Love In Quarantine

Karley speaks with two separate couples whose weddings were COVID canceled. Both now faced with the question: Do we postpone this epic day that we were so looking forward to, or do we fuck the plans and do it over Zoom?

Karley speaks with comedian Dee Demorizi—more commonly known as Dee Nasty—about the different ways that couples deal with crisis, on-again-off-again relationships, “slutty phases,” and a bunch of other stuff that’s at least vaguely related to quarantine.  Watch her show, Like, Share, Dimelo on Fuse TV.

Karley speaks with one of her heroes, Dr. Helen Fisher, an anthropologist famous for her research on the brain chemistry of love. Dr. Fisher speaks some words of wisdom to couples who, even as lockdowns lift, will still be spending a lotttt of quality time together as our social and work lives remain far from “normal”. Also, the two discuss how social distancing can actually benefit people who are currently dating. 

Karley speaks with sex worker Jocelyn Mae about the surprising ways that the sex industry is adapting to our new normal. Later, Karley talks with Alicia Sinclair—sex educator and founder of Le Wand—about how quarantine spawned an American obsession with sex toys.

While there has clearly always been an ethical component to dating, suddenly, deciding whether to makeout with someone could have apocalyptic consequences--literally. In this episode, Karley speaks with two people who are currently dating about the new morality of intimacy, and whether it’s possible to be an ethical slut during a pandemic.

Karley talks to comedian Nicole Blaine about quarantining with her husband, two kids and unraveling mother, and still finding time for blow jobs. Also, allegedly, sex can get better even after having kids. Watch Nicole’s stand up special on Amazon.

Karley talks with Dr. Justin Lehmiller, a social psychologist and Research Fellow at The Kinsey Institute, who’s studying how the pandemic is affecting people’s sex lives and relationships. They discuss the impact of the crisis on the frequency and quality of our sex lives, the benefits of sexual novely, and the rise of Coronavirus porn (lol). Dr. Lehmiller is author of the blog Sex and Psychology, as well as the popular book Tell Me What You Want: The Science of Sexual Desire and How It Can Help You Improve Your Sex Life. 

Karley speaks with her friend Ryan O'Connell, creator and star of Special on Netflix. The two talk domesticity and quarantine sex. Ryan discusses how his boyfriend has taken on the new role of helping manage Ryan’s changing needs—specifically in terms of his cerebral palsy—during quarantine. And Karley discusses her newfound cooking journey, as well as her complicated relationship with food.

Karley speaks with people who are digitizing their romantic lives during quarantine. Daniel Saynt, founder of the sex-positive club NSFW, fills us in on his international, virtual sex parties. Karley also talks with Nicole and Bobby, a long-distance couple whose unfortunate circumstances mean they have to quarantine apart -- indefinitely. 

Despite the world literally ending, activity on dating apps has spiked over the past month. In this episode, Karley speaks with Sandra, contributing editor-at-large at Paper Magazine who’s recently started Facetime dating, about navigating romance without sex, and whether you can assess physical chemistry over the phone. 

Love in Quarantine is an upcoming podcast hosted by Vogue sex and relationships columnist Karley Sciortino. New episodes coming soon!