New Rory & MAL – Episode 430: "I Love You, Man"

Date: December 5, 2025
Podcast by: iHeartPodcasts & The Volume
Hosts: Rory & Mal (with Peach & occasional guests)

Episode Overview

This episode dives into a mix of cultural commentary, laughs, and hot takes—focusing on everything from “overrated action movie heroes” to a deep, unfiltered discussion of the Diddy “The Reckoning” documentary. The crew also debates the real-world impact of exposé documentaries, friendships among men and women, music streaming habits, and the consequences (or lack thereof) for problematic celebrities.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Holiday Vibes & NYC Commercialism

• The hosts start with typical banter on the December/holiday atmosphere in New York—Mall is for the holiday energy, Rory is unmoved:
  • Rory: “Don’t you just love December?” (03:17)
  • Rory: “Not me. You don’t want to just walk down 5th Ave and just take in all the commercialism.” (03:35)
• They joke about the city’s décor (like the giant Louis Vuitton suitcase) and the city’s ever-present construction.

2. Pop Culture: Action Heroes & Movie Absurdity

• Group debate on overrated action movie characters:
  • Peach: “Who do y’all think is the most overrated of like those guys? Like the Jason Bournes...John Wick...” (06:23)
  • Rory: “I never got into John Wick. And I love Keanu Reeves...” (06:42)
  • Fast & Furious stunts get roasted (cars flying between skyscrapers, Ludacris and Tyrese love).
• Absurd movie logic gets called out (Mark Wahlberg as a one-man Boston Marathon savior; action heroes surviving wild scenarios).

3. Main Focus: Diddy "The Reckoning" Docuseries

Initial Reactions & Anticipation

• Both host rushed to watch before anticipated takedown due to legal threats.
  • Mall: “I rushed back to the house to watch it because I thought it was gonna get taken down...” (09:25)
  • Rory: “If everything in that doc is real and true...I think we all owe a lot of people, like, damn.” (10:03)

Major Takeaways & Controversies

• Moral Accountability:

  • Both hosts express shock at revelations—"How did this continue to just happen right in front of us?" (10:10)
  • Questioning not just Diddy’s actions but the public’s tendency to look away:
    • Mall: “We pretend like we care...” (10:10)

• Biggie’s Funeral Funding Dispute:

  • Documentary claims funeral costs came from Biggie's recording budget, but this is disputed live on air.
  • Rory: “...if any of that is true that’s fucking crazy.” (12:33)
  • Peach: “Don’t most humans pay for their own funerals?...” (13:29)

• Puff’s Pattern of Self-Preservation:

  • Noting Diddy’s career always seems to rise after tragic events involving those close to him.
  • Rory: “How come you the only one that benefited from these tragedies?...” (21:27)

• On Abuse & Industry Manipulation:

  • The hosts dig into both Diddy’s personal behavior and the wider music industry exploitation:
    • Mall: “[Diddy] always going to self preserve no matter what” (23:03)
    • Discussing juror challenges in high-profile abuse cases: “It's hard to tell a jury to find somebody guilty of this when you have more footage of them on vacations together after that...” (19:50)
    • Comments on victims struggling with self-advocacy and the culture of silence.

• Questions of Documentary Fairness & Impact:

  • The group argues over whether one proven exaggeration discredits all allegations.
  • Mall: “...that's what lawyers use to be like, see, this case is bullshit, so everything must be bullshit. And that's never really what it is.” (16:26)

Consequences & Cultural Impact

• Does It Matter? Is There Real Justice?

  • “What does it mean? Because people still stood next to him after that Cassie video came out.” – Rory (34:05)
  • Discussion on whether exposé docs create change or just fleeting outrage.

• Brand Loss vs. True Accountability:

  • Peach: “You lose things like brand deals and the ability to win a Grammy, but that's really it...People don't give a fuck about women...” (35:58)
  • Rory and Mall debate if/when Diddy will return—will the culture really change, or just wait for the storm to pass?

• Unique Moments & Quotes:

  • Most memorable:
    • Mall: “Puff came across as probably the greatest self preservation human being I’ve ever seen.” (23:03)
    • Rory: “Around every tragic thing that happened in his life, he was the one that came out of it.” (20:52)

4. Side Tangents: Industry Exploitation Stories

• Discussion about Lil Rod, the Diddy doc whistleblower/producer, being strung along and underpaid.
  • Mall: “...he got 29,000 out of 250,000 in pups that he was gonna give him.” (29:11)
  • Rory: “There’s so many people that have a story like that in the industry, produce some incredible records…and just get flown out to Italy on a yacht...it's just fucked up.” (29:42)
• Aubrey O’Day’s harrowing allegations and the mental impact on victims are given emotional weight and sympathy.

5. Celebrity Fallouts, Accountability, and Social Media

• Game’s “Free Diddy” comments lead to a debate on when and how artists (and fans) should leave problematic figures behind.
  • Rory: “I just think when you somebody like Game...you gotta be very careful of the things you say, man.” (54:31)
• The group highlights defamation lawsuits in hip-hop (e.g., Megan Thee Stallion's court win against bloggers) and how legal action is starting to impact "blog culture."
  • Winning $59,000 in damages sends a warning: “...people are going to think twice about posting something about Meg...She’ll go and sue you.” – Mall (56:50-57:16)

6. Friendship, Gender Double Standards, and Adult Socializing

• The title “I Love You, Man” sets up an honest, hilarious exploration of adult male friendship.

• Is it weird for men to make new friends as adults?

  • Mall: “...as a grown adult, he needs to go out and find male friends so he can have a wedding party...” (87:06)
  • Debate about why men avoid making new friends (fear of seeming gay, fear of danger, lack of social scripts).
  • Peach: “That’s why the male loneliness epidemic…y’all ain’t got no friends because y’all be afraid to meet people.” (71:54)
  • “If I go to a bar and a random man just starts having conversations with me and he’s not the one making my drinks—get the fuck away from me.” – Rory (76:10)
  • Contrast with women who more easily form friendships in adulthood.

• On Best Friends and Loyalty:

  • The male hosts explain that for men, "best friend" status is about time and trust, not constant contact.
    • Mall: “It's...experiences. It's also going through things together. And then just that bond of like, we cannot speak for three months...pick up right where we left off.” (73:20)

• Funny, Candid Reflections:

  • “Don’t play gay games with me. You going to find out you what.” – Mall (66:25)
  • Peach: “That's how I found out I was gay. I found that out from playing gay and then realizing, oh, I'm not playing.” (65:33)

7. Music Streaming Wrap-Ups & "What Did You Listen To?"

• The crew shares their end-of-year Spotify and Apple Music stats—honest confessions about which artists and albums dominated their streams.
  • Rory: “1.7 million listeners, 266,000 hours, 6 million streams, 183 countries for an album that’s came out in 2023.” (94:11)
  • Mall & Peach: Share their lists, discussing guilty pleasures, surprises, and how often “album-oriented” listening means the same songs get repeated.

8. Light-Hearted Debates & Anecdotes

• Side debates about male/female friendship formation, why men can’t “just make friends,” and wild stories about inadvertently hanging out with “rats” (snitches).

  • Hilarious bits about sports culture (“good game” ass slapping), white frat boy games, jersey swapping, and accidental outings.

• Unforgettable lines:

  • “Either he’s trying to take me home or he’s trying to take my kidney—one of the other.” – Rory (76:17)
  • “I've never met a random man at a bar, and we're still friends to this day. Let me just put that out there.” – Rory (70:32)
  • “Either way, an organ is involved.” – Mall (76:28)

Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• “How the fuck did this continue to just happen right in front of us? And nobody, you know, and y'all know all the time, I always say people don't care. Like, we. We pretend like we care....” — Mall (10:10)
• “Around every tragic thing that happened in his life, he was the one that came out of it.” — Rory (20:52)
• “People don't give a fuck if you beat or rape women. Nobody cares about that. They will somehow find a way to blame the women.” — Peach (36:16)
• “Puff came across as probably the greatest self preservation human being I’ve ever seen.” — Mall (23:03)
• “Don’t play gay games with me. You going to find out you what.” — Mall (66:25)

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Segment | Timestamp | |------------------------------------------------------|-------------| | Holiday banter & NYC holiday talk | 03:15–04:34 | | Overrated movie action heroes | 06:23–08:54 | | Start of Diddy Documentary Discussion | 09:12 | | Biggie’s Funeral Debate & Music Industry Exploitation| 12:07–15:30 | | Legal fallout, moral responsibility, & public reaction| 35:02–40:44 | | The “I Love You, Man” Male Friendship Debate | 86:45–88:05 | | Streaming Wrap-Ups, Spotify, & Apple Music Stats | 92:14–105:47 | | Sports, Friendship & Socialization as Adults | 66:16–82:06 | | Notable Quotes and Best Friend Philosophizing | 73:05–75:47 |

Summary & Takeaways

• This episode offers a raw, unpredictable conversation weaving between culture, friendship, and serious moral questions surrounding celebrities and accountability.
• The Diddy doc sparks their sharpest reflection: the limits of “calling out” abusers, the complicity of fans and the industry, and the challenge of true justice in entertainment.
• Regular listeners will appreciate signature moments of humor, candid personal revelations, and the group’s willingness to speak unfiltered on taboo or difficult subjects.

If you haven’t listened, this summary gives you everything you need—insight into the doc’s revelations, personal and cultural analysis, and a round-up of the year in their own lives and in music.