Issa Rae's Fruit tackles rigid rules of the alpha male playbook

Issa Rae has no interest in football, but she does want to level the playing field for athletes who don't meet exacting alpha male stereotypes. Her new narrative podcast, Fruit, follows a player named X as he grapples with his feelings for another man. 

Today Rae, best known for her web series Awkward Black Girl, joins Shad to discuss X's story, why she kept a fictional character anonymous, and how homophobic locker rooms fit into a larger culture of keeping men on the straight and narrow. 

"There are people who don't want to hear stories about black men exploring sexuality," she says, adding that this is another way to round the black experience. "Hopefully this will change their mind."  

WEB EXTRA | Listen to the first two episodes of Fruit below.