Pillow Talk Analysis

For the second and final Compendium podcast, I listened to Professor Stefanos interview with Dr. Amanda Denes, a sex communication researcher and expert. At first, I was hesitant to listen to this podcast, let alone write about it. Dr. Denes refers to sex as a, “taboo” topic that people are often uncomfortable talking about. While this is true, it is also necessary to talk about, given that sex is such a prevalent and casual act college students engage in.
Dr. Amanda Denes grew up in New Jersey and later graduated from Boston College. It was during her time at Boston College, that she had her “aha” moment, the moment she realized interpersonal communication was something she could see herself studying for the rest of her career. Denes’ categorizes …show more content…
Being a freshman this year, making friends was a daunting task. I knew the only way to make genuine and deep connection was through disclosure; recalling past experiences, describing my childhood and upbringing, etc. As eager as I was to make those friendships, I’ve later realized that they only come with time. Revealing too information, too soon, can not only be invasive but you become much more vulnerable. Overall, I enjoyed this podcast as I was exposed to a communication connection I hadn’t yet thought about, communication and biology. I applaud Amanda Denes for dedicating her life’s work to research about a topic people know little about or aren’t comfortable discussing. Dr. Denes explains that sex is often discussed for merely educational purposes in school. Sex education essentially “scares” young people, education them into all the potential negative outcomes of sex; STDs, pregnancy, etc. Rarely, sex education is delivered in a positive, open, conversational manner. Dr. Denes however does just that. She provided me with information based on sex positive research, validating that our intellectual, social, and sexual lives are all very much intertwined, whether we are conscious of it or