The Examined Lives (ENM Vibes)

She’s Gotta Have It — and So Do We

Send a text [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2402755/open_sms] Ben and Lauren kick off this week’s episode with a few spicy tales from her latest swinger shenanigans at a lifestyle resort- because why ease in when you can dive right in? It’s late October, which means it’s officially Swinger Christmas (aka Halloween), so the party-talk begins. From there, they turn their attention to She’s Gotta Have It (2017), the bold, unapologetic series about Nola Darling - a free-spirited Black artist navigating love, sex, and identity as she dates three men and a woman. Lauren and Ben unpack the gender dynamics, power plays, and deeper layers that make Nola such a complex character - not just as a polyamorous woman, but as a whole human being. With themes touching on women’s autonomy, sexual assault, body image, and self-expression, this lively conversation explores how She’s Gotta Have It dares to mix art, sex, and social commentary in ways that still feel fresh and provocative today. STD Hero [https://mybls.com/collections/std-hero?sca_ref=8646508.DaskkM5SusIt73&utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=8646508]: or use coupon code Lauren10 at checkout. Retreats: https://www.swinginglifestylecoach.com/inperson-retreats [https://www.swinginglifestylecoach.com/inperson-retreats] Get my book: For Better or Even Better: 7 Lessons on Love & Life from a Non-Monogamist [https://a.co/d/68RFjNx] Website: SwingingLifestyleCoach.com [https://www.swinginglifestylecoach.com] Social Media Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/swinginglifestylecoach [https://www.instagram.com/swinginglifestylecoach] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SwingingLifestyleCoach [https://www.facebook.com/SwingingLifestyleCoach] YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVZR-9HggJ51NaJnXCnq0Ew [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVZR-9HggJ51NaJnXCnq0Ew]

Splitsville: Comedy Win, ENM Fail

Send a text [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2402755/open_sms] Lauren and Ben dive into Splitsville—the gloriously unhinged new movie where a handjob-fueled car crash leads to divorce, an “open marriage circus,” and a bro-fight so long it could’ve had intermission popcorn. Lauren actually saw the whole film (so you don’t necessarily have to), while Ben only managed the trailer—though that doesn’t stop him from handing out hot takes and wishing for raunchier American comedies. Along the way, we get weekend updates: cozy threesomes, Billy Idol rocking shirtless at 69, and Ben sheepishly asking Lauren to boss him around more. The conversation hits all the messy intersections of monogamy and ENM—“no rules” hookups that go sideways, honesty that isn’t honest, and whether penises deserve serious actor cred. It’s a roast of cinematic chaos, equal parts disaster and delight. STD Hero [https://mybls.com/collections/std-hero?sca_ref=8646508.DaskkM5SusIt73&utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=8646508]: or use coupon code Lauren10 at checkout. Retreats: https://www.swinginglifestylecoach.com/inperson-retreats [https://www.swinginglifestylecoach.com/inperson-retreats] Get my book: For Better or Even Better: 7 Lessons on Love & Life from a Non-Monogamist [https://a.co/d/68RFjNx] Website: SwingingLifestyleCoach.com [https://www.swinginglifestylecoach.com] Social Media Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/swinginglifestylecoach [https://www.instagram.com/swinginglifestylecoach] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SwingingLifestyleCoach [https://www.facebook.com/SwingingLifestyleCoach] YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVZR-9HggJ51NaJnXCnq0Ew [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVZR-9HggJ51NaJnXCnq0Ew]

Trigonometry & the Awkward Art of Adding a Third

Send a text [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2402755/open_sms]  Lauren and Ben kick off with Ben's hilariously mundane life updates - school stress and parties - while Lauren reveals about her French nudist swinger village jaunt, where badges are mandatory but clothing is not. This episode covers everything from unicorn cakes to awkward throuple jealousy. They dissect "Trigonometry," a slow-burn British gem where a couple accidentally throuples with their Olympic swimmer lodger, complete with vulva slip-ups, drag bar unicorn roasts, and a honeymoon ruined by overthinking the "third." Their poly insights shine: no role models means dramatic mess-ups, but it's refreshingly real on unicorn vulnerabilities and coming-out chaos. Tune in for laughs around the truisms that ENM is sometimes stickier than movie theater floors.  STD Hero [https://mybls.com/collections/std-hero?sca_ref=8646508.DaskkM5SusIt73&utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=8646508]: or use coupon code Lauren10 at checkout. Retreats: https://www.swinginglifestylecoach.com/inperson-retreats [https://www.swinginglifestylecoach.com/inperson-retreats] Get my book: For Better or Even Better: 7 Lessons on Love & Life from a Non-Monogamist [https://a.co/d/68RFjNx] Website: SwingingLifestyleCoach.com [https://www.swinginglifestylecoach.com] Social Media Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/swinginglifestylecoach [https://www.instagram.com/swinginglifestylecoach] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SwingingLifestyleCoach [https://www.facebook.com/SwingingLifestyleCoach] YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVZR-9HggJ51NaJnXCnq0Ew [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVZR-9HggJ51NaJnXCnq0Ew]

Season 2 Trailer: The Examined Lives (ENM Vibes) has Evolved (as everyone should)

Send a text [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2402755/open_sms] We started out as a reaction podcast to The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives because we haaaate it when our community is represented by those who know nothing about our community. Well, we were fooled by the click-bait, and it had little to do with our community.  Ben and I pivoted and now we review shows with ENM themes. We review them and discuss how ENM is portrayed...and if the show is any good. We are a couple of friends - he's poly, I'm a swinger - and we love our communities - and hanging out with each other. So join us for some light-hearted ENM fun. STD Hero [https://mybls.com/collections/std-hero?sca_ref=8646508.DaskkM5SusIt73&utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=8646508]: or use coupon code Lauren10 at checkout. Retreats: https://www.swinginglifestylecoach.com/inperson-retreats [https://www.swinginglifestylecoach.com/inperson-retreats] Get my book: For Better or Even Better: 7 Lessons on Love & Life from a Non-Monogamist [https://a.co/d/68RFjNx] Website: SwingingLifestyleCoach.com [https://www.swinginglifestylecoach.com] Social Media Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/swinginglifestylecoach [https://www.instagram.com/swinginglifestylecoach] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SwingingLifestyleCoach [https://www.facebook.com/SwingingLifestyleCoach] YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVZR-9HggJ51NaJnXCnq0Ew [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVZR-9HggJ51NaJnXCnq0Ew]

Dying for Sex (and Lasagna)

Send a text [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2402755/open_sms] One host just got back from a 2500-couple sex convention. The other is sleepy by 11 PM. Let the games begin. Lauren and Ben tackle the profound TV show Dying for Sex. But not before they workshop the best story for a sprained finger. The whole thing descends into anarchy when Lauren realizes she missed the episode with all the kink, leaving Ben to explain dom/sub dynamics, dick-kicking, and the vital importance of bringing lasagna to a sex-party.  STD Hero [https://mybls.com/collections/std-hero?sca_ref=8646508.DaskkM5SusIt73&utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=8646508]: or use coupon code Lauren10 at checkout. Retreats: https://www.swinginglifestylecoach.com/inperson-retreats [https://www.swinginglifestylecoach.com/inperson-retreats] Get my book: For Better or Even Better: 7 Lessons on Love & Life from a Non-Monogamist [https://a.co/d/68RFjNx] Website: SwingingLifestyleCoach.com [https://www.swinginglifestylecoach.com] Social Media Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/swinginglifestylecoach [https://www.instagram.com/swinginglifestylecoach] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SwingingLifestyleCoach [https://www.facebook.com/SwingingLifestyleCoach] YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVZR-9HggJ51NaJnXCnq0Ew [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVZR-9HggJ51NaJnXCnq0Ew]