Mainstream culture’s deep-seated aversion to sex is nothing new. By sex, I do mean sex, and sexual acts and the nooks and crannies of kink, not mere glistening skin and not plotlines fueled by stale jealous imaginings à la “Mr. Brightside.” But there is hope for the future in the little things: the peach of Call Me By Your Name, the apple of Poor Things, the bathtub drain of Saltburn. Challengers is walking so that someday three or more hotties can run.
On that note, this week our hero Uma just wants to hook up with someone she met online. Unfortunately, her quest for sex morphs into a full-on odyssey, and many smoky obstacles and fiery guardians stand between Uma and satisfaction. Will she ever close the deal with her Penelope, BookTok Man? You’ll have to listen to find out.
This week our guest is Jenée Desmond-Harris! Jenée is Slate’s Dear Prudence advice columnist. She answers letters about relationships, work, family, and life in general in a weekly column and accompanying podcast. She was previously an editor at New York Times Opinion, a reporter covering race and politics for Vox.com, and a Stanford JSK fellow exploring how journalists can overcome bias.
Jenée brought Kelsey some gossip about a microcelebrity who turned out to be a truly terrible houseguest, and then Kelsey regaled Jenée with the story of the girl in the see-through pants.
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