EPISODE · Jun 16, 2025 · 45 MIN
Porn, Smut, and Intimacy: Feminists Talk Romance Books
from Messy Liberation: Feminist Conversations about Politics and Pop Culture · host Becky Mollenkamp and Taina Brown
Get "Liberate Your Business" by Becky Mollenkamp https://liberateyourbusiness.com/This episode dives deep into Becky and Taina’s wildly different takes on romance novels, smut, and fanfic—plus what makes storytelling feel intimate or just pornographic. We cover the books we’re reading this summer, why Becky knocks stars off for explicit content, and what Audre Lorde has to say about feeling embodied. It’s messy, it’s honest, and it might make you laugh (or blush). Whether you love fanfic, hate sex scenes, or feel somewhere in between, this conversation unpacks it all with a feminist lens and zero shame.Discussed in this episode• Becky's summer reading binge: 15+ books a month• Why explicit sex scenes turn Becky off• Taina’s love for fanfic (especially emotionally mature Draco Malfoy)• How Audre Lorde defines pornography vs. the erotic• Navigating parenting and productivity during summer• How generational differences show up in language and preferencesResources mentioned• “Slow Dance” by Rainbow Rowell• “First-Time Caller” by B.K. Borison• “Careless People” by Sarah Wynn-Williams• “I'm Glad My Mom Died” by Jennette McCurdy• Remain Nameless fanfic• We Read Smut podcast☀️ Join us in the Messy Liberation Coaches Circle🎤 PROUD MEMBERS OF THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE
What this episode covers
Get "Liberate Your Business" by Becky Mollenkamp https://liberateyourbusiness.com/This episode dives deep into Becky and Taina’s wildly different takes on romance novels, smut, and fanfic—plus what makes storytelling feel intimate or just pornographic. We cover the books we’re reading this summer, why Becky knocks stars off for explicit content, and what Audre Lorde has to say about feeling embodied. It’s messy, it’s honest, and it might make you laugh (or blush). Whether you love fanfic, hate sex scenes, or feel somewhere in between, this conversation unpacks it all with a feminist lens and zero shame.Discussed in this episode• Becky's summer reading binge: 15+ books a month• Why explicit sex scenes turn Becky off• Taina’s love for fanfic (especially emotionally mature Draco Malfoy)• How Audre Lorde defines pornography vs. the erotic• Navigating parenting and productivity during summer• How generational differences show up in language and preferencesResources mentioned• “Slow Dance” by Rainbow Rowell• “First-Time Caller” by B.K. Borison• “Careless People” by Sarah Wynn-Williams• “I'm Glad My Mom Died” by Jennette McCurdy• Remain Nameless fanfic• We Read Smut podcast☀️ Join us in the Messy Liberation Coaches Circle🎤 PROUD MEMBERS OF THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE
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Porn, Smut, and Intimacy: Feminists Talk Romance Books
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