CATEGORIES: Sex Television
January 13, 2008
Voyeurism at Its Best - or Sleaziest
Full disclosure - I love reality television. I do, I just can’t help myself. Perhaps it’s the voyeur in me; perhaps it’s just that I love seeing the absolutely absurb way people will humiliate themselves on camera. Which leads me to Rock of Love II. Did you catch it? (And no, I don’t mean an STD, though if it were possible to contract one through the television,we would all need some serious pharmaceuticals.) But that being said, it makes for a delightful cultural commentary. I loved Bret Michaels in Poison. I saw them live in the seventh grade. I wanted him - though it did lose its allure as my parents were in the stadium seats right next to me. So now, having grown up (a little), I can’t believe that grown women would forgo every ounce of integrity they have to screw a star. That and the fact that they seem to have no fear of germs. Nonetheless, what really bothers me about dating shows in general (and yes, I know that I watch them so I am guilty too),is that they perpetuate the idea that a woman is only as good as her partner (or her relationship status). And you know what? I don’t play that game!
What do you think? Comments: (0)
CATEGORIES: Celebrity Current Affairs Sex
January 04, 2008
The Problem with Sex Tapes
I have been struggling with exhibitionism these days.
Not my own, but this phenomenon of celebrities (or have-been celebrities, and I use that word very loosely) releasing and capitalizing from their personal sex tapes. The latest rumor is that Vivica Fox has one (though she is denying it) and just this morning, Amy Fisher (yes, the LONG ISLAND LOLITA herself!) announced that her husband released their own documented romps.
(Perhaps we should ask ourselves why one would stay with a person who released a tape with our consent???)
Nonetheless, I am a tad bit concerned with the impact that this has on youth. They have a hard enough time understanding how to appropriately use a camera phone - i.e. there shouldn’t be photos taken in the locker rooms, or while your friends are in compromising positions (especially without their consent). But what does it mean for them when people garner a huge amount of notoriety (though not necessarily the good kind) from a grainy tape of themselves getting it on with boy-toy of the moment?
It is our responsibility to teach our children (and our teens) that celebrities DO NOT represent the average person. The repercussions for us (especially during our school years) could be devastating.
What do you think? Comments: (0)
CATEGORIES: Celebrity Condoms Sex Teen Pregnancy
December 19, 2007
The Spears Girls & Sex
Last night I went to bed hearing some unsettling news that Jamie Lynn Spears was pregnant. A tween icon, a supposed “role model” for youth, is now a pregnant teen - and just another statistic.
While news like this conveys just how important it is to talk to our kids about sexuality, sex, condoms, and good decision making, it is also an indictment of how we are failing as parents. Jamie Lynn waited until Thanksgiving to tell her mother and decided to announce the news on the cover of a tabloid. What is wrong with this picture? And why do the Spears girls have such a complicated relationship with sex and more importantly, condom use? Why do so many teens fear talking to their parents about sex - especially in the midst of a crisis? They fear our judgement. And sometimes we need to sit back, remember what it was like for us, and listen. And when you finally talk…
use this opportunity to talk to your kids about self-esteem, healthy decision making, personal responsibility, and the fact that while Jamie Lynn Spears may (and I use that word loosely) have the resources (at least financially) to take care of her baby, this is not how teen pregnancy plays out in real life. Jamie Lynn does not represent the average teen; her family is clearly not the average family.
But we are - and it is possible to instill healthy, positive messages about sex, allowing kids and teens to explore their values alongside of yours, to help them develop self esteem, decision making skills, and most importantly, a chance to see that sexuality is so central to who we are. When we know that (and know how wonderful it can be), we won’t squander it. We will protect it (and we will protect the ones we care about). In the end, that’s really why I wrote Third Base Ain’t What it Used to Be.
