2008 Woodie Awards
Dr. Phil's prescription for teen pregnancy
Eryk Salvaggio
Issue date: 11/15/07 Section: Style
If there was any doubt that Dr. Phil should not be turned to for sex advice, look no further than the Nov. 9 episode of his program. Mark these infamous words, regarding Portland's King Middle School distributing birth control and contraceptives to its students:
"Your point is what?" asks Dr. Phil. Wait for it: "You've got to give it to them because they're going to have the sex?"
Indeed, Dr. Phil, they are going to have "the sex." The program, if you didn't catch it, consisted of the good doctor conniving with Bishop TD Jakes on what bastards the Portland school board are for making sure that irresponsible kids don't end up raising children. In a classic spin of the sex-hating wheel of denial, TD Jakes outlines the ideal world that he lives in.
"It should start with the parents," TD Jakes said. "It should start with the parent teaching the child to value their body enough that they won't go out and do that … they won't sell their life down the river by getting pregnant at 13 or 14 or 15-years-old."
There's a lot of "should's" in that statement, and those "should's" have been arguing against sex education for a while now. You see, in a world where "should" matters, I ride to school on a unicorn that bypasses traffic by taking a magical rainbow to a campus made of ice cream. Unfortunately, my "should's" dissolve in the face of cold Maine mornings, chattering my teeth while my Hyundai heats up.
In a world where 13-year-old's don't get sexually abused or engage in any kind of sex, I would wholeheartedly agree that birth control would be an unnecessary option for middle schoolers.
Unfortunately, children are abused - often by the same parents who "should" be teaching them moral lessons. Others choose to have sex while they "should" be watching Dr. Phil's trashy rants. Inevitably, some of these kids end up pregnant.
Though there are parents terrified of talking frankly to their children about sex, there's no excuse for that; it's bad parenting. However, I question the wisdom of those who assume that our culture is going to change.
"Your point is what?" asks Dr. Phil. Wait for it: "You've got to give it to them because they're going to have the sex?"
Indeed, Dr. Phil, they are going to have "the sex." The program, if you didn't catch it, consisted of the good doctor conniving with Bishop TD Jakes on what bastards the Portland school board are for making sure that irresponsible kids don't end up raising children. In a classic spin of the sex-hating wheel of denial, TD Jakes outlines the ideal world that he lives in.
"It should start with the parents," TD Jakes said. "It should start with the parent teaching the child to value their body enough that they won't go out and do that … they won't sell their life down the river by getting pregnant at 13 or 14 or 15-years-old."
There's a lot of "should's" in that statement, and those "should's" have been arguing against sex education for a while now. You see, in a world where "should" matters, I ride to school on a unicorn that bypasses traffic by taking a magical rainbow to a campus made of ice cream. Unfortunately, my "should's" dissolve in the face of cold Maine mornings, chattering my teeth while my Hyundai heats up.
In a world where 13-year-old's don't get sexually abused or engage in any kind of sex, I would wholeheartedly agree that birth control would be an unnecessary option for middle schoolers.
Unfortunately, children are abused - often by the same parents who "should" be teaching them moral lessons. Others choose to have sex while they "should" be watching Dr. Phil's trashy rants. Inevitably, some of these kids end up pregnant.
Though there are parents terrified of talking frankly to their children about sex, there's no excuse for that; it's bad parenting. However, I question the wisdom of those who assume that our culture is going to change.
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