Where did "virginity" come from?
Sex Ed with DB: smart, science-backed sex education
Release Date: 02/21/2025
Can AI Boyfriends Fulfill Secret Fantasies?
Sex Ed with DB: smart, science-backed sex education
In Sleepless in Seattle, Annie falls for a man she’s never met, drawn in by the fantasy of who he might be. But what happens when that fantasy isn’t just in your head... and it's talking back to you? In this week's bonus episode, DB dives into the rise of AI relationships, the loneliness driving people to seek them out, and the ethical questions around forming attachments to something that isn’t human. Mentioned in this episode: CONNECT WITH US Instagram: TikTok: Twitter: Threads: YouTube: ROM-COM VOM SEASON 11 SPONSORS: , , , & . Get...
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"Sleepless in Seattle": More like "Stalking in Seattle" (Rom-Com Vom)
Sex Ed with DB: smart, science-backed sex education
In Sleepless in Seattle, a woman hears a stranger’s voice on the radio and decides she has to be with him. A few cross-country flights, some light stalking, and one dramatic Empire State Building finale later— a recipe for true love? Or just another rom-com ignoring boundaries in the name of "destiny?" This week, Talia Koren (Dating Intentionally) joins DB to unpack the film’s gender dynamics, its borderline obsessive premise, and why rom-coms always overlook the stable, reliable guy. GUEST DETAILS Talia Koren is the host of the Dating Intentionally podcast which is dedicated to...
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What even is emotional cheating?
Sex Ed with DB: smart, science-backed sex education
In The Wedding Planner, Steve and Mary never technically cross a physical line—but does that mean nothing shady is going on? If you’re emotionally invested in someone outside your relationship, is that cheating? This week, DB brings in feminist relationship theory from bell hooks, Esther Perel, and Adrienne Rich to unpack emotional infidelity—what it is, why it happens, and how relationship norms shape who gets away with it. Plus: why women are expected to tolerate emotional neglect, how to set boundaries without controlling your partner, and why emotional closeness doesn’t have...
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"The Wedding Planner": Girlbossing, Gaslighting, and Groom-Stealing" (Rom-Com Vom)
Sex Ed with DB: smart, science-backed sex education
J.Lo and Matthew McConaughey star in one of the most early 2000s rom-coms of all time, complete with a near-death meet-cute and a love triangle that ignores all workplace ethics. But is The Wedding Planner actually romantic...? Or just a lesson in emotional cheating? This week, comedian Liza Treyger joins DB to unpack the film’s messy gender politics, its weird obsession with wedding culture, and why Steve might be one of rom-com history’s most gaslight-y love interests. GUEST DETAILS Named one of Variety’s “Top Ten Comics to Watch,” and a comic who 'shines where sex and politics...
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Where did "virginity" come from?
Sex Ed with DB: smart, science-backed sex education
It’s a concept we all grew up with, and it’s certainly shaped the way Hollywood tells stories about sex, but have you ever stopped to ask where the idea of virginity even came from? In this bonus episode, DB breaks down the history of virginity as a social construct, how it’s been used to control women, and why the hymen was never a reliable “proof” of anything. What would sex look and feel like if it wasn’t about losing something? Let’s rethink the way we talk about first-time sex! Mentioned in this episode: CONNECT WITH US Instagram: TikTok: Twitter: ...
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"The 40 Year Old Virgin": The Bro Comedy That Hates Women
Sex Ed with DB: smart, science-backed sex education
The 40-Year-Old Virgin launched a comedy empire—but does it still hold up, or is it best left in the mid-2000s? From outdated jokes to cringeworthy gender politics, this Judd Apatow classic has a lot to answer for. This week, comedian and Bechdel Cast co-host Caitlin Durante joins DB to break down its virginity-obsessed premise, the way it treats female pleasure as a punchline, and why so many early 2000s comedies leaned on casual misogyny and homophobia for laughs. GUEST DETAILSCaitlin Durante is a comedian, writer, and co-host of , a podcast that examines movies through an...
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What is it like dating with a physical disability?
Sex Ed with DB: smart, science-backed sex education
Dating is a minefield for all of us, but it comes with additional challenges for disabled folks. In this bonus episode, DB discusses the biggest challenges and what people should know about dating with a disability, featuring answers from Steve Way and Danny Kurtzman. From navigating first dates to dealing with misconceptions, they share their perspectives on love, sex, and relationships—plus what needs to change in how the world sees disability and dating. Mentioned in this episode: CONNECT WITH US Instagram: TikTok: Twitter: Threads: YouTube: ROM-COM...
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"Good Bad Things": Authentic Disability Representation and Interabled Love (Rom-Com Vom)
Sex Ed with DB: smart, science-backed sex education
This week on Rom-Com Vom, we’re switching things up! Instead of cringing our way through a rom-com relic, we’re talking about a brand-new release that’s changing the game and pushing the genre forward. puts a disabled love story front and center—no pity, no clichés, just a rom-com that finally gets it right. Danny Kurtzman, the film’s star, co-writer, and producer, and Steve Way, executive producer, join DB to talk about breaking stereotypes, rewriting rom-com history, and what it really means to see yourself on screen. Plus: the deep friendship at the heart of this love story, the...
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Why isn't adoption the easy alternative to abortion?
Sex Ed with DB: smart, science-backed sex education
Juno frames adoption as the simple alternative to abortion—but is that really the case? In this bonus episode, Dr. Gretchen Sisson returns to answer more of our biggest questions about adoption, including why adoption isn’t the “solution” it’s often made out to be, how birth mothers experience relinquishment, and what her research for Relinquished uncovered about the realities of adoption in the U.S. Mentioned in this episode: CONNECT WITH US Instagram: TikTok: Twitter: Threads: YouTube: ROM-COM VOM SEASON 11 SPONSORS: , , , & . Get discounts on all of DB’s favorite...
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"Juno": Adoption Politics and Teen Pregnancy Tropes (Rom-Com Vom)
Sex Ed with DB: smart, science-backed sex education
Juno is arguably the most well-known depiction of adoption in pop culture... but what messages does it really send about relinquishment, teen pregnancy, and reproductive justice? Is adoption truly the “perfect alternative” to abortion as Juno would have us believe, or does this charmingly complicated 2007 film gloss over the realities of birth mothers and family separation? This week, we’re joined by Dr. Gretchen Sisson, sociologist and author of Relinquished: The Politics of Adoption and the Privilege of American Motherhood, to break down Juno’s thorny politics on choice,...
info_outlineIt’s a concept we all grew up with, and it’s certainly shaped the way Hollywood tells stories about sex, but have you ever stopped to ask where the idea of virginity even came from? In this bonus episode, DB breaks down the history of virginity as a social construct, how it’s been used to control women, and why the hymen was never a reliable “proof” of anything.
What would sex look and feel like if it wasn’t about losing something? Let’s rethink the way we talk about first-time sex!
Mentioned in this episode:
"The 40 Year Old Virgin": The Bro Comedy That Hates Women
Planned Parenthood on Virginity
CONNECT WITH US
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ROM-COM VOM SEASON 11 SPONSORS:
Lion's Den, Uberlube, Magic Wand, & Arya.
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ABOUT THE SHOW
Sex Ed with DB is your go-to podcast for smart, science-backed sex education—delivering trusted insights from top experts on sex, sexuality, and pleasure. Empowering, inclusive, and grounded in real science, it’s the sex ed you’ve always wanted.
SEASON 11 TEAM
Creator, Host & Executive Producer: Danielle Bezalel (DB)
Producer: Sadie Lidji
Communications Lead: Cathren Cohen
Logo Design: Evie Plumb (@cliterallythebest)