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Tyra Banks Show!-folks needed


AVENguy

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Lord Happy Toast

Is there any way to talk to them beforehand about who they bring on as the "expert" on sexuality? I realize that it could be a bit demanding on our part, but it does seem reasonable based on some of the media bits in the past. (One person stands out from Montel and 20-20, but in print, there have been some rather condescending things said as well.) Would it be possible to request that if they want to have some expert talk (which, of course, we are totally fine with, in principle) that it be someone with real scientific experience (a university post, publishing in peer-reviewed journals) rather than someone who only has clinical experience (who have a reputation for being a bit scientifically clueless)? The request seems reasonable on the basis that there are some experts who have favorable views of us and some who have unfavorable views and some who are outright nasty. (And some who, if you email them asking for citations backing up what they said on Montell, insist on how much they know, but since they've learned it in journals and at conferences, and blah blah over the years, they can't remember any of it now, so I should use google scholar. And see a sex therapist and see an endocrinologist and distrust what my doctor said based on the fact that a test of hormone levels said I was fine. but I digress).

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Is there any way to talk to them beforehand about who they bring on as the "expert" on sexuality? I realize that it could be a bit demanding on our part, but it does seem reasonable based on some of the media bits in the past. (One person stands out from Montel and 20-20, but in print, there have been some rather condescending things said as well.) Would it be possible to request that if they want to have some expert talk (which, of course, we are totally fine with, in principle) that it be someone with real scientific experience (a university post, publishing in peer-reviewed journals) rather than someone who only has clinical experience (who have a reputation for being a bit scientifically clueless)?

Agree with this completely. Would whoever is communicating with the show (DJ?) be able to do this?

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Lord Happy Toast

For my previous post, I had recently been thinking of a comment about asexuality by Tony Bogaert in a article from not long ago,

No research scientist that I know of would say subjectively that there aren't individuals who fall into this category
The phrase "research scientist" stood out to me, though I may have been reading too much into it. Before reading it, my impression has been that people associated with universities tend to be more likely to have positive views of us (though not all of them do), and that sex therapists have been the most skeptical about us. (I can only recall one positive comment about us by someone quoted as a sex therapist in a media article on asexuality.)

I guess what we really want is if they bring in someone as an "expert," to have someone respectful. (I think it's safe to say some things said about asexuals/asexuality in the past have been less than respectful.)

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This is what I don't really understand... having to have some sort of "expert" on the scene. Is the person sitting in front of you saying THEY are asexual not good enough? Having to prove yourself somewhat "normal" is only repeating history, and seems redundant when we all agree that people are unique. Why can't we all have a unique sexuality? A sexual identity is a label; it's functional because we are able to find ourselves among a group of people and then try to define to others our experience. Yet sex therapists and psychologists will often take certain experiences and define boundaries, emphasizing normativity according to majority in number or societal preference. But just because there happens to be a larger presence of a certain sexual identity in society does not mean the others should be waved. But the attempts at trying to portray a vast spectrum of human sexuality is shrouded by the supposed "experts" who have become stagnant in their practice and understanding of human sexuality because they’re stuck in the mindset that everything must be categorized, and what isn’t “majority”, or thought to be “normal by society”, or doesn’t “fit the definition” is therefore illegitimate.

What I think went wrong with Montel was the fact that the therapist was questioning many of the causes of asexuality in isolation, not thinking about how the same questions have been applied to other orientations (like how many have thought being gay is a result of abuse, and so on) and not considering the question of what sexuality or sexual attraction in itself is. It's not really known what sexual attraction is, let alone what it is to be without it. What if sexual attraction or motivation were only spurred through socialization, by understanding it as the correct behaviour according to media images as well as peers? Homosexuality was once medicalized, but with growth and acceptance it no longer is (or only is to some extent). Now asexuality is medicalized because it's always been thought that everyone else happens to be inclined towards sexual attraction. I do understand their concern with those who may be suppressing some sort of past trauma. But at the same time you will never know to what extent biological and environmental factors have affected each individual person in their orientation, so why bother trying to make the assumption? As far as I'm concerned, it doesn't matter what scientific or historical evidence there is to prove or disprove a sexual identity. Some see it as a big deal, but why? Even if there is some sort of neurological or genetic link found to asexuality, there will always be people saying that it should be changed because it's not "normal". I always thought the idea of sexual freedom is that one should be able to identify how they please according to how we feel without having to worry about whether someone will scrutinize their existence.

Wow, that turned into a huge rant. I really do hope that if there is anyone else in on the show, they are very understanding and a bit more open-minded about the identity construction. Best of luck to the person who will be appearing!

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How exciting! Interestingly, my mom telling me there was a girl on either America's Next Top Model or the Tyra Banks Show who claimed to not be interested in either gender, like me, was what drove me to register for AVEN! (I knew about asexuality long before and already identified that way, but until my mom told me about that girl on one of Tyra's shows I didn't know of anyone ELSE who felt like me.) So Tyra should be at least somewhat familiar with the idea already. I'm too chicken to volunteer to be interviewed though. Good luck to those who are braver than I!

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Seien Hananosei

Hmm... I think this is a great opportunity for the asexual community. I mean, just the fact that it will be on TV, and a popular show to boot, means that more people will have heard of us. I'm not sure where they're doing the shooting, but I'll throw my hat in just in case. ^^

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miss flutterby

yayyyy that sounds exciting

someone chuck it up on youtube, yeah?

PLEASE'M?!

Australia doesnt get Tyra Banks' show :(

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TYRA! I love tyra. Hehe. I`m only sixteen, so I`m too young to be on the show, but i`ll totally watch. I think it`ll be good, maybe make a differant range of people aware, seeing as she was a former super model and creator of ANTM.

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Anybody know when the program is being recored? and when it's likely to be released? or is it a live show?

I'd like to know, so I can start searching for it on YouTube. :wacko:

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I wish we knew - as one of the people who volunteered to go on the show, I'd love to know if I need to pack for New York on the 27th. Which is the first date we have on when it may be taped, but with less than 9 days with no word, it's looking doubtful.

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I guess I'm one of few who would actually not like asexuality to be a mainstream thing like bi became. The day they add us to the lesbian-gay-straight alliance bullshit, I'm going to stop saying I'm asexual and just say "I'm fucking boring."

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I guess I'm one of few who would actually not like asexuality to be a mainstream thing like bi became. The day they add us to the lesbian-gay-straight alliance bullshit, I'm going to stop saying I'm asexual and just say "I'm fucking boring."

Why? visibility wouldn't seem a bad thing to me...

I'm definitely interested in Tyra's take. Montel is mostly sex-crud, isn't it (or am I thinking of another of the many irritating talk shows... hrm..)

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I wish we knew - as one of the people who volunteered to go on the show, I'd love to know if I need to pack for New York on the 27th. Which is the first date we have on when it may be taped, but with less than 9 days with no word, it's looking doubtful.

I also volunteered, and now have to withdraw. Two more people have quit from my department at work, leaving us extremely shorthanded, and it is wayyy too late to get the time off now.

Also, I think I broke my left little toe Sunday night, after I accidentally kicked a chair leg. Walking is quite difficult now and I'm limited to wearing flip-flops.

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I wish we knew - as one of the people who volunteered to go on the show, I'd love to know if I need to pack for New York on the 27th. Which is the first date we have on when it may be taped, but with less than 9 days with no word, it's looking doubtful.

Exactly how I feel. I also volunteered and have no further info other than the initial email from DJ. I assume, if it's being taped on the 27th, that we'd need to fly in on the 26th and leave on the 28th. But, with no further info I don't know if I'm supposed to keep those three days free or not. Kinda frustrating! It's not like I have nothing else to do. I have a life.

Besides packing and making travel arrangements (I live on an island and need to make advanced reservations for the shuttle to the airport on the mainland) I also need to arrange pet-care. That isn't a simple task like it would be for cats and dogs. Not easy to find someone willing to stick their hands in the cages of a feisty African Grey parrot and a Blue & Gold macaw.

I just wish someone would let us know something one way or the other!

Hey, Tyra people...please let us know!

At this point it looks like it either is not going to happen, or it's being postponed.

Either way, info would be nice!!!!

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I guess I'm one of few who would actually not like asexuality to be a mainstream thing like bi became. The day they add us to the lesbian-gay-straight alliance bullshit, I'm going to stop saying I'm asexual and just say "I'm fucking boring."

Why? visibility wouldn't seem a bad thing to me...

I agree with you, that visibilty is good, there is still loads and loads of people who maybe unaware of 'their true calling in life' but at the same time, are well really like all these LGBT groups, at the end of the day they are very sexual people, and were....not?

I don't know maybe I'm missing something?

I'm already hitting the old refresh button on Youtube waiting for someone to upload bits and bobs of the show.

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Hallucigenia
I agree with you, that visibilty is good, there is still loads and loads of people who maybe unaware of 'their true calling in life' but at the same time, are well really like all these LGBT groups, at the end of the day they are very sexual people, and were....not?

I don't know maybe I'm missing something?

That depends on what you mean by "very sexual".

LGBT groups are often kinda focused on sex, but that's because, let's face it, sexuality is what makes them different from the rest of the population. (Well, that and romantic love, but like it or not, in most sexuals' minds these are strongly linked.) It would be silly to ask them not to talk or think about it. We at AVEN do it too, only we talk incessantly about things like "Who here is comfortable with XYZ pseudosexual act?" and "Ew, why do sexuals have to do ZYX?" instead of discussing the nitty gritty of how to have a healthy and fulfilling sexual relationship with someone not of the opposite sex. And we post personal ads for asexual relationships instead of trying to hook up with each other. It's the asexual version of the same thing.

As far as your average ordinary lesbian, gay, or bisexual person on the street, I do not believe there is any evidence that they are any more sexually focused than, say, your average ordinary straight person (if there is, then I would like to see it). Obviously they're going to be more sexual than asexuals, but that's not saying a lot.

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Just got off the phone with the associate producer for the show. We ARE taping on the 27th.

I'm excited.

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I'm on the phone with someone from the show right now . . .

What did they say...???

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The associate producer I was talking to got called away during our interview so I decided to wait until after he called back to say anything more.

He told me the point of the show is going to be about visibility and they don't want to get controversial like some of the other shows AVENites have been on. He asked me about my story and my perspectives on things, and that's about it. They're going to call the people who volunteered and write a little blurb about each and present them to the show's producers, then they'll decide how they want to present it.

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Thank you Shockwave for your update!

Looks like I'm the only volunteer that didn't get a call.

Age discrimination really sucks....

Normally, that hasn't happened to me, but in this case it seems rather obvious.....

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Looks like I'm the only volunteer that didn't get a call.

Well, there are people who volunteered who didn't mention it in this thread. Who knows if they all got called yet. The associate producers may not have had time to call everyone today anyway. Give it time.

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Yeah, I didn't get a call today. But then again I didn't email them my phone number until about 4:30. So, I'm not worried yet.

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Well, there are people who volunteered who didn't mention it in this thread. Who knows if they all got called yet. The associate producers may not have had time to call everyone today anyway. Give it time.

You're right about that. It's just that everyone on this thread who volunteerd did get a call or email except me. So, I'm not holding my breath....

But I do think it's an age thing. The show is geared toward young women, and the producers/associates have no info about me except name, age, (waaaay over 21) gender, (female) and relationship status (not in a relationship), so........it seems obvious......

Yeah, I didn't get a call today. But then again I didn't email them my phone number until about 4:30. So, I'm not worried yet.

Um. Yeah. They kinda-sorta need your phone number before they call. It's just easier for them that way..... ;)

Hope you get a call tomorrow!

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But I do think it's an age thing. The show is geared toward young women, and the producers/associates have no info about me except name, age, (waaaay over 21) gender, (female) and relationship status (not in a relationship), so........it seems obvious......

I honestly thought I'd be too young to go on, being only 19 and whatnot. I expected they'd only choose older ones to go on.

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