4.8 • 1.6K Ratings
🗓️ 26 December 2023
⏱️ 38 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
There had been sex manuals for hundreds of years, but by the 20th century they were quite underground. That is, until the Joy of Sex was released in 1972.
It was a revolutionary book about sex, and sold over 12 million copies.
Who was the man behind it? His name, aptly, was Dr. Alex Comfort, and he was a poet, novelist, anarchist and philosopher, amongst other things.
Joining Kate today to explore his work and the impact the Joy of Sex had, is Eric Laursen, author of Polymath: The Life and Professions of Dr Alex Comfort, Author of The Joy of Sex.
This episode was edited by Teän Stewart-Murray and produced by Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Charlotte Long.
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0:00.0 | Hello my lovely betwixters it is I once again Kate Alista here to protect your ears and your brain from whatever nonsense and filth is going to spew forth from this podcast. |
0:11.3 | You need a fair dues warning and here it is this is an adult podcast book by adults to other adults about adult |
0:16.8 | things covering a range of adult subjects in an adult way and you should be an |
0:20.2 | adult too and now if you will insist on listening to the rest of this and you happen to |
0:25.1 | get upset offended or have your sensibilities trespassed upon that's really not |
0:29.3 | our fault because you were warned, fair news. Before the internet came along, where did horny teenagers find out about sex? |
0:43.0 | Well, if we're talking about the late 20th century, |
0:45.6 | it might well have been from their parents' copy of The Joy of Sex, |
0:50.3 | which since its publication in 1972 has sold more than 12 million copies. |
0:56.8 | That's a lot of joyful sex. |
0:59.2 | It was a huge deal and it promoted the idea of happy healthy sexuality in our lives |
1:05.0 | something that I could absolutely get on board with. |
1:08.0 | What lay between its pages was a fully illustrated manual |
1:12.0 | that really did revolutionize people's sex lives. |
1:16.2 | But who was the man behind this pioneering book on sex? |
1:19.8 | How were his ideas of anarchy and activism woven into it and what affected the book |
1:25.8 | really have on society. |
1:32.4 | What do you look for a man? |
1:35.0 | Oh, money, of course. |
1:37.0 | You're supposed to rise when an adult speaks to you. |
1:39.0 | I make perfect copies of whatever my boss needs. |
1:42.0 | I just turning a knob and pushing the button. |
... |
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