Sex speaker fails to educate
Eddie Scarry
Issue date: 2/12/09 Section: Opinion
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"The J-Spot," sponsored by Health and Counseling Services, started Sexual Responsibility Week. The program was a performance by certified sex guy Jay Friedman. Though Friedman was marketed as a "sex educator," that title is inappropriate. He's hardly more than an entertainer that uses sex as a subject for stage material.
Friedman's routine was amusing, but even more so perplexing.
To begin, the speaker's admittedly sexually ambiguous demeanor, and goofy-looking appearance was an immediate distraction from any "learning" that could have taken place. Imagine me trying to give a credible lecture on how to win a football game against The Steelers and you have an accurate idea of Friedman's show.
Second, Friedman constantly referred to the "close-minded," politically "conservative" people that have kept America "crippled with sexual ignorance." He claimed to see public signs that say things such as "Sex equals death." He insisted that our country's sex education uses "scare tactics" like showing pictures of genital herpes to portray sex as "bad, evil" and "filthy."
Maybe America is more reserved than other Western countries when it comes to sex talk, but even in South Carolina, a state of the darkest shade of red, none of the anti-sex propaganda he spoke about can be seen anywhere.
Speaking of politics, the lecture was down trodden in that subject. For five minutes too long, Friedman advocated gay marriage. In a separate, but equally random segment, he provided useless commentary on Sarah Palin's daughter having a child out of wedlock. Apparently this was done to point out the idiocy of the Republican party in not promoting responsible promiscuity.
Are you trying to figure that last part out? Me neither.
To Friedman, American approaches to teaching about sex (especially the methods emphasizing abstinence) keeps young boys "desperate for information" on the topic. Please - we all know that translates to "horny."
And now we know that "sex educator" translates to "entertainer." Friedman's show was successfully provocative, engaging and funny, but to call it educational is absurd. The only thing anyone learned Tuesday night was how to add lubricant inside a condom to make it more enjoyable to wear during sex...and during masturbation.
Ew.
Comments on this column?
E-mail Eddie Scarry at
scarrye@thejohnsonian.com.
Viewing Comments 1 - 6 of 6
ok state student
posted 2/13/09 @ 11:12 PM EST
Scarry,
you do make some legitimate points about friedman, he did make it a little political in the wrong way occasionally, and even as a gay man myself, I think he spent a little too much time on the advocation of gay rights than the lecture warranted. (Continued…)
Amanda
posted 2/14/09 @ 12:30 PM EST
First of all, to comment on his goofy appearance is a bit hypocritical judging from your own.
And why are you criticizing him for making sex education though provoking and funny at the same time? Sex Ed. (Continued…)
Stephanie
posted 2/14/09 @ 10:46 PM EST
"Certified sex guy"? "Close-minded"? Should have had someone proof read your article for some of the less professional and, shall I say, less correct elements. (Continued…)
Ray
posted 2/15/09 @ 9:15 AM EST
If you spent the lecture being distracted trying to determine the speaker's sexuality, you wasted your time and probably missed what was being presented. (Continued…)
Chris Mezzolesta
posted 2/16/09 @ 10:43 PM EST
If I had not previously seen the presentation you purport to review, I would have dismissed your "article" as a rough draft for a junior high English essay. (Continued…)
Grace
posted 2/18/09 @ 4:41 PM EST
Eddie,
Good for you. I enjoy reading your articles- you unabashedly stand up to liberalism for the sake of liberalism. I encourage you, however, to polish up your articles with a little more attention to syntactical clarity. (Continued…)
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