Channel 4 Joy of Teen Sex 10pm Wed

[leonine98]

Has anyone seen this programme and what did you think? I have a 16 year old daughter who recorded it to watch as it is going viral amongst that age group. I saw recording first and was deeply disturbed. Advice was given on what to do if your boyfriends 'come' tastes bad, how to penetrate annally and a young 17 year old lesbian was shown how to wear a strap on dildo. Articles on how to jazz up your vagina and have a Prince Albert's fitted to your willie also included. Quite understand that some may want this information but all this stuff is on the internet and can be accessed if you want to find it in the privacy of your own room. Anyone including much younger children could find this programme and watch unsupervised and be deeply disturbed by its contents. Is this something which should be on main time TV? Very worried about pressure effect on my daughter who will think there is something wrong with her if she is not into all of this. Interested in your views. Who should I speak to in order to raise my concerns?

2blessed2bstressed - being nosy, was there anything the 15yo wanted to query... So glad to see someone else questioning the '13yo' aspect. And 'just cos it is on the menu, doesn't mean everyone must try it'

Quite understand that it being on late will not guarantee it does not get watched, esp given the 'several teens in a bed' gloss they used for this, and that some content should shock the younger end (might make someone think twice about piercings!).

Appletrees - "so naive." (quite a few comments posted, care to narrow down to the one you mean?)

What happened to just finding out?

If a child is encouraged to practice sex in a loving relationship then they will learn slowly about their own preferences, surely?

Did the program cover peer pressure or learning how to check you have consent, not putting pressure on your partner, saying no?

I was chuckling when I saw it, because if it had been on a street for any length of time I'd have expected an "Outraged of Tunbridge Wells" thread on AIBU last summer :)

Do you know what our good for nothing council has approved ? A blasted "Sex Advice Shop" and when I went in with some others from the W.I. they told us we were far too old - they only wanted to speak to children of 13 to 17. I mean, they are preying on our grandchildren for some outrageous Channel 4 series where youngsters will be given hints on using KY Jelly and all sorts of rubber sex toys.

How appalling that they bring this smut to a nice middle class town and expect to find young gay men and lesbians. I ask you, do they really expect to find such perverts in our area ?

I know Daddy liked to get dressed up in suspenders and silk stockings and Mummy used a big black whip to thrash his back raw, and then on Friday nights the Kennington-Jones and Huntley-Smythes used to come for dinner and then tell us to get to bed while they went at it on the rugs in front of the fire, but that was all innocent fun, after all...

[ Sorry, couldn't help it ! ]

TPP - consent, pressure, saying no, have been covered on previous shows on C4, I think.

There have been quite a few showing how teens and below are 'exposed' to porn and that definitely skewes expectations. Even if a lad has restricted use of a PC at home and no internet access on his phone, with bluetooth and USB and memory cards it is very easy to share porn clips. Same for girls, of course, and then there are expectations about "perfect" breasts, shaving any hair off, etc.

Has been covered on previous threads, and clearly something which needs to be discussed with parents (who may be lacking a degree of knowledge and not have seen the half of what these teens have seen, unfortunately as it may make them appear (a) thick and (b) get a response when asked about something 'unusual').

"angered at the age group it was targeting."

Which was ?

given the time, for all we know (unless you have found something to link to) it could almost be aimed at educating parents, of matters beneath their personal radars...

"I was chuckling" sounds ever so pompous.

It's naive to imagine a programme like this has no negative effect, unless you think 16-y-olds buying strap on dildos and experimenting with anal sex is a positive effect.

Maybe you do? Anything is possible I suppose.

I don't see it likely that anyone would feel 'encouraged' to try something they had not previously expressed a feeling for in advance.

IE I do not believe that seeing a strap-on or hearing about anal sex from the programme would of itself encourage those among viewers.

The programme was giving factual information where some teen may feel inhibited in asking a parent, be given rubbish information by another teen, or be ripped off if they happened to go into some shop run by Private or Ann Summers (don't know what they do/don't sell in either, as it is years since I popped into any such shops in London's Soho, and if there is something one wants, buying online is easier these days for many).

As for 'negative effect' I would probably think worse of some magazines available to teen girls of all ages (based on the comments posted online, suggesting the mags cover many aspects which parents again may have no knowledge of, or would be inhibited from discussing).

I do have a problem with women (often) being pressured by peers / media into diets and tanning and beauty products as if they are an "easy touch" to rip-off.

I particularly noted the number of adverts before Christmas for perfumes and after shave, over and above the Max Factor / etc eyelash / hair dye / face creams / cosmetics which may boost confidence, but to me seem something of a con.

On a parallel level, magazines include 'techniques' while lads mags may be smuttier and then there's outright porn, which all (in their own ways) tell us we are unhappy with whatever experiences we have, and give 'ideas' for things that would be more exciting (and could be dangerous).

The media and porn together seem to push people to feel unhappy unless they follow fashion, or trends, or try this, or that in/out of bed.

It's down to individuals to break from being brainwashed, and if that means that parents should try to be open-minded, lay down guidelines and explain some of the (terrible) consequences of drink, drugs, sex (STIs perhaps more than piercings etc) then so be it.

When it comes to information, taboos over sex make it an easy target for criticism of any materials on TV or online because "one doesn't talk about such things" where perfume and make-up are expensive cons but treated as "normal" because they don't have the same "naughty" taboos around them.

Sorry if "one doesn't" also sounds pompous!

PS I also have a problem with men being similarly conned when it comes to 'beauty' products. It is plain capitalism exploiting fresh markets, as I see it.

"I don't see it likely that anyone would feel 'encouraged' to try something they had not previously expressed a feeling for in advance.

IE I do not believe that seeing a strap-on or hearing about anal sex from the programme would of itself encourage those among viewers."

yes, that's naive

So do you think thousands of young men will be going out to get Prince Albert piercings, because they saw it on TV ?

The girl who was against contraception saw the error of her ways in the end, so will a million teenage girls now start using condoms or other contraception when they have not been for the last 12 months ?

If say yes for either, I'd say that was naive!

However, I can see we have very different views, so will see what others think. I have some odds and ends to do work-wise so will be away for a while...

tomhardyismydh - "maybe you should both take a look. " A NETWORK GUY< do struggle to follow a conversation a look at the thread ffs. ypou said you where going to look at the thread on tv adicts. Im sugusting you do take a look.

you realy need to keep up with your own posts and replies to them.

I caught some of it last night. I thought it was rather well done. My only problem with it was- unless I missed a bit- the piece on genital piercing didn't say anything about the risks of infection.

What's the problem with talking about anal sex, particularly in the context of a young gay man with anxiety about it? As for it not being necessary/suitable for hetero teens, in the US in areas that teach abstinence only it's very common amongst straight teens as it 'doesn't count!'It reminded me of teen magazines I remember from my distant past.

I think it is naive to think people are so readily influenced by ONE THING they see on telly! How many of us have rushed out for genital piercing, strap ons, or butt plugs since watching the show? Hmm...

As for 13 yr olds watching it, surely at that age a parent still has a responsibility to monitor what is being watched and accessed at home, if you do not agree with exposure to certain content, do not allow them to watch it. There is an enormous difference between a 13 and 17 year old learning about some of these sexual behaviours.

Finally, it shows incredible naivety/homophobia to suggest anal sex is anything to be ashamed of. What kind of sex would you suggest gay young men practice?! So it is fine to discuss the "normal" sexual practices but as soon as we touch on how gay men and women might enjoy themselves safely it is suddenly taboo?! How sad.

"common amongst straight teens as it 'doesn't count' !"

Indeed. A friend living on the East Coast told me she had only permitted anal sex until she was a little over 30 (though I think it was that she didn't like condoms and it was something she thoroughly enjoyed).

Forgive me if I don't sink to name calling in response.

I'm well aware of the other benefits of wearing condoms and have no problem with them myself. Her body, her choice, her comments.

I was merely stating her situation, without any judgement as to whether it was a choice I condoned or condemned.

PS it was East Coast of USA. I got talkng to her when she worked at an ISP in tech support and I was in Califonia... have yet to meet her in person though we do exchange Christmas cards and gifts.