Episodes

For the 165th episode of Private Parts Unknown, host Courtney Kocak welcomes Cameron Dezen Hammon, author of This Is My Body: A Memoir of Religious and Romantic Obsession. In today’s episode, we discuss her personal journey of religion and repression, how frightening it was to have HPV pre-vaccine, her post-divorce sexual awakening (which included kink and non-monogamy), STI stigma, and motherhood. For more from today's guest, Cameron Dezen Hammon: Follow Cameron on Instagram @cameron_...

For the 164th episode of Private Parts Unknown, host Courtney Kocak welcomes Hannah Sward, author of Strip: A Memoir. Hannah opens up about her unconventional childhood, including being abandoned by her mother, living with her poet father, experiencing sexual abuse as a child, and (of course) a stint on a commune. She also shares her entry into sex work, first as a call girl and then as a stripper, working alongside her sister, why she started using crystal meth, and how she finally got sober...

For the 163rd episode of Private Parts Unknown, host Courtney Kocak welcomes Alex Alberto, author of Entwined: Essays on Polyamory and Creating Home. For the final installment of this year's Pride programming, this interview covers Alex's exploration of polyamory, how their identities as a genderqueer and pansexual person gave them a unique angle in writing about non-monogamy, the importance of queer narratives, the process of writing and publishing the book, their journey toward asexuality, ...

For the 162nd episode of Private Parts Unknown, host Courtney Kocak welcomes Eagle LA co-owner Charlie Matula and his husband, Hunter Fox. Courtney interviewed Charlie and Hunter for a KCRW radio story entitled "Happily leather after at The Eagle in Silver Lake", which originally aired in June 2019 for Pride. The Eagle LA is a leather/Levi's bar in the Silver Lake neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. In this interview, we delve into the rich history of this beloved establishment and it...

For the 161st episode of Private Parts Unknown, host Courtney Kocak welcomes Dr. Lori Beth Bisbey for the second episode in our special month of Pride programming. Dr. Lori Beth Bisbey is a clinical psychologist, sex/intimacy coach, author, speaker, and podcast host based in London. With more than 30 years of helping people create and sustain meaningful and exciting relationships, Dr. Bisbey specializes in GSRD (gender, sexuality, relationship diversity), is consensual non-monogamy and kink/B...

For the 160th episode of Private Parts Unknown, host Courtney Kocak welcomes Cody Daigle-Orians, the influencer behind Ace Dad Advice and author of I Am Ace, to discuss the underrepresentation of asexuality in popular culture. It's Pride Month, and there's lots of rightful celebration for the LGBTIA community, but rarely mention of the acronym's A. In fact, asexuality is so underrepresented in culture that it can be hard to self-identify. Cody Daigle-Orians didn't realize they were asexual un...

For the 159th episode of Private Parts Unknown, host Courtney Kocak welcomes top MILF porn star Cherie DeVille, aka "The Internet's Stepmom." In this interview, we talk about Cherie's journey from physical therapist to porn star, the unsexy realities of a porn set, how the industry and social stigma have changed over the 13 years since she first started in porn, why she doesn’t go to swingers' parties anymore, sex with "civilians," the Pornhub documentary she participated in, her thoughts on ...

For the 158th episode of Private Parts Unknown, host Courtney Kocak invites listeners inside her Elvis-officiated wedding at The Little White Chapel and gives her guide to wedding planning in Las Vegas, the self-proclaimed wedding capital of the world. That’s right, I got married last month in Vegas! Now, I’m not the kind of girl who ever dreamed of her wedding day — I just wanted it to be fun and easy — but unexpectedly, it was one of the best days of my life. My husband even called it “magi...

For the 157th episode of Private Parts Unknown, host Courtney Kocak welcomes Margo Steines, author of Brutalities: A Love Story. In this interview, we discuss Margo's experience as a dominatrix, sex work then vs. now, the toxic societal pressures on women's bodies in the 90s and how that resulted in eating disorders for both of us, her stint as a high-rise welder, advice she would give her former self about an abusive relationship, what it was like to be pregnant during the pandemic, how she ...

For the 156th episode of Private Parts Unknown, host Courtney Kocak welcomes Tawny Lara, sober sexpert and author of Dry Humping: A Guide to Dating, Relating, and Hooking Up Without the Booze, for a conversation that might have you rethinking your relationship with alcohol. We discuss Tawny's sobriety journey and why she decided to document it, sex with alcohol vs. sex without alcohol, the role liquid courage plays in our romantic lives, ideas for non-awkward sober dates, tips for dating some...

For the 155th episode of Private Parts Unknown, host Courtney Kocak welcomes Gabrielle Stone, author of Eat, Pray, #FML and host of FML Talk. If you've recently been dumped or are struggling to get over a past relationship, this episode is for you! This is the ultimate breakup recovery guide to help you not just survive but thrive after your breakup. No matter how desperate you feel or how embarrassing things have gotten with your ex, you CAN heal your heartbreak, and we'll tell you how. Gabri...

For the 154th episode of Private Parts Unknown, host Courtney Kocak welcomes Ian Kerner for a long-term relationship sex rut reboot. Dr. Ian Kerner is a nationally recognized sex therapist and author of the smash hit She Comes First and the recently released So Tell Me About the Last Time You Had Sex. He also coined the term "cliteracy" and is a Sherlock Holmes of the bedroom—a sexual detective helping individuals and couples solve the mystery of why they're not f*cking like they wish they we...

For the 153rd episode of Private Parts Unknown, host Courtney Kocak welcomes Joey Tuccio, president and CEO of Roadmap Writers, for the final episode in our three-part series on pet loss. Have you ever lost a beloved pet? It’s the worst. Scientifically, it can be as hard to grieve a pet as a parent or a partner. I lost my beloved dog, Georgia, in early December, and it was so hard for me to process — that experience inspired this series. (If you missed part one with Cherie Doyen, listen here,...

For the 152nd episode of Private Parts Unknown, host Courtney Kocak welcomes Beth Bigler, pet loss grief counselor and founder of Honoring Our Animals, for part two in a three-part series on pet loss. Have you ever lost a beloved pet? It’s the worst. Scientifically, it can be as hard to grieve a pet as a parent or a partner. I lost my beloved dog, Georgia, in early December, and it was so hard for me to process — that experience inspired this series. (If you missed part one with Cherie Doyen,...

For the 151st episode of Private Parts Unknown, host Courtney Kocak welcomes Cherie Doyen of Quantum Therapeutix for part one in a three-part series on pet loss. Have you ever lost a beloved pet? It’s the worst. Scientifically, it can be as hard to grieve a pet as a parent or a partner. I lost my beloved dog, Georgia, in early December, and it was so hard for me to process — that experience inspired this series. Our first guest is Cherie Doyen, one of my best friend’s mom and a professiona...

For the 150th episode of Private Parts Unknown, host Courtney Kocak speaks to Ashley Madison's Chief Strategy Officer, Paul Keable, to discuss the company's 2024 trend forecast. TL;DR: Non-monogamy is on the rise, but it's playing out differently from generation to generation. Tune in to learn how Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, and Boomers are approaching polyamory, open relationships, and affairs with their unique generational flare. And how gender equality factors into the changes. Plus, can an...

For the 149th episode of Private Parts Unknown, host Courtney Kocak speaks to Ashley Madison's Communications Director, Isabella Mise, who coauthored "The Good Wife Study" on female infidelity for the final installation in our three-part series on why women cheat. For part one, we heard from an Ashley Madison member going by the alias of "Nikki" to kick off the series. Part two was a conversation with Ashley Madison's Chief Strategy Officer, Paul Keable. (This series also featured former co-h...

For the 148th episode of Private Parts Unknown, host Courtney Kocak speaks to Ashley Madison's Chief Strategy Officer, Paul Keable, to continue our three-part series on why women cheat. Last week, we heard from an Ashley Madison member going by the alias of "Nikki" to kick off the series. Next week, for the final installation, you'll hear from Ashley Madison Communications Director Isabella Mise, who coauthored "The Good Wife Study" on female infidelity. (This series also features former co-h...

For the 147th episode of Private Parts Unknown, host Courtney Kocak speaks to an Ashley Madison member going by the alias of "Nikki" to kick off a deep dive into why women cheat. Next week, for part 2, you'll hear from Ashley Madison's Chief Strategy Officer, Paul Keable. Part 3 is with Ashley Madison Communications Director Isabella Mise, who coauthored "The Good Wife Study" on female infidelity. (This series also features former co-host Sofiya Alexandra.) You're gonna want to check your pre...

For the 146th episode of Private Parts Unknown, host Courtney Kocak welcomes Orna Donath, an Israeli sociologist, author, and feminist activist who wrote the book Regretting Motherhood based on her research. We talk about ambivalence vs. regret, the difference in how the genders are socialized around parenthood, the external pressures women face to become mothers, how she conducted her study, and more. For more Orna Donath: Buy Orna's book Regretting Motherhood: A Study Psst, Cou...

For the 145th episode of Private Parts Unknown, host Courtney Kocak welcomes Hallie Lieberman, author of Buzz: The Stimulating History of the Sex Toy, to talk us through the highlight reel of sex toy history. Hallie literally has a Ph.D. in sex toys, so she's the perfect guide. We discuss how sex toys were illegal in Texas until 2008 (and scary indicators that sex-related laws are regressing!), the Kinsey Institute, Japanese shunga, Anthony Comstock and his terrible legacy of sexual suppressi...

For the 144th episode of Private Parts Unknown, host Courtney Kocak welcomes Marika Leila Roux, a Berlin-based Shibari practitioner & the co-founder of Shibari Study, the leader in online rope education. Shibari is Japanese rope bondage, a form of BDSM. The word broadly means "binding" or "tying." It originated from Hojo-jutsu, a torturous method of restraining captives, before morphing into the erotic bondage Kinbaku in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Marika shares her personal jo...

For the 143rd episode of Private Parts Unknown, host Courtney Kocak shares the experience of getting her first colonoscopy and tips for the notoriously disgusting colonoscopy prep. According to the National Cancer Institute, new cases of colorectal cancer in people under the age of 50 have been rising at an alarming rate over the past several decades, but the good news is that colon cancer can be caught and treated early through aggressive screening, thus preventing colorectal cancer-related ...

For the 142nd episode of Private Parts Unknown, host Courtney Kocak welcomes erotic wholeness coach and sex therapist Darshana Avila — for one of Courtney’s favorite interviews of the year. You may have seen Darshana’s work on the Netflix series Sex, Love & Goop! If you’ve seen the show, you already know that she’s something of an orgasm whisperer. In this episode, Darshana shares her journey from personal exploration to becoming an erotic wholeness coach and sex therapist. She also explains ...