Strangers on the Internet

Dating apps are not the only place where strangers meet on the Internet! On this episode, Irina and Michelle have the chance to host couple Jane-Ashe and Damon who met in a Facebook group tied to a nerdy fandom podcast (Binge Mode). Damon hadn't had much luck with dating apps, while Jane-Ashe got tired enough of people wasting her time that she became a sugar baby to at least be paid for her efforts. In the Facebook group, Jane-Ashe attracted Damon's attention via her "high thoughts" upon first watching Star Wars. They started chatting privately and one visit by Damon--complete with a first date at Potterworld--was enough to convince them that he should move from Louisiana to Florida to live with her. We explore how a lot of people, including neurodivergent folks, feel more comfortable meeting online and what might be the future for dating via online communities. Come meet a quirky couple that found love in the cyber-galaxy despite being far, far away from each other!

On this special episode, Irina and Michelle sit down with popular feminist cartoonist and writer Lily O'Farrell, who has amassed over 300K followers on her VulgaDrawings Instagram account. We talk about the British artist's earlier days in the comedy world, encounters with the incel community, recent book "Kyle Theory," and love-hate relationship with dating apps. Why did Instagram try to shut down her cartoon response to the "not all men" trope? How can we speak with boys who fall prey to manosphere influencers such as Andrew Tate? And what are the dangers of meeting trolls with "himpathy"? Lily talks gender differences in worst-date stories, the murder of Sarah Everard, and the mass distribution of VulgaDrawings cartoons as educational materials. Come check out why Lily keeps going viral!Lily O'Farrell websiteLily's VulgaDrawings IG accountLily's book "Kyle Theory"Lily's cartoon "Wifey Material Complex"Lily's cartoon on 10 years of dating appsWhy Lily has hidden her IG fame while datingThe "not all men" IG controversyWhat is himpathy?The murder of Sarah Everard

This episode features director Anna Pakman and actors Bree Klauser and Melissa Jennifer Gonzalez, who are all part of short film "Cripfished" (an entrant in the 2023 Easterseals Disability Film Challenge). This romantic comedy tells the fictional story of Logan, who fakes being blind on a queer date with visually impaired Amy because the latter only wants to go out with disabled people. On the podcast, we discuss not only the film but also dating with a disability in real life; come hear about Melissa's journey to love with autism, the questions Anna has to answer about her wheelchair use, and the way Bree has felt more accepted for being legally blind than neurodivergent. Bree also talks about the COVID-caused challenges of adapting her career from acting alongside Jason Momoa in AppleTV+ show "See" to mastering a variety of recording skills, and Anna discusses what the pandemic has done to dating for vulnerable folks in NYC. Join us for some stereotype-shattering fun and learning!"Cripfished" short filmAnna Pakman’s IGMelissa Jennifer Gonzalez’s websiteBree Klauser’s website