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PODCAST

Strangers on the Internet

Irina Manta & Michelle Lange

Want the academic take on dating in the modern world? Legal scholar Irina Manta and psychologist Michelle Lange bring you the latest on how to swipe your way through dating apps, find love, navigate complex relationships, and avoid narcissists and other predators. Come learn about cutting-edge research and find out how to make online dating work for YOU! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

society & culture relationships

All Episodes

56:35

Guest Chat: Second Chapter with Natalie Licini

Strangers on the Internet ·

2025/11/03

Irina welcomes on this episode Natalie Licini, a photographer and business owner whose rags-to-riches story will make your head spin. Natalie grew up poor and at times on food stamps in Staten Island, where she sometimes lacked a coat in winter and physical fights in school were the norm. Taking on every odd job she could find from flipping burgers to running a manicure operation from her dorm room, Natalie hustled her way through high school and the five colleges she attended. While it took her

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1:00:01

Guest Chat: Suing the Bad Guys with Laura Koistinen

Strangers on the Internet ·

2025/10/13

On this episode, Irina talks with employment attorney Laura Koistinen from the Law Office of Kevin Mintzer, which has taken on Harvey Weinstein, Andrew Cuomo, and FoxNews, among others. Named a Rising Star by Super Lawyers since 2020, Laura has challenged problematic employers from her early days as a junior attorney in Portland, Oregon to today in New York City. She is part of the team representing actor Julia Ormond against Weinstein, CAA, and Disney, and explains why victims are afraid to come

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54:12

Guest Chat: Having It All with Dr. Corinne Low

Strangers on the Internet ·

2025/09/16

Irina and Michelle have the pleasure of welcoming Wharton professor and economist Dr. Corinne Low, the author of the new book (out September 23, 2025) "Having It All: What Data Tells Us About Women's Lives and Getting the Most Out of Yours." Part autobiography and part comprehensive economic analysis, the book is chock-full of eye-opening practical advice on how to examine and lead one's life in a way that maximizes so-called personal utility. What is the economic cost to women of picking a

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56:12

The Dating Professors: Where You End and I Begin

Strangers on the Internet ·

2025/08/19

What are boundaries and how do you enforce them? Irina and Michelle delve into why these questions aren't as simple as they may appear. People who weren't taught to draw boundaries as children (or in fact had them disregarded) often struggle to deny requests in adulthood and stand their ground without guilt. How can you learn to respect yourself and make sure others respect you as well or get out of your life? The Dating Professors work through every step of the struggle and share what kind of line

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55:45

The Dating Professors: Where Have the Men Gone?

Strangers on the Internet ·

2025/08/04

A recent op-ed in the New York Times by Rachel Drucker asked "Men, Where Have You Gone?", followed by reader responses from men. Drucker lamented men withdrawing from the romantic public sphere and seeking stimulation over connection. At best, according to Drucker, single men would be willing to entertain situationships rather than relationships. Irina and Michelle discuss in this episode whether they think Drucker is right and what they make of the reader responses. Are respondents right that

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1:01:24

Guest Chat: Total Eclipse of the Heart with Monica...

Strangers on the Internet ·

2025/07/22

Irina and Michelle have the pleasure on this episode to talk to newlyweds Monica and Will. The academic mom and enrollment manager dad blended their families after a magical year-ish together. Find out how Monica used a dating consultant to make the best choices and Will finally escaped some confusing vegetable emoji games. Did their solar eclipse date seal the deal for these two romantics that buy matching shirts and broke all their own rules about not getting married or moving in together with a

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36:38

Pride Month Special: Hollywood Dreams with Chris...

Strangers on the Internet ·

2025/07/07

The Dating Professors continue their conversation with Hollywood darlings Chris Peckover and Shannon Short. You better get the tissues ready for this part as Irina and Michelle learn how both Chris and Shannon escaped the Grim Reaper in quick succession. Between dramatic car rides to the hospital and emergency surgeries, these true partners refused to leave each other's side throughout. Listen also to how--long before meeting Chris--Shannon had married his best friend Christine (!) after trying to

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41:50

Pride Month Special: Hollywood Dreams with Chris...

Strangers on the Internet ·

2025/06/24

Happy Pride! This episode follows the epic love story of filmmaker (and Irina's friend from college) Chris Peckover and costume designer Shannon Short. Hear how Chris randomly contacted Shannon based on a cute Facebook picture and then drove from L.A. to San Diego for a date before Shannon had to embark on a cruise ship for a six-week work trip. Did Chris really go from being a pre-med swimmer at Yale to making one of the most popular Christmas-themed horror movies of all times? And did Branson-born

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52:51

Guest Chat: The Comic Con Artist with Kate (Part 2)

Strangers on the Internet ·

2025/06/09

Irina and Michelle continue their conversation with Southern attorney Kate, which traces the aftermath of her discovery of Doug's true identity. Just how dangerous was Doug? How did Kate unmask him and get away relatively quickly? And how did his cat blow Doug's cover when he was trying to run an empathy scam on one of his sugar babies?? For all that and more on the denouement of a supervillain's tale and Kate's exit from it, tune into part 2 of this caper!SOTI ep. 82: The Comic Con Artist with Kate

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51:02

Guest Chat: The Comic Con Artist with Kate (Part 1)

Strangers on the Internet ·

2025/05/26

Irina and Michelle have on this episode the wild tale of Kate, a successful lawyer and mom in her 50s in the Southern United States, and the same-aged man she met on Feeld while traveling, Doug (both pseudonyms). Doug seemed like the perfect boyfriend in many respects, and Kate dated him for three months long distance while he lived in a different Southern state. Doug claimed to be working at sci-fi conventions and concert venues, yet he somehow hardly seemed to leave his home and was constantly

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44:07

The Dating Professors: Happy Relationship Memories

Strangers on the Internet ·

2025/05/13

What makes for a happy moment in a romantic relationship? Irina and Michelle walk down memory lane to share some of their favorites. Travel, rain, cupcakes, protests, and discussions of "body counts" all make an appearance in this episode. Escape dreariness for a bit with the Dating Professors as you remember some of your own special past moments upon hearing theirs! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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51:47

The Dating Professors: Why Are U.S. Women Shunning...

Strangers on the Internet ·

2025/04/29

As the Wall Street Journal and other sources have discussed recently, more and more women in the United States are stopping their search for a man to marry. Why is this happening? Irina and Michelle talk about what the average woman feels like she is (and isn't) getting in heterosexual marriage today, including in this economy. The Dating Professors analyze what happens when women are the higher earners, how young women now view marriage, as well as how children affect the labor dynamic in couples

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53:35

Special: Exclusive Interview with "Balloon Guy" Mike...

Strangers on the Internet ·

2025/04/14

On this special episode, Irina and Michelle speak with Portland-based creator Mike Schneider whose balloon art and other works have gone viral. Now with over 800K Instagram followers and a full-time career as an artist inspiring, delighting, and sometimes provoking with quotations displayed in balloon letters on colorful walls or in other formats, Mike shares his thoughts. He talks all things dating, grief, mental health, politics, creative process, and books (the second of which will be published

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45:22

Guest Chat: When Your Partner Has a Trauma History...

Strangers on the Internet ·

2025/04/02

Irina and Michelle host trauma expert and NYC-based therapist Dr. Karen Dwyer-Tesoriero on this episode. She explains what distinguishes complex post-traumatic stress disorder (c-PTSD) from other types of trauma and how it may express itself in romantic and other relationships. How do people with c-PTSD become activated, and how can they settle down and practice self-care? What happens when both partners in a relationship have c-PTSD? For a conversation about these questions and much more, tune

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50:36

The Dating Professors: Regulating Moods and Tempers

Strangers on the Internet ·

2025/03/18

How can you stop yourself and conversations from blowing up? In this episode, Irina and Michelle talk about bringing down the temperature, especially when it comes to conflict within romantic relationships. The Dating Professors discuss how to use breaks effectively in arguments, muddle through if a break is infeasible, and distinguish between expecting respect and tone policing. Let's talk about creating peace and accountability! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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50:05

The Dating Professors: Surviving Catastrophic Politics

Strangers on the Internet ·

2025/03/03

A month into the new presidency, many couples are facing existential questions. Perhaps one person lost their federal job, or the couple disagrees on just how unsafe the country has gotten. We discuss how to handle questions such as whether to leave the United States, especially if both people in the couple are not on the same page. Irina and Michelle also go over how to try and maintain balance in an imbalanced world, and how to handle people who either cause national misery or at least downplay

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50:57

The Dating Professors: Work-Life Balance

Strangers on the Internet ·

2025/02/17

How do workplaces support or undermine people's personal lives, and especially romantic relationships and family lives? What happens when toxicity in the form of poor pay or other bad treatment affects workers' wellbeing even once home? Irina and Michelle discuss the difficulties of workplaces regarding benefits and flexibility, and who all loses out in the end. Come join the conversation about life-work balance! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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47:06

The Dating Professors: Can Relationships and...

Strangers on the Internet ·

2025/02/04

It is a tale as old as time: someone enters into a romantic relationship, and they let their friendships drift away or even suddenly cut them off. Irina and Michelle discuss why this keeps happening to people and what to do about it. What are reasonable expectations regarding one's own friendships and those of one's partner? What roles do jealousy, narcissism, and co-dependence play in making demands in this area? Join the chat as the Dating Professors share their experiences and explore how to make

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58:44

The Dating Professors: You Seem Really Angry

Strangers on the Internet ·

2025/01/20

A lot of women are angry today. As the United States inaugurates Trump as president (again), women feel like equality is slipping away in the personal, professional, and political arenas. Why is female anger so reviled and denied? Come hear how Michelle and Irina have dealt with men commenting on their clothes and eating habits, plus what they think underlies statements about women needing to calm down or being hormonal. They also discuss why old-fashioned value systems have not necessarily helped

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1:04:03

Special: Return Interview with VulgaDrawings...

Strangers on the Internet ·

2025/01/06

Viral cartoonist and writer of VulgaDrawings fame Lily O'Farrell returns to kick off our fourth season of the podcast! With Irina and Michelle, she dissects the international political landscape in the aftermath of the 2024 U.S. presidential election. Where do Europe versus the United States stand on women's rights? What has been the response to the story of Gisele Pelicot, whose husband enabled her being sexually assaulted by dozens of men? We discuss all that, the South Korean 4B movement, the

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90 results

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