what the excuses are, if any are given, other than vague bs like 'it's more hygienic', which is what I learned when I asked my mother why they agreed to it as a young adult. This is in fact refuted by scientific study from what searching I did decades ago in an effort to understand why I had an inexplicable feeling since my teen years that 'something was wrong' and 'I should feel more'. Brain scans have been done on infants pre- and post-cut and the scans revealed permanent brain changes. These things haunt people their entire lives, most never learning why or even having a frame of reference to start them down this path of inquiry having only known a few days of life before circumcision rewired their neural foundation. It's fucking mutilation and I will die on this hill. Thanks for discussing it, we need much more of it.

KZfaq hates you smith, I subscribe and this didn’t come up anywhere. Funny how when you didn’t include spurs vs arsenal as a derby it really annoyed me, literally proving your point haha 😂 Great stuff as always guys 🤘

These two would be on my "If I could have dinner with six people" list. Champions.

My first ever first comment comment, two good lads sure to be a good chat

Something very important to consider Chris. You are very wrong in one comment specifically. It is very sweet you think kids stay at home and look after parents but they 100% never do. They have their own lives to lead and don’t have time. Seeing first hand in care homes across the uk (hundreds) sadly very low numbers of family members ever visit parents, they are dumped. I would say it is almost a guarantee.

Bro if you need any help editing any content of your i would be glad to step up

Sadly, I was mutilated shortly after birth. 😢 And while I have nothing to compare it to, if I could be magically "natural" tomorrow, I would do it without question.

good. 35:48 is important.

James. Get Derek MPMD on you podcast please!

I don’t need anyone to care for me later when i am older.. because they weren’t there when i was younger ✌🏽

I love that you two are mate! James is my marmite! As a Barber, i dealt with so many balding young men, its lifestyle and nutrition for sure, IMO its only lightly genetic. There is a massive psychological affect for those who are balding, its an absolute identity crisis, especially for those that are already at unease with their image already. The changes it makes the the framework of the face alone is astounding. Extreme haircut choices are often correlated with psychological or mental health shifts or weak times. James you are handsome enough to remain handsome without hair, also go for the cap wearing brand!

I have this horrible imposter syndrome when I talk to women of a higher social class than me, especially if I find them attractive. I guess its because they never invite me or rarely invite me into their world of their own volition. We give ourselves imposter sydrome, but I thonk other people unconsciously give it to us as well, especially if your an average guy trying to meet women.

Cognitive Function Massive! The Capacity to not Numb the Pain or Feel and Appreciate the Enjoyment from Experiences, Huge!

Chad Central

If you’re willing to go bald why not just embrace your old teeth as well?

Hold on, did you both get your teeth done? if not, I must say you both have beautiful teeth Oh and great conversation too.

20:43 *ABSOLUTELY.* Didn't marry because I honestly believed I was one likely to be divorced; without fathering _a child I produced_ _with a mate_ I'll never know the full spectrum of _masculinity._ Would have been noticeably better off having failed some woman after even a poor effort at fathering than I *know* I am now having failed to father at all. So when you're 5 minutes later to the squat rack because you changed your child's diaper, _don't complain._

Chris is a younger Rogan. He has obvious differences but his thirst and enjoyment of knowledge and conversation is just as obvious. Excellent pod! "Have you considered if you cut off your foreskin your hair might grow back?" LOL I shaved my head in my early 20s due to hair loss, boys. Zero problems and it became an identity for me in the other direction. Just own who you are and make your own status.

CUT OR UNCUT ???

I never knew Chris was funny

Being circumcised sucks and it’s been on the decline for years in the US but still very prevalent in the Northeastern US and varies from region to region here. The American Academy of Pediatrics is not likely to come out firmly against it and in fact, continues to vaguely propagate circumcision. The sale of the amounted foreskin tissue is often sold for TCell research and also to the cosmetics industry here. Loosing the foreskin no doubt changes the sensory experience for men. It certainly limits the pleasure from the lack of mobility of the penis’s shaft skin, which stimulates the penis during intercourse or hand jobs. The foreskin also acts to lubricate the penis and protects it from outside germs, bacteria and chaffing.

From a woman’s perspective: balding = bad bald = totally fine Solution: buzz or shave your head, NOT comb the sides over the top

On the subject of hairloss, I'm in the same place as James. Still got most lf it but losing it slowly. Easy for Chris to just say take a medical procedure but the way I see it, once you go down that route, it is a slippery slope. Most of us who have MPB know there isn't a magic solution to it. The treatments have side effects, then hair transplants don't last either. So you are fighting a battle which you can't win. Hence, whilst it isn't optimal to 'just' go bald, I still think it is the best option versus expensive treatments that aren't a permanent solution to it. If and when they can rebuild hair completely via cloning and the new hair is resistant to DHT, then count me in.

Funny to hear about you looking like a criminal w shaved head. I went full throttle in that direction. I was at first insecure about my shaved head, but nowadays I get in shape, wear a well tailored suit, sport some tattoos, wear some blings. People commented I look like a gentleman convict 😂 and even a magazine interview picked up on it. As for female attraction, I found out it is better to polarize by going full on one direction. There are women who aren’t attracted to that look at all, but then many who do.

Lamenting the fact.... I've never heard so much ring!

I had to get circumsiced as an adult due to medical condition making erections almost impossible due to tightness of foreskin. My foreskin was better but getting raging hardons and not being in pain is even better.

Baldness is masculine is a cope....

I dont think hair loss is normal. Whats the genetic or evolutionary advantage to hair loss. Maybe heat adaptation or sunlight deficiency

You should get a circumcised guy on to debate, would be interested to hear a guy with a pro circumcision viewpoint.

Anatomy, Histology, & Physiology demonstrate prepuce foreskin is inundated with neurovascular tracts (courses of nerves & blood vessels) continuous with the rest of genitals & body. Prepuce foreskin has abundant (1) specialized sensory nerve endings from neurons that transmit tactile & other autonomic sensory information, & (2) blood vessels (arteries, capillaries, & veins) with nitric oxide producing endothelium glycocalyx. Penis erection mechanisms including visual, genital tactile, facial & other bodily tactile & stimulations are all mediated by parasympathetic autonomic sensory neurotransmissions. Sensory neurotransmissions are not all consciously felt or perceived, & those consciously perceived & sensed, may or may not be pleasurable. For example, prepuce foreskin sensors include proprioception, so males have corporal awareness of prepuce foreskin position. Genital tactile reflex erection mechanisms are mediated via sensory input by multiple types of specialized nerve endings, including Meisner’s, & most penis sensory nerve endings are concentrated in prepuce foreskin. Similarly, the most concentrated area of sensory nerve endings in arms & hands is in skin of fingertips. Visual erotic stimulated erection mechanism is irrelevant to circumcision, & becomes less prominent as men age. Genital touch sensory reflex mechanisms become gradually & progressively more important for parasympathetic sexual function, erections, as men age. Because these sensory mechanisms are autonomic, they are not necessarily felt as pleasurable, or even noticed or perceived sensations. A significant portion of genital tactile sensory reflexive erection mechanisms is permanently cut off with circumcision, an irrefutable physiological fact. Because people don't necessarily consciously feel or perceive autonomic sensations, males may not detect or notice loss of such sensations even if their penis was circumcised in adulthood. Lack of conscious notice or perception does not diminish or negate significance of nerve ending sensory detection & neuro-transmission of autonomic sensory information. Also, permanent loss of moist mucosal glans head & inner prepuce surfaces removes sensory capability with permanent air & clothing exposure & dryness. The nitric oxide production capacity of prepuce foreskin blood vessels is irreversibly removed when the prepuce is cut off. Decreased nitric oxide producing vasculature often gradually becomes significant as men age. Circumcision induced deficit of nitric oxide producing vasculature can become noticeable erectile dysfunction (ED), but not always, depending on the individual. In part, because United States has of the greatest prevalences for circumcised penises of advanced industrialized countries, United States is the greatest consumer of ED drugs (Viagra, Cialis) & devices (penis pumps), including all Europe, where circumcision is uncommon. Nitric oxide from penis blood vessels initiates, maintains & intensifies penis erection. Foreskin arteries, capillaries & veins produce & release nitric oxide into penis circulation with sexual activity. Many males with intact (uncut) penises can attain erections & some can achieve orgasmic climax & ejaculation solely via prepuce foreskin stimulation alone. During sexual activity, motion stimulated foreskin blood vessel endothelium releases nitric oxide into proximally moving blood. Abundant study reports & medical advice does not negate natural anatomy, histology & physiology. All neurons, specialized nerve endings, & nitric oxide producing arteries, capillaries, & veins, & sensory mucosal mucosal interface with sex partners all contribute to parasympathetic erection capabilities, & are eliminated with circumcision. Removing these components of parasympathetic erection contributors is not usually significant in younger men. Missing foreskin components can become penis erection deficits as men age. Adequate sensory neurotransmission & nitric oxide production & release is required for parasympathetic male sexual functioning. Males whose penis was circumcised as infants have no reference point required to make an experience based comparison about sensitivity. Those whose penis was circumcised as adults do not necessarily notice circumcision induced sensory deficits because autonomic sensations are not usually consciously perceived. Orgasmic sexual climactic & ejaculatory responses are facilitated & mediated by sympathetic neurologic pathways, & not parasympathetic. Most "research" studies & medical advice address & report only sympathetic response mechanisms including sexual satisfaction & climactic orgasmic intensity. Medical industry does not address, discuss, or report how circumcision may effect parasympathetic autonomic sexual mechanisms as males age.

Asian encompasses a whole continent with a large Islamic population and Filipinos who are not Islamic ,but circumcised .

For example politicians before elections create divisevness before election,like now in the USA ,before the 2024 election. To the point to create that even neighbors hate neighbors . Or trying to create divisiveness between racial ,cultural groups ,so they vote for that party;caus even small amount of votes could tilt the election; and interest groups have a lot of money invest in it .

Never wrestle with the pig because the pig likes it. 1:23:41

And size doesn’t matter, only feet per second 😂

un-amputated ?

Isn't balding a sign of higher testosterone levels? I don't mind masculine bald men at all. ❤

100% getting my assistant to google freezing sperm

Oh dear does society have or do men have problems now hearing this conversation on these diverse subjects? One can only but wonder if men in masonic temples or other male groups 50 or 100 years ago had these type of discussions! Or are there some specific things in society now that make these subjects so discussed and is it now a men's problem. Twitter, glorification of men's bodies, the ubiquity of gymnasiums, hyper fitness, over glorification of sporting elites etc! Particularly the USA obsession with self improvement.

This has to he cleared up. Khabib is nothing close to the 🐐

Let’s be honest and real here , they are British and in the Uk most men are uncut like they said but they have to understand too that in the US it’s a regional thing. Parts of the US will have more or less cut or uncut . Let’s also face facts and reality here also statistically. Most white and black men in the US are cut , most Asian and Latinos are uncut . Growing up in nyc. I’m Latino and we don’t cut our boys even being born in the US . Most of us are uncut . Of course u will have very very small percentage that will be mutilated but the majority of us Latinos are uncut

Puhleese.....not "...me and you...." It is correctly, "....you and I...."

I didn’t call you baldy, baldy.

Asking you two about circumcision is like asking two tall guys what it's like to be short...You have no idea...

Gonna chime in here as I'm uniquely qualified to talk about the topic of Circumcision. I am a 32 year old male. Fit, healthy, been with my fiance for 7 years. I was circumcised at 27 as I kept tearing my frenulum which was very painful, and I would end up with inflammation on the head regularly. After circumcision, no issues at all. I have asked my fiance if there is any difference multiple times and for her to be honest, she has said there is no difference it feels the same. From a personal stand point (I'll probably cop some flak for this and people will say I'm lying) there is no difference in sensitivity whatsoever. I know that is hard to believe, but there is none, even after the keratinization. It is not rough like the bottom of a foot, you still very much feel it, it is just not overly sensitive when flaccid, where as when I was intact it was overly sensitive when flaccid when the head was exposed and would rub on fabric or something. There is no difference when erect when it comes to any form of pleasure. Regarding medical benefits. I have had no issues since being circumcised. The frenulum tears I experienced beforehand weren't due to an overly tight foreskin, it is just something that happens. So much so, that I have had conversations with groups of lads, and "snapping your banjo string" (tearing your frenulum) is almost so common that is has become this unspoken rite of passage. Perhaps that is not the case, but from what I have gathered, frenulum tears are quite common, and I'm not sure if anyone here has had them before, but holy smokes they are very painful. During my research both before and after getting the snip, I have found that a much higher percentage of men have a tight frenulum, but don't know it. This is because the tightness of the frenulum does not have to be extreme to cause minor injuries such as tears, etc, therefore, only the most extreme cases are operated on. I believe the bar is much lower for a categorised "tight frenulum leading to an increase in potential detriment" than the numbers currently show. This tracks with the conversations I have had (like in that group) where it is commonplace for men to experience some form of injury. However, that is obviously debatable. I'd love to see more controlled data on it. I did also experience some issues where I would end up with some inflammation on the glans and sore redness. No STI's or other issues caused this, and just to note, I am not a grub, I am clean and would shower after, so it's not as if I was doing something abnormal to cause this. A doctor explained to me that it can just happen when doing the deed based on a womans cycle, differences in peoples bodies, bacteria, etc. I haven't had any of these issues now because there isn't really a warm moist (Yeah I hate the word too) breeding ground for those issues to occur. So, long story short, I've copped a whole bunch of benefit since getting snipped, with no downside. I can understand that it might seem hard to believe for others reading, especially based on hypothetical conversations of others on the internet and how strong peoples stances are on either side of this argument, but I can say it with confidence being a man who has been both intact and circumcised in adulthood, and with the same girlfriend/fiance for that time. So, I think my opinion carries a unique weight here. Just my 2 cents. I think it should be a personal choice for men and they should be free to make it if they want. I will say I do prefer the look of it now compared to before, and am very happy with there being no change in my pleasure or my fiances.

Had the snip as couldn't get the foreskin back when I was 12. Was horrendous op. 6 weeks till I felt slightly normal down there again. But there were really young kids in the hospital running around post op like it was nothing, as it's not as sensitive at a younger age the docs told me. Now I'm glad I had it, hearing some of the horror stories from friends that have split the 'banjo' or had other issues. Certainly wouldn't do it out of choice though!

My lord Chris' view on demographics is dumb. He misrepresents the opposing view and then makes ridiculous catastrophic projections about future population trends, assuming birth rates will stay low indefinitely. He could do with speaking to people outside his echo chamber for a change.

Shave your head. Hair doesn’t matter. If you’re thinking about it for more than 3 seconds, that’s 3 seconds too long and it’s stealing your attention imo.

Circumcision it’s al about aesthetics😂

I disagree (constructivly, i promise) with the view on having children. Making a future decision based on what has happened in the past feels like a sunk cost falacy to me. I think a couple should only start a family if the circumstances are right. Too many unhappy relationships have children thinking it will fix the relationship. It probably wont. And there are many detrimental consequences of that. Also too many couples have multiple children knowing that they cant afford to support them. Like every thing in life, different people want different things for different reasons. I disagree with the mindset that i would b selfish (in my interpretation) to expect to be looked after when i am old even though i havnt got children. My circumstances didnt alow me to go to medical school for 7 years to train to b a doctor - that doesnt mean that i cant expect the care of a doctor if i break my leg.

If you're like me and you just want to skip forward to the discussion about circumcision, it's around 49 minutes and 30 seconds. The rest of the chat is quite intelligent but, to me, rather irrelevant. Although as a matter of fact, I think the biggest problem in the world is that there are too many people and we need to start having smaller families. Unfortunately, the economists and politicians who worship growth think that is quite awful. The Chinese tried population control and they're already having tremendous economic problems; hopefully it will work out eventually. The monkey wrench is that some cultures still believe in over-breeding and they might end up becoming the predominant cultures.

Z¹

Your take on hair loss is so poor

So boring.

Racist Accent! 🤣🤣🤣

It amuses me when people covered with tattoos and piercings violently appose circumcision because it's "unnatural"...

What other cultures do to penises might be interesting to debate but not really worthy of criticism. You live in a non-circumcising culture. That's nice for you. Dont single out the US when hundreds of millions of other people circumcise for various reasons.