Episode 246: The Disappearance of Shere Hite
December 1, 2023 by Justin Lehmiller
In the previous episode, we explored the life and times of Shere Hite, who published what is perhaps the bestselling non-fiction book about sex ever to hit the market. Despite selling 50 million copies, it has been largely forgotten in the half-century since its release. However, it’s back in the spotlight again with the release of the new documentary The Disappearance of Shere Hite. In today’s show, I’m going to continue my conversation with the director of this film to dive into the story behind it. We’re also going to talk about why Shere’s work is more relevant than ever.
I am joined once again by Nicole Newnham, the Oscar-nominated, Emmy-winning documentary producer and director behind The Disappearance of Shere Hite. This film premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival is now playing in select theaters. Nicole also co-directed and produced the 2021 Academy Award-nominated documentary Crip Camp.
In this episode, we discuss:
- What compelled the making of a documentary about Shere’s work?
- Why did this extraordinary woman and her work seemingly disappear?
- How did the media try to craft “gotcha” moments to discredit Shere?
- What are some lessons from the film, and Shere’s story, that are important in modern times?
Visit sherehitedoc.com to find out where The Disappearance of Shere Hite is playing near you.
Got a sex question? Send me a podcast voicemail to have it answered on a future episode at speakpipe.com/sexandpsychology
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Credits: Precision Podcasting (Podcast editing) and Shutterstock/Florian (Music). Image created with Canva; photos used with permission of guest.
Dr. Justin Lehmiller
Founder & Owner of Sex and PsychologyDr. Justin Lehmiller is a social psychologist and Research Fellow at The Kinsey Institute. He runs the Sex and Psychology blog and podcast and is author of the popular book Tell Me What You Want. Dr. Lehmiller is an award-winning educator, and a prolific researcher who has published more than 50 academic works.
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