Gettin' Down in Chi-Town
Thoughts on Sex and PoliticsI’ve been almost exclusively answering questions over the last few months, but that is not all this blog is about. Sometimes I want to talk about myself, sometimes I want to expose my audience to new and interesting somewhat-sex-related books, movies, and music, and sometimes I just want to go off on a bit of a political rant. The latter is my objective today.It is no mystery that I’m just about a liberal as they come. I am an NPR junkie, to the point where one of the quarterly fund drives finally caught me, and now I have an official membership to WBEZ. I get most of my news through the radio, including, sometimes, news about politicians I don’t much care for. I know that NPR tries to be objective, but honestly; what conservatives listen to National Public Radio? Not many, as far as I know, but then again, I don’t know a lot of conservatives.So, a couple of months ago, our former president, George W. Bush, came out with a memoir. It is entitled Decision Points, and it outlines what Bush considers to be the most critical decisions he made during his presidential and personal life. I haven’t read the book, and I don’t intend to. But the NPR segment on Decision Points caught my ear. They played excerpts of Bush’s interview with TV journalist Matt Lauer, during which Bush discussed, rather candidly, his problems with alcohol. And soon I found that I’d stopped gagging, and was reacting in a different way.It seems that, in the height of W’s bad period with alcohol, he was at a dinner party hosted by his parents. Seated next to a “beautiful woman” who was older than him, Bush Jr. leaned over and said to the lady, “So, what’s sex like after 50?”Hearing this straight from the former president’s mouth made me howl with laughter. Almost, for once, laughing with the guy instead of at him. I mean, we’ve all had our fair share of stupidity while drinking. And I almost admired Bush for revealing, wryly and self-deprecatingly, one of his worst moments on the air, and in print. What could possess someone to say something so clearly rude and inappropriate? Jesus, this guy really must have had a serious drinking problem. Then I got a little depressed, because the person that said this ridiculous thing was my country’s president for 8 painful years. Yes, I’ve said inane and unforgivable stuff while drunk, it’s true. So have lots of us. But I’m not on a path toward politics, and I don’t plan to be. The qualifications of a good politician seem to demand a sense of responsibility that many of us do not possess. No drinking, no smoking, no affairs. Fun-loving and relatable, but also religious and family-oriented. Really, these are the qualifications of a superhuman. All people are fallible, and we indulge in one thing or another. All people, including presidents. So you smoked a few joints or did a couple lines in college; so did everyone, it seems. I, as an American voter, honestly don’t care about that, and it would seem (given the last few men elected to our highest office) that most Americans can look past the vices of youth. What bugs me is the media’s reaction when affairs are revealed. Romantic and sexual relationships are the business of the people directly involved in them. It is hard enough to find out your spouse is cheating on you, but I cannot imagine having that very personal news broadcast to the world because you and your spouse happen to be politicians or celebrities. Some may say that’s the price of fame, to have the private become public. Perhaps that’s true, but I don’t think that extra-marital affairs should warrant a politician losing his or her office, or a spot in a campaign. It’s no one’s business where you stick your dick, and it should not affect your career.Of course, there are exceptions. For instance, anything prosecutable and despicable should indeed be just cause for an impeachment; I’m talking about child molestation, rape, incest, sexual harassment, child pornography. But say you took some pictures for Playboy when you were in college, or you and your wife lost the spark and so you rekindled it with the (over 18-year-old) baby-sitter. Big frickin’ deal. Work it out with your wife and move on with your life. The bottom line is that sex just freaks people out. Every time a politician is revealed as too human, reporters are quick to jump on their vices. Assuming that everyone indulges in some way, I find this hypocritical. Pay attention to their law making and speech giving, not their personal lives. But, for many, any behavior that is seen as too overtly sexual is dirty and unethical. And this is why, sadly, Cynthia Plaster Caster will never be mayor of Chicago. Back to George W. Bush’s big admission. I don’t admire the guy for much, and I know he’s flawed, but I love that he went public with his idiotic drinking story. I’m even more delighted by the follow up, which is that, apparently, the family friend that W insulted sent him a card on his 50th birthday. It read, “Dear Governor: Well, what’s the answer?”xoxo, Lucy

Thoughts on Sex and Politics

I’ve been almost exclusively answering questions over the last few months, but that is not all this blog is about. Sometimes I want to talk about myself, sometimes I want to expose my audience to new and interesting somewhat-sex-related books, movies, and music, and sometimes I just want to go off on a bit of a political rant. The latter is my objective today.

It is no mystery that I’m just about a liberal as they come. I am an NPR junkie, to the point where one of the quarterly fund drives finally caught me, and now I have an official membership to WBEZ. I get most of my news through the radio, including, sometimes, news about politicians I don’t much care for. I know that NPR tries to be objective, but honestly; what conservatives listen to National Public Radio? Not many, as far as I know, but then again, I don’t know a lot of conservatives.

So, a couple of months ago, our former president, George W. Bush, came out with a memoir. It is entitled Decision Points, and it outlines what Bush considers to be the most critical decisions he made during his presidential and personal life. I haven’t read the book, and I don’t intend to. But the NPR segment on Decision Points caught my ear. They played excerpts of Bush’s interview with TV journalist Matt Lauer, during which Bush discussed, rather candidly, his problems with alcohol. And soon I found that I’d stopped gagging, and was reacting in a different way.

It seems that, in the height of W’s bad period with alcohol, he was at a dinner party hosted by his parents. Seated next to a “beautiful woman” who was older than him, Bush Jr. leaned over and said to the lady, “So, what’s sex like after 50?”

Hearing this straight from the former president’s mouth made me howl with laughter. Almost, for once, laughing with the guy instead of at him. I mean, we’ve all had our fair share of stupidity while drinking. And I almost admired Bush for revealing, wryly and self-deprecatingly, one of his worst moments on the air, and in print. What could possess someone to say something so clearly rude and inappropriate? Jesus, this guy really must have had a serious drinking problem.

Then I got a little depressed, because the person that said this ridiculous thing was my country’s president for 8 painful years. Yes, I’ve said inane and unforgivable stuff while drunk, it’s true. So have lots of us. But I’m not on a path toward politics, and I don’t plan to be. The qualifications of a good politician seem to demand a sense of responsibility that many of us do not possess. No drinking, no smoking, no affairs. Fun-loving and relatable, but also religious and family-oriented.

Really, these are the qualifications of a superhuman. All people are fallible, and we indulge in one thing or another. All people, including presidents. So you smoked a few joints or did a couple lines in college; so did everyone, it seems. I, as an American voter, honestly don’t care about that, and it would seem (given the last few men elected to our highest office) that most Americans can look past the vices of youth.

What bugs me is the media’s reaction when affairs are revealed. Romantic and sexual relationships are the business of the people directly involved in them. It is hard enough to find out your spouse is cheating on you, but I cannot imagine having that very personal news broadcast to the world because you and your spouse happen to be politicians or celebrities. Some may say that’s the price of fame, to have the private become public. Perhaps that’s true, but I don’t think that extra-marital affairs should warrant a politician losing his or her office, or a spot in a campaign. It’s no one’s business where you stick your dick, and it should not affect your career.

Of course, there are exceptions. For instance, anything prosecutable and despicable should indeed be just cause for an impeachment; I’m talking about child molestation, rape, incest, sexual harassment, child pornography. But say you took some pictures for Playboy when you were in college, or you and your wife lost the spark and so you rekindled it with the (over 18-year-old) baby-sitter. Big frickin’ deal. Work it out with your wife and move on with your life.

The bottom line is that sex just freaks people out. Every time a politician is revealed as too human, reporters are quick to jump on their vices. Assuming that everyone indulges in some way, I find this hypocritical. Pay attention to their law making and speech giving, not their personal lives. But, for many, any behavior that is seen as too overtly sexual is dirty and unethical. And this is why, sadly, Cynthia Plaster Caster will never be mayor of Chicago.

Back to George W. Bush’s big admission. I don’t admire the guy for much, and I know he’s flawed, but I love that he went public with his idiotic drinking story. I’m even more delighted by the follow up, which is that, apparently, the family friend that W insulted sent him a card on his 50th birthday. It read, “Dear Governor: Well, what’s the answer?”

xoxo,
Lucy

16 January 26
sexpoliticsaffairsBush
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Notes

  1. kleinegangsta reblogged this from gettingdowninchitown and added:
    you. Smart woman. Funny woman. Sexy woman. You should run
  2. dotdotdotted reblogged this from gettingdowninchitown
  3. wickedxallie reblogged this from gettingdowninchitown
  4. alittlelonginggoesaway reblogged this from gettingdowninchitown
  5. gettingdowninchitown posted this

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I'm Lucy. I live in Chicago and I like to talk about sex. Give me a topic: I'm happy to answer any questions about love, sex, and relationships. Email me at LucyRockwell@gmail.com


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