Asexual discussion BBC Radio 2, 1200-1400GMT, 25.03.19

[Skycaptain]

The Jeremy Vine show on BBC Radio 2, 88-91Fm, DAB, Online will be having someone discussing asexuality at some point. 

[Zebrafinch]

I just came to see if anyone had posted this. I'll be listening

[Skycaptain]

Looks like it'll be after 1300

[Elftober Country]

Trying to discreetly listen to this at work 

[Skycaptain]

I'm tuned in, much as I dislike Jeremy Vine, needs do as needs must 

[Elftober Country]

Same.

[Elftober Country]

“Grey sexual, is that older asexuals?” 

I think he’s asking about @Midland Tyke

[Skycaptain]

Well, two of the three people on there talked sense 

[Chelsey Nicholas]

They start talking about asexuality around 13.20

[Skycaptain]

@Chelsey Nicholas, the actual section was 1304-1330.

 

It'll be on BBC I-Player, BBC sounds soon 

[LeChat]

Thanks, for the head's up!

[Elftober Country]

47 minutes ago, Sandra B said:

Text book Grey asexuals are those who usually experience sexual attraction in limited, rare, or specific circumstances, or who experience it, but not enough to want to act on it. So they are known as being on the more sexual end of the asexual spectrum. I use the term (Grey A) - after heteroromantic - in my identity label (which is often clumped with grey asexual and grey sexual) - to mean 'grey area' for me, as I have high levels of arousal and love to kiss passionately with the tongue - which can bee seen as sexual behaviour, but with my clothes on, not off, as I dislike nudity - And I experience zero sexual attraction, so don't fit the text book definition. It's like being stuck between a rock and a hard place - if you pardon the pun!

I know what it means, I just couldn't resist an opportunity to poke fun at Tyke's age 😛

[Skycaptain]

That "Grey sexual is that older asexual" comment of JV, I found very insulting, ignorant, and highlights a presenter too lazy to research his topics before discussing them 

[NessieAvery]

9 minutes ago, Skycaptain said:

That "Grey sexual is that older asexual" comment of JV, I found very insulting, ignorant, and highlights a presenter too lazy to research his topics before discussing them 

To be fair, lots of the people listening to this won't have as much of an idea either.  He represents what the initial reaction to it would be from the general public, and his questions (I hope anyway) would therefore represent their views.  He seemed genuinely interested in it anyway which is good

[LeChat]

22 minutes ago, Skycaptain said:

That "Grey sexual is that older asexual" comment of JV, I found very insulting, ignorant, and highlights a presenter too lazy to research his topics before discussing them 

I understand what you mean. However, since I'm not familiar with the host, I wondered whether, perhaps (similar to what @NessieAvery wrote) that's just a persona he puts on for the radio show, purposely (asking silly questions), to make himself more relatable to viewers, asking questions that others might think or come up with and allowing his guests to sound smart.

[Skycaptain]

@NessieAvery  if that is your interpretation, fine, I'm not going to argue. However to me he presented as an ignoramus determined to ridicule our community. All his team of researchers needed to have done was spend five minutes on the Internet and he could have asked intelligent questions which would have helped the world at large understand asexuality better. As it is we just had someone make a cheap shot to take the Mickey out of us

[Skycaptain]

@InquisitivePhilosopher, he's actually one of the more intelligent and educated radio presenters. His performance smacked of laziness. As it is, nobody on that programme conveyed the impression that to be asexual and aromantic to the point that you've never been in a relationship or had sex is "orientation", as opposed to either a victim of trauma, illness etc. It was lowest common denominator journalism 

 

[oldgeeza]

As an asexual myself, I have to be honest, I don't know of all of the terms used within this spectrum, I must admit the grey asexual question, well it sounded pretty stupid to me too, but that's probably down to lack of research as much as trying to be slightly amusing, I didn't really know what grey asexual meant until @Sandra Bexplained it, though it was obvious it wasn't "older" asexuals. I've just listened to the show whilst I was at the gym, it did give some insight into asexuality, not a lot, but a little bit more than maybe most knew at the start of their day.

 

Jeremy Vine does tend to ask a lot of silly questions on many different topics, but although they may sound silly because we have an understanding of that particular subject, we have to think, how many of his listeners are thinking what he just asked, I was always taught, the most stupid question is the one you don't ask, so perhaps it wasn't that stupid to the many who don't even understand asexuality

[oldgeeza]

When Jeremy Vine did the show referencing I believe it was sexual orientations, I messaged him stating that I am asexual and what little understanding there was of it, he said then that he'd not heard of asexuality until he saw it on the list, he never heard of anyone who mentioned that they were asexual, even now, when I get asked why I never found a partner, I explain I never knew of the term asexual until relatively recently, but that's me, to most, I might as well have dropped down from mars, most, especially British don't have a clue what I'm talking about, I've been asked if I have both sets of genitals, even been asked if that's another way of saying I'm homosexual, there's still very little understanding of asexuality, to be fair, Eastern European friends know straight away when I've told them, but I've had to explain to near enough all British people that I've told, I also know that a few went off none the wiser but didn't want to feel stupid for not knowing, I bet there were a lot of Radio 2 listeners who'd never heard or knew anything of asexuality until Monday, I didn't hear the program until Tuesday morning, I know that some of my co workers did by the comments that were made later in the day. I remember mentioning it in conversation to my mother, her response was "what the hell is that?" when I carried on explaining, she said "you just haven't found the right one yet" when I told a friends girlfriend, she said "are you sure you're not into men?" as I didn't discover the term asexual y 40's yet I had the same feelings forever, I very much think I'd know how I feel, the term asexual/hetero asexual fits the description of me as a person, I've never looked for a partner because I know that I couldn't satisfy a womans needs, it wouldn't be fair on her, that and the fact that I'm an overweight, hippocrocopig

[Guest Jetsun Milarepa]

On 3/25/2019 at 8:52 PM, Skycaptain said:

@InquisitivePhilosopher, he's actually one of the more intelligent and educated radio presenters. His performance smacked of laziness. As it is, nobody on that programme conveyed the impression that to be asexual and aromantic to the point that you've never been in a relationship or had sex is "orientation", as opposed to either a victim of trauma, illness etc. It was lowest common denominator journalism 

 

Unfortunately lowest common denominator is what we've learnt to expect in every corner these days. I evidence this statement by BBC News this morning....cue irrelevant comments about scabs on knees... (I'd like to channel the ghosts of Kenneth Kendall and even Reginald Bosanquet at this point, even though the latter is from commercial TV).