24: The Sex Myth with Rachel Hills

Rachel Hills is the author of The Sex Myth, a highly accessible but nonetheless meaty piece of new non-fictional feminist literature.
So what exactly is the sex myth? If you’ve ever been burdened by societal rules on ladylike behaviour, you’ll understand the pervasive sense that your sexual appetite might not fit the norm. Is everyone having sex but you? Or perhaps you feel shamed for your casual encounters? It’s been fifty years since the sexual revolution, yes, but there’s a new power at play here in policing what goes on behind closed doors.
It’s not the government.
It’s not the church.
And it’s not the media (not always, anyway).
It’s actually us. And although our new brand of sexual convention doesn’t exist within a vacuum, it really is up to us to bust our own sex myths in the name of health and happiness.
 
In this episode we talk about:
Nerdy and passionate love for feminist non-fiction
Why the personal is political, and the sex myth as part of a broader cultural framework
What is the sex myth and how are we ALL affected by it?
Is everyone having sex but you? The answer…NOPE!
Shame and stigma around sexuality
How do sex myths come about? Hint - it’s not the media…it’s you!
Why sex work is NOT uniquely exploitative. It’s just work!
Slut shaming
Sex as a serious, academic subject
The perils of writing while female and mansplaining
Female Chauvinist Pigs by Ariel Levy
The definition of healthy sexual expression (hint: does it feel good? Is it ethical?)
Is overt sexual expression the only real sexuality?
Are morality and ethics the same thing?
Sex Start Ups in a Hostile Business World 
Cindy Gallop’s Make Love Not Porn and marketing sex
Why porn is not inherently detrimental to consent culture and feminism
Yes, God, Yes by Karen Maine 
Why does repressing sex make it more exciting?
Seeking Arrangement, Sugar Daddy dating and selling your sexuality for profit
The financial privileges of sexual freedom
Sex and the City and its place within our sexual freedom narratives
The disparity between social classes and sexual freedom
The astounding relevancy of The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
Trump’s presidency and reproductive rights and LGBTQ rights
What’s the difference between objectification and subjectification
The History of Sexuality by Focault 
How rules become a part of our lives without us even realising it
Pitching to women’s magazines and writing about progressive issues for teen magazines
Middle class expectations, insecurity and straddling the line between two extremes
Sex as a part of consumer culture
Do dating apps commoditise people?
The rating and dating complex by William Waller 
What actions can we take TODAY to combat the Sex Myth?

Buy tickets to Rachel's play here.

You can buy Rachel's book The Sex Myth through Amazon.