"Juno": Adoption Politics and Teen Pregnancy Tropes (Rom-Com Vom)

Juno is arguably the most well-known depiction of adoption in pop culture... but what messages does it really send about relinquishment, teen pregnancy, and reproductive justice? Is adoption truly the “perfect alternative” to abortion as Juno would have us believe, or does this charmingly complicated 2007 film gloss over the realities of birth mothers and family separation? This week, we’re joined by Dr. Gretchen Sisson, sociologist and author of Relinquished: The Politics of Adoption and the Privilege of American Motherhood, to break down Juno’s thorny politics on choice, motherhood, and adoption. GUEST DETAILS Gretchen Sisson, Ph.D., is a qualitative sociologist studying abortion and adoption at Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health (ANSIRH) in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences at University of California, San Francisco. Her research was cited in the Supreme Court’s dissent in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. She is the author of Relinquished: The Politics of Adoption and the Privilege of American Motherhood. CONNECT WITH US Instagram: @sexedwithdbpodcastTikTok: @sexedwithdbTwitter: @sexedwithdb Threads: @sexedwithdbpodcast YouTube: Sex Ed with DB ROM-COM VOM SEASON 11 SPONSORS: Lion's Den, Uberlube, Magic Wand, + Arya. Get discounts on all of DB’s favorite things here! GET IN TOUCH Email: [email protected] to our newsletter for behind-the-scenes content and answers to your sexual health questions! FOR SEXUAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS Check out DB's workshop: "Building A Profitable Online Sexual Health Brand" ABOUT THE SHOW Sex Ed with DB is your go-to podcast for smart, science-backed sex education—delivering trusted insights from top experts on sex, sexuality, and pleasure. Empowering, inclusive, and grounded in real science, it’s the sex ed you’ve always wanted. SEASON 11 TEAM Creator, Host & Executive Producer: Danielle Bezalel (DB) Producer: Sadie Lidji Communications Lead: Cathren Cohen Marketing Coordinator: Alex Bateman Logo Design: Evie Plumb (@cliterallythebest)

So maybe you too need to get your groove back… we’ve got you. In this bonus episode, we’re talking all things libido—where it went, why it left, and how to invite it back to the party. Inspired by this week’s Rom-Com Vom episode on How Stella Got Her Groove Back, we’re breaking down the most common reasons desire fades, what can help reignite it, and why fluctuating libido is (spoiler alert!) completely normal. Mentioned in this episode: "How Stella Got Her Groove Back": The Age Gap That Shook The 90s (Rom-Com Vom)  Maintaining Long-Term Relationships and Keeping The Spark Alive with Therapist, Dr. Lexx Brown-James CONNECT WITH US Instagram: @sexedwithdbpodcast TikTok: @sexedwithdbTwitter: @sexedwithdb Threads: @sexedwithdbpodcast YouTube: Sex Ed with DB ROM-COM VOM SEASON 11 SPONSORS: Lion's Den, Uberlube, Magic Wand, + Arya. Get discounts on all of DB’s favorite things here! GET IN TOUCH Email: [email protected] to our newsletter for behind-the-scenes content and answers to your sexual health questions! FOR SEXUAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS Check out DB's workshop: "Building A Profitable Online Sexual Health Brand" ABOUT THE SHOW Sex Ed with DB is your go-to podcast for smart, science-backed sex education—delivering trusted insights from top experts on sex, sexuality, and pleasure. Empowering, inclusive, and grounded in real science, it’s the sex ed you’ve always wanted. SEASON 11 TEAM Creator, Host & Executive Producer: Danielle Bezalel (DB) Producer: Sadie Lidji Communications Lead: Cathren Cohen Marketing Coordinator: Alex Bateman Logo Design: Evie Plumb (@cliterallythebest)

What can 1998's How Stella Got Her Groove Back teach us about love, age gaps, and black romance? DB and beloved return guest Dr. Candice Nicole Hargons dive into the film’s portrayal of intimacy, sisterhood, and the complexities of age-gap relationships. Plus: cringy accents, objectifying Taye Diggs, and the long-term cultural impact of this iconic rom-com. GUEST DETAILS Dr. Candice Nicole is an award-winning psychologist and associate professor at Emory University. She is author of Good Sex: Stories, Science, and Strategies for Sexual Liberation, debuting February 4. She can be found on IG and Threads, or at www.drcandicenicole.com. CONNECT WITH US Instagram: @sexedwithdbpodcast TikTok: @sexedwithdbTwitter: @sexedwithdb Threads: @sexedwithdbpodcast YouTube: Sex Ed with DB ROM-COM VOM SEASON 11 SPONSORS: Lion's Den, Uberlube, Magic Wand, + Arya. Get discounts on all of DB’s favorite things here! GET IN TOUCH Email: [email protected] to our newsletter for behind-the-scenes content and answers to your sexual health questions! FOR SEXUAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS Check out DB's workshop: "Building A Profitable Online Sexual Health Brand" ABOUT THE SHOW Sex Ed with DB is your go-to podcast for smart, science-backed sex education—delivering trusted insights from top experts on sex, sexuality, and pleasure. Empowering, inclusive, and grounded in real science, it’s the sex ed you’ve always wanted. SEASON 11 TEAM Creator, Host & Executive Producer: Danielle Bezalel (DB) Producer: Sadie Lidji Communications Lead: Cathren Cohen Marketing Coordinator: Alex Bateman Logo Design: Evie Plumb (@cliterallythebest)

Ever wondered what “sex work is work” really means? Or why criminalization makes life more dangerous for sex workers? Inspired by this week's episode about Pretty Woman, DB breaks down the most common misconceptions about sex work, why advocacating for sex workers is crucial for bodily autonomy, and how recent policy implementations are impacting the safety and rights of sex workers today. Plus, learn how organizations like the Red Umbrella Fund are leading the fight for change. Mentioned in this episode: Sex Ed with DB: Sex Work is Not Sex Trafficking The Red Umbrella Fund CONNECT WITH US Instagram: @sexedwithdbpodcast TikTok: @sexedwithdbTwitter: @sexedwithdb Threads: @sexedwithdbpodcast YouTube: Sex Ed with DB ROM-COM VOM SEASON 11 SPONSORS: Lion's Den, Uberlube, Magic Wand, + Arya. Get discounts on all of DB’s favorite things here! GET IN TOUCH Email: [email protected] to our newsletter for behind-the-scenes content and answers to your sexual health questions! FOR SEXUAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS Check out DB's workshop: "Building A Profitable Online Sexual Health Brand" ABOUT THE SHOW Sex Ed with DB is your go-to podcast for smart, science-backed sex education—delivering trusted insights from top experts on sex, sexuality, and pleasure. Empowering, inclusive, and grounded in real science, it’s the sex ed you’ve always wanted. SEASON 11 TEAM Creator, Host & Executive Producer: Danielle Bezalel (DB) Producer: Sadie Lidji Communications Lead: Cathren Cohen Marketing Coordinator: Alex Bateman Logo Design: Evie Plumb (@cliterallythebest)

There’s plenty to love about the 1990s classic Pretty Woman… but just as much to cringe at. Savannah Hankinson, former assistant to rom-com royalty like Nancy Meyers and Rob Marshall, joins DB to unpack the good, the bad, and the downright creepy. From a disturbingly predatory George Costanza to the strange class politics bubbling under the surface, we break down whether this beloved rom-com classic still shines or if it’s better left on the streets! 05:58 First impressions of the film as kids 11:58 Power dynamics in Pretty Woman 17:55 The fairy tale trope 24:34 The shopping montage and class politics 30:01 How Hollywood portrayed sex work 35:39 Cringe Corner! GUEST DEETS: Savannah Hankinson is the Head of Development at Meet Cute. She previously worked as an assistant to Nancy Meyers (Something's Gotta Give), Rob Marshall (The Little Mermaid), and Justin Paul (La La Land). CONNECT WITH US Instagram: @sexedwithdbpodcast TikTok: @sexedwithdbTwitter: @sexedwithdb Threads: @sexedwithdbpodcast YouTube: Sex Ed with DB ROM-COM VOM SEASON 11 SPONSORS: Lion's Den, Uberlube, Magic Wand, + Arya. Get discounts on all of DB’s favorite things here! GET IN TOUCH Email: [email protected] to our newsletter for behind-the-scenes content and answers to your sexual health questions! FOR SEXUAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS Check out DB's workshop: "Building A Profitable Online Sexual Health Brand" ABOUT THE SHOW Sex Ed with DB is your go-to podcast for smart, science-backed sex education—delivering trusted insights from top experts on sex, sexuality, and pleasure. Empowering, inclusive, and grounded in real science, it’s the sex ed you’ve always wanted. SEASON 11 TEAM Creator, Host & Executive Producer: Danielle Bezalel (DB) Producer: Sadie Lidji Communications Lead: Cathren Cohen Marketing Coordinator: Alex Bateman Logo Design: Evie Plumb (@cliterallythebest)

Inspired by this week's Rom-Com Vom episode about Notting Hill, DB tackles a listener’s question: Is it even possible to take nudes safely? We're digging into how to protect your privacy online while still keeping it sexy. Don't miss it! CONNECT WITH US Instagram: @sexedwithdbpodcast TikTok: @sexedwithdbTwitter: @sexedwithdb Threads: @sexedwithdbpodcast YouTube: Sex Ed with DB ROM-COM VOM SEASON 11 SPONSORS: Lion's Den, Uberlube, Magic Wand, + Arya. Get discounts on all of DB’s favorite things here! GET IN TOUCH Email: [email protected] to our newsletter for behind-the-scenes content and answers to your sexual health questions! FOR SEXUAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS Check out DB's workshop: "Building A Profitable Online Sexual Health Brand" ABOUT THE SHOW Sex Ed with DB is your go-to podcast for smart, science-backed sex education—delivering trusted insights from top experts on sex, sexuality, and pleasure. Empowering, inclusive, and grounded in real science, it’s the sex ed you’ve always wanted. SEASON 11 TEAM Creator, Host & Executive Producer: Danielle Bezalel (DB) Producer: Sadie Lidji Communications Lead: Cathren Cohen Marketing Coordinator: Alex Bateman Logo Design: Evie Plumb (@cliterallythebest)

Join us as we kick off Season 11 with the first of a whole new series of Rom-Com Vom! DB and her mom and iconic return guest, Dr. Rebecca Levy-Gantt, dive into 1999's "Notting Hill." From awkward dinner parties to the problematic "I'm just a girl" speech, we unpack how this classic holds up in 2025. How much did this 90s gem make us vom? Listen to the end to find out! 07:52 The Taming of Successful Women 15:00 The Power Dynamic 20:47 Anna's Self-Diminishment 28:40 Rewriting Notting Hill for 2025 34:44 Final Ratings  GUEST DETAILS Dr. Rebecca Levy-Gantt is a board-certified OBGYN with over 30 years of experience. She's also DB's mom and a frequent guest on Sex Ed with DB, bringing her medical expertise and pop culture commentary to our conversations about sex, relationships, and media representation! CONNECT WITH US Instagram: @sexedwithdbpodcast TikTok: @sexedwithdbTwitter: @sexedwithdbThreads: @sexedwithdbpodcast YouTube: Sex Ed with DB ROM-COM VOM SEASON 11 SPONSORS: Lion's Den, Uberlube, Magic Wand, + Arya. Get discounts on all of DB’s favorite things here! GET IN TOUCH Email: [email protected] to our newsletter for behind-the-scenes content and answers to your sexual health questions! FOR SEXUAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS Check out DB's workshop: "Building A Profitable Online Sexual Health Brand" ABOUT THE SHOW Sex Ed with DB is your go-to podcast for smart, science-backed sex education—delivering trusted insights from top experts on sex, sexuality, and pleasure. Empowering, inclusive, and grounded in real science, it’s the sex ed you’ve always wanted. SEASON 11 TEAM Creator, Host & Executive Producer: Danielle Bezalel (DB) Producer: Sadie Lidji Communications Lead: Cathren Cohen Marketing Coordinator: Alex Bateman Logo Design: Evie Plumb (@cliterallythebest)

DB dives headfirst into a hilarious and informative conversation with sexologist Goody Howard, MSW, MPH about oral sex, confidence inside and outside of the bedroom, and the 18 different types of orgasms! Plus, they discuss how to build a small business as a sexual health educator and how science can help us understand pleasure. —— How Goody uses her academic background to build sexual confidence courses [00:15:45] Goody breaks down how sexual health is a public health issue [00:16:36] Goody shares her best Oral Sex 101 tips [00:19:58] How to frame oral sex as a mutually pleasurable experience [00:24:14] How confidence outside the bedroom impacts your sex life [00:26:54] Find more from Goody: IG: @AskGoody Website: AskGoody.com —— Follow Sex Ed with DB on: Instagram: @sexedwithdbpodcast TikTok: @sexedwithdb YouTube: Sex Ed with DB Twitter: @sexedwithdb Facebook: @edwithdb Rep your favorite sex ed podcast with our brand new merch! Sign up for our newsletter with BTS content and exclusive giveaways here. Want to get in touch with Sex Ed with DB? Email us at [email protected]. —— Sex Ed with DB, Season 8 is Sponsored by: Lion's Den, Uberlube, Magic Wand, and Future Method. Get discounts on all of DB’s favorite things here! —— About Sex Ed with DB: Sex Ed with DB is a feminist podcast bringing you all the sex ed you never got through unique and entertaining storytelling, centering LGBTQ+ and BIPOC experts. We discuss topics such as birth control, pleasure, LGBTQ+ health and rights, abortion, consent, BDSM, sex and disability, HIV, sex in the media, and more. —— Sex Ed with DB, Season 8 Team: Creator, Host, Executive Producer: Danielle Bezalel (DB) Producer and Communications Lead: Cathren Cohen Associate Producer: Sadie Lidji Marketing Coordinator: Kate Fiala

New year, new you, new pleasure goals! Start 2025 by busting myths about one of the most misunderstood topics in human sexuality—masturbation. DB is joined by Dr. Eric Sprankle, acclaimed psychologist, to strip away stigma, crush falsehoods, and explore the evolution of sexual psychology. (0:17:42) - Masturbation Education (0:21:28) - Masturbation Myths and Motivations Explained (0:35:49) - Religious Views on Masturbation and Health (0:48:45) - The Evolution and Perception of Vibrators (0:52:11) - Individualism and Collective Action and Self-Pleasure  Find more from Dr. Sprankle: Dr. Eric Sprankle is a professor of clinical psychology and co-director of the sexuality studies program at Minnesota State University, Mankato. He is the author of the new book, DIY: The Wonderfully Weird History and Science of Masturbation. More information at drsprankle.com or Instagram and Twitter @DrSprankle. —— Masturbate for Science! Join The Magic Wand Study: the first-ever scientific study analyzing how using a vibrator—specifically the Magic Wand Rechargeable—can improve quality of life. 4,000+ people with vulvas have already signed up!!! If you're selected to participate, you'll get a FREE Magic Wand Rechargeable + a chance to win $250 for participating! Spots are limited—sign up now here: https://bit.ly/3Ddsl2g. —— Follow Sex Ed with DB on: Instagram: @sexedwithdbpodcast TikTok: @sexedwithdbTwitter : @sexedwithdbThreads: @sexedwithdbpodcast YouTube: Sex Ed with DB Rep your favorite sex ed podcast with our brand new merch! Sign up for our newsletter with BTS content and exclusive giveaways here. Are you a sexual health professional? Check out DB’s workshop: Building A Profitable Online Sexual Health Brand. Want to get in touch with Sex Ed with DB? Email us at [email protected]. —— About Sex Ed with DB: Sex Ed with DB is a feminist podcast bringing you all the sex ed you never got through unique and entertaining storytelling, centering LGBTQ+ and BIPOC experts. We discuss topics such as birth control, pleasure, LGBTQ+ health and rights, abortion, consent, BDSM, sex and disability, HIV, sex in the media, and more.

Our holiday gift to the lovely listeners of Sex Ed with DB? The keys to closing the orgasm gap! DB sits down with Dr. Laurie Mintz, psychologist and professor of human sexuality, to explore the pleasure-packed insights from her books and research. Unwrap the secrets to better relationships and more fulfilling intimacy this season! —— Masturbate for Science! Join The Magic Wand Study: the first-ever scientific study analyzing how using a vibrator—specifically the Magic Wand Rechargeable—can improve quality of life. 4,000+ people with vulvas have already signed up!!! If you're selected to participate, you'll get a FREE Magic Wand Rechargeable + a chance to win $250 for participating! Spots are limited—sign up now here: https://bit.ly/3Ddsl2g. —— Follow Sex Ed with DB on: Instagram: @sexedwithdbpodcast TikTok: @sexedwithdbTwitter : @sexedwithdbThreads: @sexedwithdbpodcast YouTube: Sex Ed with DB Rep your favorite sex ed podcast with our brand new merch! Sign up for our newsletter with BTS content and exclusive giveaways here. Are you a sexual health professional? Check out DB’s workshop: Building A Profitable Online Sexual Health Brand. Want to get in touch with Sex Ed with DB? Email us at [email protected]. —— About Sex Ed with DB: Sex Ed with DB is a feminist podcast bringing you all the sex ed you never got through unique and entertaining storytelling, centering LGBTQ+ and BIPOC experts. We discuss topics such as birth control, pleasure, LGBTQ+ health and rights, abortion, consent, BDSM, sex and disability, HIV, sex in the media, and more.