Inside Imperial Japan's Brothels

Hidden in bedside tables or proudly displayed on mantelpieces, wherever you keep them (if you do), sex toys have come a long way since the first phallic-shaped object was found around 30,000 years ago.But before they were arriving through our post boxes in unmarked, tracked packages, what did sex toys look like? What were they made from? And why were doctors using them to treat... back pain?!Kate is joined Betwixt the Sheets by writer, sex and gender historian Hallie Lieberman to discuss the first dildo, the myth of the vibrator, and more…Find out more about Hallie's book, Buzz: The Stimulating History of the Sex Toy, here.*WARNING this episode includes fruity language and themes of an adult nature*Produced by Charlotte Long and Sophie Gee. Mixed by Seyi Adaobi.Betwixt the Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society. A podcast by History Hit.This episode includes music by Epidemic Sound and an archive clip from public vocational video from 1940. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

13 Mai 202243min

Bedlam: a scene of uproar and confusion, a noisy situation with no order or, originally, the slang name for a mental hospital in London… which for a while also happened to be a popular tourist attraction.From chains on the wall to leeching - the history of mental health treatments is a lesson in questionable science and humanity.Bethlehem hospital, founded around the 11th century in London, is a study of this history.Kate is joined Betwixt the Sheets by Catharine Arnold: journalist, academic, popular historian and author of ‘Bedlam: London and Its Mad’.*WARNING this episode includes adult themes and conversations about mental health*Produced by Charlotte Long and Sophie Gee. Mixed by Matt Peaty.Betwixt the Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society. A podcast by History Hit.This episode includes music by Epidemic Sound and an archive clip from an American public service announcement from 1952. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

10 Mai 202238min

WARNING: This episode includes adult themes and explicit words.Why did Henry VIII want everyone to know about his wet dreams? What animal product were condoms made from? And was coffee really ruining the sex lives of wives?Suzannah Lipscomb from our sister podcast, Not Just the Tudors, joins Kate Betwixt the Sheets to talk all things sex in the 16th century.Find out whether sex back then really was just to reproduce, the ‘discovery’ of the clitoris, and the truth about royal syphilis.Produced by Charlotte Long and Sophie Gee. Mixed by Seyi Adaobi.Betwixt the Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society. A podcast by History Hit.This podcast includes music from Epidemic Sounds and an archive clip from The Private Life of Henry VIII, 1933. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

6 Mai 202245min

*WARNING this episode includes adult themes and conversations about mental health and drug use.*In 2020, the UK government revealed that 17% of the adult population of Britain were prescribed medication for their mental health. But when were these drugs invented? How were they tested? And how have they become, in some cases, ‘mother’s little helper’?From antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications to stimulants and mood stabilisers - Dr David Healy takes us on a journey through the development and use of psychiatric - or psychotropic - medication, and how this development has in turn affected our diagnoses.David is a psychiatrist and psychopharmacologist, and is a professor of Psychiatry at McMaster University in Canada.Produced by Charlotte Long and Sophie Gee. Mixed by Aidan Lonergan.Betwixt the Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society. A podcast by History Hit.This episode includes music by Epidemic Sound and archive clips from Zoloft commercial 2001. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

3 Mai 202240min

I’m something that you wear, I always come in twos, I get put on your feet. I’m not socks, I am … SHOES.Humans have been protecting their feet for a very long time.But over the years the types of footwear we choose have developed and multiplied. Each new shoe has a new use, and often a new social meaning.So what is the history of shoes? To find out about the masculine beginnings of heels, the reclamation of crocs, and the political ideals of docs, Kate chats to Elizabeth Semmelhack, creative director and senior curator of the Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto.Produced by Charlotte Long and Sophie Gee. Mixed by Thomas Ntinas.If you'd like to learn more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad-free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today! To download the History Hit app please go to the Android or Apple store.Betwixt the Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society. A podcast by History Hit.This podcast includes music by Epidemic Sounds and archive clips from The Wizard of Oz, 1939. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

29 Apr 202244min

Who had the very first boob job? Why were women injecting liquid paraffin into their chests? And, how has the procedure developed over time?Kate is joined Betwixt the Sheets by Professor Ruth Holliday and cosmetic surgeon Professor Vikram Devaraj to find out the bumpy history of breast augmentation, involving lawsuits, pin-ups... and mattress foam.Find out how a sixties American housewife was persuaded to have the very first silicone implants, and more about medical scandal involving boob jobs.You can find out more about Ruth's book here, and more about Vikram's work here.Produced by Charlotte Long and Sophie Gee. Mixed by Annie Coloe.Betwixt the Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society. A podcast by History Hit.If you'd like to learn more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad-free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today! To download the History Hit app please go to the Android or Apple store.This podcast includes music by Epidemic Sounds and an archive clip from the Oprah Winfrey Network. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

26 Apr 202257min

Warning: There are adult themes, explicit language and references of disordered eating and diets in this episode.Did you know that before Queen Victoria married Albert she was a well-known party-animal, who could easily stay up until 5am, drunk on a concoction of red wine and whiskey?Or that she was notorious for being able to eat seven or eight courses in half an hour, and had a penchant for mutton curries and the freshest fruit?Kate is joined Betwixt the Sheets by food historian Dr Annie Gray to discuss Victoria’s very indulgent habits which spilled out into all areas of her life…including the bedroom.You can find Annie’s incredible book, The Greedy Queen: Eating with Victoria, here.Produced by Charlotte Long and Sophie Gee. Mixed by Annie Coloe.If you'd like to learn more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad-free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today! To download the History Hit app please go to the Android or Apple store.Betwixt the Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society. A podcast by History Hit.This podcast includes music by Epidemic Sounds and archive clips from Sixty Glorious Years, 1938. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

22 Apr 202241min

Warning: This episode includes strong language and some adult themes.What comes to mind when you see the word voodoo? Most people tend to think of horror movies, zombies, dolls and witchcraft - but Vodou is a hugely misunderstood religion and spiritual practice.Kate is joined by two experts Betwixt the Sheets on today's episode; Dr Kyrah Malika Daniels on Haitian Vodou and the part it played in the revolution of 1791, and Elizabeth James on New Orleans and Louisiana Voodoo.Find out its long and fascinating history, and why it's become one of the most sensationalised religions in the world.Learn more about Haitian Vodou and its history here, and here, and you can follow Dr Daniels work, here.For more on African and Diasporic Religious Studies, please click here.Produced by Charlotte Long and Sophie Gee. Mixed by Seyi Adaobi.Betwixt the Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society. A podcast by History Hit.This podcast includes music from Epidemic Sounds, and archive clips from White Zombie 1932. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

19 Apr 202257min