Episode 208: The History of Fetishes, Pegging, and Kinky Scientists

From Albert Einstein to James Joyce, it turns out that a lot of revered historical figures had fascinating intimate lives and a proclivity for kink. So let’s continue the discussion of kinky history we started in the previous episode! Today, we’re going to talk about the kinky sex lives of some famous folks from the past, but we’re also going to explore the history and evolution of various sexual behaviors, from oral sex to pegging to foot fetishes.

I am joined once again by Esmé Louise James, who is best known for her series Kinky History, which has amassed nearly 3 million followers across her social media accounts. Esmé is a PhD candidate at the University of Melbourne and author of the upcoming book Kinky History: The Stories Behind Our Intimate Lives, Past and Present. She also hosts the popular Kinky History podcast.

Some of the topics we discuss include:

• How long have humans been practicing fellatio, cunnilingus, and rimming? And how have these behaviors changed over time?
• Is pegging really a new sexual practice?
• Why might fetishes and kinks rise during epidemics and pandemics?
• Why have feet historically been one of the most common fetish objects?
• What are the kinky histories of author James Joyce and scientist Albert Einstein?

To learn more, check out Esmé’s website, and stay connected with her on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok.

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