People have the potential to develop fetishes for virtually anything. If you can think of it, somebody probably has a fetish for it! However, fetishes remain among the most misunderstood and stigmatized sexual interests. So in today’s show, we’re going to dive into the world of fetishes and dispel some common misconceptions about them. We’ll also discuss a new way of thinking about fetishes, as well as tips for how to communicate about fetish interests with a partner.

My guest is Tina Horn, author of the new book Why Are People Into That?: A Cultural Investigation of Kink. This book is based on her long-running podcast of the same name. Tina is also a comic book writer and host of the Wondery phone sex podcast titled Operator.

Some of the topics we cover in this episode include:

• What is the advantage of thinking about fetishes as “something I have a taste for?”


• Where do fetishes come from?


• How important is it to know where fetishes come from? Does their origin really matter?


• Does having a fetish necessarily involve an exclusive attraction to a specific object?


• How can people incorporate fetishes into their sex lives in a healthy way?

You can visit Tina’s website to learn more about her work.

Got a sex question? Send me a podcast voicemail to have it answered on a future episode at speakpipe.com/sexandpsychology.

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Credits: Precision Podcasting (Podcast editing) and Shutterstock/Florian (Music). Image created with Canva; photos used with permission of guest.