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A Slut’s Guide To Happiness

A Slut’s Guide To Happiness

Written by: Vanessa Cliff
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 Life presents enough challenges, from inevitable death and illness to man-made strife like poverty, inequality, and war. In the face of human suffering, sexuality is an incredible outlet for joy, healing, pleasure and connection. Yet, social norms make accessing this simple joy harder than it needs to be. In this podcast, we unpack junk narratives about which bodies, identities, relationship styles, or sexual activities are considered acceptable and reclaim the power of sexual freedom. Recent decades have brought meaningful progress in some areas of gender and sexuality, like greater acceptance of LGBTQ people in the institution of marriage and the workplace, and access to contraception that allows women more sexual freedom. Nonetheless, dominant cultural norms still perpetuate narrow ideas about who is desirable or worthy of love and what sexual practices are appropriate. Often, these subtle, pernicious ideas operate quietly beneath the surface and show up in our hearts as shame, isolation or fear. How do we break free? How do we learn to be and love our whole authentic selves, to find the joy and pleasure in authenticity? How do we release the fear that who we are, how we love or what we desire is a problem? What do happiness and connection look like for people who don’t conform to idealized standards? How do we claim the power of sexual freedom for people who have a differently sized body, differently functioning brain, or different levels of mobility; people who work in the sex industry; or people who are slutty, kinky, old, Black or brown, transgender, or polyamorous? Cliff Media is a porn production company that invites people of all walks of life to share in the exciting, scary experiment of co-creating sex-positive spaces beyond fear and shame. We encourage all good-hearted people to participate, as long as they provide STI results, sign release forms, and show up with kindness, humility and a desire to grow. Together, we produce scenes that explore themes of loving community, healthy non-monogamy, joyful kink, and empowered female and queer sexuality. Porn is often derided as gratuitous indulgence in big boobs, hard dicks and offensive stereotypes. But if we set aside the way porn has been used by many mainstream companies and consider the medium itself, it’s actually an awesome opportunity. It’s perhaps the most widely viewed, intimate and uncensored medium, allowing creators to explore topics that go deep into our psyche, including: Shame and acceptance of our bodies and identities Diversity in romantic and sexual relationships Sexual health and ethics Sexual deviance, desire and kink Fear of rejection, judgment or loss Trauma and healing Joy, humor, kindness, and care, and The innate human longing for affection and belonging. In this companion podcast, we dive deep into the topics that underlie our production work. Our host Vanessa Cliff, CEO of Cliff Media, talks with pornstars, participants in Cliff Media shoots, and other sex-positive community leaders. Join us in the joy of being awkwardly human, naked and without pretence. Let’s get free.Copyright 2026 Vanessa Cliff Economics Hygiene & Healthy Living Leadership Management & Leadership Social Sciences
Episodes
  • Art to Express Identity and Sexuality - with Gabriel

    Art to Express Identity and Sexuality - with Gabriel
    Jan 21 2026

    A multi-disciplinary Mexican queer filmmaker, Gabriel Gutierrez Morales produces documentaries, writes novels and paints portraits that are an exploration of sexuality and identity. In this episode, they talk about how art functions as a self-exploration, including of their own sexuality, gender identity, language as a bilingual English and Spanish speaker, and their young adulthood.

    Their most recent works include “Boy Slut”, a fictional film about an encounter between two gay men, a mini-documentary about Cliff Media called “A Certain Kind”, and a forthcoming feature-length documentary about Cliff Media called “A House on the Cliff”.


    Like many artists creating content about sexuality, Gabriel has been censored on multiple platforms, including a permanent ban from YouTube. They are also limited the film festivals that accept their work and the audience that their work reaches. As an independent artist, they make only minimal income which they supplement with a low-wage job.


    Nonetheless, they persist in their vision of ethical and honest art, work that brings them a sense of meaning and happiness. Their resilience in a reminder of the value of identifying and believing in who you are and the power of your personal vision.
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    1 hr and 38 mins
  • Becoming Slutty, Sexual and Free - with Kitty

    Becoming Slutty, Sexual and Free - with Kitty
    Jan 7 2026

    The notion of “hypersexuality” is one of the ways that people are shamed for having a high sex drive, interest in masturbating or watching porn, or desire for multiple partners. It is often entangled with stereotypes about mental health conditions as well as identity, including gender and racial identity.

    In this episode, Kitty describes how they processed through early narratives in their life about being “hypersexual” and eventually came to terms with their sexual desires. Now that they embrace their high sex drive and desire for multiple sexual partners as a positive part of their personality, they are able to set stronger boundaries, ask more confidently for what they want, and pursue the kind of sex that brings them joy.


    @Vanessacliff2
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    33 mins
  • Social Life, Healthcare and Economic Security for Trans People - with Charle

    Social Life, Healthcare and Economic Security for Trans People - with Charle
    Dec 24 2025

    Many transgender women in the U.S. today face discrimination in social interactions, employment, healthcare, and housing. In a survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 39% of trans women reported experiencing homelessness within the past 12 months, while a study out of UCLA found that 82% of transgender employees have experienced discrimination or harassment at work because of their gender identity.

    In this episode, Charle, a trans woman, describes how being transgender has impacted her social and economic circumstances throughout her adult life. In the face of discrimination, her resilience in continuing to assert her identity, including gender-affirming treatment and surgeries, speaks volumes to the importance of her gender for her identity and mental health.


    @Vanessacliff2
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    54 mins
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