High Low with EmRata

Amber Rose rose to prominence through several high profile relationships with famous rappers, but she has a whole lot more to say than gossip and rehash their history. Today we discuss how she has reclaimed the labels “slut” and “bitch” through her event Slut Walk, how she’s raising her sons to respect women, classism, feminism and racism, and what she wants to see happen with men (and women!) whe...

Women and femme presenting people spend billions of dollars annually to try and appear younger and slow down the inevitable: aging. Today I reference some of my favorite writing on women and getting older and talk about why so may of us fear losing our youth and discuss the how (and if!) we can change the way we think about age and beauty. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com...

Like "the twink of the moment." This is how Tommy felt just before her gender transition. This week we discuss navigating gender identity, her decision to transition, and the complications that surround transitioning as a public persona. We also cover her struggles with drug addiction, her casting in 13 Reasons Why, and her future as a writer and director. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit p...

The truth about having your love life on blast? It’s pretty weird. I allude to my dating life a lot on the show but I wanted to take the opportunity this week to talk to all of you about what it’s really like to be dating in the public eye. I discuss paparazzi, dating multiple people at the same time Lori Harvey and Taylor swift, ofc. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adch...

When asked what Slave Play is about, Jeremy O. Harris responds, “Slave Play is a slave play. And you should go see it.” The play, which wrestled with sex and race, was as controversial as it was successful. Today we talk about his time spent at the Yale School of Drama, the origins of Slave Play, his approach to writing and much more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adch...

'Icon' is definitely an overused word these days, but when it comes to Donatella Versace, THE Donatella Versace, there is no better description. Donatella comes into the studio baring Versace pillows and cups and sits down to give us rare insights into the house of Versace: she describes her childhood in the South of Italy, what the fashion industry was like in the late seventies, how Gianni usher...

Earlier this week, my guest Chloe Cherry talked about how she felt safer when she was acting in adult films than when she working as a waitress in the service industry. It was a perspective a lot of people took issue with, including my past guest Mia Khalifa. Today I share the reaction to Chloe’s comments: Mia’s response via Tik Tok and what friends of mine who have worked as both waitresses and s...

After moving to Miami at 18 to become an adult film actress, Chloe worked in porn for six years before she was cast in Season 2 of Euphoria. Unlike other adult film actors who I’ve spoken to, Chloe was very intentional about pursuing her career in porn. Today we discuss Chloe’s perspective on sex work, how and why she’s deliberately commodified her body, and the differences between acting in the a...

There is such an emphasis on the importance of truth-telling in our culture, but is honesty really always “the best policy”? In honor of the new year, I'm talking about the ethics of honesty in intimate relationships and how kindness and tact should, at times, come before candidness. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Olivia Ponton has a built a massive following on Tik Tok and landed a place in Sport’s Illustrated 2022 Swimsuit addition. Today we discuss what the last few years of her life have been like, the commodification of one’s body and being a queer woman in the spotlight. Today’s episode includes discussions surrounding eating disorders and body dysmorphia. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podca...

It’s easy to write people off as “toxic” and cut them out of your life completely. But have we taken the culture of boundaries too far? Today I read from an article published in The Atlantic entitled “That’s It. You’re Dead to Me.” and discuss the “toxic” phenomenon that millennials and Gen Z have come to rely on. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Bella’s first photo shoot was at 6 weeks old. She grew up in Hollywood, and today on the pod she talks about her experience of being simultaneously sexualized and shamed as an adolescent in the limelight. You can check out Bella’s jewelry line, Thorne, at thornedynasty.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I finally did it. In honor of me downloading my first dating app, I bring in my best friend, Kat, a former swiping pro to discuss the pros and cons of matching with strangers online. And yes, we even read some of my DMs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Andrea is a critic at New York magazine and the author of Females. Her searing critiques of writers like Ottessa Moshefegh and Bret Easton Ellis are as hilarious as they are insightful. Her essay “On Liking Women” has been credited as launching the “second wave” of transgender studies. I first met Andrea when she profiled me around the publication of my book and we have since become friends. We ta...

Jealousy has been on my mind since we posted the episode on Ethical Non-Monogamy. Dozens of you came to me with the same feedback: "I could never, I'm too jealous". Today I take a closer look at the emotion we all seem to have the most shame and fear around. I talk about Ethan and Harper's relationship in White Lotus, read from the chapter on jealousy in The Ethical Slut and take some advice from...

Drew Afualo has taken over TikTok by taking a no holds barred approach to eviscerating dudes who share racist, misogynistic commentary online. But the best part? She’s really, really funny. Today we discuss her Samoan heritage and its influence on her politics, why she doesn’t consider being called “fat” an insult, accountability in the age of the internet, her distinction between “nice” and “kind...

Attachment theory has become incredibly popular in the last 5 years: not only for therapists and people working in psychotherapy, but also for individuals who hope to better understand their behavior and needs in close relationships. Today I explain the history of attachment theory and its rise to prominence in recent years before breaking down the 4 styles of attachment. Then I get into my person...

Art! Patriarchy! New York City! Childbirth! My friend, Sarah Hoover, former Gagosian gallery director turned writer, comes on the pod today to talk about her experience with postpartum depression, her understanding of art history through the lens of feminism, the medical-industrial complex and the terrifying history behind women's healthcare. Sarah also gives a peek into her upcoming memoir, Mothe...

In her essay "Scenes from an Open Marriage" Jean Garnett asks her husband "’Which scenario endangers us more: you sleeping with other women, or you not sleeping with other woman?’” Partnership and commitment is difficult and inherently risky—so what about opening up a relationship? Today on the pod I explore ethical non-monogamy. I examine Garnett's essay as it relates to a friend, B, who has prac...

Mia Khalifa has a complicated history with the internet. But in recent years she has transformed her relationship to it, not only by gaining more control and ownership over her likeness, but also because she has introduced the world to the funny and thoughtful person she is. This week we discuss sex work, Mia’s relationship to shame, and how she has managed, to use her own words, to continually “f...

Thanksgiving dinner is 13.5 percent more expensive than last year! This week on Emrata Asks we are talking inflation and the word everyone seems scared to say: recession. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Once a married waitress in her late 20s, my dear friend and best selling author put everything on the line in order to go to grad school. The result? Her smash hit novel, Sweetbitter, and a career as a writer. We talk slumber parties, the beginning of our friendship (which involves DMs and my therapist) as well as the writing process, privilege and likability. A Sony Music Entertainment, Somethin’...

Brazilian butt lifts. Botox. Lip gloss. These are all tools people use to appeal to the male gaze. But where do our personal decisions to alter our appearance collide with our politics and become problematic? Do they ever? On todays EmRata Asks I explore the complex relationship between plastic surgery and feminism. A Sony Music Entertainment, Somethin’ Else, and Bitch Era Media production.  Find...

Ziwe of Ziwe fame. My close friend and neighbor comes on to give us personal insight into the character we all know and love from both Baited and Ziwe. We discuss anger, the color pink and our friendship. A Sony Music Entertainment, Somethin’ Else, and Bitch Era Media production. Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts  To bring your brand to life on this p...

Screaming Karens. Police brutality. Creepy stalkers. We all carry around a weapon to catch these wrongdoings on camera: our iPhones. But this pervasive surveillance in our culture also means any of us can be filmed at any time without our consent. So what are the ethics of taping others on your iPhone? I break down the pros and cons of recording strangers in public. Then I’m joined by my lawyer El...