Bim Adewunmi — Journalist

Writer of fact, entertaining fiction and passive-aggressive post-it notes.

[bimadewunmi]

Don’t respond, I know you’re busy. I just wanted to reach out and say that I absolutely loved hearing your recent contribution on This American Life. So powerful, for all of us. Thank you for sharing that with us. My heart!

all best wishes, Jacob

Hi, Jacob — I think you're referring to the Ryan Long story in the Through The Looking Glass episode of our show? If so, thank you! (If not, thank you for listening to which episode you mean and finding some resonance therein.)

I loved talking to Ryan. That day Zoe and I spent in his truck, driving around Philly, was a real highlight of 2022 for me. Watching him on telly really made me think, man, I'd love to be that guy's friend! and then my job let me approximate something close to that for one 20-minute story.

Ryan is the real deal. So honest and thoughtful and incredibly generous — and seeing him through some of the people in his life's eyes added so much to our interaction. His point—that all the workers in this country deserve the time and headspace to know, nurture and be with themselves—is so wonderfully expressed over the course of our conversation and I really hope that that shines through. Jeopardy! was the spectacular ticket for him but I really do think a lot of us can carve out some of that in mini-slices even if we don't have an astonishing brain like Ryan's.

Anyway. This is a long rambly reply to a lovely message. Thanks, Jacob. Thanks for listening. Have a lovely 2023.

[thirstaidkitpodcast]

THIRST AID KIT | S3E14 | BORIS KODJOE: FUFU & SAUERKRAUT

Yo.

Do you remember the “Red Light Special” video??? 👀

Well, 👉🏾we 👈🏾 do.  

Boris Kodjoe is an even-complexioned, smooth-headed, old-fashioned dreamboat of a Thirst Object. We have loved this half-German, half-Ghanaian, all American slice of goodness and glory for many years (a decade? more?) and Mr K is a tall drink of water we want to slurp up, bless him. 

Look at this shit, from when he was way younger, in Soul Food, when people left their phones in their car.

(go to the 4-minute mark to see him properly execute a flirty kiss that leads to… thangs  👀)

And he’s still hot! We went deep on how his strongly defined eyebrows, his pleasingly deep voice, and well, his very clean musculature wins us — and actors such as Sanaa Lathan, (real life wife) Nicole Ari Parker, and Gugu Mbatha-Raw — over, every single time. Annoyingly, Hollywood under-uses him. For example, the muscles are very nice (ashé 🙏🏾) but fam, he’s funny! Like, very. Remember his turn as basketball player Kelby Dawson — the best ‘hurt bae’ of the genre, in our opinion — in Brown Sugar? Nothing but net, sis. Same comedy chops in display in Real Husbands of Hollywood too. When we think of Boris, we feel feelings, nahmean? Mr. Kodjoe has the longevity and the (thirst) range. And Shonda noticed too: catch him on Station 19… as a fireman. Yo, Boris, we got a fire in our [REDACTED]! 🚒👨🏾‍🚒

Plus we have brand new Fanfic Wars, in which Boris does… stuff for us. You can listen to the whole episode RIGHT HERE (more ways to listen listed down below).

TO LISTEN

Subscribe to get new episodes every Thursday. We’re on: Apple | Stitcher | Spotify | PlayerFM | Podbean | Overcast or search ‘Thirst Aid Kit’ wherever you get your podcasts.

We’re on Twitter at @bimadew and @tnwhiskeywoman; the show is on Twitter at @thirstaidkit. Send us your (short!) drabbles at [email protected]. Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, please, because our diet is exclusively five star ratings. Also: DID YOU KNOW WE HAVE MERCH NOW? WELL, WE DO! T-SHIRTS! HOODIES! POP SOCKETS! AND SWEATSHIRTS! UK listeners can shop here; Germany shoppers: here.) Be your own Santa; get this super-cute sweatshirt (in three colors)!

We’ve got one more episode this season, and it’s a big one. Catch up on all the episodes HERE, and stay aggressively thirsty, won’t you? 💜

[thirstaidkitpodcast]

THIRST AID KIT | S3E11 | TAK ON TOUR: THIRSTY TORONTO

Y’all. 

It’s true that thirst knows no borders, and there are thirst-buckets all over the world. And we got to witness some of that international thirst in person for the first time — in Toronto!

Yes! We were invited to do a live show at the Hot Docs Podcast Festival, and we packed a bag and two (2) spray bottles and flew over and it was L I T. But don’t take just our word for it; look what cohost of ESPN’s 30 For 30 podcast, Jody Avirgan, said about our live show:

Keith Romer, his cohost, agreed. 

What exactly did we do? WELL, WE’LL TELL YOU.

We took our unique brand of lusting out loud to the Great White North, and were met with all the warmth of our Canadian thirst team. We were ably aided by two fabulously thirsty guests: producer and all-round diamond TK Matunda (who tolerated us when we we affectionately referred to her as “Canadian TK” because of our own OG TK, producer, TK Dutes 😂), who told us all about her crushes: Richard Ayoade, Donald Glover, and Jemaine Clement (spot the theme… 👀). Look at this shit, if you please!

TK gave us one of the quotes of the night, when she said a thirst object had to “ease my mind and ease my muscles.” What a word! 🙏🏾

We also had another guest, the woman who popularized one of the phrases of 2018, “Big Dick Energy”. Yes, Kyrell Grant of the Drunk Feminist Film Collective, shared some of her thoughts on who exactly has that exclusive energy in a game we called “BDE Or Nah” (spoiler: Nafessa Williams? BDE all over), as well as showing us the roots of her own thirst objects, Ezra “Spooky Dick” Miller, and twinkly-ass Stanley ‘The Tooch’ Tucci. 

There were gasps of delight, impromptu dancing on stage, and all the dirty auntie chuckles you could ever want. Plus we did a live [REDACTED] complete with human sound effects, and a live (and lively 👀) Thirst Sommelier thanks to our very up-for-it and very thirsty audience, and of course, live drabble writing and reading in Fanfic Wars (with a twist). Y’all we had a ball. And, as a special exclusive treat to attendees, we gave out tote bags. Fam, we promise” you wanted to be there. 

You can listen to the whole episode RIGHT HERE (more ways to listen listed down below)

MORE STUFF TO WATCH AND READ, IF YOU LIKE!

Kyrell on BDE, in her own words

Stanley Tucci cooking, hair-dusted forearms brazenly exposed

Jemaine Clement (with his Conchords partner, Bret McKenzie) performing the classic “Business Time”.

Here’s Ezra Miller making this interviewer blush happily:

Shoutout to Drunk Feminist Film Collective, and every single person at Hot Docs, who made us feel like absolute rockstars. Salutations and hugs to our guests, TK and Kyrell, who shone. Huge shoutout to Reem of the Ted Rogers Cinema, who is a QUEEN AMONG WOMEN. The greatest thanks to our amazing 🌟SUPERSTAR🌟 producers TK Dutes and Camila Salazar, who went above and beyond, as they do every single episode. Big love to every single person who bought tickets and came out and filled the house with uproarious laughter and thirst. There’s nothing better than a dark room full of thirsty patrons, guffawing and engaging in good clean (LOL) fun. We had a ball. 💜

We’re on Twitter at @bimadew and @tnwhiskeywoman; the show is on Twitter at @thirstaidkit. You can follow TK Matunda on Twitter @tkmatunda and Kyrell Grant is @imbobswaget. Send us your (short!) drabbles at [email protected]. Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, please, because we think the world should know how much you love us. Five stars, please! Also: WE HAVE MERCH NOW. (UK listeners: shop here; Germany shoppers: here.)

TO LISTEN

Subscribe to get new episodes every Thursday. We’re on: Apple | Stitcher | Spotify | PlayerFM | Podbean | or search ‘Thirst Aid Kit’ wherever you get your podcasts.

Thirst is Good. Stay thirsty.  💦🥤

[thirstaidkitpodcast]

AT LAST: Netflix and Chill with Thirst Aid Kit! That’s right — we held a very thirsty screening of Netflix’s To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before in our very first Netflix and Chill session. Shoutout to the New York office for giving us the space!

There were snacks! 🍿There was kombucha! 🥃 (and also pop sockets, thanks to our friends at KeVita). There was wine too! 🍷And face masks 🧖🏾‍♀️ (thanks to our friends at Glow Recipe). There was also Netflix and BuzzFeed swag! 

See? 👇🏾

But wait, there’s more! We were also joined by the New York Times bestselling author who gifted the world with Lara Jean Covey and Peter Kavinsky, Jenny Han (she baked cookies!) and also by one of our resident romcom experts, BuzzFeed News’ very own entertainment writer Alanna Bennett, and we discussed all sorts of things (The “meaning” of Lara Jean, how to make seeking consent sexy and NORMAL, what makes TATBILB so effective etc). 

There was a lot of laughter, lots of yelling at the screen (“whoa, whoa, whoa!”), a few tears of joy, and lots of swooning. And a thirsty time was had by all.

Thank  you to every last thirst-bucket who made it out to join us. We appreciate you. 😘

Photographs © Alana Curtis / BuzzFeed

[thirstaidkitpodcast]

IFC Center - Thirst Aid Kit Presents Dirty Dancing (1987)

Bim Adewunmi and Nichole Perkins, hosts of BuzzFeed’s Thirst Aid Kit, are proud to present this screening of Dirty Dancing. Get ready to swoon out loud with Baby as she carries a watermelon and watch Johnny risk it all for her via his hips. Join us for the latest Thirsty Movie Night. It’s guaranteed to [...]

THIRST-BUCKETS! LOOK! 👆🏾

We have another edition of Thirsty Movies in New York City, and this time we’re taking the love to the IFC centre in Manhattan! 

Join us live as we go on odyssey of thirst with Baby’s incredibly realised female gaze, Johnny’s exceptionally mobile hips, and the exceedingly great soundtrack of DIRTY DANCING aka the movie that has helped generations figure out exactly what they like. 👀

DETAILS

Date: THURSDAY, 27 SEPTEMBER Time: 7PM Venue: IFC Center, 323 6th Avenue, New York, NY 10014 All other info: RIGHT HERE, FRIEND

You can prepare yourself by listening (or re-listening!) to the Patrick Swayze episode of Thirst Aid Kit, in which we talk about the absolute sexual power of Swayze’s naked back and the importance of Dirty Dancing for the culture,  We swear, on Swayze’s sacred hips, there will be fun and games and prizes. So get your ticket now, grab your drool cups, and come experience joy and the transcendent pleasure of thirsting out loud with Thirst Aid Kit! 😘

[thirstaidkitpodcast]

THIRST AID KIT | S2E15 | YOU CAN SAY THAT AGAIN!

*soothing bedtime story voice* Are you siting comfortably? Then we’ll begin.

This week we are ALL about the voice. Specifically, we are talking about the voices that have molded us, and the voices that make us tingle and melt and laugh and FEEL. 

To help us close out our second season with a bang, we turned in particular to four very special voices from four very special people from across the world. Mads Mikkelsen, with his Danish-inflected voicebox, is a treat for your ears and your eyes (you already know how Nichole feels about him). We love the energy he transmits with his voice, whether he’s about to smash James Bond’s knackers in in Casino Royale, or eat people in Hannibal. Rawr!

We went South — Meridian, Mississippi to be exact! — to sample the very specific delights of rapper Big K.R.I.T. who sounds like something Nichole dreamed up in a lab, he’s so perfect-sounding. He’s also the prime example of how voicework is actually work; the voice as instrument, taking on new depths and highs to send a message, you know? Like honey, syrup, and other slow-dripping food items, K.R.I.T.’s voice makes you think about being home, relaxed, comfortable and also [REDACTED]. 👀

Listen to this:

Then we flew to England to alight at the door of one of Bim’s longterm baes, The Walking Dead (now newly free of that carcass!) actor Andrew Lincoln, because, well, LISTEN. You wanna talk about dulcet tones? Step on up! Whether he’s reading Harry Potter for the kids, reciting poetry, or threatening bad men in the apocalypse, his voice reminds Bim of something rich and strong that you can feel in your belly. 😋

We landed back in the velvet embrace of Jeffrey Wright’s signature rasp, showcased most recently in Westworld, but most memorably for Bim, as CIA agent Felix Leiter (”a brother from Langley”) in Casino Royale. Also, remember him in that not-so-good remake of Shaft? Jesus, that raaaaaaasp! 💦

IT’S ALL GOOD, EVEN WHEN THEY’RE PLAYNG BAD.

Along the way, we also reflect on some other voices that have touched us (heh) over the years, from Keith David to Jeff Bridges. 

We also have a segment on some iconic voices: goddesses like Kathleen Turner, with a huskiness that belongs only to her (and also Jessica Rabbit—HELLO); Jennifer Tilly’s twinkly but scratchy singular wonder of a voice (remember her in Bride Of Chucky? Think Lina Lamont from Singin’ In The Rain, and queen of a thousand voices, Cree Summer, who, LEST WE FORGET, was the original Penny in Inspector Gadget. Please put some respect on her name!

Finally, there’s Fanfic Wars, obviously, and well, your ears are in for even more of a treat. You can listen to the whole episode RIGHT HERE (more ways to listen listed below).

(MUCH) MORE TO WATCH AND READ, IF YOU LIKE

Let Mads Mikkelsen sell you some beer

Here’s Samuel Anderson making you a cup of coffee you a cup of coffee

A little video of tribute to the genius and longevity of Cree Summer

Here’s Jeffery Wright saying the line in Casino Royale that makes Bim clench her fists and bite her knuckle

JESSICA RABBIT, BITCH

Here’s Jeff Bridges as (bald! rich! stern!) Obadiah Stane in Iron Man.

Here’s Big K.R.I.T. doing a stellar Tiny Desk concert at NPR earlier this year. Bonus: he can sing! He has the cutest smile! Let’s get married!

Some of Keith David’s Spawn work

Jennifer Tilly on how she hears her voice vs how others seem to

Here’s Andrew Lincoln talking about reading Quidditch Through The Ages for Pottermore

Here’s the trick Nichole mentioned about Kathleen Turner’s voice.

Mads Mikkelsen as Hannibal, figuratively licking his chops over how he’s gonna fuck Will up

Jeff Bridges has a mf’ing album to help you sleep and the website to buy it from is called, amazingly http://www.DreamingWithJeff.com

Look at young Andrew Lincoln perform Frank O’Connor in this achingly 90s recording:

We’re on Twitter at @bimadew and @tnwhiskeywoman. The show is at @thirstaidkit. 

We’re gonna be off for a while, but you can still send us your Thirst Sommelier requests at 765-884-4778 aka 7658-THIRST (international listeners: send us a short recorded message via email, please). And you can still send us fanmail and love via the written word (aka your SHORT drabbles!) to: [email protected]. Also, PLEASE, if you can, rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. We sure do appreciate it!

Stay subscribed to get new content! We’re on: Apple | Stitcher | Spotify | Podbean | Overcast | Google Play | iHeartRadio or search ‘Thirst Aid Kit’ wherever you get your podcasts.

HOUSEKEEPING: ISSA WRAP ON SEASON 2! 

We want to send a very warm and heartfelt THANK YOU to our glorious guests this season: Alanna Bennett (for the Tom Hiddleston episode) and Alexis Nedd (for the Gael García Bernal episode) and Brittany Luse (for the More, More, More! episode) and Rahul Kohli (for his own solo It Ain’t A Thing episode. They were great, and we love them. So much. So please follow them and their work!

We also wanna thank our amazing Pod Squad, who are excellent every day and even more so every time we step into the studio. There is no show without them, and our producers, Julia Furlan and (new with season 2 and now invaluable!) TK Dutes are THE SHIT when it comes to rolling with the punches of quick turnarounds, scheduling conflicts, editing, mixing and uploading. They are the real MVPs, and we love them. Also, yeah, we’re all ladies. 🙌🏿

WE’LL BE BACK SOONER THAN YOU CAN SEND AN EGGPLANT EMOJI.

Stay thirsty, thirst-buckets. Your nation is depending on you. 😘💙💜💚❤️

[thirstaidkitpodcast]

THIRST AID KIT | S2E08 | RYAN COOGLER: BAY AREA BAE

What do you call a man that is a perfect mix of talent, confidence (not arrogance!), the conviction of authenticity and also deep, recklessly applied handsomeness?

RYAN COOGLER, THAT’S WHO.

Look at his face. Ugh. 😋

This week, we chose an unlikely candidate to be our Thirst Object. “Unlikely” why? Well, Ryan Coogler is not your average Hollywood auteur. Let us count the ways. He is:

outrageously talented

apparently generous and gracious

fine as hell; and 

fresh out of the Bay. 

Hollywood just doesn’t make ‘em like this, you know? And again, look at his face. Ugh. 😋

So we looked at Ryan’s back catalogue — award-winning Fruitvale Station, award-winning Creed, (surely future award-winning) Black Panther — and worked through how he subtly uploads fundamental parts of himself into his movies. Which is to say he is a refreshingly collaborative director and writer, and an unabashed champion of ensuring women are just as in the driving seat as men are, and treats women as though they are valid human beings with stuff to offer the world and goshdarn if that isn’t the hottest fucking thing, because look, our bras are on fire. Here’s Ryan with one of his Black Panther leading ladies, the luminous and equally delicious Danai Gurira:

WE GOT YOU TOO, RYAN.

And here he is on working with female cinematographers:

Plus he’s friends with Ava DuVernay. Which is nice.

We also spoke a little (A LOT) about what his accent does for our [REDACTED] and how hot it is when a person just… doesn’t codeswitch for the comfort of others? Like, seriously hot? It means something that a man with the level of talent and the amazing opportunities he’s been given sounds like he’s from exactly where he comes from: Oakland. Let his voice wash over you here, please:

*throws bra at screen*

This week’s Fanfic Wars features a lot of audible gasps, scandalised cackles and uncomfortable gulps of air. Be warned.

You can listen to the whole episode RIGHT HERE (more ways to listen are listed below).

OTHER STUFF FOR YOU TO READ/WATCH!

Here he is talking about his relationship with Michael B. Jordan (plus a bonus photo of him with a patchy beard, to prove he’s actually mortal)

Being intentional about working with women

Please read this tweet from Hunter Harris and then watch the embedded video at this link. His delighted and humbled laugh is… everything

That great 2016 Inez and Vinoodh photograph of Ryan and MBJ, looking like two snacks of black male friendship and affection. 🚂 (wait, who said that?)

A short piece on the weird homophobic backlash to that photo

Seriously, look at the photo, tho:

RAWR.

OK, you know this bit already but: we’re on Twitter at @bimadew and @tnwhiskeywoman; the show is at @thirstaidkit. Send us your Thirst Sommelier requests at 765-884-4778 aka 7658-THIRST (international listeners: send us a short recorded message via email, please) and your (short!) drabbles at [email protected].

Subscribe to get new episodes every Thursday! We’re on: Apple | Stitcher | Spotify | Google Play | Podbean | or search ‘Thirst Aid Kit’ wherever you get your podcasts.

Remain hydrated, friends, but stay thirsty.

[thirstaidkitpodcast]

THIRST AID KIT | S2E07 | WE LEARNED TO SPELL ‘JAKE GYLLENHAAL’

Here’s a thing:

Twitter-user @loopzoop is sadly now absent from that parish, but isn’t this the most accurate thing you ever saw? Because the thing is, we DO love Jake Gyllenhaal. He’s prime thirst object material. Let’s discuss!

Exhibit A:

Hello, soldier.

So, Jake Gyllenhaal has been around for a long-ass time. He was a kid actor, then a teen actor, and then a full-on grown man actor, and we are grateful for this iterartion, because that’s the one that gave us heartbreakingly wonderful turns in Brokeback Mountain, Source Code, Moonlight Mile, Brothers, Southpaw… we could go on, y’know? Shhh, don’t mention Prince Of Persia, okay? 

The thing about Jake is that he has those pretty eyes, and that… mouf, and he can do comedy and action and drama and listen, HE SINGS too, and it’s all a little overwhelming? So we got into his talent, and his face, and how he works to keep us on our toes, by choosing interesting projects that many of his peers tend not to go for, and working with supremely talented directors (Fincher, Lee, Duncan Jones, Joon-ho Bong etc) to create this mishmash career of high and low, indie and blockbuster, and of course, a good deal of nakedness. Ashé. Like, look at this shit:

*douses self in ice water* (tag yourself; we’re the lowest visible ab muscle)

Anyway, let’s move on to this key moment of joint Jake-thirst, in which he is fully clothed, but being extra-tender and Soft™ with his fake-daughter who has a head dull of Type 4 curls as well as the cutest face in all the world soundtracked by ee cummings and shot by Cary Joji Fukunaga:

What to even do with this? LIKE, WHAT EVEN TO DO?

So that’s Jake Gyllenhaal, in a nutshell. We luff him. Even if he could stand to put his money where his mouth is more often when it comes to working with women filmmakers (come on, son!) and even though we feel like he’s probably one of those guys who’s had things come a little bit easy? Because, you know what? He’s talented. And hot. And sometimes, that’ll do Pig. That’ll do.

You can listen to the whole episode RIGHT HERE. More ways to listen are listed below.

Also in this ep!

A Fanfic Wars that nearly broke Bim, because Nichole is a menace who writes drabbles with the sole purpose of ending Bim’s life (the reaction we aired is a mere fraction of the full response…) 

Here’s the full video of Jake reading from James Baldwin’s Another Country, plus a great conversation with Colm Tóibín (but yeah, the sexy reading starts around 32:43ish. Stay thirsty.)

Here’s the bit Nichole plays from Love and Other Drugs. Kinda NSFW?

His storied music video career, for Vampire Weekend; Jamie Foxx; and even Bey and Jay.

This is Jake singing in Sunday In The Park With George. *throws bra*

This:

Adorable.

The show is on Twitter at @thirstaidkit, and you can find us at @tnwhiskeywoman and @bimadew (@ us with good stuff only, pls!). Send us your (short!) drabbles at [email protected] and your Thirst Sommelier requests at 765-884-4778 aka 7658-THIRST (international listeners: send us a short recorded message via email, please).

Subscribe to get new episodes every Thursday! Apple | Stitcher | Spotify | Google Play | Podbean | or search ‘Thirst Aid Kit’ wherever you get your podcasts.

Stay thirsty, kids!

[thirstaidkitpodcast]

THIRST AID KIT | S2E03 | THE EVOLUTION OF MICHAEL BAE JORDAN

*laughs for 17 minutes straight*

What the fuck, Mike?

WELCOME, THIRST-BUCKETS.

So the thing about Michael B. Jordan is that he is, completely objectively, the hottest man in the world right now. 

Like, it’s almost offensive? 

But it’s definitely something he’s grown into, y’know? Which is why we decided to delve deep (heh) and analyse the nature of the evolution of his hotness. We have some theories:

That slow smile. You know, the one that emerges like the sunrise cresting the horizon.

Those soulful brown eyes. Deep enough for us — and a few of our closest pals — to swim in.

The FUCKING DIMPLES. Unf.

A deadly mix of all the above PLUS his undeniably immense… talent. 👀

We also talked about MBJ’s stellar performances on TV, and how he parlayed that into an effortlessly smooth transition to the big screen. Which led us to talk about his creatively rewarding collaborations with director Ryan Coogler, which made us talk about Creed, and well, things got a little breathless in the studio. But how could it not? This scene is STIRRING.

W 😛 W

We covered some of his other roles too, like in Chronicle and That Awkward Moment (how apt) and the fireball bomb that was Fantastic Four. And then we spoke about how he fucked up by, among other things, using language that many people found somewhat… belittling but then — plot twist— he apologised, and we saw what he had done, and we saw that it was Good, but more importantly, he went the fuck away, which is something more men should do after fucking up and apologising (apparently) sincerely. And then MBJ re-emerged, absolutely jacked, ready to a) play Erik Killmonger in what would go on to become one of the highest grossing movies of all time, Black Panther; and b) do pushups at the behest of co-star Lupita Nyong’o, and delighting a huge swathe of the population, and wow, god is real.

We also have a couple of… rhythmic drabbles in Fanfic Wars 👀, and a very tasty Thirst Sommelier.

You can listen to the whole thirsty episode RIGHT HERE.

You should also watch this video:

A reading list + links, should you require it

That 2015 GQ interview

The piece by Alyssa Rosenberg and Stacia L. Brown in the Washington Post about that tender hair scene in Creed

The apology he published in Essence

Bim’s 2018 profile of his hotness MBJ

This 2014 press tour interview where he inadvertently revealed his love for anime, bless

We’re on Twitter at @tnwhiskeywoman and @bimadew. Send us your (short!) drabbles at [email protected] and your Thirst Sommelier requests at 765-884-4778 aka 7658-THIRST (international listeners: send us a short recorded message via email, please).

Subscribe to get the newest episodes! Apple | Stitcher | Spotify | Google Play | Podbean | or search ‘Thirst Aid Kit’ wherever you get your podcasts

[thirstaidkitpodcast]

THIRST AID KIT | S2E02 | TOM HIDDLESTON, THE EARNEST SCARECROW

HI, THIRST-BUCKETS. 

Once upon a time, when Tom Hiddleston’s Loki told us to kneel, and down we went, no questions asked, joints creaking only slightly: there was just something about a tricksy villain who also knew how to cry and feel feelings. TOM HIDDLESTON WAS IT. But ::serious face:: what happens when a dreamboat drifts off course?

In this week’s episode, we explore the appeal of Tom Hiddleston, most crucially in the wake of The 2016 Incident, when Tom abruptly went from being a lovable slender snack to the ex we ignored on social media. And we have been working our way back to full thirst ever since. We brought in a special guest, our friend and colleague here at BuzzFeed dot com the website, TV and film writer Alanna Bennett, to help us figure out a clear path as to why we fancied him and how to bring back that loving feeling. She suggested we start with:

that melodious voice

the puppy-dog earnestness

the smoldering passion of his characters

So that’s exactly what we did.

We also spoke at length about his role as the hotblooded RAF pilot Freddie Page in Terrence Davies’ The Deep Blue Sea. Here’s a (mildly NSFW?) scene you should watch right now:

(Actually, you should just watch the whole thing. It’s LUSH.)

We also spoke about how he’s a ham who can’t resist showing off (even if his impressions aren’t as good as he thinks they are), the precise timbre of his voice, how nice it is to such a slender man (NIchole’s fave type of man 👀) be the recipient of so much lust, that shower he took on stage in Coriolanus at the National Theatre, and how good he is at playing soldiers, not least because he gets to engage in stage combat, which we all think Tom really enjoys.

(same, Tom)

Sidenote: this week’s Fanfic Wars broke us both. Remember to vote for your fave over on our Twitter. 

Full episode is available RIGHT HERE.

A reading list + links, should you require it

That GQ profile.

Doing his best Al Pacino.

Working with Cookie Monster on the concept of delayed gratification

Tom reading the fuck out of Keats’ Bright Star

And also May I Feel Said He by ee cummings

Lastly, we love a British villain, don’t we.

We’re on Twitter at @tnwhiskeywoman and @bimadew and lovely Alanna Bennett can be found at @AlannaBennett on Twitter, but also right here on Tumblr at http://tawdrysquid.tumblr.com/ Send us your (short) drabbles at [email protected] and your Thirst Sommelier requests at 765-884-4778 aka 7658-THIRST (international listeners: send us a short recorded message via email, please).

Subscribe to get the newest episodes!

Apple | Stitcher | Google Play | Spotify | search for ‘Thirst Aid Kit’ wherever you get your podcasts

Keep it frosty and thirsty out there, kids. Do not operate heavy machinery while listening.

[tawdrysquid]

I was on Thirst Aid Kit!!!! IT WAS A GOOD TIME. 

This is the culmination of like six years of Tom Hiddleston lust for me, and it all started here on Tumblr dot com, so it only made sense to reblog. 

[thirstaidkitpodcast]

OK, listen. 

You know we love drabbles – fanfic is a cornerstone of the Thirst Aid Kit universe! And we also LOVE it when you send us your fanfic. We have received so many thirsty lines about the things you would like to do to a number of famous dudes, from Keanu to Donald Glover via Chris Evans and Shug Avery (!).

So to celebrate the end our hiatus and our imminent return for Season 2, we asked a few of our BF friends to read a small sampling of your thirstiest, most wonderfully ridiculous fanfic. They delivered. Enjoy!

Reminder: 🎉THIRST AID KIT IS BACK ON THIRSTDAY MARCH 29!🎉. We want to make sure you never miss a new episode and there’s no better way to guarantee that than subscribing! If you’re on a mobile device, click this link to open it in your native podcasting app or download any podcast app — Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, Google Play, iHeartRadio, Overcast, Pocket Casts, and more — and search for “Thirst Aid Kit”.

Stay thirsty, friends, and keep lusting out loud!

[thirstaidkitpodcast]

We’re back!

Well, almost. Mark your calendars and grab your sippy cups, thirst-buckets, because there’s a new episode the best podcast in the world, Thirst Aid Kit, THIS THURSDAY. Yup. MARCH 29. Look up at that photo again. See how happy our tongues are? That’s really real, friends!

This season we will have all your faves: entirely innocent scenarios made filthy via [REDACTED], detailed analysis of the hows and whys we still fancy these men (in this economy?), hilarious guests, steamy drabbles (mostly all Nichole, tbh) in Fanfic Wars, laser-accurate Thirst Sommelier recommendations and everything else in between. There may be a celebrity guest at some point. We may have Bridget rustle us up a new fuck poem. Basically, we are looking to keep our thirsty Sauron-like eye on all matters thirst and we want you to come along with us. Remember: this is a “headphones recommended” podcast. 👀

OK, housekeeping time: YOU SHOULD SUBSCRIBE. We want to make sure you never miss a new episode and there’s no better way to guarantee it. If you’re on a mobile device, click this link to open it in your native podcasting app or download any podcast app — Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, Google Play, iHeartRadio, Overcast, Pocket Casts, and more — and search for “Thirst Aid Kit”.

You already know we’re on tumblr (hello! 👋🏾) but did you know we’re also on Twitter? We’re at @thirstaidkit (remember that we put up a poll after every episode so you can vote for your favourite drabble). We love to read your short bursts of fanfiction, so please send your (short!) drabbles to [email protected]. Lastly, if you have a thirst problem that you just can’t shake (aka you need a new thirst object to lust over), call the Thirst Sommeliers on 765-884-4778.

Can’t wait to get in your ears! THIRST AID KIT IS BACK. March 29, wherever you get your podcasts!

[thirstaidkitpodcast]

We have been to see Black Panther. Twice. 

Like you, we have been utterly blown away (and back, and away again) by the scene-stealing Winston Duke, aka 6′5″ hunk of man who plays the king of the Hanuman-worshipping Jabari people, M’Baku.

Allow us to say, M’Baku, that “WE HAVE WATCHED AND LISTENED FROM THE MOUNTAINS OF OUR GREAT THIRST — AND WE JUST WANNA [REDACTED] WITH YOUR [REDACTED] UNTIL OUR VIBRANIUM-REINFORCED [REDACTED] FALLS OFF.”

Ahem.

M’Baku has that great, audience-pleasing line in the movie where he reveals his vegetarianism. His comment ignited our hunger – and we decided to feed it. So this is our first example of ‘Dinner & Thirst’, in which our thirst drives us into the kitchen.

Here is a hearty, filling and hella delicious meal for our Vegetarian Zaddy, our mountain-dwelling Salad King. You can find the recipe we adapted here at COOKIE+kate (we added a couple of extras – side salad, fried plantains – cos M’Baku deserves all the extras). He deserves it all.

Have patience with us, thirst-grasshoppers – we’ll be back soon! In the meantime, you can listen to Thirst Aid Kit if you’re on a mobile device by clicking this link to open it in your native podcasting app, or, you can download any podcast app — Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, Google Play, iHeartRadio, Overcast, Pocket Casts, and more — and search for “Thirst Aid Kit”. Subscribe, so you never miss a new episode.

[thirstaidkitpodcast]

Hey, did you hear about our recent live show in New York, Thirst Aid Kit Live: The Quenchening? Fam, it was great. If you missed it, let not your heart be heavy! Because you can listen to the whole episode right here. 

BUT ALSO! You can enjoy this short little clip of our live edition of [REDACTED] in which we introduce a new kind of beep…

[thirstaidkitpodcast]

TAK Live: The Quenchening by Thirst Aid Kit

We had OUR VERY FIRST LIVE SHOW, recorded on Monday, February 12th in New York. With our guests, old pal Krutika Mallikarjuna and new kid on the (thirst) block, E. Alex Jung, we discussed Black Panther, supervillain, um,... prowess, underrated romcoms, K-dramas, and even indulged in some public communal swooning. Grab a glass of something chilled and settle in.

NEW EPISODE, THIRST-BUCKETS!

The kind folks at the Jerome L. Greene Space in Manhattan, NYC, hosted Thirst Aid Kit’s very first live show — aka “The Quenchening” — and it was lit!

Let’s break down what happened.

Nichole wrote a stupendous [REDACTED] that was performed live — and instead of the usual beep, we introduced a very special “live episode only” new sound. Listen to the ep to find out what it was.

© Sylvie Rosokoff

We had not one but TWO amazing guests join us.

First up as our very thirsty pal, features editor at TV Guide and crucially, a sincere and fervent Wakanda enthusiast, Krutika Mallikarjuna. She had strong opinions about the hot but villanous Erik Killmonger, T’Challa’s tender voice, and the spellbinding black girl magic of Danai Gurira. We also played a game featuring supervillains’ um… prowess. 👀

© Sylvie Rosokoff

Our second guest was Vulture and New York Magazine writer, and newbie on the thirst block, E. Alex Jung! He waxed lyrical about everyone’s fave genre: romcoms. In our conversation, we covered K-dramas, mainstream Hollywood’s narrow parameters for love and even a little module on underrated romcoms (Alex’s selection was a superb late 90s classic that everyone should watch.)

© Sylvie Rosokoff

We did something new with Fanfic Wars – we made our drabbles up on the spot, after drawing: 1) Thirst Objects; and 2) A Situation out of two pewter bowls. Writing thirsty drabbles like this should be a competitive sport. We’d get gold medals, easy.

© Sylvie Rosokoff

We also had a drabble competition featuring the (filthy and hilarious) audience, with truly excellent prizes coming from our truly excellent friend-sponsors at Fun Factory – check their NatallSFW website out if you like fun adult stuff. Your get a vibrator! And you get a vibrator! Congrats to our drabble-winners, Peter and Jasmine!

© Agerenesh Ashagre

OK, some links for ya!

The clip Nichole brought in was from 2004′s Something New and here is the song, “Seconds of Pleasure” by Van Hunt that plays in the scene

Alex’s clip came from But I’m a Cheerleader (1999)

Bim’s clip was from The Truth About Cats and Dogs (1996)

Maybe you want to feel some German engineering of your own? See our pals at Fun Factory.

Thanks to Sylvie Rosokoff, aka @sylviethecamera for all the photos of the night. A big cheers also to Agerenesh, who took the photo of our drabble winners! Shoutout as ever to the pod squad, past and present, and the biggest love to the audience who left their warm homes in February to come see us lust out loud in person.

THIRST RESPONSIBLY, AND WE WILL SEE YOU WITH MORE NEW EPISODES IN MARCH.

© Sylvie Rosokoff

[thirstaidkitpodcast]

GUESS WHAT?

IT FINALLY HAPPENED! OUR LIVE SHOW, THIRST AID KIT: THE QUENCHENING, CAME SAW, AND FUCKING CONQUERED.

Thirst-buckets, we had so much fun!

Shoutout to the Jerome L. Greene Space who hosted us. Shoutout to our guests, Krutika Mallikarjuna and E. Alex Jung. Shoutout to our sponsor-pals, Fun Factory, who helped us reward our audience drabble-writers. Shoutout to the Pod Squad Alumni and current members) who made it all go so seamlessly. And shoutout to the audience, who came out on a cold February night to laugh, swoon and thirst with us. Shoutout to Sylvie Rosokoff aka Sylvie The Camera, who basically caught the very essence of our souls via her wonderful photos of the night. Follow the links, support our friends!

Here are a few of Sylvie’s photos; a (NEW) full episode of the night will be up shortly — keep your eyes and ears peeled right here on Tumblr, or over on our Twitter. 

© Sylvie Rosokoff, 2018

[thirstaidkitpodcast]

Zaddy, Zaddy, Zaddy by Thirst Aid Kit

Sometimes what you...*crave* is maturity. And so this week, we're swooning over some seasoned baes — "zaddies" if you will (though Bim wishes you wouldn't). We're talking classics such as Laurence Fishburne, Bruce Willis, Jesse L. Martin, and more. We also have a couple of guests: Twitter favorite @vinabean talks Blair Underwood, and fairy pod-mom Tracy Clayton of Another Round talks about her fave, "smooth-skinned piece-of-hallelujah-sex bae" Don Cheadle.

When your tooth is looking for something well-seasoned his week, nothing else will do. As that’s why we recorded this week’s episode: to cater to the Zaddy crowd. We’re talking those people who’ve been marinating in that ‘good genes sauce’ for much of our lusting lives. Hallelujah! It’s a broad category, and we cover a few classics:

Laurence Fishburne, who played the excellently named Furious Styles (lol) in Boyz n The Hood

Bruce Willis, who was a formative crush after his untouchable smirk-work in Moonlighting

Jesse L. Martin, who can sing, and dance and act and is also FINE as hell.

Tony Goldwyn, who as Fitz on Scandal, has a “superpower”

AND MORE.

We also have two very special guests: fave of TAK and fave of Twitter, @vinabean, who once typed a thirst tweet so succinct and perfect it made the subject of the tweet blush, open-mouthed, on stage. Vina’s thirst for Blair Underwood is urgent, hilariously specific, and so palpable we would have her back every week. 

Look at this shit, though:

We also have our friend, and actual angel Tracy Clayton, aka co-host of a little-known podcast called Another Round, talking about Don Cheadle, at some length and with some passion. We just need you to be prepared with a pad and pencil, because Tracy has an idea for a line of specialty popsicles you’ll want to invest in…

AND GUESS WHAT? DON LISTENED TO THE EP!

We have never been more delighted to be called messy. THANKS, DON, YOU SMOOTH-SKINNED PIECE OF HALLELUJAH SEX! Also, um, please come be a guest on our show? We love you.

There’s also some pretty erotic Fanfic Wars this week, so please thirst responsibly and sip water sporadically.

Every week, we love you, and you love us back, and we can’t get enough of it. Please keep sending us love and thirst at [email protected] and rate review and subscribe to us wherever you get your podcasts. Also! If you’ll be in New York in February 2018, why not come to our live show? You can get information and get tickets here. Say hi to us on Twitter (and, you know, no need to @ in our celeb crushes…👀) at @thirstaidkit.

THIRST RULES EVERYTHING AROUND US. Have lovely and safe new year celebrations, thirst-buckets – we’ll see you on the other side.