Why is it so hard to feel good?

She’s spent the last six months talking to people about the low points in their sex lives. Now, heavily pregnant, Franki’s struggling to find the spark herself. Could listening to audio porn be the solution? She grabs her headphones to find out.The Second Circle is produced, written, and hosted by Franki CookneyAudio production: Anouszka TateTheme music: Roof - Big Spoon (Instrumental Version)Incidental music: _91Nova - Moiety, Maybe - The Universe is a Bitch, _91Nova - Shell GamesAll music courtesy of epidemicsound.comAudio porn clips:“Don’t Be Late” written and read by Euphemise This “Free Use Secretary” written and read by Girl On The Net “E-stim” written and read by Jenby Doll“Sat On His Face” written by David of The Big Gay Review and read by LukeAll audioporn courtesy of girlonthenet.comTranscript: https://bit.ly/badsexbonusSupport the Show. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Whether it’s with our friends or, more crucially, with our partners, sex IS something we need to be able to communicate about if we want it to be good. But it’s so hard! Why? Because for all the other messages we get around sex, all the things we’re taught or that we glean from our culture or the media… no one tells us how to talk about it.The Second Circle is produced, written, hosted by Franki CookneyAudio production: Anouszka Tate Title track: Roof - Big Spoon (Instrumental Version)Background music: _91Nova - Moiety / From Now On - Small Circuits / Lasae Lyx - Suffering In Paradise / Blaeker - Stay Up All NightAll music courtesy of www.epidemicsound.comTranscript: https://bit.ly/badsexE06Support the show (https://ko-fi.com/frankicookney) Support the Show. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Somewhere along the way we’ve been taught that desire should just exist without any conscious effort, like hunger or thirst. And if it doesn’t – uh oh – that means something is wrong. But this idea of sex as a “drive” is actually a myth. And like so many myths, it’s standing in the way of us having good, fulfilling sex lives. The Second Circle is produced, written, hosted by Franki CookneyAudio production: Anouszka Tate Title track: Roof - Big Spoon (Instrumental Version)Background music: From Now On - Small Circuits / Beautiful Minds - Brighter Than Tomorrow / Maybe - The Universe is a Bitch All music courtesy of www.epidemicsound.comTranscript: https://bit.ly/badsexE05Support the Show. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Faulty penises, unruly pubes, and unexplained pain: When our bodies don’t look or work the way they’re “supposed” to, it can feel like a real barrier to good sex. So what can we do about it? Do we push on through anyway? Seek treatment? Or adjust our expectations? The Second Circle is produced, written, hosted by Franki CookneyAudio production: Anouszka Tate Title track: Roof - Big Spoon (Instrumental Version)Background music: _91Nova - Moiety / Tilden Parc - Wanna KnowAll music courtesy of www.epidemicsound.comTranscript: https://bit.ly/badsexE04Support the Show. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One in eight women and one in twenty men say they lack enjoyment during sex.For all the conflicting messages we get around sex, most of us know that on some level we’re supposed to enjoy it. But there are a lot of things that can stand in our way. The Second Circle is produced, written, hosted by Franki CookneyAudio production: Anouszka Tate Title track: Roof - Big Spoon (Instrumental Version)Background music: Tilden Parc -  Wanna Know /  Moon Craters - A Spinning Earth / Maybe - The Universe is a BitchAll music courtesy of www.epidemicsound.comTranscript: https://bit.ly/badsexE03Support the Show. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Where do we learn about sex?  Who do we learn it from? What do those people and establishments actually tell us… about what sex IS and what it’s supposed to mean? And is it possible… is it possible…  that some of what we’re being told might be directly contributing to our experiences of bad sex?The Second Circle is produced, written, hosted by Franki CookneyAudio production: Anouszka TateTitle track: Roof - Big Spoon (Instrumental Version)Background music:  Lasae Lyx -  Suffering In Paradise /  From Now On - Small CircuitsAll music courtesy of www.epidemicsound.comTranscript: https://bit.ly/badsexE02Support the Show. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

While plenty of us still grow up in families and communities where sex is taboo or there are strict rules around it, on a broader societal level here in Western Europe it’s fair to say sex is no longer seen as sinful. Sex is good, it’s healthy, it’s normal, it’s empowering!We’re living in this lovely, glossy, horny world where we’re told that good sex is not just our aim, goddammit, it’s our right… so what gives?The Second Circle is produced, written, hosted by Franki CookneyAudio production: Anouszka TateTitle track: Roof - Big Spoon (Instrumental Version)Background music:  _91Nova - Shell Games / Blaeker - Stay Up All Night /  _91Nova - MoietyAll music courtesy of www.epidemicsound.comTranscript: https://bit.ly/badsexE01Support the Show. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Awkward. Dissatisfying. Painful. Shameful. Disappointing. Miserable. Or just a bit… meh.The Second Circle is back with a NEW series looking at the type of sex we’ve definitely all experienced: bad sex.Combining in-depth reporting with real life stories, BAD SEX takes listeners on a journey through the less desirable side of sex: from dissatisfying hookups, to sexual dysfunction, body image issues, and shame. Forget hot tips and kinky tricks. In this six-part series, journalist Franki Cookney turns sex advice on its head and asks: what makes sex bad in the first place?The Second Circle is produced, written, hosted by Franki CookneyAudio production: Anouszka TateTitle track: Roof /  Big Spoon (Instrumental Version)All music courtesy of www.epidemicsound.comSupport the Show. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to The Second Circle. A sex podcast for overthinkers.This week Franki talks to bisexual polyamorous woman L about opening up her marriage and managing multiple relationships. In The Overthinkers Guide To Sex, Frankie Wells and Anouszka Tate of sex podcast Project Pleasure tell us how some of their best and worst sexual experiences shaped them.In the intro Rob and Franki also talked about the BBC drama Wanderlust as well as Louis Theroux’s documentary about polyamory, Love Without Limits. L and Franki referenced research which shoes that polyamorous people tend to practice safer sex and also mentioned the book Enjoy Sex: How, when, and if you want to by Meg-John Barker and Justin Hancock.The Second Circle is a sex and gender politics podcast produced and hosted by journalist Franki Cookney. It seeks to bring some (okay, a LOT) of the nuance back into discussions of sex, relationships, and gender and challenges the idea that sex doesn’t deserve the same thought and attention that we give to the rest of our lives.Series 3 of The Second Circle is supported by That’s The Spot.Get in touch on Twitter @The2ndCircle or email us [email protected] you’re enjoying the podcast, please visit the Patreon page to find out more about how you can support sex-positive content AND get rewarded for your loyalty! Or if you just want to low-key share the love, why not buy me a coffee?Support the Show. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to The Second Circle. A sex podcast for overthinkers.This week Franki talks to filmmaker and porn performer Rooster about the difference between fucking on and off screen. In The Overthinkers Guide To Sex Cosmpolitan journalist Paisley Gilmour realises that even when you write about sex and consent for a living, it doesn’t mean you always recognise when someone oversteps your own boundaries.In our intro to this episode we also discuss this recent story of how fewer films are being given an 18 certificate beacause of their sexual content.The Second Circle is a sex and gender politics podcast produced and hosted by journalist Franki Cookney. It seeks to bring some (okay, a LOT) of the nuance back into discussions of sex, relationships, and gender and challenges the idea that sex doesn’t deserve the same thought and attention that we give to the rest of our lives.Series 3 of The Second Circle is supported by That’s The Spot.Get in touch on Twitter @The2ndCircle or email us [email protected] you’re enjoying the podcast, please visit the Patreon page to find out more about how you can support sex-positive content AND get rewarded for your loyalty! Or if you just want to low-key share the love, why not buy me a coffee?Support the Show. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.