Entertainment
Erotic David Duchovny Series Changed Cable Forever
By Jonathan Klotz
| Published
Before he was Fox Mulder, David Duchovny was Jake, a heartbroken man whose fiancée commits suicide and leaves behind a diary detailing her innermost thoughts, feelings, and the details of multiple affairs. Jake ask women to send in their stories of love and betrayal. That’s the basic premise for Zalman King’s Red Shoe Diaries, the anthology that brought softcore to premium cable networks and re-launched Showtime for the 90s. No one would have guessed how amusing it would become only a year after it launched in 1992, to have The X-Files Fox Mulder acting as the Cryptkeeper of Erotica.
Red Shoe Diaries Set A New Standard For Cable
Duchovny’s role in the series was the same as the Cryptkeeper in Tales from The Crypt, or Rod Serling’s in The Twilight Zone: briefly introduce the story, then get out of the way. His narration plays out over recycled footage of walking with his dog, getting an envelope, and opening it up as new narration brings us into the upcoming story. All of which are as barebones as you’d expect and exist as an excuse to get to the erotic part of the erotica.
Red Shoe Diaries is, looking back, quaint. The stories all follow the same formula of woman meets man, falls for his (or him for her) charms, the enjoy their time together, and most of the time, part ways. A newly divorced woman falls in love with a hometown cowboy, a model rediscovers her love for life thanks to a cabbie, business rivals become lovers, the early seasons are filled with the type of trope-filled story you’d find in any romance section.
It’s a little later on that Red Shoe Diaries gets weird, though the soft-lightning, awkward music ripped straight from Pure Moods, and Duchovny’s narration remain, when the stories are about trapped astronauts having fun before they die, a Mexican luchador, a sci-fi tale in the future where love is forbidden, and a fallen angel. None of which reached the spice level of a dark romantasy novel you can buy from Barnes & Noble. But in the 90s, this was groundbreaking.
The Ex-Files
Red Shoe Diaries ushered in a wave of similar artistic erotica shows on premium cable, including a revival of Emmanuelle, Women: Stories of Passion, and even faux-reality television including Taxicab Confessions. Before Showtime struck gold with Dexter, the network was mostly known for this type of softcore show.
The success of The X-Files helped raise the profile of Red Shoe Diaries, especially once fans learned David Duchovny starred in the Season 1 episode, “Jake’s Story.” This was long before Californication was even a passing thought. In Germany, the series was rebranded as Foxy Fantasies, heavily implying Duchovny was playing Fox Mulder instead of Jake.
Looking back from 2026, the other enjoyable part of Red Shoe Diaries is a few of the guest stars you’d never expect, including a pre-Friends Matt LeBlanc, a post-Star Trek: The Next Generation Denise Crosby, both of whom appear twice during the show’s run.
Prior to the Golden Age of Cable, following the launch of The Sopranos, premium cable was kept afloat through movies and shows like Red Shoe Diaries that could get away with far, far more than the broadcast networks. It’s an evolutionary step from the avant-garde wild west original cable shows of the 80s to the first massively successful original Showtime series, Stargate SG-1. Without Zalman King’s soft focus lighting, David Duchovny’s Jake, and Playboy Productions, we might live in a world without Teal’c and the Goa’uld, Dexter Morgan, and cannibalistic girls’ soccer teams.
As further evidence that television culture has changed, today you can stream Red Shoe Diaries for free on Tubi.
Entertainment
This educational kids app gives parents a much-needed break — and now it’s $60 for life
TL;DR: Lock in a lifetime of educational fun with this lifetime subscription to Pok Pok, on sale now for just $59.99 (reg. $250).
Have you had a sip of hot coffee this summer break? If not, you might want to check out Pok Pok. It’s an educational app that offers a guilt-free screen option for kids ages 2-8, so you can get a little break when you need it.
Right now, you can lock in a lifetime subscription to Pok Pok for only $59.99.
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Pok Pok is an award-winning app that gives busy parents everywhere a chance to cook dinner, answer some emails, or just enjoy a hot cup of coffee in the morning while their little ones enjoy some educational content. It takes a Montessori approach to learning, so kids can navigate it independently.
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Montessori-inspired learning means there is no winning or losing and no rules, levels, or objectives. Kids can just open Pok Pok, tap a toy, and start exploring categories like space, dinosaurs, numbers, and shapes. This open-ended play setup can grow with your kids, so they can enjoy the app for years.
As your kids play, you can rest easy knowing the app was developed in collaboration with early childhood experts and designed to be calming and non-addictive, featuring hand-drawn animations and in-house-made sound effects.
Pok Pok is COPPA-certified, ad-free, and GDPR-compliant, so they won’t be tricked into making any purchases. A lifetime subscription also includes access to regular updates, so kids will always have something new to explore. This subscription also includes an exclusive surprise gift that will show up at your address.
Let your kids explore while you take a break thanks to this lifetime subscription to Pok Pok, on sale now for just $59.99.
StackSocial prices subject to change.
Entertainment
This $145 ASUS Chromebook is a laptop and tablet in one
TL;DR: Get two gadgets in one with this ASUS Chromebook CM30, on sale now for only $144.97 (reg. $369.99) through July 19.
$144.97
$369.99
Save $225.02
If you’re in the market for a laptop and a tablet, you have a pretty steep price tag ahead of you. The ASUS Chromebook CM30 solves for that, giving you two devices in one thanks to a detachable keyboard.
Right now, you can bring home this multitasking device for less than you would pay for just one of those items — $144.97 — until July 19.
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The world asks a lot of us these days. Since we’re all used to multitasking, our devices should be able to do it too. This ASUS Chromebook CM30 is up to the task — offering an easy way to switch from a productivity laptop to a relaxation tablet in just a few seconds.
The ASUS Chromebook is a 2-in-1 device powered by the MediaTek Kompanio 520 processor, delivering smooth, efficient performance. 8GB RAM and 128GB eMMC storage let you multitask, save files locally, and have enough room for your favorite apps.
The 10.5-inch touchscreen delivers crisp visuals and intuitive touch control and easily detaches from the keyboard to provide a sleeker user experience. There’s also a garaged stylus with fast-charging technology that lets you change things up when you’re tired of tapping.
This Chromebook arrives running Chrome OS, an efficient operating system for today’s busy world. There are also dual 5MP front and rear cameras for capturing images and hopping on video calls.
You’ll enjoy up to 12 hours of battery life on a single charge, and plenty of ports for your connectivity needs. Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.3 help you connect anywhere, and you can rest easy taking this ASUS Chromebook along with you thanks to its military-grade aluminum chassis that offers rugged protection on the go.
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You’re saving over $200 thanks to this model’s Grade A refurbished rating. That means it will arrive in near-mint condition with minimal to zero scuffing on the case.
Bring home an ASUS Chromebook CM30 for just $144.97 today.
StackSocial prices subject to change.
Entertainment
Microsoft Office is finally a one-time purchase, and it’s only $30
TL;DR: Instead of paying for Microsoft 365 every month, get a Microsoft Office lifetime license while they’re on sale for $29.97. Sale ends July 19 at 11:59 p.m. PT.
$29.97
$219.99
Save $190.02
You might not want to keep paying for Microsoft 365 anymore. At its absolute cheapest, Microsoft 365 is $99.99 per year, and that’s if you pay for the full year up front, but it’s also not your only option anymore. Instead of paying for the same software year after year, now you can get a lifetime license for Microsoft Office installed directly onto your PC, and it’s only $29.97 (reg. $219.99) on sale.
You don’t have to pay a monthly fee to get the core Microsoft apps anymore.
This version of Microsoft Office comes with
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Word
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Excel
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PowerPoint
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Outlook
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Publisher
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Access
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OneNote
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Teams (free version)
Just keep in mind that Microsoft is ending support for Publisher in October, but that doesn’t mean you won’t be able to use it. It just means it won’t be changing anymore, which may actually be a good thing if you like your apps to look the same tomorrow as they were yesterday.
This license is a little different from Microsoft 365. It doesn’t come with extras like cloud storage, or the new AI integrations, but for many users, that’s actually a good thing. The AI integrations are still being worked out, so sudden updates can totally change your workflow. If you want a simple, reliable set of tools to work with, this is an excellent option for a great price.
Mashable Deals
Through July 19 at 11:59 p.m. PT, it’s only $29.97 to get a Microsoft Office lifetime license.
StackSocial prices subject to change.
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