Of Oprah, Daughters, Sex and Vibrators, article.
"... the show cut interesting ground when it took on the sadly-still-delicate subject of masturbation, with Berman urging parents to be unambiguously masturbation-positive with their kids, particularly with their teenage daughters, and Oprah backing her up 100%."
Bravo Oprah, brass balls there.
9 comments:
I'm surprised by Oprah here. We're talking about someone who walked out during a screening of "Interview with the Vampire" to lead a prayer circle! Someone like that I would have expected to view masturbation as evil and wrong.
I think Oprah is changing.
But also, I think some would see this as a way of keeping the kids *from* sex. Whoopee.
I think Oprah is changing.
Yes, that Interview with the Vampire thing was in 1994.
Oprah's no dummy - she can tell which way the wind is blowing.
Somehow, Oprah sounds less and less like the anti-Jerry Springer, with all that pro-sex stuff. ;-)
It's good if she's changing a bit, especially from hang-ups. Life is constant evolution. From children to adults to elderly... and mentally we're meant to never stay still either.
Also, I still haven't seen Interview yet, but come on, this much is clear: it's about vampires, so most likely about their special breed of S&M sensuality/sexuality that would make a lot of ordinary-minded people a bit uneasy.
Maybe she felt like she was watching stanic smut?
As for keeping the kids *from* sex... hey, I'm all for keeping them from unwise sex, especially with their full consent! Let them start when they're ready in all aspects of a person: mentally, emotionally... not only physically.
Relieving sexual tension, and taking the time to learn before doing some things that cannot be taken back (having a baby, or an abortion, giving away one's virginity), will make them happy overall, and hopefully for life. There's absolutely no hurry in today's human society to mate and breed the instant our biology makes it possible.
Smilodons and wooly grizzlys have long stopped taking a frightening toll from our juvenile populations, forcing us to "make numbers" ASAP, hidden in our caves. Now we can afford the awesome luxury to plan our parenthood. To wait and learn and grow up until we're fully ready.
Um... but I fail to see what Whoopee Goldberg has to do with this, Eolake? ;-)
Also, after reading this article, I not only agree with what it says fully, but I applaud to it.
"Why not give young girls the power that comes from knowing"
"Knowledge is power." My official creed since September 2007, as testified by my blog.
I'll also add this : "There exists no forbidden knowledge. Only bad uses of the power brought by knowledge."
Blackmail, or military nuclear technology, are not cases of forbidden knowledge. It's just that some people are bad at handling power. Prompt to abuse the POWER, not up to the responsibility that comes with it. They're corruptible minds. That's not an issue of knowledge, therefore. It's an issue of human wisdom. The intrinsic problem is with those people, not with the knowledge itself.
I fear no knowledge. I was five when I learned how I was conceived and born, how we all are. Didn't change my respect for my parents by one atom.
When some knowledge you acquire bothers you, you need to understand why, and outgrow the problem.
This goes for sex, for war and violence, AND for people you admire.
I only recently found out that planetary idol and Nobel Peace Prize Nelson Mandela wasn't sent to prison for liberty militantism, but for committing genuine terrorist bombings, targeting innocent civilians and killing many. So he wasn't always a noble saint.
So now I know that by building peace with White Pres. Frederic DeClerc (many readily forget that it was a JOINED Nobel), he first reflected deep and chose to change his attitudes. It wasn't all a miracle of Love and Understanding by Saint Nelson preaching the evil Whites. It was about two bitter enemies finding wisdom for the common good of their people(s).
I've lost a few juvenile illusions with such knowledge. But you know what? At 30 plus years, I felt I grew up by acquiring it.
And, as they say, "only imbeciles never change their minds". I do hope I'm smarter than that. ;-)
I changed my belief about Mandela. I also realized that he too, had proven hence that he was no imbecile.
Unlike Yasser Arafat. Now THAT was some sad waste of a Nobel.
Enbarrassing, that Black Africans, which are traditionally sneered at by Arabs, showed far more wisdom in reconsidering their choices and attitudes.
I guess Oprah too, is not an imbecile. :-)
This is a fascinastingly mind-stimulating topic. It's a shame that this thread only gathered 6 comments so far. It deserved at leat 30.
Or 69...
Oprah is far from rigid.
She did ask her audience about Bill Clinton's Monica thingy: "is this the kind of man we want in the White House", but it was clearly an honest question, not a manipulatory technique.
Almost anybody else in her position has his/her mind made up, and made up good.
Also, I still haven't seen Interview yet, but come on, this much is clear: it's about vampires, so most likely about their special breed of S&M sensuality/sexuality that would make a lot of ordinary-minded people a bit uneasy.
Maybe she felt like she was watching stanic smut?
There's nothing like that in the movie. It's actually pretty tame. I think Oprah objected to a scene with rats, I think Louis ate one or something. It's been 15 years since I've seen it.
Blackmail, or military nuclear technology, are not cases of forbidden knowledge. It's just that some people are bad at handling power.
To give nuclear power into the hands of a bunch of poorly evolved primates behaviourally little different from our ancestors of 10, 20, 30 thousand years ago...well, it's no surprise we haven't been able to handle. Or, I guess since we haven't yet destroyed ourselves you could say we've barely handled it.
Didn't change my respect for my parents by one atom.
Okay, color me confused. Why would it?!
And, as they say, "only imbeciles never change their minds". I do hope I'm smarter than that. ;-)
Imbeciles never do, but idiots, morons, and cretins frequently do! ;-)
"What Berman is saying is that lots of girls are going to fall in love with whoever gives them their first orgasm"
Using this reasoning by encouraging girls to take the responsibility for their own pleasure. Would allow better control over their emotions that cloud their better judgment in having sex without getting their thinking in order.
Sounds like a step in the right direction. Just say no doesn't work, because it does not allow for preplanned for protection.
Joe
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