They’re annoying and weird, but you should still talk to them about sex.
You can watch a Flash version below, but to enjoy the full quality of teen sex, subscribe via iTunes, RSS, or Miro.
Sex is more fun when you share!
Midwest Teen Sex Show
A video show about teen sexuality. 
SUBSCRIBE VIA : iTunes : RSS : Miro
Lalalalala! My favorite joke of the season! I just wish it weren’t so sadly true. I knew a gal in high school who thought she was pregnant after a night of heavy kissing. Her friends said that wasn’t possible, so she called her grandmother, who told her she was indeed pregnant. What’s even sadder, I dated that young woman for a couple months. That’s not the sad part. The sad part is I couldn’t figure out why we were unable to communicate.
The sad part would be if she had gotten malaria!
Um, as much as I hate to admit there’s something I don’t understand: Malaria? Sorry, I don’t get the reference. (God that was painful. Is there any eggnog left?)
Oh, there was no reference, I just thought it would have been a sad part.
Hahahahaha! I like the way you think!
Haha! I love how you take things and turn them completely around. (like making kids responsible for their parents).
My favorite part is the the “Jack and a biothc” bit. You guys should do television!
If my parents ever found this website, they’d probably sh** themselves. I didn’t even get ‘the talk’.
Go go evangelicals!
Yeah, thanks for the lulz.
Britney I am in love with you. You are TOO funny.
Love,
Nikol’s sadistic boss Courtney
I love it!
Ironically, there was a spot about MWTSS on the Mike and Juliet show that came on my TV five minutes ago (please note, I live in NJ), so I came to the site and lo and behold, a new episode! What a great Christmas present!
When will you guys stop being so damn witty? Jesus, you’re killing me here.
You are absolutely FANTASTIC! I also didn’t get the talk, but had my genius friends to rely on for pointers. Every episode has brought me to laughter - a rare treat these days with the crap we’ve got to watch. Keep up the good work!
I just saw you guys on that morning show, so I decided to check out your website! IT IS FANTASTIC! I have a 15 year old daughter and I just told her about your site. I think you guys are doing a great job! Keep up the great work. I laughed my behind off so many times already watching your clips. They are informative, to the point and yet hysterically funny. I see no negatives about this site, only a postive way to open up discussions between parents and their kids. Thank you.
Terri
I’m 17, I live in the northeast(Boston). I just finished watching all of the episodes after seeing you on the morning show and I thought that they were original, funny, and spoke to teens in particular because many if not all stereotypes/misconceptions about sex were addressed. Also, I love/understand your humor because it’s shock comedy and you surprise me even when I think I know what is going to be said next. I never got the talk and I’m not exactly sure where I learned about sex. Probably the magical invention of the internet or the scene in Kindergarten Cop where the kid with the glasses says, “Boys have a penis and girls have a fachina.” But no, probably from older sibling or older friends of siblings. Sorry the comment is so long but I just love your show, keep it cumming!
Alright, so I also seen MWTSS on the Morning Show… I have 5 kids, 2 oldest are 15 and 17. I always featured myself as a groovy mom, thinking that if they need me, they will come talk to me. While I have probably fashionably had my merry little head up my ass, they have already had locker room education, and I am sliding in a little late here. I have showed them this, they use my laptop all the time, so I am going to make it a routine to keep your sight up often so that they can watch the latest. Keep up the great work, I can use the help (So can my kids)
That was a great episode (the last line was brilliant), and a topic that I think is vitally important. I think parents need to know not to leave it too late, either - just because you don’t think your kids are thinking about sex doesn’t mean they’re not. If they’ve hit puberty, it’s time to talk.
xx Dee
Actually I feel so cool even though my 14 year old step daughter tells me I am a geek (I know I am hun); she actually came to me and asked me if sex feels good.
I said yes , but the first few times suck cause you don’t know how to do it right and that its better wait for someone that cares enough to let you try to figure it out at your own speed then at their speed. And to please please use a condom, cause of all the crazy gross disgusting diseases out there; that would make it so incredibly humiliating to try to find someone you love that also has the same diseases as you.
She then told me she was waiting for marriage, I felt like saying “but I just said it felt good” but decided to leave it there … was I wrong?
She also asked me how do girls masturbate, I said “same way guys do, you rub you genitals; and girls get wet there when your on the right track, keep going till it feels really really good instead of kinda nice”
Its like they don’t teach anything useful in sex ed, why do they bother with it they might as well call it ‘reproductive organ part naming class’. They should teach things like how to masturbate or have sex, and the kids would believe that your telling them the straight truth when you say wear a condom or wait if you have the will power.
For instance the could teach that foreplay is the magical thing that actually makes things fun. Or that you should masturbate or you will have no clue at all and your boy-friend will not be able to help you much and feel like a looser for not giving you one.
Or that there is a magical mysterious G spot … that girls have no clue about; can you imagine a teacher saying “and if it feels you want to pee mid way through … don’t clamp down on it and make it stop , because thats the G-spot orgasm and its 10 times better then an ordinary one, and you want that to happen”
Hey! I’m a fifteen years old boy from Germany and I’m watching your show and every published episode. Funerally I don’t understand 100% of what your talking, but it’s enough to get the main part and the jokes! Thank you for the show keep on going it’s just fantastic, here in my circle of friends there are many watching the show so… your work is accepted worldwide!
THE STAFF
I watched your show this am on Mike and Juliet and you lost me in the first 3 lines…Let me tell you why - Saying “a pedophile is like dating someone with cancer and you would not do that”, is truly the most offensive, hurtful and politically incorrect thing someone could possibly even come up with on this show.
I heard that one sentence and HAVE never BEEN MORE offended in the 53 years I have been around. I do not get shocked by much. Do you know how many cancer survivors and non-survivors are out there? They still try to have productive lives and go on even when dealt a hard blow. As if it is not hard enough to find people willing to commit with one who has this deadly disease. No, now I have some teenage sex show promoting these narrow minded thoughts. Is that not what your show is about is to open minds? It is bad enough to contend with the normal world out there, but to have a kid show about sex and rank dating a person with cancer right up there with pedophilia. GREAT - NOT.
Do me a favor and get your heads out of your ass - it is fine to teach young people about sex, but to link pedophilia with cancer is just NOT cool. What about that unlucky leukemia victim who does not have a prom date this year, because they have no hair from chemo? What a bunch of losers you showed yourselves to be today. I would apologize for all the children who have either had cancer and cannot speak for themselves, are dealing with some form of treatment, or has one or more parent who is coping with cancer. Fools…were you high when you wrote that sentence???
Let me know when you have taken this line and anything else like it out of your script. You do not teach at the expense of an entirely harmless group of people. You truly treated victims of cancer like we had the “black plague” or are “lepers”. How insensitive can a program be???
- Certainly your lame comic can come up with better lines than this.
Sign me pissed off in Phoenix and not afraid to sign my name
Deborah
Deborah just made me think, is doing a show on Menopause and its subsequent hormonal instability too far ahead to talk to teens about?
-D-rock
I’m just curious if Deborah from Phoenix takes everything in life so literally. If so, I’m glad she found time to drop MTSS a message with all that time she must spend in the shower shampooing…Just lather, rinse, and repeat, Deb.
Oh and as a good friend of that “lame comic”, you should be peanut butter and jealous that she spends her life laughing and making others laugh while you just spend time bringing others into your realm of negativity and satire free universe.
As a medical professional and former sex ed teacher, I am proud to sign my name.
–Jen
I’d give my mother’s maiden name too as collateral.
Oh for gods sake, Deborah chill out for a bit..there just have to be some satire and political not correct jokes in order to stay sane in this weird world…
What is most interesting about Deborah’s comment, which is a duplicate of the email she sent me, is that I have gotten several responses just like hers in the last 24 hours. Seems there was a rerun of Mike and Juliet.
The really disturbing part is that these concerned people are not taking the time to look at our website or watch any of the shows. They are giving a knee jerk reaction to something they half listened to on a Fox morning show.
I am appalled at the amount of people who form ideas based simply on what they have been fed in the media. As someone who now participates as a form of media, I am saddened at the level of thoughtlessness that exists. The day we all stop relying on our computers and televisions to tell us what to believe will be a wonderful day indeed.
Deborah, you’ll be first on our list when we decide to change everything we are doing to suit your world view. And if you have managed to find that one joke to be the most offensive thing you have heard in 53 years, boy have I got some links to send you.
If you’re going to start insulting someone and the things they represent, know what you’re talking about. Explore the information *before* you rant and rave on something you know hardly anything about. Please, people. Think just a little bit here.
Nikol: What a good response. You always handle these ridiculous situations in such a nice, well thought out manner. Quite unlike the majority of people that give you a hard time for all of the wonderful things you’ve done.
You are hi-fornicating-larious! I could use fewer cancer jokes, though.
You know it is far different when you have an invasive form of cancer like I do, but may live 20 more years maybe not. When single you want people to get to know you and not ditch out before they realize you bring much to this world, it seems that either way you play this card you either told someone too soon or were hiding it from them so it is a no win situation.
I am not having a knee jerk reaction as I did watch your shows. Actually I was shocked to be listed in the same category as a pedophile and probably would most other cancer victims if you took the time to think about it. I am merely stating that dating a pedophile is like dating someone with cancer is totally inappropriate, there is no form of justification for this statement period. Having cancer and yes laughter is the best medicine and I am always the funniest one in the room, in fact I could have made comedy a profession if I had chosen to. I have three degrees so I am not dumb - your analogy between the two diseases is just plain wrong -PERIOD.
Imagine if you were a high school kid with your first crush and you heard this comment? Does this give young people who perhaps have lost their hair any hope or self-esteem about finding a nice person to share their lives with - for the duration of what this world has to offer? No…. I thought the condom balloon animals was funny - it is not like I am taking all of your ideas and trashing them. Would you have said, “dating a pedophile is like dating someone with ‘Down’s Syndrome’ and you would not do that.?
I think this comment is along the same vein with people who suffer from an amputation, or a brain injury, the list can go on ad infinitum. You would not find the humor in those statements either, especially if you were diagnosed with having the same. Let me assure you that the statistics are high that many of you will have this diagnosis at some point in your life, or a loved one that is in your circle.
I have a cousin by marriage and she has found a partner that suits her mental state (which is far below normal). I think that is fantastic for her to have found someone on the same level. Would you call her a retard? Perhaps joking around at home or amongst friends may be ok. However, you are representing a noble act, which is to teach teenagers about sex. I would merely ask you to act noble in this adventure of yours.
With all the different things kid’s have to deal with in today’s society, why target any group? Attention deficit disorder, thyroid problems, weight issues, drug and alcohol issues, the rate of autistic diagnosis in today?s society is skyrocketing.
If you cannot understand these basic facts then you truly should not be on mass media form of education. Please do not take this wrong, I stated before I think what you are doing is fantastic as I am blown away with how much kids are doing today and without protection. The topic needs to be addressed. It can be addressed with humor, just take into consideration of how vulnerable these children are, especailly when they “do not fit the norm” as society deems it today.
I still think your comment was very tasteless, I have been dumped when people find out I have cancer - it never ceases to amaze me as I was wonderful before that issue had been known and then all of a sudden I am like the plague. Just take the kids into consideration as they have so many hormones and inexperience, they do not need to feel even worse about themselves as it is hard for adults, imagine what it could do to some young person. I hope you understand what I am trying to convey to you.
I make fun of myself all the time - it is far different when I do it as opposed to having a show do it. It is like so many other politically incorrect “jokes” that twenty years ago would not have raised an eyebrow. I am more concerned with the kids where so many things are like the end of the world. They have not grasped the maturity that adults have had 20 to 60 years to work on.
I feel sorry for those of you who do not understand, for those who want me to chill out - remember what goes around comes around -
Deb
My two-cents:
I love the show and everything. I agree with a few less cancer jokes, but then again it’s America and we have freedom to say what we want, and if someone does not like it, then they have the freedom to turn it off.
i need sex to live
Debbie Downer over here needs to chill out. If you don’t like the show, just remember that no one is forcing you to watch it! I love all the jokes and I think every episode is hilarious! And Deb, I’m sure you’re “always the funniest one in the room” so maybe you should make a series of videos online and get thousands of fans like MTSS!
Hey, one thing I love about Deb is that she actually posted her comment here. As I read through angry emails that rely upon the anonymity of the web to keep them from thinking of me as a human who may be hurt by what they are saying about everything from my body to my parenting skills, I am often left feeling depressed by them. I need to work on getting a thick skin, and I know I will get used to it eventually.
Deb actually was quite brave to post her opinion here, though. She knew in posting that most of the people who would read it were regular viewers and she opened herself up to be told off. I’m not going to tell you guys to stop telling her off, by the way. I appreciate it greatly, and it helps me feel like I am not a total jerk.
Deborah, my assumption that you had not really looked at our site or watched any shows had more to do with your reference to us as educators, the fact that you posted that comment in this episode’s stream instead of “The Older Boyfriend” and your reference to our “comic”. I am glad to see that you have, though. Many of the people emailing me right now have said straight away that they have not and will not ever watch the show.
We very well may have used down syndrome, had we thought of it at the time. We didn’t get extremely selective with our disease choice, just tried to pick one that effects a lot of people and would be terrible to pick on anyone for. That was part of the joke about it.
I am so sorry to hear that some jerks have broken up with you because you have cancer. Where the hell are you meeting these people?
Teens, please weigh in for me here so we can get some things straight. I want to know if you would dump someone or not date someone because they have cancer. Let’s discuss that because I would really like to examine this. I assumed at the time I uttered the joke that nobody really felt that way, but I think it is time to get talking about it.
Nikol,
I don’t think it would really matter. If I really loved the person I would date them no matter what terrible ailment they have. Unless it is the flu.
I also think it is douchy to dump someone when you find out that they have cancer, or AIDS, or another life threatening disease. Don’t get wrong, I can see why some one would dump someone if they found out that they were that kind of sick, I mean it is a horrible thing to see some one you are spending a lot of time with, and getting attached to do be ripped from you prematurely.
Smart women are so sexy.
I thought it was funny that Deb said she got dumped for having cancer. Doesn’t that just prove that the original line was correct? Okay, that’s a little mean, but gain some perspective. There’re people dying of malaria out there!
Of course i wouldn’t leave someone just because they had cancer or some disease. That is when i would be there for them the most. I’m sure most people agree with me on this.
I just rewatched Ep 3, just in case I’d missed what was offensive.
It’s funny because it’s ridiculous. As someone with a disease that has led to people breaking it off with me and to people simply refusing to date me, I can say that I am not offended, because it wasn’t meant to offend…. It was meant to be funny. AND IS! Perhaps Deb has cancer of the funny-bone?
It is a terrible tragedy that one of the few places I see a sense of humor AND a strong message suffers from such closed-minded reactionaries. Just remember, Nikol, for every one negative there are probably 10 people who both laughed and got something from the show. I know you’re pretty heavily loaded on the laughs, but I find something deeply touching about what you do here.
Personally I thought the joke was funny and (to Deborah) I would think a down syndrome joke would be even funnier. I have a friend who has cancer (she is 16) and she and her boyfriend have been happy together for about 2 years. If this really makes anyone offended you should really listen to Distorted View. They acctually mean it when they make the jokes.
Sorry you have gotten so many mean and narrow minded emails Nikol but just remember everyone that you are helping with this. I love this podcast thanks for all you do!
In response to dating people with illnesses, I personally have MS and I often feel that people won’t want to be around me because I have a health issue. I am 25 and I have had MS now for three years. Each year, my MS is different and I have lost and gained a lot of friends in these three years. People are ignorant and refuse to understand that MS is not a sexually transmitted disease.
Would I date someone with a disease? Of course I would, if they were mentally strong and emotionally available. I have had men tell me that they would not date me because I am “sick.” As I told someone close to me, everyone is sick either mentally or physically. Some people just hide it better than others.
Ok, I would not date someone who is sick, as my wife would kill me…though, had I not met my wife and were still single, it wouldn’t make me run away. The key for me in the dating game was to find someone that loves me and that I love as well.
As far as Deb is concerned, I thought her first post sounded a bit prudish, but her second post I thought thoroughly explained her position. The joke was in bad taste, though it was funny. I think about the only thing Deb can do, is try to look at it for what it was meant to be, and not what she initially took from it. However, I think MTSS needs to be more careful in post production, and try to understand how their jokes are likely to be taken. The main question to ask would be “Will this joke drive away the people who should be watching this?”
I say all this basically because one of my best friends of 14 years has a rare kidney disease and has received 2 transplants. For quite a while he never had a girlfriend, but not from lack of interest. He was afraid that should his condition worsen, the girl would bolt, leaving him alone in his time of need. He has gotten better, due to the transplants, and now while he goes out a lot and the girls all know his problems, I can still tell he isn’t really close to any of the girls he’s with. Especially since I haven’t met any of them, and neither have his parents.
So, for teenagers with diseases like Deb describes above, they are wrestling with adolescence and the disease, the joke could very easily have an unintended consequence and turn those kids away from getting help from anyone. It may also make them think they should be less truthful about their medical problems, and that can only hurt themselves in the long run.
Deb, thanks for bringing up the point,
Nikol, thanks for starting the dialog. I know you didn’t mean to offend, I also know that if you tried to not offend anyone, the show wouldn’t be funny at all. I like the show, and find it as a great tool, I’ve even showed it to my 14 and 15 year old God Daughters. I would just like to restate what I said above. When looking at the finished product, ask yourself “Will this turn off the intended audience?” I don’t care if turns off soon to be parents like my wife and I, but you guys state the main purpose is for the teens that really don’t have an outlet for open and honest dialog. It would be a shame that part of your target audience won’t feel that this is a good outlet for them to ask their questions because of a joke gone bad.
OK, after writing the above, it occurred to me, that I need to clarify my opening statement. That as an adult I would date someone who is sick, however, when I was a teenager, I wanted no part in it. The responsibility is overwhelming.
I didn’t want to be the reason for anyone to survive, should they be physically or mentally ill. I didn’t want someone getting so attached to me that they made it through some serious illness, only to find out our relationship wasn’t going to work out. I couldn’t live with that kind of guilt knowing that I was the cause of someone else’s depression.
When I was a teenager, I dated a girl that wanted to follow me to college. I was a sophomore and she was a freshman. We were both in high school. First off, I wasn’t even thinking about college, I was thinking about turning 16 and getting my driver’s license. I also didn’t want her to follow me, have things turn sour, and then be blamed for ruining her life because she may have truly wanted to go to another school, but was willing to follow me because she loved me.
So, it’s a tricky issue, but those with diseases need love just like the rest of us, and if anything, they need a little more support than the rest of us to keep them from suffering deep into depression that might just kill them.
I have to input here. I think the show is amazing. It’s an excellent satire of what sex is. The humor is hy-larius, and it really does open the door for communication between kids and their parents. My oldest daughter has seen the show and we’ve discussed things she didn’t exactly understand. Even before the show we talked about her questions concerning sex. As a persnt of three children, two of them being girls, I whole heartedly endorse this forum. Keep up the good work, it’s bloody brilliant!
I guess I went a little overboard there. I’m not a fan of silent censorship, though. I am sorry for attacking another poster. Society may call me an adult, but I try not to act like one.
“how one lives is so far distant from how one ought to live, that he who neglects what is done for what ought to be done, sooner effects his ruin than his preservation; for a man who wishes to act entirely up to his professions of virtue soon meets with what destroys him among so much that is evil.” - Machiavelli
I would not dump someone because they had cancer. That’s just sick and mean.
Does anyone know how many people get cancer and never even know it? You REALLY don’t think that’s kind of funny. Really rakes in the lulz for me!
Deb, chill out! Trust us, the joke is funny.
The main demographic for MTSS seems to be teenagers (duh…). If you are out-of-touch with the teens of today, you don’t realize then, how completely savvy and sarcastic they are!
Fads are a funny thing, and always present. Just like fads dictate what the kids all wear, listen to, watch, etc, they also dictate what constitutes as sharp and witty.
Deb, the show is NOT for you. If you’ve honestly never in your life heard anything more offensive than that joke, well then… you’ve obviously never meet me.
To Nikol and the rest of the MTSS; KEEP THE LULZ COMING! You guys seriously have ALL of Whitewater, WI watching your show!
I am no longer a teen, but I can see why someone would stop dating someone because the person had a life-threatening illness. Not that it is morally correct, but because the person might be afraid that he or she is going to get hurt. Teens break up with one another for all sorts of “bad” reasons. A guy dumped my sister when she got a bad haircut. Heck, I know of 30 somethings that have broken up with romantic partners for stupid reasons. It doesn’t make it right, it doesn’t make it fair, but, all is fair in love and war–last time I checked there was no Geneva Convention for love.
I thought the cancer joke was strong, but effective–to me, it was obvious sarcasm, but that’s me, maybe it wasn’t so obvious to Deb–that’s the great thing about Art–it’s subject to interpretation.
I love the site–keep up the good work!
britney barber is the hottest bitch i know.
In regard to Timmy’s comment:
Who would ever think that MTSS would provoke conversations including quotes from Machiavelli?
In regard to muppets take manhattan’s comment:
I’ma buy that Britney a jumbo pretzel gurllll.
If you are dating someone and they are diagnosed cancer, chances are pretty high that you already have an emotional investment in that person and watching them hurt and struggle will change you if you are by their side or not. I think it could be too much for some teens, but recognizing that they are not ready to handle being the boy/girlfriend of someone through a serious illness can be handled maturely.
The other scenario, in which a person would just not start a relationship with one who is ill could be applied to all of the other reasons a person decides not to be involved with another. We all know our limits and coping capacities. Much of the high school experience related around small groups of friends who have a common interest. An illness does not remove those interests or change the core of a person.
Something interesting to consider here is the fear of teens and adults alike regarding getting hurt in a relationship. Unless you are one of those rare people who only ever dates on person and stays with them for life, there will be hurt to be had. We should never let the fear of loss dictate our allowance of love. To live that way is as effective as never eating a meal for fear that there may not be enough to fill you up.
Nikol, if you have the balls to say a joke about cancer, then you need to have the balls to leave it at that.
So, therefore I agree with Debbie, the cancer joke isn’t funny. Anymore.
Well, MusicMan, people had to suck the funny right out of cancer when they wouldn’t leave it alone.
We aren’t even discussing the joke anymore, but let me say loud and clear that I will never apologize for making that one.
Hey Nikol, i’d like to say that coming from a family where 4 out of 4 (they divorced and remarried) parents had cancer, and 2 out of the 4 lived, I am one of the seemingly few people in my situation that found it funny regardless, My father had cancer when i was young, he always had a good sense of humor about it. if we take the humor out of our lives, we cease to be human, and life without comedy and smiling, and joking is way to serious of a life to enjoy. There shouldn’t be anything that is “too serious” to joke about simply because that limit you put on yourself instantly takes away a little bit of pleasure and happyness you could have had in your life
-Jason
September 3, The last words of a dying man who really enjoyed life. “Jay, Some people live their lives in fear of death, so much fear they surround themselves in security and protection and give away their freedom. Their freedom to live, laugh, and enjoy what they choose, Taboo’s and fear will never let you enjoy life, as much pain as i’ve gone through, There is one thing i’m actually happy about, i know when i’m going to die and i spent every momment making the best of it up untill that point.”
Now, there’s a motto: “Sucking the Funny Out of Cancer Since 2007.”
And it even sounds a little kinky.
Just to continue beating the dead horse, i will sum up and say that i can see Pissed Deb’s point. However, i believe that the main purpose of the joke was to try to add a little bit of the humour that so many people find funny today (ie, dead babies, cancer, retards, etc.), and that will often make or break a show like this.
The thing is, though, that while there are some jokes like this thrown in, the overall points are valid, and very useful.
i would personally like to say that i love this show, and look forward to new episodes.
And also, if you can condemn something without ever watching it, hearing it, etc, you are an idiot.
I also look forward to future episodes, and I wasn’t even offended about the joke as much as I was that everyone was giving Deb a hard time because she did take offense to it….So, my final thought is this…don’t discount the site because a joke may be offensive, but don’t discount other posters simply because they found something offensive. We all have different perspectives on everything, and while MTSS allows multiple perspectives on what is right, wrong or indifferent, we out to at least let other people try to explain their points of view, and then shred their arguments without personal attacks.
To MTSS, thanks for the chance to discuss!!!
About all this cancer talk–
I have now seen everything on this site and I think it’s great. Except for the cancer thing.
Everyone is arguing about whether or not it’s “fair” for cancer to be joked about. Well, I personally believe that ANYTHING is fair game for a joke, but my problem with this analogy to cancer is that IT DOESN’T MAKE ANY SENSE! Hasn’t anyone thought about that aspect of this “comparison” joke? Unless I’m reading the original joke wrong, the point of Nikol’s association of pedophilia and disease is that no one should want to date someone who is “afflicted” with pedophilia. Nikol, help me out here–isn’t that what you were trying to say in that piece? That pedophiles are disgusting? But now, aren’t you saying that people with cancer are NOT disgusting? Aren’t you saying that teens should NOT be averse to dating someone with cancer? Well, then it would follow that teens should be equally willing to date pedophiles. Do you see what I’m saying? It’s not “funny” because IT DOESN’T MAKE ANY SENSE! It just seems to be a mean comment that links pedophiles to people with cancer in a completely nonsensical way.
Now, if you wanted your comparison to be FUNNY, you should have said something like, “You shouldn’t want to date a pedophile; after all, would you date a Catholic priest?” (Now THAT would truly be disgusting, and, more importantly, it would make sense.)
Hi Deb,
I saw your postings and I’m hoping you’re still checking in or reading this.
I watched my mother die of cancer two years ago. Seeing a vibrant, funny, chubby little Irish woman shrivel into a jaundiced shell in the span of 9 months was beyond horrifying. She was diagnosed around christmas and died the day after my birthday in September. At 25 I, an only child whose father died when I was 6, had to plan a funeral/wake, deal with insane family and bury my mother. I had to be strong just to stay sane, I had to find time to scream when I was alone because it was too much for me to lose it in front of people. I felt like I was losing my mind on more than one occasion. A week after I buried my mother I lost my job. My boss felt she had been very nice to wait until after the funeral and all, but she wanted to hire on a friend of hers for my position.
Do you you know what got me through that? Through the agony of loss, the unemployment, the financial madness the medical insanity and the familial drama?
Humor.
My mother had been a witty, funny person. She had a dark sense of humor and used to joke about her chemotherapy being “the only chance I’ve ever had to be high legally”. When she realized the extent of her diagnosis she joked that “God wants me real bad. What an ass—-.” On the last day she was at all conscious, my birthday, she flipped me off when I started getting all emo about her illness.
I heard her voice after she was gone in my dark days. She wasn’t crying, she was laughing, joking, inspiring me. I’m sure she’d rather be here with me. I’m sure she’d rather have lived to a ripe old age, seen me marry and have kids, but I know most of all she wanted me to laugh at this wonderful, joyful joke we call life.
I’m sorry for your pain and loss, but I’m more sorry that you’ve allowed bitterness to replace humor.
The people here at the MTSS meant no offense to you and your self-righteous priggery speaks more about your character than theirs. I for one wish I had one of those shirts. I’d wear it proudly, both as the son of someone lost to a terrible disease and a humanist with many GLBT friends and loved one.
Long story short (too late) lighten up Deb.
Michael-Garrett
I admit that I didn’t read all 50+ comments.
As for the cancer joke: Wait, people thought she was actually suggesting you shouldn’t date someone with cancer? Strange. I showed that episode to one of my friends the other day, and she certainly found it amusing.
As for dating someone with cancer, yes, I would, why not? Because I would know they won’t be around forever? I’m rather sure there’s people willing to date those in the armed forces. And stunt doubles. And us common mortals in general
Nikol, I love your show for its clever and insightful humor. That’s why I don’t understand your continued defense of your cancer comment. If you were attempting satire, it came off as mere ridicule. As another poster said, most types of humor need to make sense. Satire lets us laugh at our bad behavior and examine the truth behind the joke and perhaps change our behavior. If there’s no truth to examine, there is no satire.
If you can expose an interesting angle in which pedophilia and cancer share something in common other than both being diseases, then your comment might be a joke.
Your t-shirt joke “Homosexuality is a choice…just like cancer” was offensive to some, but at least it was satirical because neither homosexuality nor cancer are choices. It forces homophobic people to realize that the rest of the world sees their treatment of homosexuals as despicable. After all, what kind of human would pass laws and ostracize people with cancer?
But the pedophilia/cancer comment is offensive and not funny. There is a relevant difference between the two diseases: it is not okay for a teen to date someone who is a pedophile, but it is okay for a teen to date someone with cancer. So your comment is merely ridicule because it doesn’t force anybody to examine her bad behavior. In fact, through its flawed logic it seems to actually encourage teens to avoid a friend with cancer—just as they should avoid the pedophile.
If you weren’t attempting satire and you were just being nonsensical or enjoying the shock-value of saying something disparaging, then your comment was as amusing as Imus’ “nappy-headed hos” or Michael Richards’ nightclub tirade.
I wish the people who urged Deb to “lighten up” and laugh at mean-spirited put-downs would “smarten up”!
Cancer=Disease
Pedophilia=Disease
Cancer=Not a Choice
Homosexuality=Not a Choice
There are arguments on all aspects of these statements,(some say pedophilia is not a disease, homosexuality is not a choice) but to say that they do not make sense is inaccurate.
Before you get too sappy over Deb, let us recall that she was pretty mean spirited herself. Those accused of being high, fool, idiot losers would know. I appreciate the comments where people steer clear of mud slinging, but I am not going to run to anyone’s side when they issue that sort of comment from the get go.
Now to sap even more out of the joke, I will go ahead and offer my breakdown of why I found it funny.
How many of you have seen “Clueless”? It may be before/after some of your times, but the man character is one we are all familiar with. She was a parody (not a satire) of that teen girl flipping her hair and offering stilted judgments on people and events with an “Oh my god” and an eye roll. We use that sort of voice for a few of our jokes. Think back to Birth Control where I say, “Babies are f*&%ing stupid. You have to feed them at least once a day.” Same concept. Did you think I believed that? Then why oh why oh heavens why would you think I meant that you shouldn’t date someone with cancer?
Now on to shock value. I have addressed this in emails to people. I love shock value humor because it inadvertently causes us to think about why we are squirming in our seats. The viewer says or thinks, “That’s really bad” which causes us to examine why it is so bad in the first place. I am not saying that in writing a joke about cancer I am some saint of cancer awareness or even that I was doing the teen psyche a service, but you can’t deny that this has sparked some discussion where there once was none. That can’t be a bad thing.
Speaking of discussion, can someone please say something about how awesome Madge the Vag is?
*main character* (typos make Hulk angry)
Creepy! Of course I loved Madge. In fact, I almost dated her. Which is what made me finally quit doing drugs. I’m kidding of course - I never quit doing drugs. But you knew that.
I am not sappy over Deb. Her illogical emotion appeal helped you avoid the fact that your comment wasn’t a joke. Deb was bitchy and unfunny, but Deb still had a logical point, which is continually ignored by you and some of your posters. She used too much emotion to explain why the comment wasn’t funny and did not know how to explain why she was offended, and so everyone jumped on her. I am not interested in Deb’s unfortunate emotional attack (hey, she tempered it with her second email). I am interested in explaining to you why your comment wasn’t funny.
The main character of “Clueless” WAS a satire (and a parody). Why would you deny the satire when you do such an excellent job of making use of that ditsy, valley girl character to say the opposite of what you mean? Do you really not know why your comedy works?
A satirical character or comment must be consistent. You cannot say, “Don’t date a pedophile because you wouldn’t date a cancer patient” because the entire comment MUST be satirical or it doesn’t work! Your character must instead urge young teens to date pedophiles because, after all, wouldn’t they also enjoy dating a psychokiller.
Shock-value is only valuable if you are saying something meaningful. Imus and Richards said nothing of value. If you were saying something of value, what was it? Do you think I am squirming about cancer patients not being date-worthy? No, I am wondering why you think I would be. The discussion this has sparked is not about pedophilia. It is about mocking cancer patients and unfunny comments. I don’t think this is the direction you meant this to take.
Do you think your comment would have been funny if you had substituted “African American” instead of “cancer”? Why?
I love your show. I think you guys are very, very funny. I don’t want you to stop. Make cancer jokes, make sexist jokes, make racial jokes—but make sure they are actually jokes–jokes that have something interesting to reveal about our hidden anxieties. I do not want you to become fodder for Fox.
Ha. Friend, everyone but Doris Day is fodder for Fox, and O’Reilly’s kinda suspicious of her too. Generally, all Fox manages to do is increase viewership. So I wouldn’t worry about that. What I’m worried about is, I’m almost out of eggnog. Poured whiskey on an omelette this morning. Just wasn’t the same. sigh.
Madge the Vag made my skin crawl. I love her.
It’s funny to think that not that long ago a dad taking his son to a prostitute (or setting up such a situation) was a much more common occurence. At a Sex Worker’s Outreach seminar a few years back I hear a woman who had been working as a hooker for the better part of 30 years talk about father’s bringing their sons to “make them a man”. In a society where women were supposed to be chaste and ignorant of sex until marriage, prostitution was a means of sexual education in some backwards ass way. Check out the book “Sex in the Second City” for more on this not too long ago way of thinking.
So when I hear the republivillains harkening back to the good old days I get a very different image from “Leave it To Beaver”.
-MG
Sweet Jeebus, are people still on about the pedophilia/cancer thing? I thought it was hilarious. You didn’t see the humor? Fine, you didn’t. Let it go, or at least keep it out of the comment sections for videos other than The Older Boyfriend. I love MTSS, check it often for new updates, and can’t wait to see what y’all come up with next.
And Deb, while I generally avoid ad hominem forum posts, please consider the value of laughing at yourself and your situation in life once in a while. I know there is nothing funny about invasive cancer, having lost close friends and family to it myself, but when life hands you crap you can either complain about how it has damaged you or you can find something to giggle about. I prefer the latter, even (especially) if it means laughing at myself. Which do you prefer?
Again, to end it on a positive note, keep up the fantastic work, MTSS!
I tried to send this last night, after Susan’s remark, but I guess this site isn’t too Palm-friendly, so here it goes again (and I’m just gonna copy and paste)
Really Susan? I have to disagree with YOUR rigid rules on what makes a joke funy.
The great comments on MTSS work because the majority of us know enough to distinguish ’serious’ issues and ‘nonsense’ puns. And I believe that those viewers who can’t (like Deb), will eventually weed themselved out (like Deb, because if you haven’t notices, she sort of dissapeared from the forum).
In my view, the ‘cancer joke’ had to parts to it: there was the ‘warning: DON’T date pedophiles’ bit, followed by a social critique on people who DON’T date people with cancer. (And I think most of us understood it the first time.)
To Nikol: I agree with your Twitter, this is getting tiresome. Maybe you should put a ‘10 more comments’ (or any other random/arbtrary number), and close this episode’s forum.
I love this show and everyone I’ve showed it to does, too.
Still laughing with the show,
Succubus
Yeah, Susan? You are wierd and kind of creepy. Way to tell Nikol what she meant. All hail Susan, the All Knowing.
You all know the old saying;
Cancer, cancer everywhere,
so let’s all go get sick.
Seriously though, this is fun. I actually look forward to reading these comments daily now to see what people are saying. Nikol, you ALWAYS manage to create conversation where there was none before. For that quality (and sooooo many more), I have always admired you, and you KNOW that. I think you’re f-ing hilarious.
Now, let’s all go drive on babies. (wink)
I am weird–just like you shouldn’t date a pedophile.
But I am glad you realize I am not creepy since you shouldn’t be afraid to date people with cancer.
Clever joke, Scott.
Scott, you just brought back a really funny old memory and made me realize that I sure say strange things about babies a lot. Remember that time you were with me at the hospital because we thought I had colon cancer (ewwww, cancer) and I was coming out of the anesthesia? What did I ask the nurse to feed me?
Sorry about that. Just thought I would bring the comments back to the real comedy. Babies. (no, not babies with cancer, you sickwads)
We really need a cancer thread.
could someone delete all that damn bitching about the damn joke .. the joke is funny … the bitching is not.
Besides it stole all the lime light from my other post
Love the show … if you try to please everyone you wouldn’t be edgy, fun and actually attract an audience. Teens can get a calm boring PC sex education at school.
Nikol,
First of all thank you for the site, it’s a great blend of honesty and humor (babies are f@$*ing stupid, I’ve raised two. I was afraid I would wake my kids I was laughing so hard about that). More importantly, thank you for continuing to encourage people to share their thoughts and opinions. It’s frequently too easy to hide behind the anonymity of the internet and just lob vitriol and venom at people. The art of discourse is one that is, sadly, lacking and I think it’s wonderful that you try and turn adverse reactions into opportunities to talk about issues.
Keep up the great job and I’ll be looking forward to your next episode.
Babies are f-ing stupid! No body feeds ME at least once a day, I have to do that myself! No justice in this world I tell ya…
Susan, my “clever” joke was an inside joke that I didn’t expect anyone but Nikol to understand. Thanks though, for your always delightful commentary.
Nikol, Babies are hilarious! Especially when you drive on them. Or boil them with cabbage. How about boiling them with cancer cabbage. Yummmmmmmy!
Chris is gone at a theatre competition all week. Can I come sleep at your house on Friday? I’m going to call you right now…
“Do you think your comment would have been funny if you had substituted “African American” instead of “cancer”? Why?”
Of course! Racism is hilarious because it’s so silly.
“Homosexuality is a choice, just like being black… and you wouldn’t date a BLACK person would you?”
That would have been great. If Susan needs me to break it down for her, I can do humor algebra and diagram why it’s funny when not within x bound of satire.
In keeping with my “first clue is free” policy: most types of humor need to make sense… and those that don’t are called absurd. Susan appears to be unfamiliar with absurd humor, which means she is too old to be here. It also may mean she has cancephilia, which is why she’s so frustrated. No one will date her.
I’m sorry Deb has cancer… and not an aneurysm. Now THAT would shush her up with the quickness. Oh snap!
I am a parent and I agree that we need more sex education on the web. And with that, more parents need to talk with their children about the real things out there. Not the fairy tale stuff, so that if they are ever in a position where they need to decide ~ they have the confidence in their decision and the knowledge.
Teach all ~ preventive, abstinence …
Great job!
I really like your show! Its original and has just the right amount of monotonic humor to make me laugh. (Even when I’m alone in my room… Crying…) But anyways I have an Idea on what you could do for a future show. Since the word “slut” seems to be popular you could do a show involving sexual promiscuity, and the usage of the words: slut, whore, hoe, skank, hoochie, strumpet, lady of the evening…etc…
-Conclusion-
1. Your show is godly
2. try doing a show involving “sluts”
3. I’m going to email you this because I don’t know if you’ll get it in this comment.
This is awesome I have been on here at work for 9 hours now having the best work day ever. Thanks! You should do one on why people are turned down, dumped, or just not worthy. Then maybe Deb would realize her real problem. We all assume are problems stem from the readily viewable retarded ideas in our head. But generally we are completely wrong. Take me for instance, It is easier to say I get dumped cause I have two fingers. Reality is that I am really just to damn good looking and my big (penis like) fingers are toooo much for them to handle. See my hands are the problem but not cause they don’t like them.
I am in Bogota, Colombia and I am an educational coach, who work mostly with young professionals that need to make important decisions about their education (MBA, PhD, etc). I saw the comment on the news about your program and I watched all the episodes. They are great. I wish we could translate them to Spanish so that young Colombian girls and boys can understand them. You are doing something great. I am amazed always at the power of truth, clarity, honesty, talking straight forward, in our conversations with other human beings, and how it is then when powerful strong love comes out.
Just found the show today, watched it all in one go. Great stuff.
Britney is a charming young lady, and very talented besides.
Nikol is a marvelous host, managing to be direct and funny at the same time.
On the cancer thing (I know I should let it die, but I’m a glutton for punishment): It was intended to have an impact and it did. In the moment that that joke was made, it worked. Outside of that moment, we have the ugly mess you see here. Will they talk about cancer and such on another episode? Possibly. It bears discussing. Dealing with normal relationships is tricky enough (fodder for several episodes, at least), throwing in a life-changing illness is a whole new minefield.
Lauren, your joke “Homosexuality is a choice, just like being black… and you wouldn’t date a BLACK person would you?” is funny because each part of it is ironic. The problem with the original was that the first statement was factual and the second was a related idea but ironic. It wasn’t absurd because there ARE people who will avoid people who are sick.
I thought it was clever of Scott to say I was weird and that I was creepy. I caught his attempt to parallel Nikol’s original joke. The first statement was factual, and the second was Scott being ironic because he doesn’t really think I am creepy.
(And, yes, Scott, I know that you weren’t really making that joke at all. My complimenting you on making it was me being ironic.)
I saw you guys on the news and decided to check you guys out. After watching a few episode and believe you guys are going a great job. Keep at it.
Thanks Midwest Teen Sex Show. Now I know everything I need to know about sex! Peanut butter chocolate weaner surprise! God, I wish I would have watched this video last night! lalalalalala
Ok, NO Susan. You’ve missed the point entirely AGAIN. First of all, I DON’T know you at all, which means my first statement was not factual. And about me calling you creepy…Where’s the irony? I think you’re creepy. There, no irony. Isn’t that clever? You’re wierd and creepy. Get over yourself and stop analyzing humor because that’s SO gay. (Irony?)
Nikol…I love you. You are beautiful, and I’m pretty sure your kids have a damn cool mom. You make me laugh…so hard. Great show. My favorite cancer joke? being gay is a choice….like cancer! I love it. here’s a joke for you. How many babies does it take to paint a wall? It depends on how hard you throw them. Enjoy your day
Susan: I have a master’s in English, and I keep no stock with the colloquial bastardization/generalization of the word “irony.” I wrote “absurd” because I meant “absurd”– the definition of the word includes foolishness and illogical premise, but does not include strict impossibility.
It’s fine– you didn’t know you were picking a really terrible opponent for a semantic debate. Most people on the internet are illiterate. In the future you should at least check dictionary.com before you pop off about what someone means.
I’ve also completed a rather large amount of neuroscience coursework because I write about science. The brain loves to perceive constructions (music, language, etc.) that appear to fit a familiar pattern but are actually modified or strange in some way. This is why absurd humor appears in most cultures, but the culture sets up the expectation that is thwarted by the absurdity. This is why there’s a generational/(pop)cultural gap at work in how people feel about the cancer joke.
“The problem with the original was that the first statement was factual..”
Oh. You’re one of those.
Homosexuality is a biological fact and appears in the overwhelming majority of vertabrate mammals. Thanks for playing– I can tell you tried!
Lauren,
You say the definition of the word absurd does not include strict impossibility. Of course it doesn’t, but that was not part of my argument. I believing you are setting up a straw man argument to knock down because you are unable to knock my actual argument.
It doesn’t matter how the word absurd is defined, my point still remains that Nikol’s first statement was neither absurd not ironic–it was factual. Her second comment was neither absurd nor ironic. It was actually factual. There actually ARE people who will not date people with cancer. That is the only reason it was nor funny.
As to the “first statement was factual” that was a reference to the warning to teens not to date a guy who is older than you because he is a pedophile–it was not a reference to homosexuality. (I don’t think you were around for that so you’re excused for missing that.)
I do not think homosexuality is a choice, after all you wouldn’t laugh at your friend when he told you he was bi-racial, would you?
Ooh, so much drama!
Either way, I love you guys and am continually trying to spread the love to my friends (take that how you will… )
Keep it up
why don’t lauren and susan exchange phone numbers, or meet in real life and fight?
Nikol, you should make an episode on meeting people online. You could talk about dating sites. Cyber sex. And how completely base and pointless it is to fight with someone you’ve never met over the internet.
Quoting Chris (Jan 5th, 2008 at 12:43 pm): “I wasn?t even offended about the joke as much as I was that everyone was giving Deb a hard time because she did take offense to it?.”
I agree with Chris. Even though Deb came on pretty strong in her first post, it made me realize that she has a point I hadn’t thought of before. I don’t have to agree with it (though I think maybe I do - haven’t decided for sure) but it does at least open my mind up a bit to considering a POV I hadn’t considered before. Of course if I was the person (creator of the show) she was directing the comment to, I could see how I might need to pause before responding, lest my defensiveness and trouble with criticism prevent me from really absorbing her point. However, the rude and dismissive comments directed toward her by other posters was pretty offputting. It makes it seem like this isn’t a group that wants to truly consider anyone else’s point of view.
I also agree with Susan and whoever else said the joke (about not dating a pedophile just like you wouldn’t date someone w/ cancer) just doesn’t make sense. The example thta compares dating a pedophile to dating a psycho killer makes a lot more sense. It really made me wonder if you were trying to say it was a good idea to date a pedophile (because we know it’s absurd to think you would dismiss dating someone just b/c they have cancer). Of course I couldn’t imagine that you meant it was a good idea to date a pedophile, so then I have to assume you really believe it’s a bad idea to date someone with cancer. Can you see how it just doesn’t make sense - at least to some of us? There’s no parallel between the two comments.
I would date a cancer patient, and I would date a black person — heck, I would even date a cancerous, homosexual black person, providing they were female and therefore interested — but I feel that I can say with some degree of confidence that, even never having met her, I would not date Susan. I feel that this personal attack has really cemented my argument in favor of the original joke.
Now, all of that said… first-time viewer here, and I LOVE the show! I sat down and watched all 12 episodes. I may no longer be a teen (just barely out of the woods there,) and I may consider myself extremely well-versed in all things sex-ed these days, but this kind of thing is wonderful to me because it is appauling to see how uneducated a lot of people really are on the subject… and that includes many 20-somethings I know too! Having a show that is not only educational but entertaining is the bee’s knees.
Samantha,
Saying you would not date someone because she expressed an intellectual idea different from your own IS a personal attack. You believe that making me feel unattractive to you will boost the logic of your argument to others.
I challenge you–or anyone else–to find any personal attack I have made to support my argument.
Everyone, please play nice.
Susan,
It was a joke honey, no need to get your knickers in a twist. It wasn’t meant as a legitimate argument, and incase you didn’t notice, I didn’t actually bother to formulate a real argument of any sort.
…depends on how hard you throw them! LOL
I hope Nikol saw that joke because I’m sure it made her laugh, Tamara.
YAY! Dead baby jokes!
What’s blue and thrashes about on the floor?
A baby playing in a plastic bag.
How do you get 100 babies into a bucket?
With a blender!
Why did the baby fall out of the tree?
Because he was dead!
YAY!
How do you make a baby cry twice?
….
Oooo, not gonna go there.
Samantha,
Calling someone “honey” and telling them they have their “knickers in a twist” is condescending.
You did present an argument. You said my argument was not persuasive because I had personally attacked someone. You provided no evidence for your argument. Then, ironically, you commenced to personally attack me.
I just heard Nikol on Wisconsin Public Radio this morning. She was fantastic. Her show has the potential to really reach teens with a message that blends comedy and education. She could also go in another direction: she could be crass and cheap with her comedy.
Many posters seem to be urging her to go for the cheap laughs. I really like what she is doing. I hope she doesn’t use put-down humor to respond to honest critics.
I work with teens. I want to tell them about this website, but I am not sure yet if I can. I am not a sex education teacher; I teach rhetoric.
Please! Samantha and Susan, enough!!
you know, you could get each other’s email addresses and continue your arguing in private…
Come on Jasmine, this is what America is all about! Let these two keep getting pissed! Really, all this is missing is some swift and blinding violence, and little cupcakes with red, white and blue frosting…
GO AMERICA!
GO INTERNETS!
GO LULZ!
I never accused you of making any personal attacks, Susan. Reread what I said please, if you would. I said -I- made a personal attack. I did, and it was in jest. I was also condescending, yes. You need not notify me of when I am being rude, I am aware.
Anyhow, I’m done.
What the world needs now…
Is love, sweet love…
I love dead baby jokes.
random happy face
:0))) donald trump face….you’re fired
Samantha,
I did read what you said: “I feel that this personal attack has really cemented my argument in favor of the original joke.” So your ability to personally attack me is the evidence you need to believe in the original joke?
(Hint: if you don’t respond to me, I won’t respond back.)
point taken, scott hayes. point taken.
Its the only thing that theres just to little of!