Unsung actor-poet Alex McKelvey regales us with accounts of his travails and triumphs as he navigates various “art scenes” in an effort to codify his reputation as a creative force to be reckoned with.
EP. 6 - Have I Been Making A Men's Podcast This Whole Time?
A disagreement over AI-generated music sends Alex into a larger question: has What’s My Deal? secretly been a men’s podcast this whole time?
After actor and musician Jonathan Pawlowski questions the artistic integrity of using AI music, Alex realizes that “less of an artist” registers somewhere in his nervous system as “less of a man.”
From there, he revisits Robert Bly’s Iron John and considers the Wild Man, the Trickster, male initiation, modern masculinity, spiritual fatherlessness, and what it means for an artist to venture into the wilderness and bring something back.
Along the way: superhero cosmologies, internet masculinity gurus, AI ethics, the problem with initiating yourself, twenty years of creative self-mythology, and the uncomfortable realization that artistic integrity and masculine integration may have been sharing the same scoreboard.
Featuring Jonathon Pawlowski and, in an indirect way, Rowan Newby — Alex's avoidant half-brother.
________________________________
Music credits:
Celtic Impulse - Celtic by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100297
Lord of the Land by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1400022
Gathering Darkness by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100849
Finding the Balance by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100708
Majestic Hills by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100423
Five Armies by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100875
Living Voyage by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100594
Desert City by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100564
Folk Round by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100357
Hero Down by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100880
Artist: http://incompetech.com/ (http://incompetech.com/)
Hero's Theme by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Source: http://www.twinmusicom.org/song/280/heros-theme
Journey in the New World by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Source: http://www.twinmusicom.org/song/258/journey-in-the-new-world
8-Bit March by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Artist: http://www.twinmusicom.org/ (http://www.twinmusicom.org/)
15 May 2026
EP. 5 - Why I Belong to the Most Misunderstood Breed of Sigma Males (Explained)
After some pushback regarding my self-identification as a sigma male, I attempt to clarify my status, justify my behavior, and introduce a lesser-known subtype: the coyote sigma.
8 Apr 2026
EP. 4 - I Missed My 10K Deadline & Almost Got a Face Tattoo
I made a deal: 10K TikTok followers by my birthday or I get a face tattoo.
I didn't hit 10K.
In this episode, I talk about:
- writing a feature film in "isolation"
- why the algorithm punishes real artists
- stoicism, delusion & staying creative without success
- and whether I honored my vow
4 Dec 2025
EP. 3 - The Harsh Realities of Modern Dating for Amateur Male Creators
In the third episode of What's My Deal? w/ Alex McKelvey (recently described as a "self-mythologizing, meta comedy podcast hosted by a self-absorbed actor-poet whose life is in shambles), our host addresses the pitfalls of dating as an amateur male creator. Featuring actor Andrea Laing, comedian Powell Mansfield & adult entertainer Rio Rain.
"Expect subtext-heavy humor, creator-culture parody and plenty of accidental honesty as ego, art & love? collide in the most recent installment of a show that continues to build a wonderfully bizarre, yet all too familiar, comedic universe." - Danny T. Ashmore
"Keywords: comedy podcast episode, satirical character comedy, YouTube comedy, dating as a creator, cringe comedy, storytelling podcast, meta narrative humor, comedic universe series." - ChatGPT
22 Sept 2025
EP. 2 - In search of male friendship ft. impromptu guest Justin Miles
In the 2nd episode of the podcast What's My Deal? w/ Alex McKelvey, host Alex McKelvey addresses the male friendship recession, something he's surprised to learn may affect him personally.#whatsmydeal
#maleloneliness #comedypodcast
19 Jun 2025
EP. 1 - Never too little, likely too late
Alex McKelvey reflects on the reasons behind his delayed podcast launch and recounts a jaw-breaking incident in acting class, revealing his dedication to the craft.
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
4 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
4 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 7 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
14
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
0
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