Don't Touch that bod 'til you've Covered that Rod
Written: Oct 05 '03 (Updated Oct 05 '03)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Fun, humorous look at the Talk Sex show
Cons: Could use more info on Sue, the host; Chapter 6 could be left out
The Bottom Line: A fun, easy read, but it would be better if it contained more facts about Sue Johanson.
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| Bryan_Carey's Full Review: |
Television, we are often told, is overflowing with programming that contains too much sexual content. Whether it’s a situation comedy, a talk show, or even a cartoon in many cases, certain critics are always ready to pounce on the television industry as a whole, claiming that the choice of programming is too reliant on sex to make it popular and that this trend is leading to the demoralization of society.
Many television shows use the sexual theme to get ratings, but there’s one cable show that has an obvious sexual theme but gets mixed reactions from critics. This show has some critics up in arms, but at the same time it receives praise from other critics for its educational value. It’s “Talk Sex, with Sue Johanson”, formerly known as “The Sunday Night Sex Show”. In this book, Nocturnal Admissions, author and director of the show RJ Gulliver, along with producer Julie Smith, present their take on what it’s like to work behind the scenes of Canada’s most popular sex education program.
Basic Contents of This Book:
This 204- page, paperback volume is divided into eight chapters:
The Inevitable Disclaimer
1. “Auto Jill”
2. Luck and Pluck
3. Live
4. Dink Don’t Work
5. Perils of the Pleasure Chest
6. Cross- Country Croquet
7. Sexual Health and Herbs
8. Condom Closers
RJ Gulliver has been the producer of Talk Sex/Sunday Night Sex Show for many years. The show started out as a radio talk show and it saw its popularity soar to the point where it was made into a regular, weekly television program in 1996. In chapter 1, Gulliver begins the book by introducing some of the cast and crew that work behind the scenes to make the show a weekly success. There are pictures of many of the members of the crew, both individually and as a group.
Chapter 2 then examines the early life of the star of the show, Sue Johanson. Born in Toronto to Milfrid Powell and Ethel Bell, Sue had a somewhat difficult upbringing, mainly due to her father’s alcoholism and her mother’s constant bickering with him. Her mother died when Sue was only 10 years old, leaving her father and her new stepmother, Bessie Ross, with the responsibility to raise her. Bessie was a strong, positive influence on young Sue. In her young adult life, Sue became a nurse and later married Ejnor Johanson and started a family. She got her first taste of sex and sexual health when she started a sexual health clinic at a high school in North York, Ontario. The radio show, and the television show, became reality a short time later.
Chapter three shifts gears and goes back to discussion of the show itself. Many challenges exist when a show is broadcast live, but there’s also a lot of spontaneity and reward. There is little room for error, and the host and crew have to be prepared to react quickly and smoothly to any breakdown in the normal routine, so that the blunder isn’t so obvious. Gulliver spends this chapter talking about the makings of the show and the professional skill of the crew that helps make the show a success.
In chapter 4, Gulliver talks about the actual show, the callers, and some of the interesting questions that pop up from time to time. The average episode receives about 65,000 calls and only about 50 to 100 of these get through to the call screeners- employees of the show who screen calls to make sure that the prank calls and non- serious callers are eliminated. Only 12 to 16 calls make it on the air, which means that a caller’s odds of talking live to Sue are about 5,000 to one.
Chapter 5 then moves to discussion of one of the shows most popular segments, the “Pleasure Chest”. In this part of the show, Sue pulls out a sex toy or sexual device of some sort and talks about its merits and perils. She then rates the object accordingly, with a label of “Trash it” (no redeeming value whatsoever), “Try it” (a decent device that some might enjoy), or “Treasure it” (a classic that’s worth its weight in gold).
Chapter 6 is a summary of a gathering at Sue’s home, with the members playing games and having a good time as they talk about the show. Chapter 7 presents some of Sue’s herbal remedies for various sexual problems, like PMS, impotence, and others. Chapter eight then wraps up the book with some of Sue’s favorite “Condom Closers” (a final, rhyming quip that Sue says at the end of each episode to remind viewers to practice safe sex) from over her years on radio and television.
Final Thoughts:
Sue Johanson is known all over Canada for her infamous radio and talk shows and for her open, frank discussions about sexuality and sexual health. She received the Order of Canada in 2000 (the equivalent of being knighted) for her educational contributions and her service to the public. She is Canada’s foremost expert personality on sex education.
“Talk Sex” started out as a Canadian show where it became beloved by the Canadian people. Because of this fact, it was only a matter of time until the show was picked up by an American broadcasting company. The show is now shown on the Oxygen cable network every Sunday evening. If you have ever watched the show, you know that the camera is almost always focused on Sue, sitting at a table, facing the camera and talking about sexual issues or answering the questions that viewers call in. It’s rare that the camera is aimed at anyone else, making many viewers curious about the making of the show and the people involved. This curiosity is what led RJ Gulliver and Julie Smith to write this book. It was meant as a way to get to know the members of the crew and to satisfy the viewer’s thirst for knowledge about the host, Sue Johanson.
As far as books go, this one is pretty average overall. I have watched Talk Sex a few times myself, and I find it very amusing and educational at the same time. It’s funny to see this woman, Sue Johanson, a lady who is over 60 years old and has a friendly, grandmother- like demeanor, sit there and talk so openly about oral sex, anal sex, and the use of various sex toys. When I heard about this book, it sounded like a good way to get to know Sue better and get to know about the others who are responsible for the show’s success. The information in the book is often humorous, but I came away wanting to know more. I don’t think I necessarily speak only for myself when I say that I would like to know a little more about Sue Johanson and her own personal life experiences that led to the formation of the television show. Only one chapter (chapter 2- about 33 pages), talks about Sue’s life and it’s a little too brief and compact.
Where the book is the most fun is when it presents some of the more entertaining occurrences that have taken place over the years, like the caller who wanted to know if it was safe to masturbate using a jar of peanut butter (“it’s fine…just don’t put the jar back into the cupboard when you’re done”, Sue advises) or the woman who calls in concerned that her husband’s ability to “crack” his penis (like cracking one’s knuckles) is going to harm him over time. Other humorous moments occur in the book when Sue is looking for someone in the crew to “try out” a specific sex toy to see if it’s really all that good. And, of course, there’s the two- page summary of some of Sue’s best “condom closers”, like “Sex will be sweeter if you wrap your peter” “When in doubt, shroud your spout” “It only takes a jiffy to cover Mr. Stiffy” and “Wrap your snake when your on the make”.
The show, “Talk Sex with Sue Johanson” is a simple, yet entertaining show. The primary reason for the success is Sue Johanson herself. Having a young, scantily clad woman hosting a show would be one thing. But Sue is in her sixties, which gives the show a whole new twist and adds tremendously to the fun. She speaks in a similar manner as Dr. Ruth, but Sue is less cutesy, which I feel makes it easier to take her seriously. Gulliver describes Sue as a private person who is adamant about the subject of sex education. She doesn’t necessarily condone all of the activities she talks about, but she feels that it’s very important that the people at least know the pros and cons of various types of sexual activity.
This book is a quick read. The pages include photos of the members of the Talk Sex crew, along with lists, sexual facts and figures, and some of the actual dialogue between Sue and the live call –in guests. This makes the book a quick read. It took me only two days to finish it. Be warned that the book is very frank and straightforward, with occasional profanity and blunt sexual discussion. But like the show, the book keeps everything in good taste. Sue will not answer any question that pops up. She refuses, for example, to talk about questionable sexual topics like beastiality, pedophilia, or necrophilia. She sticks only to issues involving consenting adults and she strives to keep things on a fun, educational, and mostly non- offensive level.
There’s a lot more that goes into a television show than having a friendly, likable host. Sue Johanson is, of course, one of the main reasons (if not the main reason) for the show’s success. But there are other people who are relied upon to get the cameras in place, screen the calls, and deliver a quality, live program. “Nocturnal Admissions” shows what it’s like behind the scenes of “Talk Sex”, acquainting the reader with the various personalities, the hectic schedule, and all the fun that goes on behind the curtains of Canada’s most popular television sex show.
Recommended:
Yes
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