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Outspoken advice columnist Dan Savage showcases the best true stories about sex and relationships from live storytelling shows across the country. Many episodes feature special guests, who share their stories, songs, and thoughts on relationships. Dan provides hilarious commentary…and occasionally a story of his own.
Love is patient, love is kind, love is giving up your rent controlled apartment, screaming alone on a beach, and everything in-between. This episode of Hot Mic with Dan Savage features two stories where someone drops the “I love you” bomb – including a studio story from master teller Kevin Allison, and comic Jackie Kashian speaking of love at Roman…
Secret identities don't just cause problems for superheroes - they make trouble for normal people too. In this episode of Hot Mic, two storytellers - one of them is Dan Savage himself - describe what it's like to hide, and then reveal, sexual or gender orientation. This episode features the stories "Trans on Ice" by Elana Lancaster for The Story Co…
“Don’t hesitate! Take the plunge! Put yourself out there!” Well…what’s out there? You may find an open minded sexual unicorn capable of pleasuring you beyond humankind’s feeble imagination, or limp home bruised and black-eyed with little more than your dignity and a story; maybe not even that much. On this episode of Hot Mic with Dan Savage, two st…
The most hopeless of crushes are often the most powerful. On this episode of Hot Mic with Dan Savage we'll hear a studio story from Samm Levine, the actor whose breakout role was in the cult TV favorite Freaks And Geeks. Samm shares a story about a pre and post-fame crush on a girl with an intoxicating name. We'll also hear a RISK! live story from …
When applied appropriately, a little shame can be hot. But all too often when shame enters a sexy situation, it's not the fun kind. On this episode of Hot Mic with Dan Savage we'll hear two stories that deal with shame head on. First, writer Elna Baker attempts to get laid while ignoring the Mormon voice in her head in "New York Virgin," told live …
When love ends and your lover leaves, they also leave things behind—that t-shirt that smells like them, or that mix CD they made you, or...their sex toys. In this episode of Hot Mic with Dan Savage, we present to you an elegiac dildo variety show of sorts. We have a live story called "Up in Flames" by Henry Bear from The Mystery Box Show, all about…
Online dating is the grandest gamble - the reward might be a great time, but the opportunity for disappointment and deception is no joke. On this episode of Hot Mic, Dan Savage features two hilarious stories about online hookups that went in different directions than the storytellers imagined. First up, comedian and writer Guy Branum shares a story…
When it comes to sex, nothing is harder than talking about sexually transmitted infections. Get it?! And STIs are even more difficult to make funny - look how hard we just tried! But on this episode of Hot Mic with Dan Savage, a bunch of brave souls break the stigma with hilarious STI stories and scenarios. Rob Penty shares a story from RISK! about…
As a tiny minority of America's population, most members of the LGBT community spend most of their time in heterosexual spaces. But the "Gay Area" episode of Hot Mic with Dan Savage is...well, just what it sounds like. You'll hear a story from Don't Tell My Mother about what happened when straight comedian and actor Barry Rothbart got hired to film…
Everyone loves a good creepy story, and this episode of Hot Mic with Dan Savage features two particularly great ones - including a creeper story with a twist by Janelle James from RISK!, and a studio story from Sean Patton about what happens when you become the creep. Plus, Dan has some advice for those who hang out with creepy people. In each epis…
Having a comfort zone to retreat to is important. But just like a city gets rezoned in order to accommodate development, we have to rezone what we're comfortable with in order to grow. Especially when it comes to sex. On this episode of Hot Mic with Dan Savage, two storytellers decide to try to make their comfort zones a little larger. This episode…
On this episode of Hot Mic with Dan Savage, singer and songwriter Rachel Lark joins Dan to talk (and sing) about heartbreak, love lost, hope found. Featured stories include "Searching for the Rainbow" by Michael Zhuang for Story District, and "Janine Gets Her Groove Back" by Janine Brito for RISK! In each episode of Hot Mic with Dan Savage, relatio…
Every romance begins differently, but for the ones that last, there's always a moment when you decide to commit - we call it your commit-moment. In this episode, two storytellers share the tale of their own commit-moments, and prove that real love can come from the strangest of places. This episode of Hot Mic with Dan Savage features "Wet Feet" by …
Prostitution, phone sex, porn, stripping, pro-domination. Sex work is a diverse range of professions united by sex, money, and stigma. And as a consequence of the stigma, we hear a lot about sex work but we rarely hear from sex workers themselves. But in this episode of Hot Mic hosted by Dan Savage, two sex workers show their work. "Humiliatrix" Ce…
In this special, single-story episode of Hot Mic with Dan Savage, Lily Be tells the tale of how her parents' marriage ended—a mystery she had to wait more than a decade to uncover. Plus, Dan Savage shares his thoughts on monogamy, secrets, and more. This episode features the story "Conversion Van Stowaway", which Lily Be told for RISK! in Chicago. …
Let's get it on, with a little help from our friends. In these two stories, middle school friends clue each other in to the world of sex and romance—from new uses for internet connections to first kisses to Ryan Phillippe to lesbian smut. Hosted by your guide Dan Savage, this episode features "Sarah and Christina" by Daniel, from True Story, and "A…
Sometimes you have to escape the nest in order to learn how to flap your wings, if you know what I mean. In this episode, Margot Leitman escapes her parents' gaze—they'd rather focus on each other—to Puerto Rico, where a handsome man in a lavender shirt awaits her. Storyteller Mike O'Connell, on the other hand, completely fails to escape the nest. …
When it comes to live storytelling shows, stories that end in bad sex are much more common than those that end well. Which makes sense—it's hard to come off looking good with a story about how great you are in the sack. But on this episode of Hot Mic with Dan Savage we’ll hear two good sex stories where everyone leaves happy and maybe even a little…
How does dressing up in drag help you disappear? Why is being feminine like being a poodle...and what does that mean for the wolves? These and other questions are explored on this Halloween episode of Hot Mic with Dan Savage, wherein Dan shares his own story, from RISK!, about judging a Halloween costume contest on acid and performing femininity as…
Coming out is a huge step—but what about all the small steps afterwards? In this episode, two gay people try to navigate their romantic lives after coming out, and learn that finding love isn't quite as easy as just walking into a gay bar. This episode features "Sunset at Noon" from Holly Lorka for The Soundtrack Series, and "How to Be" from R. Eri…
Since Hot Mic with Dan Savage is a show about sex and relationships, we figured maybe in at least one episode we’d talk about the part that involves baby making. We'll also talk about what happens when you want a baby, but don't wanna sex it into existence. Plus, a surprising revelation: babies eventually turn into teenagers. Get ready for two hila…
Two storytellers with very intense but very different body issues take some action, get some action, and discover the unexpected powers and pleasures of their own bodies. This episode of Hot Mic with Dan Savage features "I Have a Vagina" by Buck Angel for Trantastic at Bawdy Storytelling, and "Power in It" by Carrie Wade for RISK! Plus, Dan explain…
Comedian Jen Kirkman's mother had a sign in her kitchen that said "Kissin' don't last, cookin' do." Hear how that sign and all it represented affected Jen's romantic life, in a funny and touching story she told on Don't Tell My Mother in Los Angeles. Plus, Jen is our special guest in studio! She and Dan Savage talk about love, lust (particularly fo…
What happens when the utterly unexpected goes down while you’re trying to get it on? In these two live stories, brave heroes—one at a base in Iraq, one...well, in a car—face unimaginable interruptions during the act of lovemaking, and still manage to come to satisfying conclusions. Plus, Dan Savage has some thoughts on how to deal with surprises in…
Fantasy can be so powerful that sometimes we forget reality is headed in a totally different direction. In this special episode of Hot Mic with Dan Savage, comedian and actress Rachel Bloom chats with Dan about her CW musical comedy Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, where her character Rebecca Bunch takes fantasy a bit far (you'll also hear some snippets of son…
Your heart is racing, your knees are wobbly, and you’re suddenly feeling light-headed. Are you head over heels in love, or is fear creeping down your spine…or both? In this spooky show, two storytellers find themselves in hair-raising situations that unexpectedly raise other things as well. This episode of Hot Mic with Dan Savage features the stori…
In the effort to find a perfect partner, we end up falling for people who fall short. Some of these shortcomings are, of course, inevitable, but on this episode of Hot Mic, your host Dan Savage features two storytellers who reach their breaking points. First up is comedian Michelle Buteau with her story "Fly Girl," told live for RISK! in San Franci…
The saying, "Beauty is as beauty does" is misleading. It's supposed to mean that one's beauty is defined by their actions, not their appearance. But as anyone who's ever consumed any type of visual media knows, beautiful people are exalted—and most people in the public eye have to DO a lot to be beautiful. On this episode of Hot Mic with Dan Savage…
Losing your virginity is usually just as terrifying as it is exciting - which is why most of the time, would-be virginity losers make a plan. Who? Where? What to wear (or take off)? Whether the plan works out, however, is a different story. On this episode of Hot Mic with Dan Savage, two storytellers describe hatching their first time plans and the…
High school sucks for a lot of people, especially young queer kids trying to survive the blinding storm of pubescent hormones while getting bullied or beat up for things they’re just learning to like. Things like musical theater, or in Dan Bucatinsky's case, the leader of his high school's marching band. On this episode of Hot Mic with Dan Savage, …
Ghost stories aren't just for campfires and sleepovers anymore. They're also for those of us still doing the dating slog, especially those of us who think everything is going great with a new partner, when whoosh! They disappear like mist. On this episode of Hot Mic with Dan Savage, Nikki DeVaughn shares a very sexy ghost story from BedPost Confess…
Who doesn’t love an unexpected wedding proposal? Let's be honest - especially one that careens suddenly off the rails? On this episode of Hot Mic we're talking about times the question gets popped and, surprise, not all goes swimmingly. Plus, Dan shares the deep satisfaction of telling your lover off in public. This episode of Hot Mic features “Str…
