Dire Straights

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

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 pussy”? 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.

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

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

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