What assumptions lurk behind the man-approaches-woman default? Why is double-dating a good idea? Does the military take grief seriously? Paul and Eli invite the former naval aviator Matt Rhodes to discuss Top Gun, the 1986 blockbuster featuring Tom Cruise, Kelly McGillis, and a sex scene unlike anything you’ve ever witnessed in a PG movie.

For show notes, click here.

Hosted, produced, and edited by Paul Eastwick and Eli Finkel.

Music by Andrew Fraker and Sons

Artwork by Katie Keil

Is society prejudiced against single people? How does culture control our sexual behavior? Do we need to find a partner who shares a hyper-specific similarity? Paul and Eli invite Yuthika Girme—one of the world’s foremost experts in the science of both romantic relationships and singlehood—to discuss The Lobster (2015), Yorgos Lanthimos’s deadpan, absurdist, and deeply unsettling romantic satire.

For show notes, click here.

Hosted, produced, and edited by Paul Eastwick and Eli Finkel.

Music by Andrew Fraker and Sons

Artwork by Katie Keil

Are secret relationships especially alluring? How can we cultivate intimacy in a new relationship? What is the nature of heroism for men and women? Paul and Eli dive into Titanic – the 1997 epic that launched Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio to stardom – to learn whether hearts go on and on.

For show notes, click here.

Hosted, produced, and edited by Paul Eastwick and Eli Finkel.

Music by Andrew Fraker and Sons

Artwork by Katie Keil