Episode 344: The Surprising History of Kink, Porn, and Fetishes

For as long as humans have been having sex, they’ve been having kinky sex. So let’s talk about our kinky history and how it can help us to better understand sexuality today. In this episode, we’re going to explore the roots of a number of popular fetishes, including leather, nylon, and feet. We’re also going to talk about the history of porn, including the rise of animated porn in popular culture.

I am joined once again by Esmé Louise James, who is best known for her Kinky History podcast and social media series which has amassed nearly 3 million followers. She is author of the new book Kinky History: A Rollicking Journey Through Our Sexual Past, Present, and Future.

Some of the specific topics we discuss in this episode include:

• How did leather and nylon come to be associated with sex in the first place?
• When and why did foot fetishes start to become popular?
• When did humans start making porn?
• Historically, why was porn often used for political purposes?
• When did cartoon/animated porn begin to rise in popularity?

You can check out Esmé’s website to learn more about her work and follow her on the socials @esme.louisee.

Got a sex question? Send me a podcast voicemail to have it answered on a future episode at speakpipe.com/sexandpsychology.

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Credits: Precision Podcasting (Podcast editing) and Shutterstock/Florian (Music). Image created with Canva; photos used with permission of guest.