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Explore every episode of the podcast Faking It with Ariel and Morgan

Dive into the complete episode list for Faking It with Ariel and Morgan. Each episode is cataloged with detailed descriptions, making it easy to find and explore specific topics. Keep track of all episodes from your favorite podcast and never miss a moment of insightful content.

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TitlePub. DateDuration
Back Arches & Check-Ins | Why “Heated Rivalry” Gets Queer Sex Right19 Dec 202500:31:38

We heard you. LOUDLY.

In this very special holiday Bonus Episode, Ariel and Morgan dive headfirst into Heated Rivalry, the wildly requested gay hockey romance that dropped on November 28 and immediately set the internet on fire. 

Based on Rachel Reid’s beloved romance novels, the series follows Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, two elite professional hockey players whose rivalry turns into a secret, years-long love affair. What starts as a teenage hookup evolves into a deeply emotional, highly physical relationship that unfolds over nearly a decade, on and off the ice. 

Ariel and Morgan break down multiple intimacy scenes from the first two episodes and unpack why Heated Rivalry feels so different from most male-male sex scenes on TV.

They get into it all:

  • Why these sex scenes feel unusually realistic, tender, and embodied
  • How athletic bodies move differently and why that matters for choreography
  • The importance of aftercare, communication, and check-ins onscreen
  • What the show gets right about first times, awkward moments, and learning each other’s bodies
  • Why queer intimacy is so often shortened and how Heated Rivalry refuses to cut away
  • The now-iconic back arch that has gay Twitter in a chokehold

This episode celebrates queer sex that’s messy, hot, funny, imperfect, and deeply human, and why representation like this actually matters. It’s all the spice, none of the filler, and a perfect way to close out the year before we return January 7th. 

Give a Little Queer Holiday Love

Please consider supporting organizations that protect and uplift LGBTQ youth. A few of our favorites:

Trans Lifeline
GLAAD
Transanta

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Credits — Heated Rivalry

Creator / Director / Writer: Jacob Tierney
 Producers: Bell Media / Crave (limited series)
 Intimacy Coordinator: Chala Hunter
 Actors (selected): Hudson Williams (Shane Hollander); Connor Dory (Ilya Rozanov).

 © 2024 Bell Media / Crave. All rights reserved.

Based on the novels: Rachel Reid (Heated Rivalry (2009),

Support the show

🔗 Connect & Support the Show

👀 Watch the Video Version: See our reactions! The video podcast is available on Spotify and YouTube.
💌 Suggest a Scene & Get Bonuses: Join our Patreon to request movies for us to break down and access exclusive bonus episodes HERE!
📱 Follow Us for Chaos: Get behind-the-scenes content and updates on Instagram @FakingItThePod
🌐 Visit Our Website: Find all our links and more at FakingItThePod.com
🎶Theme Song is Faking It by Mike Goetz

🎧 Subscribe for Free: Never miss an episode! Subscribe on your favorite podcast app.

💬 Review Us: Love the show? Give us 5 stars! It helps other listeners find us.

Stay real, Fakers!

Legal Disclaimer

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are our own. This episode is for entertainment and educational purposes only. Nothing here is intended to defame, slander, or infringe upon any individual or entity. All trademarks and copyrights remain the property of their respective owners.

A Christmas Orgy | Voyeurism and Choreography in “Eyes Wide Shut”17 Dec 202500:38:29

It’s our second holiday episode, which means it’s time for a true Christmas classic: Stanley Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut (1999), a film that somehow contains one of the most infamous orgy scenes in cinema history.

In this episode, Ariel and Morgan unpack the cultural mythology surrounding the masked ritual scene and explain what the film is really doing beneath the cloaks, candles, and choreography. Spoiler: it’s not about pleasure, it’s about power, performance, and male insecurity. 

They break down:

  • Why the orgy may function more as theater than eroticism
  • How masking, choreography, and voyeurism guide the audience’s gaze
  • The role of ritual, anonymity, and class in the scene’s design
  • Stanley Kubrick’s discomfort with sex and how that shapes the final result
  • Ariel's hottest take ever (possibly in the history of cinema? You decide.)

This episode reframes the orgy not as transgression, but as a deeply controlled performance: one that exposes how sex, status, and masculinity are staged, surveilled, and policed.

Equal parts film history, intimacy analysis, and holiday chaos, this one pairs best with a glass of wine, a Venetian mask, and a healthy distrust of men in cloaks.

Give a Little Queer Holiday Love

If you’re feeling the spirit, consider supporting organizations that protect and uplift trans and LGBTQ youth. A few of our favorites:

Trans Lifeline
GLAAD
Transanta

Even a small donation helps keep queer kids safe, supported, and celebrated, and that’s the kind of holiday magic we believe in.

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Credits — Eyes Wide Shut (1999)

Director: Stanley Kubrick
Writers: Stanley Kubrick; Frederic Raphael
Based on the novella: Traumnovelle (Dream Story) by Arthur Schnitzler
Producers: Stanley Kubrick
Choreography (uncredited influence): Yolande Snaith
Actors (featured in discussed scenes): Tom Cruise; Julian Davis; Abigail Good; Cate Blanchett (voice, uncredited)
© 1999 Warner Bros. / Pole Star / Hobby Films. All rights reserved.

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Support the show

🔗 Connect & Support the Show

👀 Watch the Video Version: See our reactions! The video podcast is available on Spotify and YouTube.
💌 Suggest a Scene & Get Bonuses: Join our Patreon to request movies for us to break down and access exclusive bonus episodes HERE!
📱 Follow Us for Chaos: Get behind-the-scenes content and updates on Instagram @FakingItThePod
🌐 Visit Our Website: Find all our links and more at FakingItThePod.com
🎶Theme Song is Faking It by Mike Goetz

🎧 Subscribe for Free: Never miss an episode! Subscribe on your favorite podcast app.

💬 Review Us: Love the show? Give us 5 stars! It helps other listeners find us.

Stay real, Fakers!

Legal Disclaimer

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are our own. This episode is for entertainment and educational purposes only. Nothing here is intended to defame, slander, or infringe upon any individual or entity. All trademarks and copyrights remain the property of their respective owners.

Trailer | Faking It with Ariel and Morgan16 Sep 202500:01:45

Welcome to Faking It, the podcast where two professional intimacy coordinators pull back the curtain on how intimacy is really made for film and TV.

This show blends behind-the-scenes secrets with laugh-out-loud commentary. Think: spicy movie moments, absurd Hollywood stories, and real talk about love, sex, and the art of pretending.

If you’ve ever wondered how actors “make it look real” (without actually doing it), or just want to cackle through tales of fake sweat, fake kisses, and fake bedsheets, you’re in the right place.

Expect humor, hot takes, and the perfect mix of NSFW and LOL. 

Support the show

🔗 Connect & Support the Show

👀 Watch the Video Version: See our reactions! The video podcast is available on Spotify and YouTube.
💌 Suggest a Scene & Get Bonuses: Join our Patreon to request movies for us to break down and access exclusive bonus episodes HERE!
📱 Follow Us for Chaos: Get behind-the-scenes content and updates on Instagram @FakingItThePod
🌐 Visit Our Website: Find all our links and more at FakingItThePod.com
🎶Theme Song is Faking It by Mike Goetz

🎧 Subscribe for Free: Never miss an episode! Subscribe on your favorite podcast app.

💬 Review Us: Love the show? Give us 5 stars! It helps other listeners find us.

Stay real, Fakers!

Legal Disclaimer

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are our own. This episode is for entertainment and educational purposes only. Nothing here is intended to defame, slander, or infringe upon any individual or entity. All trademarks and copyrights remain the property of their respective owners.

The Sapphic Starter Pack | Amanda Holland Unpacks the "Carol" Motel Scene03 Dec 202500:38:37

For our holiday special, we’re entering The Sapphic Canon.
This week, Ariel and Morgan are joined by filmmaker and comedy icon Amanda Holland (On the Phone with Ash and Amanda) to dissect one of the most breathtakingly intimate love scenes in queer cinema: the motel moment from Todd Haynes’ Carol (2015).

From tension you could pour over pancakes to the robe pull that changed lesbian history, the trio breaks down why this scene still feels like a masterclass in sensual restraint, visual storytelling, and character vulnerability. 

They unpack it all:

  • How power dynamics shift without a word, told only through body language
  • Why the simulated oral moment works… and where it gets a little thigh-heavy
  • How Cate Blanchett seduces by doing absolutely nothing except existing in a robe (a power move we should all aspire to)

This episode is equal parts craft, chaos, holiday cheer, and deep queer yearning: the perfect festive treat.

Give a Little Queer Holiday Love

If you’re feeling the spirit, consider supporting organizations that protect and uplift trans and LGBTQ youth year-round. A few of our favorites:

Buy Fruity TV Gear (Like a Christmas Carol or Happy HoliGays) here! 

The Trevor Project: https://www.thetrevorproject.org/
Trans Lifeline: https://translifeline.org/
Ali Forney Center: https://www.aliforneycenter.org/

Even a small donation helps keep queer kids safe, supported, and celebrated, and that’s the kind of holiday magic we believe in.

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Director: Todd Haynes
Writers: Phyllis Nagy (screenplay); Patricia Highsmith (novel)
Producers: Elizabeth Karlsen; Christine Vachon; Stephen Woolley
Actors (selected): Cate Blanchett; Rooney Mara
© 2015 Number 9 Films / Killer Films / Film4 Productions. All rights reserved.

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Support the show

🔗 Connect & Support the Show

👀 Watch the Video Version: See our reactions! The video podcast is available on Spotify and YouTube.
💌 Suggest a Scene & Get Bonuses: Join our Patreon to request movies for us to break down and access exclusive bonus episodes HERE!
📱 Follow Us for Chaos: Get behind-the-scenes content and updates on Instagram @FakingItThePod
🌐 Visit Our Website: Find all our links and more at FakingItThePod.com
🎶Theme Song is Faking It by Mike Goetz

🎧 Subscribe for Free: Never miss an episode! Subscribe on your favorite podcast app.

💬 Review Us: Love the show? Give us 5 stars! It helps other listeners find us.

Stay real, Fakers!

Legal Disclaimer

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are our own. This episode is for entertainment and educational purposes only. Nothing here is intended to defame, slander, or infringe upon any individual or entity. All trademarks and copyrights remain the property of their respective owners.

Rough Romance | Breaking Down All the Breaking in “Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 1”26 Nov 202500:37:59

Marking the end of hoa hoa hoa season, we finally did it. We tackled the honeymoon scene: the headboard-shattering, pillow-exploding, furniture-destroying moment that launched a thousand fanfics and exactly zero realistic intimacy expectations.

In this episode, Ariel and Morgan break down why Edward and Bella’s “rough sex” isn’t rough… or even sex-adjacent. From supernatural metaphors to YA-safe choreography, they unpack how a scene expected to portray feral passion somehow ends up looking like a vampire doing light construction work.

We get into it all:

  • Why the choreography feels like a Marvel fight scene wearing a silk robe
  • How PG-13 rules shape what “intensity” is allowed to look like onscreen
  • Why the scene is accidentally more about property damage than eroticism
  • Bella’s incredible chill despite the world’s craziest bruises
  • How an intimacy coordinator might approach supernatural strength without losing human stakes
  • And whether anyone in film history has ever looked more relaxed in freezing cold water

It’s part genre analysis, part supernatural thirst discourse, and part home-renovation commentary, a true Faking It classic.

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Director: Bill Condon
Writer (Screenplay): Melissa Rosenberg
Writer (Novel): Stephenie Meyer
Producers: Wyck Godfrey; Karen Rosenfelt; Stephenie Meyer
Actors (featured in the scene): Kristen Stewart; Robert Pattinson
© 2011 Summit Entertainment / Temple Hill Entertainment / Sunswept Entertainment. All rights reserved.

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Support the show

🔗 Connect & Support the Show

👀 Watch the Video Version: See our reactions! The video podcast is available on Spotify and YouTube.
💌 Suggest a Scene & Get Bonuses: Join our Patreon to request movies for us to break down and access exclusive bonus episodes HERE!
📱 Follow Us for Chaos: Get behind-the-scenes content and updates on Instagram @FakingItThePod
🌐 Visit Our Website: Find all our links and more at FakingItThePod.com
🎶Theme Song is Faking It by Mike Goetz

🎧 Subscribe for Free: Never miss an episode! Subscribe on your favorite podcast app.

💬 Review Us: Love the show? Give us 5 stars! It helps other listeners find us.

Stay real, Fakers!

Legal Disclaimer

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are our own. This episode is for entertainment and educational purposes only. Nothing here is intended to defame, slander, or infringe upon any individual or entity. All trademarks and copyrights remain the property of their respective owners.

For the Love of Muscle | Celebrating Athletic Bodies (and Intimacy) in "Love Lies Bleeding"19 Nov 202500:32:53

This one’s flexing in all the right ways.

Ariel and Morgan break down the sweaty, gritty, gloriously unhinged intimacy of Love Lies Bleeding, a film where bodies don’t just collide, they transform. From gym-floor lust to desert-heat devotion, they explore how the movie uses athleticism, desire, and danger to tell a love story that’s as physical as it is emotional.

They get into it all:

  • Why Love Lies Bleeding treats strength as a love language
  • How the film choreographs intimacy that’s sexy, sweaty, and deeply character-driven
  • The power (and vulnerability) of hyper-built bodies in erotic storytelling
  • What makes Kristen Stewart and Katy O’Brian’s chemistry feel so raw, charged, and grounded
  • How muscle, menace, and mythology collide in this neon-soaked queer thriller
  • And yes… what it means to stage a scene where love might actually burst a vein

This episode is equal parts admiration, analysis, and gym-class nostalgia,  celebrating the beauty, intensity, and feral tenderness of one of the most unforgettable romances in recent memory.

(A big thank you to our listener Brielle for suggesting this one!)

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Director: Rose Glass
Writers: Rose Glass; Weronika Tofilska 
Producers: Andrea Cornwell; Oliver Kassman 
Actors (selected): Kristen Stewart; Katy O’Brian
© 2024 A24 / Film4 / Lobo Films / Escape Plan

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Support the show

🔗 Connect & Support the Show

👀 Watch the Video Version: See our reactions! The video podcast is available on Spotify and YouTube.
💌 Suggest a Scene & Get Bonuses: Join our Patreon to request movies for us to break down and access exclusive bonus episodes HERE!
📱 Follow Us for Chaos: Get behind-the-scenes content and updates on Instagram @FakingItThePod
🌐 Visit Our Website: Find all our links and more at FakingItThePod.com
🎶Theme Song is Faking It by Mike Goetz

🎧 Subscribe for Free: Never miss an episode! Subscribe on your favorite podcast app.

💬 Review Us: Love the show? Give us 5 stars! It helps other listeners find us.

Stay real, Fakers!

Legal Disclaimer

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are our own. This episode is for entertainment and educational purposes only. Nothing here is intended to defame, slander, or infringe upon any individual or entity. All trademarks and copyrights remain the property of their respective owners.

Greased Lightning | Breaking Down Danny DeVito’s Couch Scene from "It’s Always Sunny”05 Nov 202500:35:21

This one’s… slippery.

Ariel and Morgan break down one of the most chaotic “intimacy” scenes in sitcom history: the moment Danny DeVito crawls out of a couch, naked, sweaty, and reborn, at a Christmas party in It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

From the logistics of modesty garments to the ethics of public nudity (fictional or otherwise), they dive deep into what happens when comedy, discomfort, and vulnerability collide.

They unpack it all:

  • How Danny DeVito pulled off the greasiest birth scene since Ace Ventura
  • Why vulnerability and humiliation often overlap in on-screen nudity
  • How consent and context change everything, even when it’s for laughs
  • And yes, the technical art of looking “fully nude” while staying fully covered

It’s part anatomy of comedy, part anatomy of modesty garments, and somehow… still one of the most body-positive episodes yet.

New episodes drop every other Wednesday!

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Director: Matt Shakman
Writers: David Hornsby; Becky Mann; Audra Sielaff
Producers: Rob McElhenney; Charlie Day; Glenn Howerton
Actors: Charlie Day; Glenn Howerton; Rob McElhenney; Kaitlin Olson; Danny DeVito
TV Show: Always Sunny in Philadelphia - A Very Sunny Christmas (Season 6, Episode 13)
© 2010 - Produced by FX Productions / 20th Television & companions; originally aired on FX. All rights reserved.

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Support the show

🔗 Connect & Support the Show

👀 Watch the Video Version: See our reactions! The video podcast is available on Spotify and YouTube.
💌 Suggest a Scene & Get Bonuses: Join our Patreon to request movies for us to break down and access exclusive bonus episodes HERE!
📱 Follow Us for Chaos: Get behind-the-scenes content and updates on Instagram @FakingItThePod
🌐 Visit Our Website: Find all our links and more at FakingItThePod.com
🎶Theme Song is Faking It by Mike Goetz

🎧 Subscribe for Free: Never miss an episode! Subscribe on your favorite podcast app.

💬 Review Us: Love the show? Give us 5 stars! It helps other listeners find us.

Stay real, Fakers!

Legal Disclaimer

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are our own. This episode is for entertainment and educational purposes only. Nothing here is intended to defame, slander, or infringe upon any individual or entity. All trademarks and copyrights remain the property of their respective owners.

Hot Blooded | Why "Sinners" Proves You Don’t Need Nudity to Turn Up the Heat31 Oct 202500:37:50

For our first-ever BONUS EPISODE, we’re sinking our teeth into something perfectly suited for spooky season: Ryan Coogler’s 2025 gothic horror hit, Sinners.

This one has it all: vampires, sensuality, Southern heat, and Michael B. Jordan at his steamiest. Ariel and Morgan break down two pivotal intimacy scenes, one tender, one terrifying, and unpack how Sinners turns eroticism into a matter of survival.

We get into it all:

  • Why this film proves that you don’t need nudity to make a scene scorching
  • How Sinners uses race, power, and danger to reimagine vampire mythology
  • The difference between lusty vs romantic intimacy
  • And yes… what it really means to share spit with a vampire 🩸

From vampire lore to S-curves to consent through the lens of bloodlust, this is an episode that’s equal parts academic, erotic, and absurdly fun.

This one’s for the horror lovers, the film nerds, and anyone who’s ever been Team Edward and Team Jacob. And Team Spike. Like Ariel is. 

New episodes drop every other Wednesday!

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Director: Ryan Coogler
Writer: Ryan Coogler
Producers: Zinzi Coogler; Sev Ohanian; Ryan Coogler
Actors: Michael B. Jordan; Hailee Steinfeld; Miles Caton; Jack O’Connell; Wunmi Mosaku; Jayme Lawson
© 2025 - Produced by Proximity Media, distributed by Warner Brothers Pictures. All rights reserved.

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Support the show

🔗 Connect & Support the Show

👀 Watch the Video Version: See our reactions! The video podcast is available on Spotify and YouTube.
💌 Suggest a Scene & Get Bonuses: Join our Patreon to request movies for us to break down and access exclusive bonus episodes HERE!
📱 Follow Us for Chaos: Get behind-the-scenes content and updates on Instagram @FakingItThePod
🌐 Visit Our Website: Find all our links and more at FakingItThePod.com
🎶Theme Song is Faking It by Mike Goetz

🎧 Subscribe for Free: Never miss an episode! Subscribe on your favorite podcast app.

💬 Review Us: Love the show? Give us 5 stars! It helps other listeners find us.

Stay real, Fakers!

Legal Disclaimer

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are our own. This episode is for entertainment and educational purposes only. Nothing here is intended to defame, slander, or infringe upon any individual or entity. All trademarks and copyrights remain the property of their respective owners.

She Bites Back | Why "Teeth" Is Horror’s Wildest Sex Movie22 Oct 202500:31:22

The bite heard ’round the world.

In this episode, Ariel and Morgan take on one of the most infamous (and crazily campy) scenes in horror-comedy history: the gynecologist sequence from Teeth (2007).

From questionable medical protocol to perfect camp choreography, they break down what works, what really doesn’t, and why this movie about vagina dentata still manages to make audiences clench 17 years later.

They tackle it all:

  • How Teeth flips the horror trope of sexual violence on its head (and bites back)
  • Why good choreography and body awareness make this scene disturbingly effective
  • The line between tension, comedy, and terror
  • What intimacy coordination could’ve looked like for a scene this outrageous
  • And yes—whether it technically counts as an intimacy scene (spoiler: it does)

Somehow, amidst the severed fingers and social commentary, there’s genuine insight into consent, choreography, and why horror movies might secretly “get” intimacy better than most rom-coms!

New episodes drop every other Wednesday!

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"TEETH"
Director: Mitchell Lichtenstein
Writer: Mitchell Lichtenstein
Producers: Mitchell Lichtenstein; Joyce Pierpoline
Actors: Jess Weixler; Josh Pais
© 2007 - Produced by Pierpoline Films, distributed by Roadside Attractions. All rights reserved.

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Support the show

🔗 Connect & Support the Show

👀 Watch the Video Version: See our reactions! The video podcast is available on Spotify and YouTube.
💌 Suggest a Scene & Get Bonuses: Join our Patreon to request movies for us to break down and access exclusive bonus episodes HERE!
📱 Follow Us for Chaos: Get behind-the-scenes content and updates on Instagram @FakingItThePod
🌐 Visit Our Website: Find all our links and more at FakingItThePod.com
🎶Theme Song is Faking It by Mike Goetz

🎧 Subscribe for Free: Never miss an episode! Subscribe on your favorite podcast app.

💬 Review Us: Love the show? Give us 5 stars! It helps other listeners find us.

Stay real, Fakers!

Legal Disclaimer

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are our own. This episode is for entertainment and educational purposes only. Nothing here is intended to defame, slander, or infringe upon any individual or entity. All trademarks and copyrights remain the property of their respective owners.

No Lies, Just Bodies | Is This "Lie with Me" Sex Scene Too Real To Be Fake?08 Oct 202500:39:43

Get ready for one of our most asked—and most controversial—questions: Do actors ever actually have sex on camera? In this episode, we're diving deep into the blurred lines between filmmaking and pornography.

Ariel surprises Morgan with a deep dive into the notoriously heated and hard-to-find 2005 film, Lie with Me, a movie that famously plays with this very question. We break down the difference between softcore, hardcore, and simulated sex scenes, and ask: does it have to be real to feel real? Can simulated sex be more artistic—or even more erotic—than the real thing?

We tackle the big questions:

  • What's the practical difference between a simulated sex scene and a pornographic one?
  • How would an intimacy coordinator even approach a scene that calls for real sex?
  • What does Lie with Me achieve by pushing the boundary, and at what cost?
  • Where do we, as professionals, draw the line between artistic expression and exploitation?

This is a must-listen for anyone curious about the raw, unvarnished mechanics of on-screen intimacy. Spoiler alert: the answers are far from black and white.

New episodes drop every other Wednesday!

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"LIE WITH ME"
Director: Clement Virgo
Writers: Tamara Berger; Clement Virgo; Carrie Paupst Shaughnessy
Producers: Damon D’Oliveira; Hartley Gorenstein
Actors (in transcript): Lauren Lee Smith; Eric Balfour
© 2005 — Produced by Conquering Lion Pictures, distributed by ThinkFilm. All rights reserved.

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Support the show

🔗 Connect & Support the Show

👀 Watch the Video Version: See our reactions! The video podcast is available on Spotify and YouTube.
💌 Suggest a Scene & Get Bonuses: Join our Patreon to request movies for us to break down and access exclusive bonus episodes HERE!
📱 Follow Us for Chaos: Get behind-the-scenes content and updates on Instagram @FakingItThePod
🌐 Visit Our Website: Find all our links and more at FakingItThePod.com
🎶Theme Song is Faking It by Mike Goetz

🎧 Subscribe for Free: Never miss an episode! Subscribe on your favorite podcast app.

💬 Review Us: Love the show? Give us 5 stars! It helps other listeners find us.

Stay real, Fakers!

Legal Disclaimer

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are our own. This episode is for entertainment and educational purposes only. Nothing here is intended to defame, slander, or infringe upon any individual or entity. All trademarks and copyrights remain the property of their respective owners.

Room for Error | Breaking Down The Infamous Sex Scene from "The Room"24 Sep 202500:35:48

Ariel & Morgan, two professional intimacy coordinators, pull back the curtain on how intimacy is really made for film and TV.

In our very first episode, we kick things off with wild on-set stories (yes, one involves a horse 🐴 - don't worry, it's fake), break down what it really means to choreograph intimacy, and tackle the infamous simulated sex scene from the cult classic, The Room.

We give Tommy Wiseau's awkward sequence a beat-by-beat analysis, rate it on our "Spice Scale," and explain what could have made it work. Get the inside scoop on why intimacy coordinators are a crucial—and often misunderstood—part of the film industry.

You’ll hear:

  • Hilarious and cringe-worthy stories from our time on set.
  • A professional breakdown of one of cinema’s most bizarre sex scenes.
  • Why intimacy coordination matters for actors and storytelling.

Love cult films, bad movies, or a hilarious insider's look at Hollywood? You’re in the right place.

🔗 Links & More
For show notes, a video of the scene, and all our links, visit our website at fakingitthepod.com.
Follow for more chaos: @FakingItThePod

New episodes drop every other Wednesday! Subscribe now so you don't miss an episode.

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"THE ROOM"
Director: Tommy Wiseau
Writer: Tommy Wiseau
Producer: Tommy Wiseau
Actors: Tommy Wiseau; Juliette Danielle
© 2003 Wiseau Films. All rights reserved.

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Support the show

🔗 Connect & Support the Show

👀 Watch the Video Version: See our reactions! The video podcast is available on Spotify and YouTube.
💌 Suggest a Scene & Get Bonuses: Join our Patreon to request movies for us to break down and access exclusive bonus episodes HERE!
📱 Follow Us for Chaos: Get behind-the-scenes content and updates on Instagram @FakingItThePod
🌐 Visit Our Website: Find all our links and more at FakingItThePod.com
🎶Theme Song is Faking It by Mike Goetz

🎧 Subscribe for Free: Never miss an episode! Subscribe on your favorite podcast app.

💬 Review Us: Love the show? Give us 5 stars! It helps other listeners find us.

Stay real, Fakers!

Legal Disclaimer

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are our own. This episode is for entertainment and educational purposes only. Nothing here is intended to defame, slander, or infringe upon any individual or entity. All trademarks and copyrights remain the property of their respective owners.

All Props, No Process | Why “Fifty Shades of Grey” Gets BDSM Wrong07 Jan 202600:38:39

We’re kicking off the new year by finally stepping into the Red Room and immediately asking some hard questions.

In this episode, Ariel and Morgan break down the infamous first Red Room scene from Fifty Shades of Grey, a film that promised mainstream BDSM and delivered… confusion, questionable choreography, and music doing most of the emotional heavy lifting. 

New year, new structure. For 2026, they cut straight to the craft: power dynamics, consent, and why the scene ultimately falls flat.

They get into it all:

  • Why the Red Room reads more like spectacle than negotiated intimacy
  • How the film confuses dominance with control and intensity with compatibility
  • How music, montage, and production design work overtime to create heat that isn’t really there
  • What a more grounded, informed version of this scene could have looked like
  • And why Christian Grey seems more turned on by interior design than intimacy

This episode isn’t about kink-shaming. It’s about unpacking why a movie that centered BDSM failed to show how consent, agency, and erotic tension actually function in practice. It’s part critique, part craft analysis, and part public service announcement for anyone who thinks mood lighting counts as communication.

Want to watch along? Our reaction covers 1:22:10–1:29:34. We cut around the clip, so it won’t sync perfectly, but you’ll absolutely get the point.

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Credits — Fifty Shades of Grey

Director: Sam Taylor-Johnson
Writer (Screenplay): Kelly Marcel
Writer (Novel): E. L. James
Producers: Michael De Luca; Dana Brunetti; E. L. James
Actors (featured): Dakota Johnson; Jamie Dornan
© 2015 Focus Features / Trigger Street Productions / Michael De Luca Productions. All rights reserved.

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Support the show

🔗 Connect & Support the Show

👀 Watch the Video Version: See our reactions! The video podcast is available on Spotify and YouTube.
💌 Suggest a Scene & Get Bonuses: Join our Patreon to request movies for us to break down and access exclusive bonus episodes HERE!
📱 Follow Us for Chaos: Get behind-the-scenes content and updates on Instagram @FakingItThePod
🌐 Visit Our Website: Find all our links and more at FakingItThePod.com
🎶Theme Song is Faking It by Mike Goetz

🎧 Subscribe for Free: Never miss an episode! Subscribe on your favorite podcast app.

💬 Review Us: Love the show? Give us 5 stars! It helps other listeners find us.

Stay real, Fakers!

Legal Disclaimer

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are our own. This episode is for entertainment and educational purposes only. Nothing here is intended to defame, slander, or infringe upon any individual or entity. All trademarks and copyrights remain the property of their respective owners.

Church, But Make It Gay | Why "She’s Gotta Have It" Feels Like a Religious Experience04 Feb 202600:32:32

Some shows open quietly. Season 2 of "She’s Gotta Have It" opens with a bang — literally.

In this episode, Ariel and Morgan break down the iconic simulated sex montage from Season 2, Episode 1 of She’s Gotta Have It, focusing on how lighting, space, and who’s in control radically reshape how intimacy is experienced and understood onscreen.

They get into it all:

  • How Spike Lee uses daylight vs candlelight to reflect different emotional states
  • Why this scene feels devotional rather than voyeuristic
  • How Nola’s relationship with Opal marks a shift from exploration to embodiment
  • How choreography, hair, and stillness do as much storytelling as movement
  • And why this scene quietly sets a new bar for how queer Black intimacy is filmed on television

They also discuss the evolution from the 1986 film to the Netflix series, what it means to reclaim Nola Darling’s story through a more expansive lens, and why sexually liberated queer Black women are still so rarely given this level of care onscreen.

It’s reverent, gorgeous, deeply nerdy, and a reminder that intimacy doesn’t have to escalate to be electric.

Want to watch along? Our reaction covers 1:22:10–1:29:34 of the TV show episode and 39:27-40:27 of the movie. We cut around the clip, so it won’t sync perfectly, but you’ll absolutely get the point.

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Credits — She’s Gotta Have It (Season 2, Episode 1: “#IMFEELINGMYFEELINGS”)

Director: Spike Lee
Writers: Cinqué Lee; Joie Lee; Spike Lee
Based on the film: She’s Gotta Have It (1986), written and directed by Spike Lee
Producers: Spike Lee; Win Rosenfeld; Charlie Corwin
Actors (featured): DeWanda Wise; Ilfenesh Hadera
© 2019 Netflix / 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks. All rights reserved.

Credits — She’s Gotta Have It (1986)

Director: Spike Lee
Writer: Spike Lee
Producers: Spike Lee; Monty Ross
Actors (selected): Tracy Camilla Johns; Tommy Redmond Hicks; John Canada Terrell; Steve White; Spike Lee
© 1986 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks. All rights reserved.

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Is This Allowed? | Why “The Handmaiden” Rewrites Sapphic Sex on Screen21 Jan 202600:33:56

This episode is a love letter to immaculate choreography, devastating eye contact, and sapphic tension that could power a small city.

Ariel and Morgan dive into the two iconic intimacy scenes from Park Chan-wook’s The Handmaiden: with scenes so explicit, so intentional, and so beautifully constructed that they still feel transgressive nearly a decade later. Set during Japan’s occupation of Korea in the 1930s, the film takes familiar sapphic tropes and flips them inside out, using intimacy as liberation rather than spectacle. 

They break down why these scenes work on every level:

  • How the film weaponizes restraint, pacing, and POV to build erotic tension
  • Why a simple hand-grip deserves its own IMDb credit
  • How sapphic sex is framed as joy, discovery, and mutual power, not performance
  • And why this might be one of the best examples of the female gaze in modern cinema

They also unpack the behind-the-scenes approach to filming the intimacy, the deliberate removal of the male gaze, and why The Handmaiden remains a gold standard for what intimate storytelling can look like when trust and intention lead the way.

It’s sexy, funny, deeply thoughtful, and a reminder that sometimes the most radical thing a movie can do is let women actually enjoy each other.

Want to watch along? Our reaction covers 41:47 to 46:56 and 1:39:53 to 1:44:00. We cut around the clip, so it won’t sync perfectly, but you’ll absolutely get the point.

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Credits — The Handmaiden (2016)

Director: Park Chan-wook
Writers: Park Chan-wook; Chung Seo-kyung
Based on the novel: Fingersmith by Sarah Waters
Producers: Park Chan-wook; Syd Lim
Actors (featured): Kim Min-hee as Lady Hideko, Kim Tae-ri as Sook-hee
© 2016 Moho Film / Yong Film. All rights reserved.

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👀 Watch the Video Version: See our reactions! The video podcast is available on Spotify and YouTube.
💌 Suggest a Scene & Get Bonuses: Join our Patreon to request movies for us to break down and access exclusive bonus episodes HERE!
📱 Follow Us for Chaos: Get behind-the-scenes content and updates on Instagram @FakingItThePod
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🎶Theme Song is Faking It by Mike Goetz

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Legal Disclaimer

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Three ICs Walk Into a Podcast | Chala Hunter Talks "Heated Rivalry", Queer Joy & The Craft of Intimacy11 Feb 202600:40:42

This one’s a BIG ONE.

Ariel and Morgan sit down with intimacy coordinator Chala Hunter, the creative force behind the intimacy work in Heated Rivalry, for a deep dive into how some of the most talked-about scenes on TV actually get made.

From the early days of learning the job during the #MeToo shift to stepping onto a set packed with hockey vibes, choreography, and high emotional stakes, Chala pulls back the curtain on what it actually takes to build intimacy that feels grounded, safe, and electric. 

They get into it all:

  • How she found her way into intimacy coordination when the field was still being defined
  • Why she prioritizes trust, play, and actor agency over rigid choreography
  • How Heated Rivalry balanced tenderness, heat, and authenticity without losing its heart
  • Why representation doesn’t have to feel “authentic to everyone” to still be meaningful
  • And what happens when three intimacy coordinators get together and the nerding starts before the mics are even warm

It’s insightful, funny, incredibly revealing, and a rare behind-the-scenes look at the craft from someone doing the work at the highest level.

This one feels like a milestone episode.

Want to watch along? Our reaction covers Episode 4: Rose (Time Code: 21:07 - 24:29), Episode 6: The Cottage (Time Codes: 20:15 - 22:37 & 32:34-33:27). We cut around the clips, so it won’t sync perfectly, but you’ll absolutely get the point.

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CREDITS — Heated Rivalry

Director: Jacob Tierney
Executive Producer: Brendan Brady
Source Material: Based on the novel Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid
Intimacy Coordinator (Interview Guest): Chala Hunter
Actors (featured in discussed scenes): Hudson Williams; Connor Storrie
© Crave / Canadian Production Partners. All rights reserved.

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🔗 Connect & Support the Show

👀 Watch the Video Version: See our reactions! The video podcast is available on Spotify and YouTube.
💌 Suggest a Scene & Get Bonuses: Join our Patreon to request movies for us to break down and access exclusive bonus episodes HERE!
📱 Follow Us for Chaos: Get behind-the-scenes content and updates on Instagram @FakingItThePod
🌐 Visit Our Website: Find all our links and more at FakingItThePod.com
🎶Theme Song is Faking It by Mike Goetz

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💬 Review Us: Love the show? Give us 5 stars! It helps other listeners find us.

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Legal Disclaimer

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are our own. This episode is for entertainment and educational purposes only. Nothing here is intended to defame, slander, or infringe upon any individual or entity. All trademarks and copyrights remain the property of their respective owners.

Thrown in the Deep End | Brooke M. Haney Dives Into "Booksmart"11 Mar 202600:41:03

This one’s about awkward first times — featuring skinny jeans, bad geometry, and absolutely zero game.

Ariel and Morgan sit down with intimacy coordinator and author Brooke M. Haney to break down the chaotic, vulnerable, and surprisingly tender hookup scenes from Booksmart: a film that proves intimacy on screen doesn’t have to be polished to be powerful.

They get into it all:

• Why awkward intimacy can still be choreographed and is not an excuse to skip process
 • The storytelling power of wardrobe choices, body language, and messy logistics (yes, including skinny jeans and sneakers)
 • And why representation of imperfect queer intimacy matters when so many people learn about sex from movies

It’s thoughtful, nerdy, hilarious, including shop talk from kit items and choreography language to the very real production challenges of filming intimacy on beaches, in pools, and under rapidly disappearing sunlight.

Buy Brooke's book "A History of Intimacy Professionals in Entertainment" Here!

Buy Brooke's book "The Intimacy Coordinator's Guidebook" Here!

Listen to us on the podcast "Happier in Hollywood" Here!

Want to watch along? Our reaction covers the pool sequence (~1:04:00) and the bathroom hookup scene (Time Code: 1:14:42–1:18:00). We cut around the clips, so it won’t sync perfectly, but you’ll absolutely get the point. 

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CREDITS — Booksmart (2019)

Director: Olivia Wilde
Writers: Emily Halpern; Sarah Haskins; Susanna Fogel; Katie Silberman
Producers: Megan Ellison; Jessica Elbaum; Katie Silberman...
Actors: Kaitlyn Dever; Diana Silvers; Victoria Ruesga
Studio: Annapurna Pictures / Gloria Sanchez Productions
© 2019 Annapurna Pictures. All rights reserved.

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Support the show

🔗 Connect & Support the Show

👀 Watch the Video Version: See our reactions! The video podcast is available on Spotify and YouTube.
💌 Suggest a Scene & Get Bonuses: Join our Patreon to request movies for us to break down and access exclusive bonus episodes HERE!
📱 Follow Us for Chaos: Get behind-the-scenes content and updates on Instagram @FakingItThePod
🌐 Visit Our Website: Find all our links and more at FakingItThePod.com
🎶Theme Song is Faking It by Mike Goetz

🎧 Subscribe for Free: Never miss an episode! Subscribe on your favorite podcast app.

💬 Review Us: Love the show? Give us 5 stars! It helps other listeners find us.

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Legal Disclaimer

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are our own. This episode is for entertainment and educational purposes only. Nothing here is intended to defame, slander, or infringe upon any individual or entity. All trademarks and copyrights remain the property of their respective owners.

From Nightmare to Nirvana | "Insecure" Sex Scenes Have The Range25 Feb 202600:36:28

This week we’re diving into Insecure — and honestly? The range.

Morgan introduces Ariel (who has never seen the show 👀) to two wildly different intimacy moments from Season 4: one chaotic, jealousy-fueled nightmare fantasy and one slow-burn reunion that might be one of the most emotionally satisfying TV hookups ever.

We break down:

  • How a comedic sex scene can be intentionally not realistic — and why that works
  • “Pop the tags” and the audacity of imagining such a thing
  • The crackling eye contact, breath work, and micro-choices that make the reunion scene explode
  • Tender Black love on screen and why we don’t see enough of it
  • The blink-and-you-miss-it position change that tells you exactly who’s in control

This episode is funny, nerdy, and unexpectedly emotional; it's a perfect example of how a show can pull off slapstick fantasy and deeply romantic intimacy in the same breath.

Listen to the episode of the Indie Film Podcast where we were interviewed behind the scenes HERE

Want to watch along? Our reaction covers Episode 4: Lowkey Feelin' Myself (Time Code: 11:53), Episode 8: Lowkey Happy (Time Code: 25:17). We cut around the clips, so it won’t sync perfectly, but you’ll absolutely get the point.

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CREDITS — Insecure (Season 4)

Creators: Issa Rae; Larry Wilmore/ Showrunner: Prentice Penny

Episode 4x01 “Lowkey Feelin’ Myself”
Director: Kevin Bray
Writer: Issa Rae
Intimacy Coordinator: Mia Schachter
Actors (featured in discussed scenes): Issa Rae; Jay Ellis; Christina Elmore

Episode 4x08 “Lowkey Happy”
Director: Kevin Bray
Writer: Natasha Rothwell
Intimacy Coordinator: None
Actors (featured in discussed scenes): Issa Rae; Jay Ellis
© 2016–2021 HBO Entertainment / Issa Rae Productions / 3 Arts Entertainment. All rights reserved.

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Support the show

🔗 Connect & Support the Show

👀 Watch the Video Version: See our reactions! The video podcast is available on Spotify and YouTube.
💌 Suggest a Scene & Get Bonuses: Join our Patreon to request movies for us to break down and access exclusive bonus episodes HERE!
📱 Follow Us for Chaos: Get behind-the-scenes content and updates on Instagram @FakingItThePod
🌐 Visit Our Website: Find all our links and more at FakingItThePod.com
🎶Theme Song is Faking It by Mike Goetz

🎧 Subscribe for Free: Never miss an episode! Subscribe on your favorite podcast app.

💬 Review Us: Love the show? Give us 5 stars! It helps other listeners find us.

Stay real, Fakers!

Legal Disclaimer

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are our own. This episode is for entertainment and educational purposes only. Nothing here is intended to defame, slander, or infringe upon any individual or entity. All trademarks and copyrights remain the property of their respective owners.

Orgasm Against The Machine | Sci-Fi, Stripteases, and Sex in “Barbarella”25 Mar 202600:37:58

Get ready for one of the most bizarre and brazen films of a generation.

In this episode, Ariel and Morgan travel back to 1968’s sci-fi cult classic Barbarella — a movie where Jane Fonda strips out of a spacesuit in zero gravity and later defeats a villain using… an orgasm machine.

Yes. Really.

The hosts break down how the film uses erotic spectacle, camp, and absurdity to create scenes that are both wildly objectifying and oddly revolutionary for their time.

They get into it all:

  • How the famous zero-gravity striptease opening uses choreography, framing, and floating credits to tease and shock the audience 
  • Why the “Excessive Machine” scene was extremely bold for mainstream cinema in 1968
  • Fascinating power dynamics where the villain weaponizes pleasure and the hero literally sets the situation on fire.
  • Why early Hollywood often treated sex as visual spectacle first and human experience second

It’s campy. It’s chaotic. And somehow still iconic. 

Want to watch along? Our reaction covers the opening striptease (0:00:00) and the excessive machine scene (Time Code: ~1:15:00). We cut around the clips, so it won’t sync perfectly, but you’ll absolutely get the point. 

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CREDITS — Barbarella
Director: Roger Vadim
Writers: Terry Southern; Roger Vadim; Claude Brulé; Vittorio Bonicelli
Source Material: Based on the comic Barbarella by Jean-Claude Forest
Producer: Dino De Laurentiis
Actors: Jane Fonda; Milo O’Shea
© 1968 Dino De Laurentiis Cinematografica / Paramount Pictures. All rights reserved.

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Support the show

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👀 Watch the Video Version: See our reactions! The video podcast is available on Spotify and YouTube.
💌 Suggest a Scene & Get Bonuses: Join our Patreon to request movies for us to break down and access exclusive bonus episodes HERE!
📱 Follow Us for Chaos: Get behind-the-scenes content and updates on Instagram @FakingItThePod
🌐 Visit Our Website: Find all our links and more at FakingItThePod.com
🎶Theme Song is Faking It by Mike Goetz

🎧 Subscribe for Free: Never miss an episode! Subscribe on your favorite podcast app.

💬 Review Us: Love the show? Give us 5 stars! It helps other listeners find us.

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Legal Disclaimer

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are our own. This episode is for entertainment and educational purposes only. Nothing here is intended to defame, slander, or infringe upon any individual or entity. All trademarks and copyrights remain the property of their respective owners.

Hardcore Vanilla | The Unhinged Sex Scenes of "Buffy The Vampire Slayer" Explained08 Apr 202600:44:11

👉 BIG OLD SPOILERS AHEAD! YOU'VE BEEN WARNED!

The Buffy reboot/reimagining isn't happening for now. We are devastated. So naturally, we need to talk about Buffy and Spike in season 6. 

Ariel and Morgan are finally diving into Buffy the Vampire Slayer where things are darker, messier, and include a whole lot more property damage 👀.

From literally breaking a house down during sex to invisible hookups to whatever the hell is happening on that balcony… they have thoughts.

They get into it all:

  •  The iconic Buffy/Spike “Smashed” scene: why it’s so hot and makes zero logistical sense 
  •  How the show tries to portray Buffy’s rock bottom through sex (and where it succeeds vs. fails) 
  •  The invisibility scene as a surprisingly perfect example of how simulated sex actually works on set
  •  Why the show keeps saying Buffy and Spike are kinky… while showing the most vanilla execution imaginable 
  •  The difference between toxic intimacy vs. BDSM, and why those are not the same thing 

Plus: pants continuity crimes, mystery penetration logistics, and a full breakdown of our personal histories with Spuffy.

Want to watch along? Our reaction covers "Smashed” (House scene): ~00:39:39, “Gone” (Invisibility scene): ~00:28:08, and “Dead Things” (Balcony scene): ~00:20:25 We cut around the clips, so it won’t sync perfectly, but you’ll absolutely get the point. 

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CREDITS — BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER
Creators: Joss Whedon

“Smashed” (Season 6, Episode 9)
Director: Turi Meyer
Writers: Drew Z. Greenberg; Rebecca Rand Kirshner; Steven S. DeKnight

“Gone” (Season 6, Episode 11)
Director: David Fury
Writers: David Fury; Rebecca Rand Kirshner; Steven S. DeKnight

“Dead Things” (Season 6, Episode 13)
Director: James A. Contner
Writers: Steven S. DeKnight; Rebecca Rand Kirshner; Drew Z. Greenberg

Actors (featured in discussed scenes): Sarah Michelle Gellar; James Marsters; Nicholas Brendon; Emma Caulfield; Alyson Hannigan
© 1997–2003 Mutant Enemy, Inc. / 20th Century Fox Television. All rights reserved.

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👀 Watch the Video Version: See our reactions! The video podcast is available on Spotify and YouTube.
💌 Suggest a Scene & Get Bonuses: Join our Patreon to request movies for us to break down and access exclusive bonus episodes HERE!
📱 Follow Us for Chaos: Get behind-the-scenes content and updates on Instagram @FakingItThePod
🌐 Visit Our Website: Find all our links and more at FakingItThePod.com
🎶Theme Song is Faking It by Mike Goetz

🎧 Subscribe for Free: Never miss an episode! Subscribe on your favorite podcast app.

💬 Review Us: Love the show? Give us 5 stars! It helps other listeners find us.

Stay real, Fakers!

Legal Disclaimer

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are our own. This episode is for entertainment and educational purposes only. Nothing here is intended to defame, slander, or infringe upon any individual or entity. All trademarks and copyrights remain the property of their respective owners.

Her Throbbing Labia | Hormones Gone Rogue in "PEN15"22 Apr 202600:39:51

This one is so real it hurts.

Ariel and Morgan dive into PEN15 (Season 1, Episode 3: “Ojichan”). From the very first moment of “wait… what is happening to my body?” to the full spiral of can’t-stop-won’t-stop self-discovery, this episode captures the chaos, confusion, and intensity of discovering desire with absolutely no roadmap.

They get into it all:

  •  The painfully accurate portrayal of first arousal: awkward, obsessive, and completely all-consuming 
  •  Why casting adult actors as teens might allow the show to explore this safely without crossing ethical lines
  •  The way PEN15 captures the feeling of “I must be the only one experiencing this” 
  •  How shame, secrecy, and silence around sex education shape those early experiences 

It’s cringey. It’s deeply familiar. And it turns one of the most private human experiences into comedy gold.

Want to watch along? Our reaction covers Maya's first discovery (00:00:41), the Closet/Walkman scene (00:09:22), and the Classroom montage (00:04:14) We cut around the clips, so it won’t sync perfectly, but you’ll absolutely get the point. 

👉 Before you say anything - yes, Ariel mispronounced Maya Erskine’s last name. We know. We’re sorry. We love her.

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CREDITS — PEN15 (S1E3 “Ojichan”)
Creators: Maya Erskine; Anna Konkle; Sam Zvibleman
Director: Daniel Gray Longino
Writers: Maya Erskine; Anna Konkle; Sam Zvibleman
Producers: Maya Erskine; Anna Konkle; Sam Zvibleman
Actors (featured in discussed scenes): Maya Erskine; Anna Konkle
© 2019 Hulu / Lonely Island Classics, Odenkirk Provissiero Entertainment,
AwesomenessTV. All rights reserved.

-----------------------------------------

Support the show

🔗 Connect & Support the Show

👀 Watch the Video Version: See our reactions! The video podcast is available on Spotify and YouTube.
💌 Suggest a Scene & Get Bonuses: Join our Patreon to request movies for us to break down and access exclusive bonus episodes HERE!
📱 Follow Us for Chaos: Get behind-the-scenes content and updates on Instagram @FakingItThePod
🌐 Visit Our Website: Find all our links and more at FakingItThePod.com
🎶Theme Song is Faking It by Mike Goetz

🎧 Subscribe for Free: Never miss an episode! Subscribe on your favorite podcast app.

💬 Review Us: Love the show? Give us 5 stars! It helps other listeners find us.

Stay real, Fakers!

Legal Disclaimer

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are our own. This episode is for entertainment and educational purposes only. Nothing here is intended to defame, slander, or infringe upon any individual or entity. All trademarks and copyrights remain the property of their respective owners.

No Lube, No Warning | Spilling the Beans on the Intimacy of “Brokeback Mountain”06 May 202600:39:52

This episode is sponsored by: taking your time.

Ariel and Morgan are diving into Brokeback Mountain: the film that changed queer representation forever… and also left us with a lot of questions about how these scenes actually function. 

From the infamous first tent scene to the long-awaited reunion, we’re breaking down what’s working, what’s not, and why these moments feel so tense without ever fully landing.

They get into it all:

  • The reality of prep, lubrication, and pacing (and what’s missing here) 
  • How tension overtakes intimacy and why that leaves the scenes feeling incomplete 
  • The difference between awkwardness that serves the story vs. awkwardness that comes from unclear choreography
  • How the intimacy goes from zero to 100… and tends to stay there forever

Plus: beans, spit logistics, near broken noses, and a very real conversation about how these scenes would be approached differently today with an intimacy coordinator.

We also zoom out to talk about the film’s massive cultural impact, the historical context it exists in, and why representation matters, even when the intimacy itself  needs room for growth.

Justice for lube. That’s all we’re saying.

Want to watch along? Our reaction covers the Tent scene: 00:27:30, the Rasslin' scene: 00:32:51, and the Reunion scene: 01:03:07. We cut around the clips, so it won’t sync perfectly, but you’ll absolutely get the point. 

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CREDITS — BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN

Director: Ang Lee
Writers: Larry McMurtry; Diana Ossana
Source Material: Based on the short story by Annie Proulx
Producers: Diana Ossana; James Schamus
Actors (featured in discussed scenes): Heath Ledger; Jake Gyllenhaal; Michelle Williams; Randy Quaid
© 2005 Focus Features / River Road Entertainment / Good Machine. All rights reserved.

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Support the show

🔗 Connect & Support the Show

👀 Watch the Video Version: See our reactions! The video podcast is available on Spotify and YouTube.
💌 Suggest a Scene & Get Bonuses: Join our Patreon to request movies for us to break down and access exclusive bonus episodes HERE!
📱 Follow Us for Chaos: Get behind-the-scenes content and updates on Instagram @FakingItThePod
🌐 Visit Our Website: Find all our links and more at FakingItThePod.com
🎶Theme Song is Faking It by Mike Goetz

🎧 Subscribe for Free: Never miss an episode! Subscribe on your favorite podcast app.

💬 Review Us: Love the show? Give us 5 stars! It helps other listeners find us.

Stay real, Fakers!

Legal Disclaimer

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are our own. This episode is for entertainment and educational purposes only. Nothing here is intended to defame, slander, or infringe upon any individual or entity. All trademarks and copyrights remain the property of their respective owners.

© My Podcast Data