Podcast Corner: Emily Ratajkowski delves into dating and gender power dynamics
Emily Ratajkowski presents High Low with EmRata. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)
According to model Emily Ratajkowski, she is dating for the first time in her adult life and is fascinated by gender power dynamics, saying that dating brings all of that to the forefront. That is what serves as the introduction to her new podcast, High Low with EmRata. That’s not to be confused with the High Low, a podcast from Pandora Sykes and Dolly Alderton which came to a close two years ago.
A regular visitor to West Cork, Ratajkowski’s show follows the release of her acclaimed book My Body this year. The first episode, if you haven’t guessed already, is about ‘Sex on the First Date’, where she talks with her best friend about the topic - it includes statistics found on TikTok, apparently referencing an academic study, that found in first-time hookups with men, women orgasm only 7% of the time.
Ratajkowski may well be eyeing the position of Spotify-exclusive Call Her Daddy, which gets millions of listeners every episode for its provocative topics. That show’s host, Alex Cooper, is indeed the first guest on High Low. “I’m still a psycho,” she tells Ratajkowski of her role behind the scenes. “I don’t think Call Her Daddy would be what it is if I just stepped away from it.”
A twice-weekly show, Ratajkowski says Tuesdays on High Low will be “intimate conversations with special guests” and on Thursdays ”I’ll talk about whatever’s happening in the world and what it’s making me think about”.
An interesting and increasingly common feature in podcasting will see listeners be able to subscribe to a third exclusive episode each week “where you get to be part of the show. I’ll go through your comments and answer your DMs.”
If High Low reminded you of the much-loved Alderton/Sykes show, it was interesting to see Sex, Lies and DM Slides return with a second season but a much changed sound. We’ve covered the show before, when it was hosted by chef and food writer Gizzi Erskine and Sydney Lima. The new hosts are influencers Saffron Barker and Anastasia Kingsnorth, who offer a TMI look at their personal lives.
However, the original hosts were surprised to see Spotify relaunch the show - Erskine, on Instagram, said she was shocked and horrified, stating: “If Spotify don’t want to make it with us - then that’s fine, but DO NOT STEAL our format and name. WE created it (the format and name) in MY kitchen over a series of months. Spotify just paid for it to be made.”
According to the Guardian, a Spotify spokesman responded: “Sex, Lies & DM Slides is a wholly owned Spotify Original podcast inclusive of name and format, and we look forward to watching the show continue to evolve.”
