Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society
By History Hit
Why did kings and queens have spectators on their wedding night? Who had the very first boob job? And did our ancestors have their unmentionables pierced?
Join historian, Kate Lister, Betwixt the Sheets as she unashamedly roots around the topics which seem to have been skipped in history class.
Everything from landmark LGBTQ+ court cases, to political scandal, to downright bizarre medieval cures for impotence. The etymology of swear words, gender bias in medicine, and satanic panic and cults - there’s nothing off limits.
She'll be bed-hopping around different time periods; from ancient civilisations, to the middle ages, to renaissance and early modern...right up to now.
You’ll laugh, you’ll wince, and you’ll ask yourself how much has actually changed.
So join Kate Betwixt the Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society - a podcast from History Hit.
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Latest episode
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Prison Plastic Surgery
Facelifts, liposuction and nose jobs: since the mid 20th century people have saved up to have their faces and bodies transformed into their dreams.But why might these procedures have been offered in prisons across the US, the UK and Can… -
Wallis Simpson
She is surely one of the most fascinating figures in royal history. Perceived as a bad match for Edward VIII, Wallis Simpson is at the centre of the scandal surrounding his abdication.But what do we know about her life besides this? Fro… -
Eunuchs
From Ancient Assyria to the Byzantine Empire, from the Qing dynasty’s Forbidden City to 19th century operas; Eunuchs have been present across a huge range of the world’s history. Despite this, they are often mainly thought of in terms of their pri… -
A History of Porn
What did porn look like before the internet? Who was it for? And how has it changed since?In this episode, Kate chats to Kathleen Lubey, a professor at St. John’s University and specialist in eighteenth-century literature. Kathleen talk… -
The Blues
So much of today’s music takes inspiration from the Blues, but where did Blues music itself come from?Kate is joined by Lamont Jack Pearley - applied folklorist, ethnographer and historian of African American traditional music - who tak… -
Royal Sibling Rifts
Just in case you haven’t heard, a certain prince has released a memoir recently detailing a challenging relationship between him and his brother, the heir to the throne.But royal sibling rifts are nothing new, in fact we can trace it ba… -
Syphilis
From Acts of Parliament to unethical clinical studies to legendary symphonies (possibly) - syphilis has stained many different areas of history.To find out what this disease is, what it does to the body and how treatments of it and the peop… -
Teen Sex
Do you remember the first time you thought about sex? Or the first time you talked to someone else about sex?In this episode, Kate is discussing mid-20th century teenage sexuality with Hannah Charnock from the University of Bristol. Han… -
Paganism & Festive Traditions
The darkest nights of the year have long been the time for celebrations, from Yule and Mother Night, to Christmas and New Year's Eve. But where did these traditions come from? Who started kissing under the mistletoe? Why are trees decorated and br… -
Santaphilia: Sexual Attraction to Santa
How long have people been hoping for Santa to hurry down their chimneys for?Whether it’s because he’s a bear, a dom or the ultimate daddy - in this episode we’re discussing attraction to Santa and Father Christmas.Listen as K…