Interview with Hosts of Velvet Radio: An Entertaining and Unfiltered Sex Talk Show

When Velvet Radio producer Dan Brown expressed interest in doing a feature on NYCTalking, I had no idea what I was walking into. In fact, I still don’t know what I walked into. First and foremost, I wondered if he was a fan of the Da Vinci Code. Ehhh? Eh? Eh? See what I did there? Get it? Dan Brown, Da Vinci Code? Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown? No? Ok. Sorry.

Being unfamiliar with Dan and his Velvet Radio show, I did what any self-respecting writer would do in this day and age—I googled him. In the process, I also looked up the actual show and each of its hosts. After thorough online research, I listened to the talk show. The show is quite entertaining, by the way. Within the first 10 minutes or so, I learned that Justine has a great eye and can see things coming from a mile away (inside joke). After this, I visited each of their web pages and familiarized myself with all of them.

Truth be told, once I confirmed that these were all real people and that it was highly unlikely that anything untoward would happen, I knew I was interested in talking to these folks. Any further research was simply to check out how they interacted and, frankly, to see how they presented themselves. I wasn’t disappointed; they are all talented and engaging. The show is entertaining and definitely not geared toward reserved, conservative types, although I’d argue those types could benefit most from it! It’s definitely an adult-themed show, and I enjoy the topics they cover.

Here is an official description of Velvet Radio:

“Velvet Radio is a sexually themed Internet show featuring celebrity interviews, playful game shows, sex talk, personal confessions, and a bizarre newscast. The show can be heard on a number of adult and mainstream websites including http://velvetxxx.com.”

Side note: The aforementioned site is definitely what it sounds like. Those three Xs are not a typo. Do not go there if you are under 18 or if you prefer to avoid explicit adult content. You can listen to the show without browsing anything else on the site, but be aware that adult visual content is prominently displayed on the front page when you arrive. Just in case the three Xs in the URL didn’t make that clear.

When the time finally came and I met the show’s crew, I was initially intimidated and uncomfortable. However, by the end of the segment, I felt relaxed and comfortable talking with all of them.

Without taking away from their own style and methods, if someone asked me, “Angel, what is this show like?” the most popular reference I could offer would be Howard Stern. I am sure the producer and hosts would acknowledge that Howard Stern and others pioneered this genre of radio.

At first glance, the producer struck me as a quiet, rather reserved gentleman. He’s soft-spoken and gives off a mellow vibe. Aren’t these the exact qualities one might expect from someone producing an adult-themed show? When I asked him if he wanted to be on video, he said, “Nobody wants to see me, film them.” Despite his mellow appearance, he is sharp, observant, concise, and clear about his vision. He noticed and expressed views on details that I barely even picked up on.

The hosts, now that’s a different story. These women are each outspoken powerhouses in their own right. Here’s a bit of background on them:

“The show is hosted by three women– stand-up comic Justine Llanes (who also contributes to NYCTalking with a dating and sex advice segment), actress Tamara Thelander, and professional dominatrix Elena De Luca.”

Unfortunately, Tamara was unable to attend the interview, but we spoke on Twitter, and she was with us in spirit. I look forward to meeting her in the not-so-distant future. The two ladies I did meet, Justine and Elena, were exactly what I expected—two lively, spunky, funny, and confident women. Both were vibrant and ready to go!

After brief introductions, discussions about where to sit, and some idea as to where our talk would go, I took out my camera. I wanted to catch them in their natural state, so I started recording early without announcing it. #Creepermode 10! None of us had a plan, but we just went with it, and it worked out great. We spoke about the show, what each of them did, and how they contributed to the project, among many other topics.

(Justine Llanes, Angel Rodriguez, Elena De Luca)

Elena is a professional dominatrix, which means what you might expect. She works within a niche involving power exchange, role play, and related themes. I checked out her site before meeting her, and it definitely reflects that professional focus. This aspect of her life isn’t apparent in general conversation, which I find interesting—it seems like a healthy boundary and professional approach. I was a little nervous about meeting a dominatrix in real life, since they are often portrayed a certain way in media. (Wait, I don’t watch porn—what am I saying?) Hah! whip sound

Justine is a stand-up comic, and that definitely comes across. Both Justine and Elena are funny in their own ways. During our interview, we discussed a segment from the radio show where Justine shared an intimate encounter and her walk of shame afterward (see above inside joke). Justine has also been involved in acting, pageants, and now talk radio.

Midway through our conversation and laughter, we somehow entered the topic of how to successfully gain backdoor admission from your partner. The ladies had very differing views on this topic. We discussed beginning with finger insertion. Elena favors discussion beforehand or she might introduce you to some pliers she keeps just for such occasions. “Even if I want it, there are like 10 minutes of warmup that need to happen before we begin.” Justine feels that discussion kills the moment and prefers that you just go for it: “If I don’t jump away and squeal, then I like it, just go for it.” So, you have a 50/50 chance here. She may be receptive, or you may quickly find out she’s not. Proceed with care.

We spoke for close to an hour. I received an invitation to visit the show with my wife, an invitation my wife promptly declined, as she is shy and reserved about anything sex-related. However, we have introduced a “sex advice” column for NYCTalking, and Justine is currently writing these articles. They’re great by the way. At some point, if invited, I’ll visit the show and share my experience here.

An honorable mention goes out to the silent friend who patiently watched all the lively interactions between me and the hosts. Stay tuned for the video portion of my interview with Elena and Justine! It will be posted very soon and was a lot of fun to record.

Tech note: I recently rebuilt my home computer with the Linux operating system, and editing work is proving to be slightly more challenging than on a Windows PC. End tech note