Wednesday, June 3, 2009

prudery

I was going to write about something completely different, but as I stood here by the computer, waiting for my 16 year old son to finish what he was doing so I could have a turn, I overheard the lyrics to a song that was playing. the phrase I caught in this lovely rap song was premature ejaculation.
which immediately brought to mind all the times this past year I've driven him to school while listening to his favorite morning radio station. (its tag line is Radio from Hell, if that gives you any indication of what kind of programming it adheres to.) at least half of the mornings we listened to the dj's chat, the program had news stories or discussions that involved some form of sex. whether it was sexual discrimination, sexual absurdities, or sexual harrassment/abuse, I was totally amazed by how often this kind of story made the news.
I somehow managed to find a happy medium between blushing, completely ignoring the radio, and making some lame comment about the current story and by the end of the school year those stories didn't impact me quite so intensely.

I didn't have to deal with this kind of stuff when I was 16.
I can't think of a single song from my youth that contained the phrase premature ejaculation.

maybe it's better this way: not much is secret or hush-hush anymore. when my girls were 12 they knew what the word ho meant, and that I considered it a thoroughly offensive and derogatory name, not just something you called your woman.
it's out there: I should just be grateful that it's made it easier for me to talk about it with my kids.
they know exactly which swear words are cut from the "radio version" of their favorite songs.
they ask me if it's okay to sing a swear word if it's in the song.
they know what just about everything means, and the words have become part of daily common language.

I studiously ignored my son's face when I heard those words in the song he was listening to tonight. what am I going to say, hon, you know what that means, don't you?
the kids say it's just a song.

I say there's got to be something better to sing about.

they say it's news, it's funny to hear about.

I say there are some things that don't need to be shared.

so, signing off, I am, respectfully,
miss prude

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