Reality Bytes

For the 29th episode of season 4, your fearless triad – Courtney Kocak, Sofiya Alexandra & Dave Rankin – is thrilled to welcome Rachel Sam Evans, Snarled senior content manager & host of Dark 5, as well as co-host of the Best of the Rest wrestling podcast. First: The triad is hella sprung on Rachel's conspiracy theory/pro-wrestling/satanism/masturbation energy/carnival vibe, so we just get right into the interview. Then: We get into Rachel's latest Instagram post of her beautiful ass, putting out BDE on IG, the benefits & drawbacks of thirst-trapping (there should only be benefits!), subtle ways women can be held back professionally because of social optics or a wife's jealousy, developing before her classmates, getting her period at age 9, her 1st time masturbating, the ring rat & chuckle fucker labels, her type (FREAKS, BABY!!!), her 1st job at Noise Haus, sneaking out of the house to have sex as teenager, her very cool mom who will 100% listen to the podcast (hi, Aunt Vicky!), tryna date French boys, com

For the 28th episode of season 4, your fearless triad – Courtney Kocak, Sofiya Alexandra & Dave Rankin – does their 1st foray into guestlessness (don't worry, we'll be back with a guest next ep!) to review the personal & professional strides each has made over the past year, along with some goals for 2019. Among the revelations: Dave (finally!) has a girlfriend, Sofiya gives her best surrogate update yet & Courtney's rejection resolution was a big success. We also talk about our favorite interviews of the season: Michael Feldman & Michael Rachlis, Reza Aslan & Jessica Jackley, Greg Behrendt & Amiira Ruotola-Behrendt, Ryan Singer, Ester Steinberg, Biniam Bizuneh, Jack O'Brien & Miles Gray of The Daily Zeitgeist... gah, all of our guests have been so amazing, it's really hard to choose!   For more Reality Bytes: Follow Reality Bytes on Instagram @realitybytespod Follow Reality Bytes on Twitter @realitybytespod Like Reality Bytes on Facebook @realitybytespod Follow Courtney on Instagram @courtneykocak

For the 27th episode of season 4, your fearless triad – Courtney Kocak, Sofiya Alexandra & Dave Rankin – is down a Dave, but nonetheless thrilled to welcome Alexandra Fine, the co-founder & CEO of Dame Products, a Brooklyn-based sex toy company. First: Inspired by reading "5 Sex Trends You Totally Don't Have to Like (or Even Try!)" on Dame's aptly-titled blog "The Horizontal," Courtney & Sofiya unpack their personal preferences for five different sex trends – anal sex; threesomes, group sex, polyamory & other sorts of open relationships; intense stimulation (DOUBLE YES!!); shower sex; BDSM & heavy kink play. Then: Alex fills us in on Dame's origin story & her trajectory into the women's pleasure profession. We also talk about conversations surrounding sex in the workplace during the #MeToo movement when sex IS your business, sexual harassment vs. humans are innately sexual beings, advertising's gender bias, marriage, the necessary work of cultivating the erotic energy in a long-term relationship, our natura

For the 26th episode of season 4, your fearless triad – Courtney Kocak, Sofiya Alexandra & Dave Rankin – is thrilled to welcome the hosts of the Love in Limboland podcast Kudzi & Tiffany. First: The triad discusses our tendencies to stay friends with exes vs. banishing them to the dark side of the moon. We also talk about jealousy & the chillness that comes from being secure in your relationship. Then: We get into it with Kudzi & Tiffany about cultural differences between South Africa & the United States, the contrasting tone of race relations in both places, living in the bubble of Los Angeles, being work friends before starting their podcast, bringing a date to the holiday party gone wrong, Watergate: The Great Manners vs. Independent Woman Debate, who should pay for the 1st date, being bad a texting as a dating dealbreaker, how to keep the momentum going without wasting a ton of time texting, the importance of taking it offline as soon as possible, qualities they're each looking for in a potential partne

For the 25th episode of season 4, your fearless triad – Courtney Kocak, Sofiya Alexandra & Dave Rankin – is thrilled to welcome standup comedian & host of the Me & Paranormal You podcast Ryan Singer to talk about his new comedy album Free Love (now available for free!!!). First: The triad talks about that super annoying phenomenon where neurotic people (aka us) will take a little offhand comment someone makes & blow it completely out-of-proportion in their minds. Then: Ryan shares why he calls his podcast a mindcast (thus inspiring us to start calling Reality Bytes a genitalcast), his experience with a lowkey STD called Molluscum (whaddya know, Dave's also had Molluscum!), how he's overcoming his fear of intimacy & abandonment issues, his foray into a serious relationship for the 1st time in seven years, how to stay friends with exes & former hookups, why our society's weird POV on male/female friendship is so wack, a hot tip for younger men, the difference between dark mystery vs. fun mystery, why The Note

For the 24th episode of season 4, your fearless triad – Courtney Kocak, Sofiya Alexandra & Dave Rankin – is thrilled to welcome the hosts of the Almost 30 podcast Krista Williams & Lindsey Simcik. First: The triad got a very poignant, special message from a fan this week (thank YOU, you know who you are). We talk about feeling lost, the journey of finding oneself again, and the church of Cheryl Strayed (praise be!). Then: Krista & Lindsey share their most impactful Almost 30 interviews to date (hello, Dan Savage & John Wineland), a more sympathetic way to think about infidelity, what it's like to change at different rates within a relationship, the excitement & fear of having babies, the influence of their parents' relationships on their own, how they reframe sexual harassment & #MeToo-type situations without adding shame, the stifling effect of outrage culture, how they knew right away their connection was special, what it's like to work together & the keys to a successful partnership. This episode is bro

For the 23rd episode of season 4, your fearless triad – Courtney Kocak, Sofiya Alexandra & Dave Rankin – is thrilled to welcome Jenna Birch, author of The Love Gap: A Radical Plan to Win in Life and Love & co-founder/CEO of the new dating app Plum, which launches December 1st. First: The triad raves about the Doc Johnson factory tour, including meeting their Leonardo da Vinci of dildos, artist Anjani Siddhartha. Courtney & Sofiya share how fun it was to get their pussies molded, while Dave "Sad Dick" Rankin relives one of his top 3 most awkward moments – aka the erotic horror story of getting his penis molded – & reveals his unsuccessful "Big Dick Daddy" self-talk. Then: Jenna explains the impetus for her book, the interview process involved in its writing, the definition of "End Goal" woman & the types of men she's likely to encounter in the dating pool, the correlation between feminism & hypermasculinity, her relationship status & the unique features of her new dating app Plum (download it on December 1st

For the 22th episode of season 4, your fearless triad – Courtney Kocak, Sofiya Alexandra & Dave Rankin – is thrilled to welcome the hosts of the HowStuffWorks podcast The Daily Zeitgeist Jack O'Brien (who also co-founded Cracked.com) & Miles Gray to talk becoming a dad & finally being with someone who challenges you, respectively. First: The triad gives a glowing review of the "Beastie Boys Book: Live & Direct" tour, Dave fills us in on his new apartment & we talk about sleepover expectations for hookups vs. relationships.   Then: The Daily Zeitgeist fellas go deep with us about Jack proposing to his now wife, their wedding announcement rejection from The New York Times, how having kids has deepened their relationship, the ways fatherhood has changed him, the growth Miles has unlocked by being with a partner who challenges him, talking to his mom about #MeToo, his days in a rap group with Shia LaBeouf (!!!), the importance of being true to yourself in a relationship, the intangible effects of your parents st

For the 21st episode of season 4, your fearless triad – Courtney Kocak, Sofiya Alexandra & Dave Rankin – is thrilled to welcome power couple Reza Aslan (religion scholar & author of God, Zealot & more) & Jessica Jackley (co-founder of microlending company Kiva.org & author of Clay Water Brick). First: The triad talks about women still being defined by their attachment to a man despite advances in gender equality & the decision whether or not to change your last name.   Then: Reza & Jessica open up about being introduced via email, their TED Talk "Higher Love," raising boys with consent culture, challenging previous relationships, serial monogamy, dating after a sexless relationship, sowing wild oats, Reza's 1st three trigger-happy engagements, Jessica's post-divorce Eat Pray Love phase, realizing they wanted to commit to each other, getting pregnant right away, their surprise wedding (to the 3rd power), marriage counseling, being an interfaith couple, fostering a multifaith family, the distinction between re

For the 20th episode of season 4, your fearless triad – Courtney Kocak, Sofiya Alexandra & Dave Rankin – is thrilled to welcome Delanie Fischer, co-host of The Self-Helpless Podcast & founder/CEO of Dicks by Delanie. First: Courtney & Sofiya check in on the blowjob challenge. Dave is blown away by their updates! We also talk about going to bed at the same time as your partner. Then: Delanie does a deep dive with us on finding her way into a happy relationship after being single for a long time, her hit podcast’s origin story, favorite podcast moments including interviewing Brian Regan (the nicest comedian ever), her fuckboy days, turning a hookup into a LTR, her self-help journey, being really in love for the first time, moving in together, getting comfortable, growing up in Simi Valley, being homeschooled during high school & having older friends, her party days, starting standup, then realizing she wanted to quit, the awkwardness of a career identity shift, limiting beliefs about work & money, quitting he

For the 19th episode of season 4, your fearless triad – Courtney Kocak, Sofiya Alexandra & Dave Rankin – is thrilled to welcome Tito Bonito, aka "the Cuban Missile Crisis of burlesque," a male burlesque performer & hilarious emcee. First: The triad talks about their stripper fantasies, nude work experience & shared obsession with 80s masterpiece Dirty Dancing – plus pay homage to Jennifer Grey's original nose.  Then: Tito spills the tea about the burlesque scene in LA & across the United States, how dropping out of Columbia College led to trying drag for the 1st time, why drag wasn't his thing, finding his voice in burlesque, playing with masculinity & femininity on stage, consent as it applies to crowd work, the difference between the comedy in standup and burlesque, audience feedback, flirting with straight guys after shows, his favorite costumes including Batman's Robin, a boy scout & his "problematic" Elián González character, when he realized he was gay, coming out to his Cuban family, his relationship

For the 18th episode of season 4, your fearless triad – Courtney Kocak, Sofiya Alexandra & Dave Rankin – is thrilled to welcome writer & comedian Travon Free. First: The triad talks about the spectrum of sexuality, that we're all a little gay & how male bisexuality is discouraged in our culture. Then: Travon waxes poetic & hilarious about the unnecessary sexualization of the term bisexual, his new series in development with Issa Rae & HBO called Him or Her, what it's like to be the Jackie Robinson of bi guys in Hollywood, the bi double standard: why is it okay or encouraged for women, but not for men?, the fact that a lot of straight male culture is actually pretty gay, the book Not Gay by Jane Ward, publically coming out via a blog post in 2011, the changing media landscape in terms of LGBTQ+ issues, the slower shift towards acceptance in less liberal communities, gay-straight alliances in high school, the invisible B, leaning into your partner’s identity, his first relationship with a man which inspired h

For the 17th episode of season 4, your fearless triad – Courtney Kocak, Sofiya Alexandra & Dave Rankin – is thrilled to welcome senior editor & Playboy Advisor Anna del Gaizo. First: Sofiya challenges Courtney to a 7-day blowjob challenge to prove who's the most "not like other girls."  Then: Anna spills the tea about how New York City kids grow up fast, her high school drug dealer, practicalities of the female condom (hint: not recommended unless your life is on the line), why Chlamydia is NBD, attending the AVN Awards, queefing v. farting, insecurities around sex, falling in love with Gia at the Spearmint Rhino, her current relationship status, Playboy parties, Connor Hefner assuming Hef's throne & posing for Playmate of the Month as a source of female empowerment. REMINDER: DOC JOHNSON GIVEAWAYS ALL WEEK – watch our IG @realitybytespod to enter! For more Anna del Gaizo: Read her Playboy Advisor column Follow her on Instagram @thisannaisbananas Follow her on Twitter @AnnaDelGaizo If you love th

For the 16th episode of season 4, your fearless triad – Courtney Kocak, Sofiya Alexandra & Dave Rankin – is thrilled to welcome Chad Braverman (COO & Chief Creative Officer) & Erica Braverman (Head of Communications & Consumer Marketing) from Doc Johnson, a Los Angeles-based manufacturer of pleasure products. This brother-sister duo run the largest sex toy company in the world with their dad Ron Braverman, who co-founded Doc Johnson in 1976. First: Dave gives us the 411 on his 1st sex toy experience (with the Mood Thrill ULTRASKYN stroker) & an update on his relationship status with pizza, Courtney shares a mortifying story about masturbating in a CVS parking lot, Sofiya & Courtney give their iWand testimonials & talk about being #MasturbationTwins. PLUS, DOC JOHNSON GIVEAWAYS ALL WEEK – watch our IG @realitybytespod to enter! Then: Chad & Erica tell us how their dad hid the truth about family business when they were kids, how they finally figured it out, what it was like to grow up in a sex-positive bubble

For the 15th episode of season 4, your fearless triad – Courtney Kocak, Sofiya Alexandra & Dave Rankin – is thrilled to welcome Michael Feldman & Michael Rachlis to chat about their web series inspired by their real-life relationship, Michael And Michael Are Gay. We delve into their meet-cute on the dance floor at The Abbey in West Hollywood, Rachlis' boyfriends (plural) at the time, being a late bloomer, going down on girls in high school, realizing you're gay & coming out in one fell swoop, a casting couch true story, musical theater-loving Jewish dads, coming out to their dads first, the proposal, their Michael-themed wedding, the lowdown on Burning Man sex, the evolving rules of their open relationship, dealing with jealousy, the danger of hooking up with friends & Feldman's love of happy endings – plus Sofiya gives a SURROGATE UPDATE! For more Michael Feldman & Michael Rachlis: Watch Michael And Michael Are Gay on YouTube Follow Feldman on Instagram @michaeljfeldman Follow Rachlis on Instagram @mi

For the 14th episode of season 4, your fearless triad – Courtney Kocak, Sofiya Alexandra & Dave Rankin – is thrilled to welcome Emma Koenig to fill us in on her latest book, Moan: Anonymous Essays on Female Orgasm (foreword by Rachel Bloom!). We dig into the anthology's origin story as a popular blog entitled How to Make Me Come, the blog-to-book publishing strategy, her approach as a "fan of sex" vs. an expert, contradictions among the spectrum of sexuality, childhood shame surrounding public masturbation (fair enough), meeting her boyfriend as soon as she finished the book & tips for anyone who wants to better communicate with their partner(s) about how to get them off – plus Emma issues a listener challenge. Also, DFR shares an update on his depression journey & the squad raves about the benefits of journaling. This episode is brought to you by Ritual vitamins. Check out ritual.com/reality to try Ritual – happiness guaranteed, or your 1st month's on them! For more Emma Koenig: Order Moan: Anonymous Es

For the 13th episode of season 4, your fearless triad – Courtney Kocak, Sofiya Alexandra & Dave Rankin – is thrilled to welcome the hosts of the HowStuffWorks podcast Ethnically Ambiguous Anna Hossnieh & Shereen Lani Younes to talk about the complexities of growing up with Iranian-American & Syrian-American identities (respectively). We go deep into what it’s like to grow up with strict, immigrant parents, the inexplicable ways of Anna’s Zumba instructor cousin, Anna meeting her surfer bro boyfriend at Meltdown Comics, IRL implications of the travel ban, tattoos, coming out, what NOT to say to someone during a breakup, what’s up with exes who still watch your IG stories (!!!), the temptation to rewrite history after things end badly, Arabic analogies for explaining sex to kids, putting virginity on a pedestal, parents around the world just don’t understand, covering your hair, gender-based power inequities in the Middle East & crying while tripping – plus, our reaction to the Blasey Ford/Kavanaugh hearing (l

For the 12th episode of season 4, your fearless triad – Courtney Kocak, Sofiya Alexandra & Dave Rankin – is thrilled to welcome two guests. First, sociologist & author of Exposure: A Sociologist Explores Sex, Society, and Adult Entertainment Dr. Chauntelle Tibbals unpacks the invisible economic discrimination against sex workers & how Motorbunny took ride-along sex saddles from niche to accessible. Then humor writer & essayist Riane Konc joins us from the Midwest (Cincinnati, Ohio to be exact)! She tells the hilarious, tortured tale of meeting her now-husband at age 13, recognizing she would want to be with him someday, but NOT wanting to date him yet – thus leading to a decade-long rejection before they got married & had a kid. We also talk about attending a small religious college, how to evade income tax by having 12 kids, using God as a manipulation strategy, LiveJournal for poets, pregnancy, baby colic, star-based poems, hormones, depression, advice she would give her younger self prior to having a chi

For the 11th episode of season 4, your fearless triad – Courtney Kocak, Sofiya Alexandra & Dave Rankin – is thrilled to welcome standup comedian, writer & Queery podcast producer Sierra Katow to talk about her college relationship blossoming into adulthood. We also chat about her starting standup in high school, party culture at Harvard, her season on Last Comic Standing, turn-ons, tips for keeping the peace & post #MeToo comedy comebacks – plus Courtney & Sofiya rant about the dismissive responsive to Dr. Chistine Blasey Ford's allegations against Judge Brett Kavanaugh & the ugly fact that our society doesn't believe women (while DFR supports them like a good ally). This episode is brought to you by Ritual vitamins. Check out ritual.com/reality to try Ritual – happiness guaranteed, or your 1st month's on them! For more Sierra Katow: Follow her on Instagram @sierrakatow Follow her on Twitter @sierrakatow Sign up for her newsletter!  If you love this episode, please leave us a 5-star rating & sexy r

For the 10th episode of season 4, your fearless triad – Courtney Kocak, Sofiya Alexandra & Dave Rankin – is thrilled to welcome actor, writer & creator of Comedy Central's How to Be Broke Biniam Bizuneh to give us tips on broke dating. We chop it up about gender parity in paying for dates, feminism's financial double standard, disposability in modern romance, love languages, practice relationships, defense mechanisms, the spark v. making a choice to fall in love, not wanting to date other comedians, unironic Jack Johnson fandom & what Biniam finds attractive – plus DFR dishes on his Jumbo's Clown Room date(?) & Sofiya gives a surrogate update. For more Biniam Bizuneh: Watch How to Be Broke on YouTube Follow him on Twitter @biniambiz Follow him on Instagram @biniambiz If you love this episode, please leave us a 5-star rating & sexy review! xo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices