Just when I thought things were finally returning to normal, they.. have not. This month threw me for a loop with my main client taking some time off and some unexpected chest pains. My kitty also has lost more weight than I anticipated since his health issues, and our most recent vet visit was frustrating. The good news? The pain is just a muscle strain… probably from masturbating. I’ve been able to pick up enough work to cover me, too; although, the different payment schedules has thrown me for a loop. And my cat is eating quite well and I think gaining some weight, slowly but surely.
While I am looking forward to April, I enjoyed some quality media in March. The prevailing theme seems to be sex work. I am still reading Revolting Prostitutes, which I hope to finish up soon, and I’ve stumbled across a few more pieces that I found interesting.
Listen
A recent episode of The Science of Sex introduced listeners to Christina Parreira, a graduate student who worked at a brothel to gain information about sex work in America. Looking at the business elements, the characteristics of sex workers, and how safety play into sex work in brothels is super interesting.
Tristan interviews Lora Haddock and Sarah Brown, the women behind Lora Dicarlo, the company that was the CES 2019 Innovation Awards Honoree in the Robotics category only to have the award revoked and be banned from the show in a recent episode of Sex Out Loud Radio. You’ve probably heard about this, and the interview allows the creators to discuss why, yes, their upcoming product actually is a robot and different from traditional vibrators, and why CES was in the wrong but got away with it because the victims were women (and female sexuality).
Sex Out Loud Radio, American Sex, and a few other podcasts are now part of the Pleasure Podcasts collective. I decided to check it out, and it introduced me to Sluts & Scholars podcast. I’ve only listened to a few episodes, but I’ll probably tune in for more. The episode featuring Shira Myrow focuses on emotional intelligence, attachment, and mindfulness while I also enjoyed their discussion with suprihmbé about sex work, people of color, and more. It’s always a good thing to check my white privilege.
Watch
Dr. Doe spent some time in a brothel for a recent episode of Sexplanations. She didn’t spend nearly as much time with the sex workers as Parreira did, so it’s not quite in depth, but it adds a visual to the information that can be helpful.
Journalist Sarah Barmak discusses female sexuality in this Ted Talk. It’s not quite as science-based as some talks, but her points about the orgasm gap, ignorance about anatomy, arousal models, and other often ignored or unknown factors of female sexuality. There’s not much that I considered new or contentious, but the comments show that this information is still controversial and outside the mainstream for many people. I love that she acknowledges asexuals in a way, too.
I’ll hopefully have a few reading recommendations next month after I finish my current book. I honestly need to catch up on what’s been published over the last 6 or so months, so I’ll take any recommendations in the comments! Of course, let me know about any media related to sexuality that’s worth a gander. Thanks!
