Bawdy Storytelling – Episode 82: "Marathon"
Featured Storyteller: Ian Dodd
Host: Dixie De La Tour
Date: July 11, 2019
Episode Overview
This episode centers on raw, honest storytelling about sex, growth, and sexual liberation. Host Dixie de La Tour introduces Ian Dodd, a first-time Bawdy storyteller, who weaves a candid account spanning his sexual coming-of-age, decades-long struggles with premature ejaculation, and his eventual journey into kink and late-blooming sexual confidence. As always, the tone is open, sex-positive, and laced with humor. The episode is both deeply personal and widely relatable for anyone who’s felt disconnected from their sexuality or hesitant to own their desires.
Key Segments & Insights
1. Opening and Community Connection
- Dixie Sets the Tone (00:01–05:00)
- Dixie notes the podcast's signature “dirty” and humorous tone, warning listeners of suggestive content:
"I say the word butthole a lot because it's one of my favorite words. So now you've been warned." – Dixie De La Tour (00:01)
- Reflects on the show's growth and thanks supporters. She shares an email from Suki, a listener whose romantic and sexual life improved thanks to discovering the podcast.
- Suki’s gratitude highlights Bawdy’s impact on listeners’ real lives (relationships, healing from trauma, opening up to kink, and consensual non-monogamy).
- Dixie notes the podcast's signature “dirty” and humorous tone, warning listeners of suggestive content:
Notable Quote
“Because my primary partner has been so loving, gentle, accepting and honoring of my personal limits, I have been able to heal old wounds and let go of trauma that has been holding me back for years.” — Suki (06:00, email read by Dixie)
2. Introducing Ian Dodd (07:29–08:29)
- Dixie introduces Ian as a cinematographer from LA who’s never told his own story publicly, expressing nervousness that a “straight, cisgendered, married, gray-haired guy” might not have a tale “interesting enough” for Bawdy.
Notable Quote
"His biggest fear was that he'd never have a story interesting enough to tell the Bawdy audience. Tonight, he's hoping you'll prove him wrong. He proved us wrong. This storyteller is Ian Dodd." — Dixie De La Tour (08:00)
3. Ian Dodd’s Story: "Marathon" (08:29–25:24)
A. The Dream and Its Symbolism (08:29–09:15)
- Recounts a vivid recurring dream: reaching through a veil, grabbing the horns of a “big, powerful” beast trying to throw him off. Years would pass before he understood its meaning.
B. Sexual Beginnings and Shame (09:15–12:00)
- Freshman year in college, Ian rushes through his first sexual encounter, quickly ejaculating and feeling profound embarrassment.
- Avoids sex for years by dating women “who wouldn’t fuck.” Shame lingers, “beat[ing] down on [his] masculinity a little bit.”
Notable Quote
"In that moment, I felt smaller than my now shriveling cock." — Ian Dodd (10:45)
C. Learning to Compensate (12:00–13:45)
- Learns that giving oral sex “could be my signature move,” compensating for his anxiety about penetrative sex.
D. Long-Term Relationship and Repressed Desire (13:45–15:30)
- Meets Margot, his now-wife. They build a life (marriage, kids, careers), but sex remains a source of insecurity and is often neglected.
Notable Quote
“I always figured there was a part of Margot that wondered what it would feel like to run a marathon instead of a hundred-yard dash.” — Ian Dodd (14:50)
E. Turning Point – Confronting Mortality (15:30–16:45)
- Both lose parents in quick succession. Begin to question how much time they have left and how to make life meaningful.
F. Discovery Through Kink and Conversation (16:45–20:00)
- Margot, during her mother's illness, distracts herself by reading “Fifty Shades of Grey”—and more explicit BDSM novels.
- They gingerly discuss what excited them. This “opened up a conversation [they’d] never imagined having,” leading to their foray into BDSM and kink events, including classes, munches, and dungeons.
- They work with a sex and intimacy coach, helping Ian “finally discover[] the key to controlling [his] own physiology.”
Notable Quote
“We’re looking over our shoulders as we’re sneaking into dungeons, we’re signing up for rope bondage classes, and start going to these things called munches, which is where kinky people go to a bar and talk about 24/7 master/slave relationships or really edgy stuff like consent and negotiations.” — Ian Dodd (17:30)
G. Sexual Reawakening and Newfound Power (20:00–23:00)
- Finds personal sexual agency for the first time in his 50s; describes feeling “like a sexual, masculine animal.”
- Erotic attention finds him unexpectedly, e.g., at a Halloween dungeon party where he meets Gail—a sex therapist and longtime open-relationship advocate. This leads to Ian’s first non-monogamous, adventurous affair.
- Shares a striking sexual moment with Gail involving a number-based stamina game, symbolizing his newfound endurance and control.
Notable Quote
“Whatever had been asleep inside of me was now completely awake.” — Ian Dodd (22:50)
H. Resolution: The Dream Realized (23:00–25:24)
- Sees the dream’s metaphor made real in France: a statue of a nude man wrestling a bull by the horns.
- Marks his triumph with a chest tattoo:
“For most of my adult life, that bull slept unconscious behind the veil of my consciousness. But now that he’s awake, I’m going to take him with me wherever I go… Now, when I look down on my chest, I’m going to see the symbol of my real masculine power. The power to deliver pleasure. A power that I have been working on mastering all along.” (25:10)
4. Reflection and Closing
- Dixie cues up a musical interlude: “All Day Long I Dream About Sex” by JC Chasez. (26:00–29:31)
- Dixie closes with gratitude for listeners, a nudge to support her on Patreon or PayPal, and reminders about upcoming live shows.
Memorable Quotes & Moments
| Timestamp | Quote | Speaker | |-----------|-------|---------| | 00:01 | “I say the word butthole a lot because it’s one of my favorite words. So now you’ve been warned.” | Dixie De La Tour | | 06:00 | “Your podcast gave me the drive and enthusiasm to revisit a conversation with my partner about opening up our relationship… and it has not only expanded my heart and brought me closer to my primary partner, but it has unlocked a whole side of my sexuality that was dying to come out of the closet.” | Suki (email, read by Dixie) | | 10:45 | “In that moment, I felt smaller than my now shriveling cock.” | Ian Dodd | | 14:50 | “I always figured there was a part of Margot that wondered what it would feel like to run a marathon instead of a hundred yard dash.” | Ian Dodd | | 17:30 | “We’re sneaking into dungeons, signing up for rope bondage classes, and start going to these things called munches… They talk about mundane topics like 24/7 master/slave relationships, or really edgy stuff like consent and negotiations.” | Ian Dodd | | 22:50 | “Whatever had been asleep inside of me was now completely awake.” | Ian Dodd | | 25:10 | “Now, when I look down on my chest, I’m going to see the symbol of my real masculine power. The power to deliver pleasure. A power that I have been working on mastering all along.” | Ian Dodd |
Timestamps of Key Moments
- 00:01–07:29 – Dixie’s intro, listener email from Suki, community connection
- 08:29–25:24 – Ian Dodd tells “Marathon,” from awkward beginnings to kink-fueled empowerment
- 26:00–29:31 – Musical interlude: “All Day Long I Dream About Sex” by JC Chasez
- 29:31–close – Dixie’s post-show remarks, calls for community support & show promos
Final Summary
"Marathon" stands out as a courageous, self-deprecating, and ultimately triumphant exploration of sexual insecurity, partnership, and growth. Ian Dodd’s story is a testament to the emotional and erotic rewards of honesty, vulnerability, and the willingness to evolve—at any age. The episode radiates Bawdy Storytelling’s signature philosophy: that humor, candor, and community can turn “embarrassing moments” into sources of power and pleasure. For anyone searching for permission to reclaim their sexuality (or just a great story about fucking up and getting it right, eventually), this episode delivers.