A whole heap of Sex Toys on Irish telly!
Last night marked my first big television appearance on RTE. I was invited onto their latest series, Dr. Pixie's Sex Clinic, to talk about sex toys - the different kinds, what they're for, and the stigma that's still sometimes attached to using them. The whole vibe of the show was so open and fun. Pixie herself was warm and chatty, cracking jokes with the group when the cameras weren't rolling. The group of 20-somethings in this episode were devastatingly witty and already had great knowledge base on sexuality and sexual health. I was really impressed.
I was most surprised though at just how much I was allowed and encouraged to talk about. When I give talks or write about sex, I do my best to tailor it to a particular audience. After all what a group of college students thinks is interesting will probably be different from what a group of women over 40 might find interesting, or perhaps a tent full of hungover festival goers. So when Coco Television invited me to take part in a new show about sex for RTE, I was worried that I'd really have to censor and tame a lot of what I'd like to say. I was delighted that the exact opposite was true.
The producers and director were very encouraging and kept asking for more!
It was an absolute dream! And watching the first episode last week, it felt like something truly special. Never before on Irish television have I seen such open, in depth discussions about sex. Seriously. They had illustrations of two people scissoring. They talked at length about spit roasting! Between each segment are clips of college students in a SEX CONFESSIONAL BOOTH, admitting to the whole country what they get up to between the sheets! While this may just be a small, 3-part series on RTE2, it feels like a milestone.
After last night's episode aired, I couldn't help but think about Gay Byrne talking about contraception on the Late Late Show some 20-odd years ago, which caused uproar and outrage. It's been nearly 24 hours since I masturbated a silicone dildo on our national broadcaster, and no one has so much as batted an eyelid at it. As far as Ireland's views on sexual activity are concerned... I think we're going to be just fine.