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Dire Straights

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Rating
★★★★★
4.7
from
29 reviews
This podcast has
36 episodes
Language
English
Date created
2025/06/09
Latest episode
2026/10/21
Average duration
42 min.
Release period
18 days

Description

A feminist podcast critiquing heterosexual love, sex, politics, and culture. www.direstraightspod.com

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Check latest episodes from Dire Straights podcast


Are monsters better than monstrous men?
2026/10/21
It’s almost Halloween, which means it’s time to talk about monster dick. Put more eloquently: We’re looking at the phenomenon of straight women desiring literal monsters instead of human men who are, often enough, pretty monstrous. We’ll be covering everything from tentacled dildos to Big Foot erotica. We also have to talk about Wicker, the buzzy upcoming film starring Olivia Colman and Alexander Skarsgård (a.k.a. the “sexy basket man movie”), because this isn’t just a monster phenomenon, and it isn’t exactly new. Women have long found excitement and comfort in the fantasy of men who are… not really men. In this episode, we discuss: * The particulars of classic monster dick (just how fully reanimated is a zombie?) * Orcs and lizardmen and minotaurs, oh my * Sasquatch erotica (and why Big Foot is a “surprisingly gentle” lover) * The connection between fear and arousal * Are monsters better than monstrous men? * The “sexy basket man movie” and the pleasures of non-human but deeply humane “men” * Plus: Tracy makes Amanda look at some monster dildos Get more from us at direstraightspod.com. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.direstraightspod.com/subscribe
Talking with boys about consent is not enough
2026/10/07
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.direstraightspod.com One of the popular sentiments that has been going around in response to the Cornell 7 case is, essentially: “Stop teaching girls how to protect themselves. Teach boys not to rape.” Now, in this episode, we want to take a serious look at this suggestion—because we agree. The onus is put on girls to “stay safe out there.” Not nearly enough is done to teach boys to be safe to be around. So, how can you talk with boys about consent, sexual assault, and rape? How can you raise a boy who will not sit by quietly in the group chat—saying nothing, doing nothing—as his friends text each other about “free p***y”? And where, exactly, are the straight dads in this conversation—and have they reckoned with the link between rape culture and the everyday inequities of hetero marriage? In this episode we talk about: * What it means to put feminist thinking into action at home as so-called “boy moms” * A recent interaction that led one of our kids to announce: “This makes me not want to tell you anything” * The pressure put on mothers to fix patriarchy * Teaching boys that it’s better to be an outsider than to find belonging in cruelty * Whether fraternities should exist at all??? * Why fathers need to be having these conversations with their sons, not just moms * How the bar for dads is underground * “Healthy masculinity” versus healthy humanity * How the prosaic discontents that we see in hetero relationships—and which we talk about all the time on this podcast—are all part of the indoctrination of boys into rape culture. This episode is an exclusive for paid subscribers, who make this podcast possible. Upgrade now at direstraightspod.com to listen to the full episode and you’ll also get access to all past paywalled episodes, including conversations on dating apps, couples therapy, the feminist blame game, the antifeminist conspiracy to make women need men, our wildly popular episode on marital sexual labor, and many more—as well as every episode to come this season. By upgrading today, you’ll be keeping independent feminist media alive in a time of feminist backlash and total media collapse.
Cornell reminds us that the root of women’s heteropessimism is fear
2026/10/04
Today we're talking about the emerging feminist response to the Cornell rape case online, from urging moms to do better at raising boys to banning frats to getting glocks. Women are exhausted, angry, and heartbroken by this latest example of men’s institutionalized violence against women—not to mention the total lack of accountability the case highlights. In this episode, we get into what happens to our bodies during these cycles of outrage, what this case brings up for us as elder millennials who have seen cases like this before, what this moment tells us about heterosexuality feminism, and how pop culture is fueling another Me Too movement. We also highlight the misinformation that has been circulating in the media about the Cornell case, and talk about what these inaccuracies reveal about the persistence of rape culture today—years after we apparently cancelled that very term. This episode is free because we really want you to share this space with us to rage, cry, and make sense of the current moment. But this work is really painful, tiring, and hard. Please support us by upgrading to paid subscription. We need your support in this era of feminist backlash. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.direstraightspod.com/subscribe
AI can't fix straight men
2026/09/23
What is AI doing to straight people? Capitalism has found yet another way to profit off patriarchal dissatisfaction. Tech companies have been working overtime to sell us new uses for AI, the tech no one asked for, and now they’re coming for hetero relationships, claiming AI has the answer to domestic inequality, men’s weaponized incompetence, a fraught dating scene, and more. In this episode, we talk about the viral AI boyfriend assistant commercial, how LLMs are attempting to absorb, exploit, and silence female complaint, and why talking to your friends about red flags will always better than asking a stupid machine for advice. We also discuss: * Why conflict in relationships is good, actually * Whether an AI assistant is your mom, bestie, or the third in the throuple * How ChatGPT can manifest as two bad therapists that drive couples apart * The digital assault on feminine intuition * Why capitalism loves an inequality that can be exploited for profit This episode is free, but paid subscribers are the only reason this podcast exists. Seriously. Upgrade now to support us and you’ll also get access to all past paywalled episodes, including conversations on dating apps, couples therapy, the feminist blame game, the antifeminist conspiracy to make women need men, our wildly popular episode on marital sexual labor, and many more—as well as every episode to come this season. By upgrading today, you’ll also be keeping independent feminist media alive in a time of feminist backlash and total media collapse. Kind of a big deal. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.direstraightspod.com/subscribe
Feminist dating strategies
2026/08/26
Welcome to part two of our look at the dire state of dating apps. In the last episode, Amanda reported back on her own experiences this summer exploring online dating for the first time since her divorce. Now, we’re considering common red flags—from gym selfies to men who advertise their height to dudes looking for “women who take care of themselves.” We also debate popular strategies for navigating the apps as a woman, whether you’re interested solely in sex or you’re seeking a long-term relationship. Just a few topics we touch on: * Tracy’s existential crisis over dick pics * “Apolitical” and “moderate” men * Men who hide behind “love languages” * The widening gender divide * The “Burned Haystack” method * Female Dating Strategy * Whisper networks * Quitting the apps * Decentering men * Ways to meet people IRL This episode is free, but our paid subscribers make this podcast possible. Upgrade now at direstraightspod.com so you can get all of our episodes without any paywalls. You’ll also help support independent feminist media in a time of… total media collapse. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.direstraightspod.com/subscribe
Getting on the apps as a woman in midlife
2026/08/12
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.direstraightspod.com Welcome to part one of our look at the dire state of dating apps. In this very special episode, Amanda reports back on her own experiences this summer exploring online dating for the first time since she became single—and ever in her life. We get into what it’s actually like to be a woman on the apps in this cultural climate, what it’s like to date after 40, and how politics, gender, and technology complicate modern dating. This episode is an exclusive for paid subscribers, who make this podcast possible. Upgrade now at direstraightspod.com to listen to the full episode and you’ll also get access to all past paywalled episodes, including conversations on couples therapy, the feminist blame game, the antifeminist conspiracy to make women need men, our wildly popular episode on marital sexual labor, and many more—as well as every episode to come this season. By upgrading today, you’ll be keeping independent feminist media alive in a time of feminist backlash and total media collapse. Want to support us more significantly or talk to us about featuring your feminist podcast, product, or service? Email us at [email protected]. In this episode we discuss: * The different vibes on various dating apps and the awful similarities * What straight men’s bios tell us about what to expect from them in relationships * The emotional toll of online dating * Sexual openness vs. misogyny in hookup culture: a memoir * “Not political” and “moderate” dudes * More rants about women’s “heteropessimism” * What does leaning into love (or just looking for a lover) look like today for straight women? * The risks women face while dating that men… do not * Dating in your 40s after divorce vs. dating in your 20s * Dating as a feminist
Are feminists "anti-family"?
2026/05/27
Today we’re digging into an age-old question along the lines of has feminism ruined the workplace? and has feminism pushed men into the manosphere? and did feminism get Trump elected? We gathered a roundtable of people who are pro-marriage and anti-divorce who don’t believe women should have any rights. We’re calling this conversation, Did feminism ruin the family? JK. More seriously, this episode asks whether feminists and progressives today are “anti-family.” We talk about the trap of that framing, and why being against the nuclear family is good, actually. We look at the origins of the nuclear family, and talk about how people today are panicking about the state of the family, while failing to propose any meaningful solutions for those who are most harmed by the nuclear unit—that is, women and children. Looking at the political potential baked into more expansive notions of kinship, we also discuss alternative ways of viewing community, love, and connection, suggesting that, given all we know today about the dangers of the nuclear family, feminists who really care about care ought to think bigger. This episode is totally free because we really want you to have it. If you find this episode helps you rethink family or feminism, please rate us on your podcast apps, share the episode with everyone you know and on your socials, and better yet, upgrade your subscription to support the next season of Dire Straights. We have been delivering timely, deeply researched, hour(s)-long episodes to your inbox twice a month for a whole year. Can you believe it? We produce, edit, and write this show all by ourselves. It’s been so fun, and enlightening, and we’ve been totally blown away by the support and buzz. We will be developing our next season this summer, and have some really exciting ideas in store. We won’t be releasing new episodes for a few weeks while we get season 2 ready, but just know that behind the scenes we are working hard to cook up some really good stuff for you. We’ll be back in August with some brand-new episodes. In the meantime, let us know what you most want to see us cover in season 2 either in the comments or by emailing [email protected]. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.direstraightspod.com/subscribe
The sexual awakening that ends a marriage
2026/05/13
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.direstraightspod.com Thanks to everyone who tuned into our Substack Live. This week, Tracy was joined by a special guest: Myisha Battle, a feminist sex and dating coach, and author of the newly released book Sexual Pleasure for Dummies. It’s an inclusive, empathetic, and nuanced look at the role pleasure plays in our lives—and all the things that get in the way of it. You might remember Myisha from the Dire Straights IRL event that we did last year around the biggest complaints in hetero life right now. This time, we’re focusing on pleasure. Just a few topics we touched on: --stress and caregiving getting in the way of pleasure --why chore wheels show up in her coaching practice --men who prefer that their partners fake orgasms --avoiding the trap of pleasure becoming yet another form of work that women disproportionately do in hetero relationships --how porn has changed over the past decade, including the new intimate horizons of OnlyFans --what people are really looking for when they talk about “spontaneous” sex --the lie of being “vanilla” --kinky tradwives, milkmaid fantasies, and MAHA husbands drinking breastmilk --men refusing to wear condoms --people still not knowing about the clitoris! --women’s sexual awakenings blowing up marriages --using ChatGPT to decode a partner’s intentions, instead of just… asking them This recording is a special extra for paid subscribers, who make this podcast possible. Free subscribers will find a preview above, but you’ll have to upgrade to watch the whole thing. We’re also officially offering these Lives on all podcasting platforms if you prefer just the audio.
They sent my mom away to become a good wife
2026/04/29
Tracy’s newest book, My Mother’s Daughter: Finding Myself in My Family’s Fractured Past, is out May 5th! It’s a memoir about how a DNA test connected Tracy with her sister Kathy, who her mom placed for adoption at a home for unwed mothers in the sixties. She set out to understand their mom’s past and stumbled on a bigger story about shame, family secrets, race, and the control of women’s bodies. In this episode, we have a behind-the-scenes chat about her memoir, including the story of how Tracy decided to take that DNA test. We also get into the book’s critique of heterosexuality, the disturbing history of homes for unwed mothers, patriarchal trauma, the importance of untangling all that we inherit from our mothers, “spiritually flailing” in the writing process, and how Tracy’s feeling publishing such an honest feminist book in an era of backlash and hyper-masculine authoritarianism. My Mother’s Daughter, BTW, has received starred reviews from both Booklist and Kirkus, which called it, “deeply researched and lyrically written,” “trenchant and moving,” and “a powerful rejection of white-male dominated systems of oppression.” The book has been described as “tender, revelatory, and deeply moving,” by one Amanda Montei. It’s also gotten glowing blurbs from Rebecca Traister, Irin Carmon, Peggy Orenstein, Koa Beck, Chelsea Bieker, Soraya Chemaly, Savala Nolan, and lyz Lenz. My Mother’s Daughter is officially out Tuesday May 5, but preorders mean everything to a book’s success. So please go grab a copy now! While you’re at it, get one for your mom, your sister, maybe even a man in your life, because men should also read brilliant feminist memoirs written by women. And make sure to join Tracy at one of her upcoming IRL events: May 5: Launch day at Mrs. Dalloway’s in Berkeley, California with Alexis Madrigal. Reserve a spot here. May 7: Books Are Magic in Brooklyn, New York with Irin Carmon. Register here. May 14: Green Apple Books in San Francisco, California with Savala Nolan. Register here. May 15: Skylight Books in Los Angeles, California with Koa Beck. Register here. Please rate us on your podcast apps and to share the episode with everyone you know, and on your socials. Especially this one. Help us make Tracy’s book a smash. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.direstraightspod.com/subscribe
Why is feminism being blamed for everything?
2026/04/15
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.direstraightspod.com It’s not just the manosphere, MAGA, TERFs, or reactionary feminists who are hating on “2010s feminism” right now. Increasingly, liberals and centrists are getting in on the action. This growing feminist backlash claims that feminism has gone too far. That women have been made unhappy by progressive propaganda. That they’re being strong-armed into polyamory, casual sex, education, careerism, single-motherhood, and childlessness. Meanwhile, as we discussed in a past episode, the Heritage Foundation is trying to use laws and public policy to strong-arm women into marriage, motherhood, and dependence on men. But never mind all that! The real threat, some say, is that feminists wrote some snarky blog posts in the 2010s. Don’t worry, this episode does not rehash the Adult Braces discourse, but we do discuss how the Lindy West pile-on is part of a broader feminist backlash that has been brewing for many years—one that folks across the political spectrum are branding as a reasonable and empowering middle-ground for women. The discourse is truly a mess out there, folks, but in this episode, we help you see the feminist forest for the trees. And while we’ve previously avoided confronting some of the more troubling arguments we’ve seen among liberal feminists—including, notably, on Substack—well, we’re over that. Behind the paywall, you’ll get our most candid thoughts on everything people are saying about feminism today. This is a paid episode. Free subscribers get a generous preview, but if you want the full, uncensored conversation, you will have to upgrade to knock down the paywall. Paid subscribers make this podcast possible. If you care about the state of feminism, invest in our feminist podcast.
Jeffrey Epstein, Les Wexner, and the 90s mall
2026/04/01
Remember the 90s? The Spice Girls were singing about girl power, and Britney Spears was asking someone to hit her one more time. Amanda was shopping at the Limited Too at the Sherman Oaks Galleria, while Tracy was sporting her Bebe shirt at a Bay Area mall, and possibly almost getting sex trafficked. Behind the scenes, Les Wexner was cooking up the Victoria’s Secret Angels campaign, soon to be followed by the company's teen PINK-stamped butt line, while his buddy Jeffrey Epstein was allegedly posing as a VS scout to lure girls and women for abuse. We know we’re not the only millennial women unpacking the now wide open secret of what 90s culture did to us. Bringing together everything we know now about the s****y men of that era who taught us all to hyper-sexualize little girls and lingerie-clad angels, in this episode we look back on our 90s girlhoods at the mall and beyond. We discuss what we learned then about gender, sex, bodies, beauty, and relationships with men. And we talk through how we’re deconstructing the lasting effects of 90s mall culture today. This episode is totally free, because we really want you to have it. But if you find this episode helps you to un-gaslight and free yourself even a little, please rate us on your podcast apps, share the episode in your group chats and on your socials, and join our Substack community as a paid subscriber. Paid subscriptions are the only reason we are able to make this show. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.direstraightspod.com/subscribe
The anti-feminist conspiracy to make women need men
2026/03/18
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.direstraightspod.com The right-wing really wants women to need men. Maybe you’ve heard: Earlier this year, The Heritage Foundation—the same ghouls who brought us Project 2025—released what they’re calling a blueprint for America’s next 250 years. It’s titled “Saving America by Saving the Family.” Of course, this report isn’t about saving families. It’s 168 pages of policy recommendations that would strong-arm women into dependent relationships with men. We dug into this report so you don’t have to, and we are here to tell you this plan is all part of a broader attempt by conservatives to coerce women into hetero marriage and motherhood, then to trap them there by eliminating no-fault divorce and social services for single women. In this episode, we break the report down for you, and explore how it builds off the decades-long panic we’ve seen in the manosphere about women’s increasing freedom and independence and the broader right-wing fear of women’s ability to live—and thrive!—without a man. Beyond the paywall, we also discuss our personal feelings around this pro-marriage propaganda. Amanda gets real about what divorce taught her about economic dependence on men. And Tracy gets into why this Heritage Foundation report made her think about her mom, who was sent away to a home for unwed mothers in the sixties—a story she covers in detail in her forthcoming book, My Mother’s Daughter, which is now available for preorder! Speaking of independence, this is a paid episode. All subscribers can access a free preview, but if you want to hear the best and juiciest stuff, upgrade to a paid subscription. You’ll get everything that’s behind this paywall, and all other paywalled episodes, including those on porn, Epstein, marital sex, monogamy, divorce, and the dire state of dating today. You’ll also get access to guest conversations, subscriber chats, and more.
The definitive feminist history of the wine mom
2026/03/04
Whether you believe all wine moms are members of ANTIFA or that they’re just apolitical white ladies with too much rosé all day, it’s irrefutable that drunk and high mommies have a long, loaded cultural and political history. Centuries before mommy juice and Mom Water™, before the Bad Moms movies and the giant wine glass memes, moms were getting high to escape the crushing demands of marriage and motherhood. And we can’t really blame them? In this episode, we go deep on inebriated moms, digging into both progressive and conservative characterizations of moms who get drunk and high, and we consider the wine mom’s political potential today. What does the wine mom tell us about gender, power, and feminism? What does she tell us about individualism and collective belonging? And what has the absence of a social safety net taught these gritty moms about fighting authoritarianism? Love them or hate them, drunk and high moms are one of the most important cultural figures for understanding the feminine paradox of agency and refusal under patriarchy. The conservatives who have come for this beloved figure should be shaking in their fascist boots. So get cozy, grab your glass of wine—or your sparkling water if you are, like Amanda, a recovering wine mom. We are traveling through time to give you the definitive feminist history on the wine mom. This is a totally free episode. Isn’t that nice? That said, we are a 100% reader supported podcast. We do this show because we think it’s urgent and important. But we have bills to pay. If you want access to extra episodes every month, including bonus episodes on the latest culture and politics, AND if you want to know that you are keeping us afloat, upgrade to a paid subscription. Show highlights… 2:40 Amanda was born for this episode. 5:30 When we talk about wine moms, we have to talk about patriarchal trauma. But in this episode, we do it in a fun way? 6:00 No moms were moralized in this episode. 8:30 Wine moms are key to understanding women’s agency under patriarchy. 9:30 To understand the wine mom herself, we have to go all the way back to the beginning, to the wandering womb. 11:00 Maenads drank and danced in the forest, which we’re into—to a point. 14:00 Queen Victoria was high all the time on all the drugs, and it seems not unrelated that she had nine kids. 15:00 Laudanum for depressed women, women who see ghosts, basically all the women. 17:15 Then the Victorians (and Freud) just gave everyone cocaine. 19:15 Men coercing women into drugging themselves, in another era of reasonable heteropessimism. 26:20 Working women drank; housewives took pills. 34:20 The OG wine mom was remarkably chill about her husband’s absence. 40:11 Tracy talks about her pre-pandemic writing on the wine mom. 42:02 Amanda talks about her pandemic writing on the wine mom. 46:22 We revisit the SNL wine moms skit. 49:55 Wine moms as a symbol of shared suffering and resistance—and a way for women to feel recognition and belonging through complaint. 53:20 No one asked for Mom Water. 56:55 The intersection between wine moms and the girl boss. 59:11 After the childcare crisis of the pandemic, the center of the wine mom could not hold. 1:00:00 We respond to the conservative demonization of so-called gangs of wine moms, and talk about what makes moms—whether they drink or not—so gritty today. 1:06:00 The paradox of the wine mom is the paradox of women’s agency under patriarchy. Are you loving Dire Straights? Us too! Please share this episode in your group chat, on your socials, IRL, or on your next bad date. It goes a long way toward connecting us with listeners who need the work we’re doing—and in supporting this scrappy, independent feminist podcast. We want to hear from you! Send us your pleas for advice and your stories at [email protected], or leave us a voice memo here. Please also tell us all your thoughts on the wine mom in the comments! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.direstraightspod.com/subscribe
The Hetero State of the Union
2026/02/25
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.direstraightspod.com Thanks to everyone who tuned into our Substack Live. We started with a debrief of last night’s State of the Union. If you didn’t watch: Congrats. Let us recap for you. Just a few topics we touched on: * Trump as Daddy Protector of Patriarchy (also: a leering creep) * That bombshell NPR report on the DOJ withholding files re: allegations of Trump abusing a minor * Why the U.S. men’s hockey team (and the entire Trump admin) needs a training in bystander intervention * Kash Patel: frat-boy idiot * Trump and Melania’s s****y marriage as a perfect reflection of the misogyny and control behind “family values” * Everything the America’s Next Top Model documentary got wrong about consent and reporting on an alleged sexual assault * Kid Rock and RFK Jr. chugging milk, doing pushups in a sauna, and wearing jeans in a cold plunge tub * The anti-heterosexuality of the Olympics * Scott Galloway being disgusted by the birth of his own child * Love Is Blind fat-shaming and straight men’s “just being honest” rhetoric This recording is a special extra for paid subscribers, who make this podcast possible. Free subscribers will find a preview above, but you’ll have to upgrade to watch the whole thing. We’re also officially offering these Lives on all podcasting platforms if you prefer just the audio.
Is porn a scapegoat for patriarchy?
2026/02/18
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.direstraightspod.com The adult industry has turned into a popular scapegoat for nearly every problem in hetero life and culture right now. Pornography is blamed for everything from the “male loneliness epidemic” to women’s heteropessimism. Some of these arguments are coming from feminist-minded folks who are reckoning with the cultural influence of pornography. But there’s also a decidedly anti-feminist contingent that is focused on the idea of porn as a tool of men’s oppression. These attitudes are even circulating within the manosphere and among right-wing pundits. Figures like Andrew Tate, Jordan Peterson, Tucker Carlson, and Theo Von have all joined the anti-porn chorus. Meanwhile, conservatives are attempting to ban porn while bowing at the feet of a president who paid hush-money to porn performer Stormy Daniels. There are certainly valid critiques to be made of porn as an industry. In this episode, we separate the legitimate from the illegitimate, the feminist from the anti-feminist, and we highlight where critiques of porn are overly simplistic, shame-based, anti-sex work, or just doing patriarchy’s dirty work. We also get into our personal histories with porn—from how Amanda felt as a teen and in her twenties watching boys and men get sucked into tube sites, to Tracy’s experience as a teenager using porn as a guidebook to hot sex. Tracy also shares some behind-the scenes secrets from her years reporting on the industry as a journalist—including how they make fake cum shots. And you’ll hear our uncensored thoughts about recent anti-porn arguments made by fellow feminists. This is a paid episode. All subscribers can access a free preview, but if you want to hear the best and juiciest stuff, upgrade to a paid subscription. You’ll get everything that’s behind this paywall, and ever other paywalled episode, including those on Epstein, marital sex, monogamy, divorce, and the dire state of dating today. You’ll also get access to guest conversations, subscriber chats, and more. Show highlights… 02:58 Porn is a scapegoat for hetero problems right now… 03:43 … from jackhammering to low-effort men to women’s heteropessimism. 06:50 We will refrain from relitigating the feminist sex wars. For now. 08:11 Amanda reluctantly asks Tracy to explain “gooning.” 15:20 Tracy talks about reporting as a journalist on a porn set and having an eye-opening conversation with a performer that she had come of age watching. 17:33 We don’t just learn “sexual scripts” from porn. One of us learned as much about sex and gender roles from “The Real World: Seattle” as YouJ*zz.com. 23:32 The right-wing crackdown on porn—from age-verification laws to fantasies of an all-out ban. 33:49 Tucker Carlson has some big feelings about cuckold porn. 35:44 Andrew Tate says that porn—as opposed to, say, accused sex traffickers like himself—are ruining society. 37:07 Let’s not forget Jordan Peterson calling porn “deadening” and “parasitical.” 37:52 Amanda ties in Scott Galloway to all of this nonsense. 40:10 We dig into current anti-porn arguments among feminists. (And “feminists.”) 41:39 Tracy reminds us that the “pro-porn” feminists were often critical of porn! They had a lot of questions and no easy answers. 42:55 Amanda reminds us that Andrea Dworkin’s arguments are often oversimplified. 47:40 These debates usually boil down to a simplistic “good” or “bad.” We can probably thank the gender binary for that. 50:34 One day we’ll have to do an episode on Substack feminism. 52:25 Amanda talks about her “anti-porn” phase. 58:02 Tracy talks about her youth watching early internet porn and trying to figure out how to get good at sex. 01:01:14 She found great role models in porn, actually. 01:04:40 Tracy talks about the behind-the-scenes of porn sets—and you will never think of Cetaphil the same way again. 01:11:29 Let’s critique porn, sure, but let’s not lose sight of how anti-porn arguments are being used in conservative, right-wing, and reactionary feminist attacks that are transphobic, homophobic, racist, misogynistic, and whorephobic.

Podcast reviews

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4.7 out of 5
29 reviews
★★★★★
qqqqqqbbbbbbyyyyy 2026/06/12
Love this podcast!!
I really enjoy listening to these women talk about important issues in society today! I learn a lot about feminism and interesting trends going on in...
★★★★★
barefootbrownbear 2026/01/09
Invest in this podcast! Now!
The podcast episodes are funny, spot on, fulfilling and the cultural intellectual discourse many of us are missing. As soon as I finish one episode, I...
★★★★★
mousewhoroars 2025/08/24
Just so good
I heard Tracy on Burnt Toast and immediately looked up this podcast. I started listening to one of the free episodes and about ten minutes in signed u...
★★★★★
Aghdduchjdnbwjj 2025/06/14
A smart and approachable way into very tricky topics
TCF is mostly made her name as a writer but she commands the mic like a pro talking about subjects on which she has more than established credibility;...
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