Beauty and the Beast. Twilight. The Shape of Water. What do these stories have in common? Humans and monsters getting down and dirty. This episode explores the surprising psychology behind "monsterf*ckers" — people attracted to creatures like vampires, werewolves, and tentacled beasts. Hear from researcher Ella Gallego about her study on monstrous desire, which reveals how and why women and LGBTQ+ people are particularly entranced by these inhuman love interests. We’ll trace the history of monster erotica through the medieval church’s preoccupation with demon sex, the horny throughline of vampire movies, and the incredibly surprising history of tentacle porn. Bare your neck and put on your hottest swamp bikini: it’s time to discover the connection between monsters, sex, and our deepest desires.

Resources from Ella Gallego:

• Monstrous Desire Study: https://monstrousdesirestudy.com/
• Monstrous Desire TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@monstrousdesire
• Monstrous Desire Study podcast: https://pod.link/1707753667

Listen to S1E3 Penises (with Dr. Emily Willingham): https://www.tabooscience.show/003-penises/

See citations and a transcript here: https://www.tabooscience.show/s3e13-attraction-to-monsters/

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Mentioned in this episode:

Nice Genes

Listen to Nice Genes right here: https://pod.link/1622851335