Episode 245: The Pioneering Female Sex Researcher That Time Forgot

There are a lot of hidden figures in the history of sex research who made important contributions to the field, but who are frequently forgotten. One of them is Shere Hite, who authored the best-selling non-fiction book on women’s sexuality titled The Hite Report in 1976. This book sold 50 million copies, a figure that puts it among the 30 bestselling books of all times! However, there’s a good chance you’ve never heard about this book or the author behind it. Enter The Disappearance of Shere Hite, a new documentary about the life and times of an extraordinary woman who dared to study women’s sexuality and whose work remains as radical and revolutionary as ever.

My guest today is Nicole Newnham, the Oscar-nominated, Emmy-winning documentary producer and director behind The Disappearance of Shere Hite. This film premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival is now playing in select theaters. Nicole also co-directed and produced the 2021 Academy Award-nominated documentary Crip Camp.

In this episode, we discuss:

Who was Shere Hite and what was she most well-known for?
What is The Hite Report about and how did Shere go about collecting her data?
What are the major findings of The Hite Report?
How (and why) did people try to discredit The Hite Report?
After two decades in the media spotlight, why did Shere disappear?

Visit sherehitedoc.com to find out where The Disappearance of Shere Hite is playing near you.

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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The Kinsey Institute at Indiana University has been a trusted source for scientific knowledge and research on critical issues in sexuality, gender, and reproduction for over 75 years. Learn about more research and upcoming events at kinseyinstitute.org or look for them on social media @kinseyinstitute.

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