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Death, Sex & Money

A Brat Pack Star Remembers How to Have Friends

Death, Sex & Money

Slate Audio

Careers, Sexuality, Business, Health & Fitness, Relationships, Society & Culture

4.67.7K Ratings

🗓️ 19 May 2026

⏱️ 51 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

The actor and travel writer Andrew McCarthy used to be a member of one of pop culture’s most famous friend groups: The Brat Pack. He starred in movies like Pretty in Pink and St. Elmo’s Fire and palled around with actors like Rob Lowe and Emilio Estevez.

Four decades later, in middle age, he found himself nearly friendless and set out on a cross-country road trip to reunite with the buddies he missed the most. This week on DSM, he tells Anna about the awkward conversations and tender moments that led to his new book Who Needs Friends: An Unscientific Examination of Male Friendship Across America

This episode was produced by Cameron Drews. 

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If you’re new to the show, welcome. We’re so glad you’re here. Find us and follow us on Instagram and you can find Anna’s newsletter at annasale.substack.com. Our email address, where you can reach us with voice memos, pep talks, questions, critiques, is deathsexmoney@slate.com.

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Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Are they still your friends if you never see them?

0:04.1

That was the headline of an article this spring in the Atlantic about the so-called

0:08.2

friendship crisis of American men.

0:11.8

It was reported by Andrew McCarthy, the writer who is also famous for being part of one of

0:17.7

American pop culture's most iconic friend groups, the Brat Pack of the 1980s.

0:24.7

Andrew McCarthy is now 63 years old. He still acts and also directs, and he's been a professional writer for magazines like the Atlantic and National Geographic Traveler for years now.

0:36.2

Still, part of Andrew McCarthy is preserved in amber from those famous movies of the 80s.

0:43.3

For me, he will always be Blaine, that sweetie pie rich kid in pretty and pink who crosses class and click lines as he pursues Molly Ringwald.

0:56.8

I don't know. It's just too weird for me, you know. Maybe it shouldn't happen.

0:58.2

What, you and me?

0:59.2

Well, you know, maybe it doesn't happen all the time.

1:03.4

It doesn't mean it isn't right, right?

1:06.2

Doesn't mean you can't try.

1:09.2

And as the brat pack grew up, friendship stayed complicated.

1:13.3

Like in St. Elmo's fire, where Emilio Estefez, Demi Moore, Rob Lo, Ali, Shidi, and others were growing apart.

1:21.2

Andrew played Kevin, a cynical writer who keeps giving his friends relationship advice.

1:26.9

It's true love, my friend.

1:28.0

Love, love. You know what love is?

1:30.5

Love is an illusion created by laurotypes like yourself to perpetuate another illusion called marriage,

1:34.8

to create a reality, a divorce, and the illusionary need for divorce, Lars.

1:39.1

Andrew McCarthy is also known for other big creative swings, like falling in love with Kim Cottrell, who is also a mannequin in the movie Mannequin, and for paling around with his buddy and a corpse in Weekend at Bernies.

1:53.5

What kind of a host invites you to his house for the weekend and dies on you?

...

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