By Juliet Bromme
March 31, 2021
A podcast covering sex and spirituality is coming to Lincoln, Nebraska. Kate Pierson, part-time graduate student and mother to a daughter, 13, and a son, 15, first shared her experiences and thoughts on these issues through her YouTube channel, “Sex on Fridays.”
She decided to start a conversation on YouTube about sex because of her own self-described ignorance on the subject. “I grew up in rural Minden in the ‘90s and the main premise is that nobody told me anything about sex.” She realized that being up front about an area that has been somewhat of a taboo topic in society enables others to do the same. Eventually, her channel garnered a small audience. “Many were total strangers who said they liked my personal, conversational style and that I would just ‘put it all out there.’”
However, after a friend noticed a KZUM advertisement and encouraged her to apply;, Pierson realized she could reach a larger audience. Shifting to a podcast format will provide a more structured approach to discussing how intimacy and spirituality are intertwined.
Pierson believes that the fundamentalist Christian traditions that influenced her upbringing did not provide her with enough information about sex. “And part of it was just me,” she laughs. “I hung out with my grandparents and didn’t hang out with many of my peers. When I asked my friends at the time why they didn’t tell me anything, they said I was like Laura Ingalls Wilder and not interested in their ‘worldly pursuits.’”
She feels that sharing how her approaches to her sexuality are continually evolving is an important part of her own journey and could be beneficial for others to hear.
She dubs her upcoming podcast Reverse Farmgirl. “The catchphrase is, ‘looking back to where I came from and open to new positions.’” Despite the play on words, she feels that this illustrates the evolution of her own personal narrative.
She hopes this new podcast opportunity will be more interactive and inquiry-based than her YouTube channel. In the first episode, she’s going to discuss sexual energy and ask listeners when they first realized sexual energy in themselves. She is looking forward to having listeners submit questions and comments through an anonymous email account.
Eventually, she wants to integrate the Lincoln religious community in her podcast. She relates, “the Christian tradition I was raised with teaches you the sins of the flesh and not to get involved with the body, but I feel more spiritually whole and closer to God once I embrace my body.” She also heard of a sexual education program at the Unitarian church in Lincoln. In the future, she hopes to incorporate interviews from people involved in similar church programs in her podcast.
“I’m looking forward to being a voice in the spiritual community. I’m most excited that it’s so vocal. I feel like the podcast is almost better than a book deal because it’s very organic and always moving, and I can really go on full Nebraska- girl and I don’t have to explain anything.”
She knows it will be a lot of work, but is excited about trying a new medium and sharing her story with an audience. By discussing her own experiences with sex and spirituality, she hopes others will be empowered. “Don’t be ashamed to tell your story. How are we humans going to learn anything, if we are always presenting a person who is different from who we are?”
A podcast covering sex and spirituality is coming to Lincoln, Nebraska. Kate Pierson, part-time graduate student and mother to a daughter, 13, and a son, 15, first shared her experiences and thoughts on these issues through her YouTube channel, “Sex on Fridays.”
She decided to start a conversation on YouTube about sex because of her own self-described ignorance on the subject. “I grew up in rural Minden in the ‘90s and the main premise is that nobody told me anything about sex.” She realized that being up front about an area that has been somewhat of a taboo topic in society enables others to do the same. Eventually, her channel garnered a small audience. “Many were total strangers who said they liked my personal, conversational style and that I would just ‘put it all out there.’”
However, after a friend noticed a KZUM advertisement and encouraged her to apply;, Pierson realized she could reach a larger audience. Shifting to a podcast format will provide a more structured approach to discussing how intimacy and spirituality are intertwined.
Pierson believes that the fundamentalist Christian traditions that influenced her upbringing did not provide her with enough information about sex. “And part of it was just me,” she laughs. “I hung out with my grandparents and didn’t hang out with many of my peers. When I asked my friends at the time why they didn’t tell me anything, they said I was like Laura Ingalls Wilder and not interested in their ‘worldly pursuits.’”
She feels that sharing how her approaches to her sexuality are continually evolving is an important part of her own journey and could be beneficial for others to hear.
She dubs her upcoming podcast Reverse Farmgirl. “The catchphrase is, ‘looking back to where I came from and open to new positions.’” Despite the play on words, she feels that this illustrates the evolution of her own personal narrative.
She hopes this new podcast opportunity will be more interactive and inquiry-based than her YouTube channel. In the first episode, she’s going to discuss sexual energy and ask listeners when they first realized sexual energy in themselves. She is looking forward to having listeners submit questions and comments through an anonymous email account.
Eventually, she wants to integrate the Lincoln religious community in her podcast. She relates, “the Christian tradition I was raised with teaches you the sins of the flesh and not to get involved with the body, but I feel more spiritually whole and closer to God once I embrace my body.” She also heard of a sexual education program at the Unitarian church in Lincoln. In the future, she hopes to incorporate interviews from people involved in similar church programs in her podcast.
“I’m looking forward to being a voice in the spiritual community. I’m most excited that it’s so vocal. I feel like the podcast is almost better than a book deal because it’s very organic and always moving, and I can really go on full Nebraska- girl and I don’t have to explain anything.”
She knows it will be a lot of work, but is excited about trying a new medium and sharing her story with an audience. By discussing her own experiences with sex and spirituality, she hopes others will be empowered. “Don’t be ashamed to tell your story. How are we humans going to learn anything, if we are always presenting a person who is different from who we are?”
Juliet Bromme is a journalism intern with KZUM.
