Anyone watch today's episode of The Talk?

[desertpenguin]

I rarely watch any daytime tv but just so happened that we stumbled across today's episode of The Talk just as the segment on circumcision started. http://www.cbs.com/daytime/the_talk/video/?vs=Full%20Episodes Today's episode (11/17/10) the circ discussion starts at about 17 min. I liked Sara Gilbert before but I love her now!

[Night_Nurse]

I love that they were talking about it and that even Holly, who circed her boys, seemed to have a bit of remorse. It was all fine and dandy until Sharon made the remark she did. That was a horrible way to end it, that is what will stick in people's minds, the "cheesy" comment. But way to go Sara!!!

[Papai]

Welp. There went my respect for Sharon Osbourne.

[Tiana]

I can't see it due to being in Canada.  Can someone summarize the good things Sara said, and the bad comment(s) from Sharon?  I'm surprised she said something nasty.  I assumed, being that she's British, she'd be used to a natural penis.

[Papai]

Originally Posted by Tiana 

I can't see it due to being in Canada.  Can someone summarize the good things Sara said, and the bad comment(s) from Sharon?  I'm surprised she said something nasty.  I assumed, being that she's British, she'd be used to a natural penis.

Sara gave common intactivist points: It's a procedure performed without the body owner's consent, it's unnatural, fewer and fewer people are doing it, etc. Sharon said that Ozzy was cut and that was why (implied here) she had her son cut, and that she knew, living in England, where most men aren't circumcised, that men smell like "cheese" down there....and then she then threw in "if they don't keep clean" under the howls of laughter. The co-hosts then all acted out various interpretations of being grossed out.

[Pumpkinheadmommy]

Leah Remini also made some good points about boys not looking at each other.

[Lauren82]

I don't get the cheese comments. I've had intact partners and they did not smell any different "down there" than a circumcised man.

[ammiga]

Maybe Sharon wasn't with enough circed men to know that they can stink too. I think it's an issue with genitals in general, not cut vs uncut ones.

[Tiana]

Thanks Papai!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Papai 

Sara gave common intactivist points: It's a procedure performed without the body owner's consent, it's unnatural, fewer and fewer people are doing it, etc. Sharon said that Ozzy was cut and that was why (implied here) she had her son cut, and that she knew, living in England, where most men aren't circumcised, that men smell like "cheese" down there....and then she then threw in "if they don't keep clean" under the howls of laughter. The co-hosts then all acted out various interpretations of being grossed out.

  Right.  'Cause circumcised guys can go weeks without bathing, and still smell fresh as a daisy.

[philomom]

I'm proud of Sara and she got in the new stats, too.

[treeoflife3]

I've said it before and I'll say it again.  I LOVE sarah.  Although she'll always be darlene to me <3  My favorite character on one of my favorite shows.  She is all around awesome :D

Never liked Sharon anyway.  The whole family is not really my taste...

[desertpenguin]

I'm really glad that Sara got in all those good points. I used to like Sharon Osbourne cuz she's so cheeky but that was just so frustrating to hear her make that cheesy comment! Definitely a terrible way to end the conversation. My husband totally spazzed out when they started talking about guys comparing in the locker room. He's not much into the circ debate but he stated they definitely never compared in the locker room. 

[tammylsmith]

I think that this show and the one Mario Lopez has are showing some important trends against circ. Despite Sharon's stupid cheese comment, the audience got to hear some solid reasons against... it's bound to convince some and validate those less sure than us... but more importantly, mainstream shows like these go a long way towards breaking down the misinformation. If people hear it repeated enough (aka the locker room) it becomes true... or in this case opens some minds.

I've found out that a lot of the little boys in my circle of friends are intact. This gives me hope that knowledge truly is spreading!

[georgia]

Hi, let's please keep discussion focused on the case against circumcision and not on our personal opinions of celebrities, their sexual histories, etc. We don't wish to host celebrity gossip so I do need to ask that we keep the thread about the forum's topic so we can keep it in TCAC and not in our TV forum. Thanks for your cooperation!

Please PM me if you have any questions about my request rather than posting to the thread itself.

It's great to see advocacy on television!

[fruitful womb]

I just watched it. I kept thinking how horrified I'd feel if a bunch of men were sitting at a table saying women smell like fish if they still have all their lady bits. Then having the few scatter off acting scared because women smell like tuna. I'd feel so ashamed about my intact genitals. It was great to hear the points that supported bodily integrity. I still don't believe guys check out the other guys' penis and then comment on them. That is creepy. If the parents who did elect their sons to the procedure did so for that reason, which seems likely to me from their defensive reaction, "THEY DO TOO!!! YES THEY DO!!!", what are they going to do now that their circumcised sons are in the minority in the locker room? Do you think they'll not care because they think its not of an intact guy's character to make fun of the guys who had a penis surgery?  but it might be for the circumcised guy to bully the intact kid? sounds like a stronger case against circumcision if it might cause him to be the bully.

[Pumpkinheadmommy]

Originally Posted by fruitful womb 

I just watched it. I kept thinking how horrified I'd feel if a bunch of men were sitting at a table saying women smell like fish if they still have all their lady bits. Then having the few scatter off acting scared because women smell like tuna. I'd feel so ashamed about my intact genitals. It was great to hear the points that supported bodily integrity. I still don't believe guys check out the other guys' penis and then comment on them. That is creepy. If the parents who did elect their sons to the procedure did so for that reason, which seems likely to me from their defensive reaction, "THEY DO TOO!!! YES THEY DO!!!", what are they going to do now that their circumcised sons are in the minority in the locker room? Do you think they'll not care because they think its not of an intact guy's character to make fun of the guys who had a penis surgery?  but it might be for the circumcised guy to bully the intact kid? sounds like a stronger case against circumcision if it might cause him to be the bully.

The 'fishy smell' conversation is exactly what I was thinking! 

And I actually have seen intact guys bully - albeit "friendly" bully - circumcised guys.  Many years ago I worked with a group of guys, one of whom was from England.  One day he started teasing the American guys that they weren't "real men" because they were missing part of their manhood.  Then, one of the American guys piped up that he was a "real man" because his wasn't missing.  Then the two of them ganged up on the others.  All they could say was "Shut up man.  We can't help it.
 

[To-Fu]

Frankly, even if there were a smell issue (and there isn't, in my opinion), that's still not reason enough to circumcise!  Imagine if we removed all the body parts that got stinky after a while...!

[philomom]

Originally Posted by To-Fu 

Frankly, even if there were a smell issue (and there isn't, in my opinion), that's still not reason enough to circumcise!  Imagine if we removed all the body parts that got stinky after a while...!

You know, one of my kids has the ickiest orange-y ear wax that does not smell okay. I have to remind this child quite often to clean their ears. Does that mean I should contemplate cutting off her outer earlobe? Of course not. People weird me out sometimes.

[buckeyedoc]

Very nice to see the issue presented on a mainstream show and at least some of the panelists speaking rationally about it.

[brant31]

As brief as the segment was, it raised a number of interesting biases and issues.

Suffice it to say that from what I know of each of the participants, none of their comments surprised me. In support of the TCAC guidelines, I'll leave it at that. If anyone wishes to know my thoughts and the bases for them, feel free to PM.

I agree that for the time being, all publicity is helpful. Sunlight is what will do in circumcision among the general population.