The Ersties Podcast is hosted by Lina Bembe, Olivia Rose, Pandora Passmore and myself, Paulita Pappel. Four perverts with a mouthful of sex. Our story is possibly one of true love. At least I rely on the emotional and romantic support of my fellow podcasters more than on any other lover. The four of us first came together to work on a project for Ersties. We were building a secret gang whose main purpose was to tackle feminism and public spaces with a touch of sassy humor.
Our work meetings usually started with a brainstorm session, and by that, I mean we ordered a round of cocktails and some food, and we ended up talking for hours about anything and everything. We had just met, and soon we felt very comfortable with each other. We started sharing very intimate anecdotes, including awkward tinder dates and herpes-inducing clubbing accidents. I guess it comes as no surprise that our favorite topics revolved around sexuality.
Our conversations went all the way from gossip to philosophical contemplations. At some point, whilst considering how to turn our good times together into something productive beyond our hedonist enjoyment, the idea of recording our discussions and putting them out as a podcast raised – it was more of a joke than a serious suggestion. To be honest, back then I was not a podcast listener. I’m a poor example of a millennial – it usually takes me longer than average to accept technological updates such as Instagram stories or the new Apple font. But eventually, I come around it.
Time passed, our dating stories went through ups and downs, our good times together remained a comforting constant in our lives. And so, we came back to the idea of the podcast. That is basically what the Ersties Podcast is, a conversation amongst friends who happen to have a lot to say and share on sex, sexuality, relationships, and porn. And we love to talk very openly, at times aggressively, about it. Above all, we try to have a good time. We come from different backgrounds, which pragmatically means we have a few sexy accents to offer. Some of us are sex workers, POC, pansexual, non-monogamous, kinky… and we are absolutely unapologetic about who we are and what we think. Thus, our ambition is to create a space with voices that would add some diversity to the discourse about sexuality and feminism.
Since people from outside the adult industry often forge their opinions on preconceived ideas that have little to do with the reality of it, we like to share our insight, aiming to educate and fight the stigma. In Episode #2, Why The F*** Would You Pay For Porn? we talked about the importance of ethical porn consumption. On episode #4, The Rise Of Camming, we discussed the evolution of the camming industry and invited an experienced colleague to share their funniest anecdotes.
On our first special episode, Censored, we went on a journalistic adventure to London and explored the scope of the new anti-pornography laws. We don’t always consciously handle topics that are viewed as taboos in society – we are genuinely interested and invested in the diversity of sexual practices, and we do not censor ourselves. We often share our personal experiences, even when they feel like the kind of thing you shouldn’t give praise to. No theme has felt off limits so far. In episode #5, I Kink Therefore I Am, we shared fantasies that would probably fell into the taboo category. We love to invite our dear friend and collaborator Liliana Velasquez to the show, we can’t get enough of her stories as an ex-dominatrix.
So far we have gotten a positive response from listeners that feel liberated and less alone by hearing us, and that is the most precious feedback we could ever get. Ourselves lacking role models at younger ages, we hope to be inspirational and empowering by ranting, raving and defying norms of how good girls should behave.
So here we are, 9 episodes in and so many plans ahead. We invite you to join us. Eavesdrop on girlfriends you wish you had.
This post was sponsored and written by the Ersties Podcast.
