Aziz Ansari & a Culture of Objectifying w/ Dating Advice Girl, Ep. 152

T, Christina Hepburn, meets with Wry, a speaker, events planner & fetish performer, to talk fire play (that's right, fire ...on the skin!), the BDSM scene, healthy consent communication, and all of its challenges - the ways someone can fall short of using their voice, and what we can do about it.  He also share about his own journey into this world! It's a lively conversation on both ends, sharing about our personal lives and perspectives.  AND THEN T gets "fleshed" (and makes a video to show you all what it looks & feels like!) It's a pretty wild topic - DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME! Find more from Wry HERE: https://www.youtube.com/user/awryperspective

There's a lot of sparring on social media over whether the Aziz Ansari story amounts to "just bad sex" or if it speaks to something more about our relationship to sex in American culture, and how we can educate ourselves to practice true consent.  Christina chats with Dating Advice Girl, Erin Tillman, @datingadvicegrl, about the nuances of the encounter, what's really going on in our culture around objectification and dehumanization, the new definition of consent and a generational disagreement, and what Erin's ideal version of a date would look like (healthy communication about respective intentions), and the space for each person to decide.  

Get inspired to make a difference! Christina met up with Lauren Stephenson in NYC to find out how she started the organization Women to the Front.  The conversation starts in media res discussing the current feminism movements and how to navigate all the differnt opinions, and launches in to how Lauren went from feeling powerless after the 2016 election, to empowering herself and a group of friends to take action on the specific issues she is most passionate about.  Women to the Front specifically holds fundraisers for the organizations that are already doing the great work Lauren admires.  She discovered they needed PR support, so that's just what her group did!  Feeling like you want to go from powerless to proactive? Listen to this episode to get some ideas on how to do just that! Find more about Women to the Front Here: https://www.facebook.com/womentothefront/?rc=p

John Rosania, founder of Honesty Lab (www.honesty-lab.com) talks with Christina about how to really thrive in your relationship - What if you just said what you're actually thinking in your relationships, during sex, and anywhere else you happen to be? The results are better communication, more intimacy, personal growth, and full bodies forgiveness.  Christina did a workshop with John that was remarkable, so Christina invited him onto the show to share his techniques for healing wounds in relationships (romantic and platonic), and for starting on the right foot with new ones! It's truly an eye-opening conversation! 

Some of you may have caught the angry blitz on Christina's social media profile, as well as T&A's Patreon account.  An interesting scenario unfolded where the wife of an acquaintance felt she was a threat due to her work as a professional cuddlist.  T&A talk about the experience of being harassed, and how this person might have approached her frustration differently for positive growth. Meanwhile Christina coaches a friend through confronting her partner on cheating in a constructive manner!   

Stephanie (A) shares that she's moving to Boulder! Why? When?! She's ready for a change this fall!  She gets candid with Christina (T) about waiting too long, even when her inner voice said 'it's time'.  How does holding ourselves back hurt us in and out of the bedroom? How can we be more proactive to make those changes necesary in our lives? Christina shares what's new in her life, and how she's had to move on from relationships that didn't encourage growth.  How about you? What changes are you ready to make for your better self? 

'A' talks to Deborah Kagan, women's mojo recovery specialist, speaker and author about what exactly female empowerment IS and why it is essential to a woman and a couple's well-being and yes, sex life.   Plus, how we go about empowering the ladies, without forgetting our wonderful men.  Tune in to this backstage interview at the 'Rock Your Mojo Women's Weekend' 'A' recently atteneded, to hear Deborah's philosophy and experience with mentoring women all over the world with finding their mojo. Check out Deborah's Work at www.deborah-kagan.com and follow her on IG @deborahkagan

Women love the alpha male and the 'bad boy', but if you're a conscientious dude, how do you manage to give women what they crave sexually while abstaining from acting like a total douche?  Where's the balance? And what does being a 'bad boy' even mean? T&A are here to set the record straight and share their own experiences.  Plus, men's body hair- so rarely talked about and so much to say!  If you're even wondering what the hell we're talking about - you need to listen as T&A share what works and what doesn't with men's fuzzy nether-regions.

T&A talk with Obi, former men's relationship coach, & creator of Dude Panel, about the Harvey Weinstein scandal that is helping to redefine gender dynamics in America.  What does this show us about our culture, and the ways men and women communicate? How do we shift away from this behavior, and give our youth practical tools to have healthy relationships? Micro-aggressions or low level sexual harrasment is pervasive.  How can men best pursue a woman while creating space for women to use their voices, and still exist in the workplace? It's a thorny topic that T, A, and Obi energetically dive into, with a lot of gems on how to effectively communicate with the opposite sex! 

Usher's getting sued for not disclosing he had herpes before sex and passing the STI along.... so much to unwrap with this one! No pun intended haha.  Plus the girls respond to a concerned dad who can't help his involuntary erections when his hot teen daughter wants to cuddle.  For a dad who wants to model a healthy male relationship with his daughter, he can't just push her away- what to do?  Plus, this is the first full episode of the podcast that's going up on video available to all on our youtube channel.  Link below.  Apologies in advance for the sub-par audio as we learned our mics died out only too late.  Head to youtube to watch, and head to Patreon to become a supporter of the show!  Even $1/month helps keep the lights on. https://youtu.be/k2sNpQNx6n8 www.patreon.com/tatalksex