Why Is There Moral Panic Around Sex? With Dr Esme Louise James episode artwork

EPISODE · Jul 29, 2026 · 42 MIN

Why Is There Moral Panic Around Sex? With Dr Esme Louise James

from Big Small Talk · host LiSTNR

This week, Sarah sits down with historian, author and educator Dr Esme Louise James, creator of Kinky History, to explore the fascinating history of sex, desire and shame. Esme explains how many of the things we consider "new" or "unnatural" have actually existed for millennia, and how our modern attitudes towards sex have been shaped by history, religion, medicine, law and power. They also discuss Christopher Nolan's highly anticipated film The Odyssey, and why Esme believes it stripped away the complexity of its female characters and sanitised the role sex played in Homer's original epic. Big Small Talk Instagram Sarah-Jane's Instagram  Hannah's Instagram See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Jul 29, 2026

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Why Is There Moral Panic Around Sex? With Dr Esme Louise James

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