How to be Sexually Confident with Mae Martin (Best Of)
Feb 5, 2025
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Mae Martin, an award-winning comedian known for their roles in "Feel Good" and "The Flight Attendant," dives into sexuality with humor and honesty. They share how their sex-positive upbringing shaped their understanding of attraction and gender as fluid expressions. The conversation explores practical ways to spice up routines, the impact of addiction on relationships, and the importance of open discussions about identity. Mae urges listeners to embrace authenticity and self-exploration in their personal and sexual lives.
Mae Martin and the hosts emphasize the importance of approaching sexuality as a universal topic, pertinent to all orientations.
The open and informative parenting style Mae experienced fostered a positive view of sexuality, equipping them to embrace their identity.
Conversations on gender should promote exploration beyond traditional binaries, encouraging a fluid understanding and acceptance of diverse identities.
Deep dives
Family Holiday Experience
Staying in an Airbnb during a family holiday offers both privacy and convenience, providing a balance between personal family time and larger festivities. The benefits include having your own space, separate beds, and the ability to control your own schedule, which can be especially valuable when traveling with others. For those traveling solo, an Airbnb can serve as a sanctuary, allowing for a more relaxed and personal experience. This alternative accommodation not only saves money but also enhances the overall travel experience by providing flexibility and comfort.
Importance of Discussing Sexuality
The conversation about sexuality should encompass everyone, emphasizing that it is not solely a queer issue. Society often overlooks heterosexual individuals when discussing sexual identity, creating a misconception that such conversations are exclusive to queer people. The nuances of attraction extend beyond gender preferences and include many factors, such as pheromones and personal traits. Recognizing that everyone has a sexuality, regardless of their orientation, opens up important discussions that can lead to greater understanding and acceptance.
Influence of Upbringing on Identity
May Martin's parents approached the topic of sexuality with openness, effectively demystifying it for their children from a young age. They provided thorough education on sex, disregarding assumptions about their children's preferences and ensuring that conversations remained positive and informative. This healthy approach helped equip May with resilience against societal norms regarding sexuality. Although their parenting wasn’t perfect, their significant effort in fostering a sex-positive environment laid the foundation for May's exploration of identity.
Navigating Gender and Identity
The evolving understanding of gender reveals that it is far more complex and fluid than rigid binaries suggest. Many people struggle with feelings of conformity imposed by societal expectations in terms of gender roles. Conversations around gender identity should be approached with curiosity and openness, allowing for exploration and expression without fear of judgement. Recognizing that some individuals may identify outside traditional categories is essential for fostering inclusivity and understanding.
Addiction and Self-Discovery
Addressing addiction requires recognizing that it can manifest in various behaviors beyond substance use, impacting all areas of life, including relationships. May's journey toward sobriety highlighted the importance of recognizing addictive tendencies as part of a broader pattern of self-soothing behaviors. Engaging in healthier, adrenaline-pumping activities has become a way to channel her impulses positively. This experience emphasizes the necessity for balance and self-awareness in managing addiction and embracing creativity.
1. Mae, Glennon, Abby, and Amanda each explore their sexuality by delving into what sexually attracts each of them.
2. The sex-positive way Mae’s parents taught them about sex – and orgasm(!) – and how they never made assumptions about Mae's sexuality.
3. Gender as creative expression and a way to have fun.
4. Simple ways to switch up the monotony of routine; to transform boredom into exploration; and dopamine-infused alternatives for addictive personality types.
5. How fear of abandonment / fear of dependence can take over our lives.
About Mae:
Mae Martin is an award-winning comedian, actor, writer, and producer who can be seen starring in Feel Good, which they also created and co-wrote. Mae is currently in development with their upcoming scripted project Programmed for Netflix and stars in season 2 of The Flight Attendant on HBO Max.
Mae Martin's Guide To… series about sexuality and addiction are available to listen to on BBC Sounds. Mae is also the author of Can Everyone Please Calm Down?: A Guide to 21st Century Sexuality.