In an age of intense global disruption and economic anxiety... Is smutty fiction here to save the day?!

In this weeks episode of #KinkyHistory , I break down the history of erotic fiction and how it has been tied to political protest since its invention. The fandom of Heated Rivalry and the political protests currently happening in France may appear to be entirely unconnected phenomenon... But I am hear to argue that they actually have far more interconnection than you may initially think!

(And big shout out to Texas, who turned blue in the middle of my recording session!)

Further reading for this episode:

• Peter Wagner, Eros Revived: Erotica of the Enlightenment in England and America
• Lynn Hunt, The Invention of Pornography
• Lynn Hunt, The Many Bodies of Marie-Antoinette: Political Pornography and the Problem of the Feminine in the French Revolution.
• L'Autrichienne en goguettes, ou, L'orgie royale : opéra proverbe
• Justin J. Lehmiller, Justin R. Garcia, Amanda N. Gesselman & Kristen P. Mark. "Less Sex, but More Sexual Diversity: Changes in Sexual Behavior during the COVID-19 Coronavirus Pandemic", Leisure Sciences 43, no.1-2, (2021), 295–304.
• Read my thesis

And, of course, if you're looking for your next smutty read... Why not check out BECOMING VENUS by me!

To support my work:

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Chapter:

00:00 Introduction

03:03 Origins of Pornography

04:13 Turin Erotic Papyrus

06:12 Medieval Manuscripts

07:37 18th Century Literature

12:31 The French Revolution

17:12 What Does All This Mean?

21:03 Let's Get Deep

23:45 What's New Today?

27:38 Conclusion

Clips included from Audible's Dracula and The Guardian's coverage of the Paris Protests.

Did medieval women who brewed beer inspire the modern iconography of the witch? Pointy hats, black cats, bubbling cauldrons… according to a viral historical theory, the iconic image of the witch actually began with medieval alewives. But is there any truth to this tall and pointy tale?

This week, I am joined by medieval historian Dr Christina Wade to separate fact from folklore, uncover the fascinating history of women in brewing, and debunk this myth that is so believable, even I fell for it!

Grab a pint, witches. We've got some myths to brew apart.

Check out more of Dr Christina Wade's wonderful work:

• Instagram: @braciatrix
• The Devil's in the Draught Lines: 1000 Years of Women in Britain's Beer History (2024)
• Filthy Queens: A History of Beer in Ireland (2025)

Want more Kinky History?

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In Girl World, Halloween is the one night a year when a girl can dress like a total slut and no other girls can say anything about it... And as it turns out, there’s actual academic research (and a long and kinky history) to back that up!

In this episode of Kinky History, sex historian Dr Esmé Louise James investigates the surprisingly complicated history of Halloween, from the Gaelic festival of Samhain and its supernatural folklore to the Christian calendar, Victorian fancy dress and Hollywood’s glamorous Halloween starlets.

Raise your spirits, put on your best resting witch face, and join me for the horny history of Halloween.

You can find a written transcript of this episode on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/DrEsmeLouiseJames

Instagram: @esme.louisee

TikTok: @dr.esme.louise

YouTube: @dr.esme.louise

Video edited by Connor Fantasia-Serve

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction

02:20 Samhain

04:57 Spirits for Spirits

08:45 History is Kinky

12:51 Dress-up and Dating

16:16 How Did We Get Here?

17:42 Having a Ball20:31 Hollywood Gets Spooky

22:11 Putting the Queer into Fear

26:17 Conclusion

Reading list:

• Hutton, Ronald. “The Celtic New Year and Feast of the Dead.” Folklore 135, no. 1 (2024): 69–86.
• Rogers, Nicholas. Halloween: From Pagan Ritual to Party Night. Oxford University Press, 2002.
• Lennon, Sharron J., Zhiying Zheng, and Aziz Fatnassi. “Women’s Revealing Halloween Costumes: Other-Objectification and Sexualization.” Fashion and Textiles 3, article 21 (2016).
• National Folklore Collection, University College Dublin. Dúchas: The Schools’ Collection.
• Markale, Jean. The Pagan Mysteries of Halloween: Celebrating the Dark Half of the Year. Rochester, VT: Inner Traditions, 2001.
• Keating, Geoffrey. Foras Feasa ar Éirinn (The History of Ireland). Written in the seventeenth century.
• San Francisco Planning Department. Eureka Valley Historic Context Statement. 2017.

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