Dirty Dancing with Steph Herold: Rom-Com Vom

Dirty Dancing with Steph Herold: Rom-Com Vom

Author: Danielle Bezalel, MPH: Sex Educator | Pleasure Expert March 26, 2025 Duration: 36:57

In Dirty Dancing, Baby Houseman heads to the Catskills for some good old-fashioned family bonding and accidentally ends up in the arms of a sexy dance instructor—and in the middle of a very real conversation about class, abortion, and rebellion.

This week, we had the time of our LIFE with Steph Herold—repro researcher, cultural critic, and abortion advocate—talking class politics, Penny's storyline, and why Dirty Dancing is secretly a movie about choosing community over cool guys (even if the cool guy looks like Patrick Swayze ;).

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GUEST DETAILS
Steph Herold is a researcher at Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health, where she leads the Abortion Onscreen project, studying how abortion is depicted on U.S. television and film. Steph has worked at abortion clinics, abortion funds, and in abortion policy, and has co-authored both peer-reviewed papers grey literature papers on abortion stigma, abortion storytelling, and abortion in popular culture. Her writing has appeared in the New York Times, The American Prospect, the Los Angeles Review of Books, and many other outlets. 

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ABOUT THE SHOW
Sex Ed with DB is your go-to podcast for smart, science-backed sex education—delivering trusted insights from top experts on sex, sexuality, and pleasure. Empowering, inclusive, and grounded in real science, it's the sex ed you've always wanted.

SEASON 11 TEAM
Creator, Host & Executive Producer: Danielle Bezalel (DB)
Producer: Sadie Lidji
Communications Lead: Cathren Cohen
Growth Marketing Manager: Wil Williams
Logo Design: Evie Plumb (@cliterallythebest)


You have questions about pleasure, intimacy, and your own body that feel too complex or awkward to ask out loud. Sex Ed with DB: smart, science-backed sex education is the space where those questions are not only welcomed but explored with depth and clarity. Hosted by Danielle Bezalel (DB), a sex educator with a Masters in Public Health, this podcast moves beyond basic biology to address the real, often unspoken, aspects of our sexual lives. Each episode is built on a foundation of credible research and compassionate insight, dismantling the myths and shame that so often accompany these topics. You’ll hear DB in conversation with leading experts, therapists, and researchers, translating their knowledge into practical advice you can actually use. Whether it’s navigating communication with a partner, understanding your own desires more fully, or simply seeking a more confident and joyful connection to your sexuality, this series provides a trustworthy guide. The tone is direct, inclusive, and refreshingly free of judgment, meeting you exactly where you are in your personal journey. Tune in for a re-education that focuses not on what’s wrong, but on what’s possible for a more fulfilling and informed intimate life.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Sex Ed with DB: smart, science-backed sex education
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