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- Why Tony Nominees Eden Espinosa and Amber Iman Love That You’re Feeling Some Kind of Way About ‘Lempicka’The new musical “Lempicka” has inspired a love-it-or-hate-it response from critics and audiences alike — and its two newly-minted Tony-nominated actors, Eden Espinosa and Amber Iman, love that everyone seems to have strong feelings at all — positive or negative. Listen to this week’s “Stagecraft” podcast below: “It’s been a while since a show has taken the […]
- 11 Podcasts About Sex to Help You Explore Your Sexuality & Get IntimateMaybe you want to learn more about sex. Maybe you’re nervous talking about sex, so you want to listen to other people talk about sex. Maybe you’re looking for sex tips, relatable stories, or just something entertaining and spicy to listen to in your downtime. Whatever the reason, tuning into a podcast about sex is a great starting point when it comes to igniting your own personal sex life. As we know by now, podcasts are an excellent – and intimate – medium when it comes to education, so why not
11 Podcasts About Sex to Help You Explore Your Sexuality & Get Intimate
Maybe you want to learn more about sex. Maybe you’re nervous talking about sex, so you want to listen to other people talk about sex. Maybe you’re looking for sex tips, relatable stories, or just something entertaining and spicy to listen to in your downtime. Whatever the reason, tuning into a podcast about sex is a great starting point when it comes to igniting your own personal sex life. As we know by now, podcasts are an excellent – and intimate – medium when it comes to education, so why not educate yourself on becoming more intimate with yourself and/or your partner(s) by listening to a podcast about sex?
And if you’re worried about things getting awkward, never fear. Most of these sex podcasts are like listening to some wise, knowledgable, and relatable friends, so it’ll be hard to feel anything but amused and maybe slightly aroused by their discussions. The podcasts below include all sorts of engaging conversations with sexperts, psychologists, couples, and more, about everything from foreplay and intercourse to self-pleasure, fetishes, kinks, and common bedroom struggles. No matter what tickles your fancy, you’ll be sure to walk away with some toe-curling insight and tips for your next sex session. Don’t say we didn’t warn you!
(PS: If you’re looking for podcasts about relationships or erotic podcasts designed to titillate, we’ve got you covered.)
- Joey King on Fighting Antisemitism at 12 Years Old and Having Trauma Counselors on the Set of Holocaust Series ‘We Were the Lucky Ones’Joey King has nothing against method acting – it’s just not for her. Especially for projects like her latest, the Holocaust series “We Were the Lucky Ones.” Based on Georgia Hunter’s best-selling novel of her family’s fight to survive the Holocaust, Logan Lerman stars as Hunter’s grandfather Addy alongside King as his younger sister Halina. […]
Joey King on Fighting Antisemitism at 12 Years Old and Having Trauma Counselors on the Set of Holocaust Series ‘We Were the Lucky Ones’
- Google’s GenAI Bots Are Struggling. But So Are Its HumansThis week on Gadget Lab, we talk about the rocky rollout of Google’s Gemini image generator, and some internal tensions recently reported by company employees.
Google’s GenAI Bots Are Struggling. But So Are Its Humans
- How ‘The Notebook’ Broadway Musical Highlights the Universality of the Story’s Enduring RomanceEven if you don’t know “The Notebook,” you know there’s a romantic couple at the heart of the story. But in the new Broadway musical adaptation of “The Notebook,” there’s not just one couple — there’s three: Three actors playing each of the two characters at different times of their lives. Listen to this week’s “Stagecraft” podcast […]
How ‘The Notebook’ Broadway Musical Highlights the Universality of the Story’s Enduring Romance
- How Nvidia Came to Rule AIThis week we chart the rise of Nvidia, the company whose chips, servers, and data centers have fueled the growth of artificial intelligence.
How Nvidia Came to Rule AI
- Here Comes the Flood of AI-Generated ClickbaitThis week, we look at how domain squatters are using generative AI tools to crank out clickbait, and ask what Google is doing about it.
Here Comes the Flood of AI-Generated Clickbait
- AI Hits the Campaign TrailThis week, we discuss how generative artificial intelligence will affect the 2024 US elections. We also consider the ways regulators, social platforms, and the voting public are dealing with it.
AI Hits the Campaign Trail
- TikTok Comedian Jake Shane Announces ‘Therapuss’ Podcast (EXCLUSIVE)TikTok star Jake Shane is finally leaning into longer form content. The social media comedian — who rose to fame with his viral skits and now boasts more than 5 million followers across platforms — has announced a brand new podcast launching Jan 4. “Therapuss with Jake Shane,” announced Monday morning, will loosely follow the […]
TikTok Comedian Jake Shane Announces ‘Therapuss’ Podcast (EXCLUSIVE)
- Smart Podcast, Trashy Books: Best of 2023We’re recapping all kinds of stuff this week, and today: our top five podcast episodes from 2023! Looking at the year overall, these are the top five most listened to Smart Podcast, Trashy Books episodes of the year – and thank you to everyone who listened, recommended, shared, and posted about the show. Special thanks to all our Patreon community members, who helped shape this season and keep the show going each week! Honorable Mention Sarah: This episode from 2022 found a new audience when J
Smart Podcast, Trashy Books: Best of 2023
We’re recapping all kinds of stuff this week, and today: our top five podcast episodes from 2023!
Looking at the year overall, these are the top five most listened to Smart Podcast, Trashy Books episodes of the year – and thank you to everyone who listened, recommended, shared, and posted about the show. Special thanks to all our Patreon community members, who helped shape this season and keep the show going each week!
Honorable Mention
Sarah: This episode from 2022 found a new audience when Julie Garwood passed away: 520. Telling Stories with Julie Garwood
Top Five
5. 576. BookTok, Hockey Romance, and People as Products with Kayleigh Donaldson (August 18)
Pop culture critic and former book blogger Kayleigh Donaldson joins me to talk about BookTok, hockey romance, and the Seattle Kraken. We’re locating this conversation in a larger discussion about fandom, fanfiction about real people, and the ways celebrity culture, fan culture, and romance intersect.
4. 558. The Myths of BookTok, with Chels Ebooks (April 14)
Chels, who is on TikTok as Chels_Ebooks, has been doing a series debunking the myths of BookTok, and let me tell you, when people say everything old is new again? Myths about the sales power of readers on social media are recycled with every new platform.
We’re going to debunk some myths about romance and TikTok, and cover what Chels really loves about TikTok, too.
And we have some very special discussions of classic romances and even more classic cover art.
3. 566. The Blessings of Comfort Reads with KJ Charles (June 9)
Recently KJ Charles tweeted about how absolutely devouring the Blessings series by Beverly Jenkins helped “save her sanity during the 2020 lockdown.”
So I asked if she’d talk to me about it – and to my surprise this is a popular topic at the moment! She recently did a panel about comfort reading, and I’m really excited to take a look at what makes a comfort read, well, comfy. Plus, we learn what a HFY ending is.
And brace yourself, we have a LOT of recs.
2. 575. Dragon Called: Part II of a Heaving Bosoms Crossover (August 11)
Time for another Heaving Bosoms Crossover!
The first part of this recap of Dragon Called is up this week at Heaving Bosoms, and here for your listening pleasure is part II. I do a quick recap at the start, so no worries.
This book, and episode, are both very NSFW though – heads up for that.
And, the number one, most popular episode of 2023?
1. 549. Spare by Prince Harry, with Melissa Blue (February 10)
Melissa Blue tweeted that she wanted to talk about Spare.
So did I! So, we did!
We talk about the book itself, but we also look at the book from our perspective as romance readers and writers, and also as a larger narrative about dismantling propaganda. As Melissa points out, narratives constructed around Meghan and Harry echo narratives we’ve seen about other people, especially women, in public life who are subjected to propaganda to undermine them.
I talk a lot about how dismissing romance ignores a lot of what romance says and does, and what it represents about people, about sexuality, and about relationships. I think the same is true about celebrity narratives: the public narrative, or the approved narrative, is also very distant from the messy, complicated reality, and this particular set of stories gives us a lot to think about and discuss.
What do you think of the top five? What episodes were your favorites this year? Let us know what you’d like to see next year!
- Sandra Hüller on Breaking a No-Holocaust-Movie Rule for ‘Zone of Interest,’ and Whether Her ‘Anatomy of a Fall’ Character Is GuiltySandra Hüller finds herself at the center of two of the most talked-about movies of the year: The German actor gets to show her range (and her facility with languages) in both Jonathan Glazer’s drama “The Zone of Interest” and Justine Triet’s legal thriller “Anatomy of a Fall.” Both premiered at the Cannes Film Festival […]
Sandra Hüller on Breaking a No-Holocaust-Movie Rule for ‘Zone of Interest,’ and Whether Her ‘Anatomy of a Fall’ Character Is Guilty
- Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor on Playing ‘Literary Indiana Jones’ in ‘Origin’ and Why She Changed Her Professional NameAunjanue Ellis-Taylor has made some changes in her life. We’ve all grown to know her as the two-time Emmy nominated actress from “When They See Us” and “Lovecraft Country” and her Oscar-nominated performance in “King Richard,” all of which came under her initial professional name: Aunjanue Ellis. When the first promotional materials were released for […]
Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor on Playing ‘Literary Indiana Jones’ in ‘Origin’ and Why She Changed Her Professional Name
- ‘The Gilded Age’ Star Morgan Spector on Wanting a Musical Episode, Keeping His Iconic Beard ‘Immaculate’ and ‘Bad’ AuditionsWith so many Broadway icons — including Christine Baranski, Kelli O’Hara, Michael Cerveris and Nathan Lane, to name a few — starring in HBO’s “The Gilded Age,” Morgan Spector thinks a musical episode of the series is overdue. “You know what we should do? There’s the British tradition of the Christmas special,” Spector tells me […]
‘The Gilded Age’ Star Morgan Spector on Wanting a Musical Episode, Keeping His Iconic Beard ‘Immaculate’ and ‘Bad’ Auditions
- Jack Black on Writing ‘Peaches’ Song and Waiting for ‘Super Mario’ Sequel Greenlight: ‘It’s Been Radio Silence’Jack Black is patiently waiting for Universal Pictures and Illumination to greenlight a sequel to the animated box office smash “The Super Mario Bros. Movie.” “It has been radio silence,” Black tells Variety. “The only chatter has been coming from me, and I don’t even know if I’m allowed to chatter. I’ve been chomping at […]
Jack Black on Writing ‘Peaches’ Song and Waiting for ‘Super Mario’ Sequel Greenlight: ‘It’s Been Radio Silence’
- Emily Blunt Talks Sneaking Into ‘Oppenheimer’ Screening With Husband John Krasinski and Seeing ‘Barbie’ Four TimesOne of Hollywood’s beloved couples comprises “Oppenheimer” star Emily Blunt and John Krasinski, known for his breakthrough role on the hit NBC comedy series “The Office.” Interestingly, fans of the classic mockumentary often want to see Krasinski alongside his former on-screen partner (Jenna Fischer’s Pam Beesly) rather than Blunt on the red carpet. “Whenever I […]
Emily Blunt Talks Sneaking Into ‘Oppenheimer’ Screening With Husband John Krasinski and Seeing ‘Barbie’ Four Times
- Why Broadway’s ‘Spamalot’ Cast Can’t Keep a Straight FaceWhile the cast of the new Broadway production of “Spamalot” is cracking up audiences, they’re all trying their best not to crack up as well. Listen to this week’s “Stagecraft” podcast below: On the new episode of “Stagecraft,” Variety’s theater podcast, actors James Monroe Iglehart, Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer and Michael Urie gave listeners a glimpse of the […]
Why Broadway’s ‘Spamalot’ Cast Can’t Keep a Straight Face
- Natalie Portman Talks Her ‘May December’ ‘Dream Role’ and Warning Child Actors About Working in Hollywood: ‘It Was ‘Luck That I Was Not Harmed’Natalie Portman calls Todd Haynes’ new film, “May December,” a “dream role.” “May December” stars Portman as actress Elizabeth Berry (Portman), who is set to portray Gracie Atherton-Yoo (Julianne Moore) in a movie. Gracie is a Georgia woman who became a notorious tabloid figure when she engaged in a sexual relationship with a 12-year-old boy, […]
Natalie Portman Talks Her ‘May December’ ‘Dream Role’ and Warning Child Actors About Working in Hollywood: ‘It Was ‘Luck That I Was Not Harmed’
- Links: Golden Retrievers, Star Wars, & MoreWelcome back to Wednesday Links, where we are in full grump mode! You know that anticipation right before a holiday break, but then everything just seems to be going haywire. That’s where I’m at! Anyone in the same boat? In major news, Toast let me pet his belly! Linus doesn’t even let me do that. Toast still isn’t sure what petting actually is, but he’s trying and sometimes, he’s just not into it and that’s okay. Regardless, he’s come a very long way from his adoption back in May where he would
Links: Golden Retrievers, Star Wars, & More
Welcome back to Wednesday Links, where we are in full grump mode!
You know that anticipation right before a holiday break, but then everything just seems to be going haywire. That’s where I’m at! Anyone in the same boat?
In major news, Toast let me pet his belly! Linus doesn’t even let me do that. Toast still isn’t sure what petting actually is, but he’s trying and sometimes, he’s just not into it and that’s okay. Regardless, he’s come a very long way from his adoption back in May where he would just spend most of his time in his cat carrier. I remember we installed a cat cam, just to make sure he was coming out to eat and drink.
In the States, we’re getting ready for Thanksgiving. My personal favorite dish is mashed potatoes, especially ones on the chunkier side. What are your favorite foods for this holiday?
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If you’re in the New England area or are looking for something to do in Vermont, the Golden Retriever Experience seems well worth it. For $75, you get to play with 10 golden retrievers for an hour.
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More New England things! I just discovered the podcast Explain Boston to Me where people discuss historical moments or quirky, cultural rituals from the area. I feel like there are plenty of towns and cities across the U.S. that could have a similar podcast. Feel free to share your town’s weird local history or traditions!
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More romance bookstore news! Grand Gesture Books is coming to Portland, Oregon in the new year! Congrats!
https://twitter.com/blktinabelcher/status/1727054019745763596
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As someone who loves Star Wars, I thought this article on Tor about the Gothic ancestry of The Empire Strikes Back was really interesting!
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Don’t forget to share what cool or interesting things you’ve seen, read, or listened to this week! And if you have anything you think we’d like to post on a future Wednesday Links, send it my way!
- Da’Vine Joy Randolph on Alexander Payne Teaching Her to Smoke Cigarettes for ‘The Holdovers’: ‘We Redid Takes Because He Said It Doesn’t Look Right’It could have been easy for Da’Vine Joy Randolph’s role in “The Holdovers” to be yet another stereotypical trope for Black women that Hollywood has lazily thrown out throughout history. If that had been the case, the actress tells Variety that would have passed. “When I meet with these studio execs and they ask ‘What […]