Bawdy Storytelling Podcast – Episode 28: Love Triangle (June 15, 2017)
Episode Overview
This episode of Bawdy Storytelling, hosted by Dixie De La Tour, dives into real-life stories centered on the complexity, humor, and unexpected depth of love triangles. The show features three storytellers—Kathy Bartuli, Co-creation, and Jefferson Berge—who share candid, sex-positive narratives about threesomes, polyamory, heartbreak, and the lessons these experiences brought them. The episode also includes musical interludes celebrating non-traditional love, and is threaded together by Dixie’s characteristic warmth and raunchy wit.
Key Discussion Points & Story Breakdowns
1. Opening Poetic Prelude: “Second Favorite Man”
Jefferson Bergen
- Timestamps: 00:07–01:36
A playful, musical introduction performed by Jefferson, capturing the essence of polyamorous relationships: “Sometimes love works better with an extra ampersand.”
2. Introduction & Setting the Theme
Dixie De La Tour
- Timestamps: 01:36–03:49
Dixie welcomes listeners and frames the episode around “the power of the triangle—the love triangle.” She sets the tone: honest, open, and celebratory of alternative ways to love and connect.
Memorable moment: Dixie’s warmth as she introduces Kathy, a recurring storyteller:
“She is the cofounder of the Intimacy Dojo… She was so in love with the format and what we create—the sex-positive vibe, the open accepting nature of the event—that eventually she got up her nerve and she pitched me and she’s now been on my stage a number of times.” (02:41)
3. Story 1: “Should I Have Stayed Home and Baked a Pie?”
Kathy Bartuli
- Timestamps: 03:49–16:28
Story Highlights:
- Background: Kathy grew up in a conservative family with strict values: always bake pies from scratch, never “fail” as a woman by losing your man, and—importantly—sex is strictly one man, one woman.
- Turning Point: Kathy’s fiancé, Dean, confesses he is gay after years of secrecy and attempts to fit heteronormative expectations.
- The Threesome: In a desperate bid to “save” her relationship, Kathy proposes a threesome with another man. They travel to a dive gay bar in Ithaca, meet James (“looked like James Franco”), and end up having an awkward, then passionate, group encounter.
- Emotional Core: Kathy describes an eye-opening moment seeing Dean experience genuine connection with another man; she realizes she cannot be what he needs, and is left feeling alone and ashamed in the aftermath.
- Aftermath: They maintain the deception to her family by faking a story about “dropped pies” so they could bring store-bought pies to Thanksgiving, mirroring the deception in her relationship.
- Resolution: Kathy and Dean break up; she later kisses a woman for the first time, questioning and then dismantling the restrictive beliefs she grew up with.
Notable Quotes:
- “There are three things you should know about me to make this story make sense…” (03:49)
- “The little I knew about homosexual sex was that it was barren, stark, and lonely. No emotions involved.” (05:25)
- “I think my heart broke a little bit in that moment, because I realized I was never going to be what he needed.” (13:41)
- “A couple months later, Dean and I did break up. ...I don't think I'd be poly or queer, I don't think I'd have a patent and a PhD and I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be here with all of you amazing perverts.” (15:43)
4. Polyamory Interlude (Song/Poem)
Unnamed Polyamorous Narrator
- Timestamps: 16:28–16:57
A whimsical poetic summary about the joys and complications of interconnected polyamorous relationships.
5. Story 2: “The Cool Auntie”
Co-creation
- Timestamps: 17:40–27:07
Story Highlights:
- Backdrop: A cast reunion for a DIY sci-fi/fantasy film brings a web of ex-lovers and new partners together in a chaotic double-wide in rural Seattle.
- Triangle: Co-creation (the storyteller) once hooked up with Bex, who is now with Michael. They have a baby, Kai. At the reunion, Bex suggests a platonic sleepover, which becomes much more.
- The Night: Despite a sleeping baby in the room, a hushed but intense threesome unfolds. The storyteller relishes being physically close to both Bex and Michael, and explores energy, dynamics, and boundaries.
- Aftermath: In the morning, the storyteller awakens to baby Kai’s gaze—a moment of self-identification with a polyamorous upbringing, and a conscious effort to create a positive memory for the child and his parents.
- Legacy: Co-creation reflects on how, as a poly kid, it meant everything to feel included and loved. Now, they get to be “the cool auntie.”
Notable Quotes:
- “I find there to be nothing sexier than creating something together.” (17:42)
- “So 10 minutes later, my ass is up in the air and my face is fully engulfed in Bex’s pussy and I am going at it… You get it? Okay.” (21:41)
- “Pro tip for threesomes, it’s not always about you.” (24:33)
- “That is childhood to me. But Bex and Michael live in Texas… this is the first time Kai has ever looked up and seen more than just two people in his parents’ bed… I just want to be the coolest auntie I possibly can for this little kid.” (25:27–26:38)
6. Polyamory Interlude (Song/Poem, Part II)
Unnamed Polyamorous Narrator
- Timestamps: 27:19–28:04
A playful coda on the ever-expanding family tree of polyamorous relationships:
“Just when I thought it was all too crazy I tried to draw our family tree. There’s nothing wrong with extra love, but the paper wasn’t big enough…”
7. Story 3: “Blackout to Breakthrough”
Jefferson Bergen
- Timestamps: 29:03–48:25
Story Highlights:
- Old Relationship: Jefferson looks back on a failed marriage to a beautiful but emotionally distant woman. After a difficult divorce, self-esteem plummets.
- Reinvention: Moves to Northern California, reconnects with his creative side, and is intent on recovering both “music and getting laid.”
- Love Triangle Night:
- Set-Up: Meets Veronica (wild, confident, and ultimately too drunk) at a bar.
- Twist: After a messy, unsatisfying evening with Veronica, he ends up bonding—and then hooking up—with her roommate, Betty (the “ballerina/math teacher/vanilla to Veronica’s wild chocolate”).
- Sexual Details: Vivid, humorous, and explicit retelling of the night’s sexual odyssey, including memorable Harry Potter jokes (“Which Harry Potter spell will make my dick hard again? Wingardium Leviosa…”).
- Reflection: The true “happy ending” is not the sex, but the return of self-worth, confidence, and creativity.
- Resolution: The experiences spark his musical inspiration and lead him to write songs, perform at Bawdy, and eventually find a loving, mutually respectful relationship.
- Final Note:
“So after all that, I feel like my happy ending is actually right now, right here, and this nice guy is just getting started.” (48:23)
Notable Quotes:
- “I have pussy all over my face, from the tip of my nose all the way down past my chin…” (29:37)
- “I was attractive for a second, and now I’m back to being a doormat.” (37:30)
- “She tasted full… kind of like a mix between a sativa and an indica, which was way more my flavor anyway.” (41:48)
- “Most of Veronica’s bad dates aren’t nice enough to make sure that she gets home safely.” (44:10)
- “My peacock feathers went up… it kick-started my creativity. …I met a beautiful, intelligent woman who I fell deeply in love with, who didn’t see me as the ugly half and didn’t treat me like a doormat.” (47:14–47:49)
8. Closing Musical Number: “Second Favorite Man” (Reprise)
Jefferson Bergen & Kathy Bartuli
- Timestamps: 51:47–53:18
A spirited, joyful reprise about finding happiness in non-monogamy and loving connections.
9. Reflections and Closing
Kathy Bartuli
- Timestamps: 54:02
Kathy closes the episode with gratitude:
“I am honored and blessed to be in a group…where people can love who they want, have sex with who they want and how they want, and they get to decide if they bake a pie or make it from scratch.” (54:02)
Notable Quotes & Moments
- “Sometimes love works better with an extra ampersand.” — Jefferson Bergen (00:48, 51:57)
- “The little I knew about homosexual sex was that it was barren, stark, and lonely.” — Kathy Bartuli (05:25)
- “Pro tip for threesomes, it’s not always about you.” — Co-creation (24:33)
- “Which Harry Potter spell will make my dick hard again? Wingardium Leviosa…” — Jefferson Bergen (43:13)
- “I just want to be the coolest auntie I possibly can for this little kid.” — Co-creation (25:48)
Episode Timestamps—Segment Guide
- 00:07 Opening Song (Jefferson Bergen)
- 01:36 Dixie de La Tour Introduction
- 03:49 Story 1 (Kathy Bartuli)
- 16:28 Polyamory Poem/Interlude
- 17:40 Story 2 (Co-creation)
- 27:19 Polyamory Poem/Interlude (Part II)
- 29:03 Story 3 (Jefferson Bergen)
- 51:47 Closing Song: “Second Favorite Man” (Reprise)
- 54:02 Kathy Bartuli Reflection
Tone and Style
The episode is frank, funny, and vulnerable throughout. Storytellers blend explicit sexual detail with humor, warmth, and candor. The tone is affirming, inclusive, and committed to acceptance and celebration of sexual diversity and unconventional love.
Why This Episode Matters
Whether you’re navigating non-monogamy, grappling with old scripts from family, or simply seeking rollicking, raunchy tales with a big heart, this episode is an honest look into what it means to want—and deserve—more connection, confidence, and community. The “love triangle” isn’t always simple, but sometimes, as these storytellers show, it’s the key to finding out who you really are.
For more, subscribe to Bawdy Storytelling, or catch a live show for an experience that’s hilarious, heartfelt, and—just maybe—life-changing.