Sunday, November 13, 2011

Let's Talk About Sex, 7th Heaven.

Dear Camden Family,

This goes out to the entire family of 7th Heaven - the Reverand Camden, wife Annie, children Matt, Mary, Lucy, Simon and Ruthie and the twins, Sam and David who may not yet know what sex is, but are a product of sex and therefore, this is still relevant to you.

I've been watching your obnoxious family every day at 10 o'clock for the last few weeks. I can't help that the television show which follows the ins-and-outs of your dramatic lives plays every week day at the exact time I like to have my second cup of morning coffee. This is not my fault. It's either you or The View. And as I still harbor a bitter resentment towards Whoopie Goldberg for never making a sequel to Jumping Jack Flash, looks like I have no choice but to be a witness to your sorry lives.

For a christian family, you certainly have a lot of drama. Not that christian families should have any less drama than non-christian families. I mean, if they made the plight of Job into a blockbuster, I'm pretty sure Brad Pitt or George Clooney or Robbie Redford or whichever over-the-hill hottie they chose to play God's humble servant would put in the kind of Oscar-winning performance which made people reconsider the difficulties of being Godly in the face of grief. But you are not Job and Satan has not smited your family and covered you in boils to try and prove a point.

Instead, big-brother Matt is off marrying women on a whim, Mary is behaving like the bad seed, Lucy is a drama-queen, Simon has started an escort service and Ruthie is an A-grade gossip. I can't help but notice that your drama seems a little self-inflicted. Not to mention, the majority of you don't exactly exercise christian values on an hourly basis. For the most part, you're all pretty selfish and self-involved.

And you're all obssessed with relationships. But that's not exactly an uncharacteristic trait of christians, is it?

Except maybe for Mother Theresa, the one woman who's biological clock screamed, "Help the sick" instead of "Have a big white wedding and procreate".

I get it, Camden offspring. Believe me, I know what it's like. I get what you're trying to achieve here. All you want is to find a nice parter, put a ring on each other's fingers, get hitched and get God's gold star for 'waiting'.

To have sex.

To have sex sex sex.

Sex.

The word itself is not hard to say. It's one syllable. We all know what it means and what it involves. We've had the awkward health class conversations and most people have done the deed itself. So, I don't understand why you can't just say the word 'sex' instead of referring to it the way you do - with a knowing nod of the head or shrug of the shoulders or awkward, pointless exchange. For example, 

"Mary and whatever-his-name-is are going to... you know" (wide eyes, blank stare)

or

"When she said 'let's go upstairs' I thought she meant to brush our teeth (turn head slightly and look sheepish)

You're really putting one over us with that ambiguity. I feel positively hoodwinked.

I understand the standard audience who watch your family feud are not typically 24-year old unemployed creative writers with unhealthy coffee habits and a tendency to critique. They're more like PG13 sponges ready to soak up anything that will help them get through their pubescent lives with a bit of dignity. But do you honestly think not saying 'sex' outloud is going to help them achieve that? If anything, it's only further encouraging the sex stigma, a topic made all the more taboo by the awkward eyes you make at each other to get your point across.

What exactly are you encouraging by hiding behind a head nod? That sex is not something they should talk about? That the word shouldn't even be mentioned let alone the act discussed?

As a christian family with christian morals, there's no nookie-nookie for any offspring until your Facebook status officially says 'married'. However, that doesn't mean you have to treat the word like it's the forbidden fruit. Reverand Camden, I understand you're trying to teach your children good values and godliness. But even God says the word 'sex'. He probably sniggers afterwards because I like to think God has a sense of boyish humour about him. But he says it all the same.

So say the word, you prudie protestants or I'm going to start watching The View.

And I doubt Whoopie Goldberg's sex life is as gripping as yours.

In sexual sincerity,

KH.


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