Best of the Week
of Jan. 14, 2001
Best of Week
Archives
Here are the most intriguing cross-cultural exchanges
either begun or advanced during the week of Jan. 14, 2001, as
selected by Y? These postings, as well as "Best of the
Week" entries from previous weeks, also can be found by accessing
Y?'s new database using the search form,
or, in the case of answers posted before April 24, 1999, in
the Original Archives (all
questions from the Original Archives have been entered into
the new database as well). In the Original Archives and the new
database, you will find questions that have received answers, as well
as questions still awaiting responses. You are encouraged to answer
any questions relevant to your demographic background, as well as to
ask any provocative question you desire. Answers posted are not
necessarily meant to represent the views of an entire demographic
group, but can provide a window into the insights of an individual
from that group.
First-time users should first make a quick stop at Y?'s
guidelines pages for asking and
answering questions.
The book
on Y? is here!
"Why Do White People Smell Like Wet
Dogs
When They Come Out Of The Rain?"
Order it securely via credit card
Delivery in 2-3 days via Priority Mail
Read the
Associated Press story on "Wet Dogs"
Question:
Did anyone else find the title of the book based on the Y? web
site (Why Do White People Smell Like Wet Dogs When They Come Out
of The Rain?) amusing? I did, but I am white. What if it was
titled Why Do BLACK People Smell Like Wet Dogs When They Come Out
of The Rain? It would be labeled hateful and racist. Who, then,
is more tolerant of the other race: blacks or whites? And who is the
racist? Without insulting black people by saying, 'Because they have
been treated worse historically,' who can give me a good reason why
it is appropriate that black literature can make fun of whites, but
whites cannot make fun of blacks?
POSTED 1/14/2001
Nate, Seattle area, WA, United States, Male
Mesg ID 17200123232
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Question:
What is it with guys and spitting? And as a subgenre, throat
clearing? Why do guys feel so phlegmy that they have to spit and
clear their throats frequently? I've noticed that it's guys who spit
on sidewalks (how pleasant is that to walk past?) and it's the guys,
not the gals, who are constantly clearing their throats. I'm just
trying to understand. Maybe I wouldn't cringe so much if I understood
why the guys around me at work sound like a bunch of lusty frogs on a
spring pond. (Maybe if I hold that mental image it will be easier to
smile through the chorus!)
POSTED 1/10/2001
Cheryl, New Haven, CT, United States, Female
Mesg ID 110200135629
Responses:
I think it is more cuturally acceptable for men to spit and be
loud when clearing mucous than women. It's considered 'unladylike' to
hock a big lugee while walking down the street, and though it's not
necessarily attractive to spit, it's better than holding it in and
swallowing it, in my opinion. There are obviously women who will spit
whenever they feel like it and men who won't, but I believe cultural
mores tell us it's OK for men to do it but not women. Maybe the
throat-clearing thing relates to this point, with men being more free
to be noisy about it without negative reactions. Do you react more
harshly if a woman does the same thing?
POSTED 1/16/2001
Marc, Morgantown, WV, United States, 24, Male, Agnostic,
White/Caucasian, Straight, Grad Student, Over 4 Years of College ,
Upper middle class
Mesg ID 116200132651
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Question:
The first time I heard about peepholes being used for sex by
gay men at reststops, I became extremely turned on. I am a straight
woman and mother of two who has had gay/lesbian friends but no
lesbian fantasies or desires. I just get off watching and downloading
pictures of guys having sex - especially group sex. I admit I have
several fetishes typical of straight women: Threesomes with men, and
maybe even a father/son duo or brothers with me. But nothing gets me
turned on like this. I even had sex with a bisexual man and told him
to tell me what he did to this man. I still rate this as the best
sexual experience I've ever had. So what do I call myself? What term
would describe my fetish, which I equate with straight males watching
lesbians? It also seems to be more rare for women to want to watch
men. Is this so?
POSTED 1/15/2001
Nikky, Knoxville, TN, United States, 27, Female, Buddhist,
Straight, College Student, Over 4 Years of College
Mesg ID 115200111111
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Question:
Why is it OK, for example, that when an Asian and Hispanic have
children, those children can claim to be Asian and Hispanic, but when
a white and black person have children, the children are
automatically labeled black? And if the offspring chooses to say they
are of mixed race, such as Mariah Carey, they are viewed by others as
hating blacks or in denial?
POSTED 1/15/2001
Timothy B., Bronx, NY, United States, 20, Male, Methodist,
Black/African American, Straight, student, 2 Years of College ,
Middle class
Mesg ID 115200184937
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Question:
Why have I always been attracted to the smell of sweaty butts,
especially males butts, and in particular, my own? Is it a special
chemical that makes it stimulate me? Is anyone else attracted to this
smell, male or female?
POSTED 1/14/2001
Phillip H., London, NA, United Kingdom,
<prhudspith@hotmail.com>, 27, Male, Christian, White/Caucasian,
Straight, IT Recruitment consultant, High School Diploma , Middle
class
Mesg ID 113200120256
Responses:
Let me see if I've got this right: You claim to be a straight,
27-year-old male who likes the smell of his own sweaty butt. If you
are honestly interested in finding out more about pheromones (the
natural scent one's body gives off to attract the opposite sex - not
to be confused with bad body odor), please clarify your question. As
for the pheromones, it's commonly known that animals give off various
scents to attract a desirable member of the opposite sex. This is why
you see dogs smelling each other's behinds, for example. Humans give
off a natural scent also (again - don't confuse this with the smell
of a sweaty, 300-pound fat guy), but to a lesser degree. It is mostly
subliminal. The problem is we cover it up with cologne/perfume.
POSTED 1/15/2001
Taz, Windsor, Ontario, NA, Canada, 29, Male, White/Caucasian,
Middle class
Mesg ID 1152001122059
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Question:
How do women view a man who's been to prison? Will they still
date a man after they find out he has a record?
POSTED 1/14/2001
Jesse, Warren, MI, United States, 24, Male, Christian,
White/Caucasian, engineer, Technical School , Middle class
Mesg ID 113200172657
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Question:
If the issues of historically disenfranchised groups (Africans,
women, Native Americans, gays and lesbians, labor, poor whites, etc.)
are represented zealously by the Green Party, and if there's no
reason to believe they will betray their constituency, why did so
many of us (Africans and women in particular) give our vote to the
Democrats, who have taken us for granted and failed us repeatedly?
Just because they're not Republicans? What about our future and our
children's future?
POSTED 1/14/2001
Trenice, Chicago, IL, United States, Female, Atheist,
Black/African American, Straight, data entry, 4 Years of College ,
Middle class
Mesg ID 114200143247
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Question:
Many people are convinced that we are kicking our civilization
down the drain if we carry on like this (global warming, wars,
population growth, destruction of soil, forests and fishing grounds
and so on). If we think we are going to spoil it, why don't we act
and try and save the day? I don't get it. Or is it that few people
think like me? Thorsten
POSTED 1/14/2001
Thorsten R., Bielefeld, NA, Germany, 28, Male, scientist,
White/Caucasian, Straight, PhD. student, Upper class
Mesg ID 114200174628
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Question:
It appears to be widely accepted that most of the major news
media - NBC, CNN, ABC, CBS, etc. - have news anchors and reporters
whose cultural and political leanings are primarily liberal. This
explains the slant put on news today, but what I don't understand is,
why do so many liberals enter this field? I recognize that there are
the Rush Limbaughs and Dr. Lauras who have talk radio shows, but
these are syndicated and not part of the mainstream news that people
see every night while eating supper. Do liberals enter this field
specifically in an effort to influence the thoughts and attitudes of
viewers?
POSTED 1/9/2001
Kathy, Springfield, IL, United States, 47, Female, Agnostic,
White/Caucasian, Medical, Over 4 Years of College , Upper middle
class
Mesg ID 9132000104306
Responses:
I think the nature of the work leads many journalists to become
more liberal over time. We are taught to try to cover news
objectively, from numerous points of view, and that tends to break
down the walls between 'us' and 'them.' People can be amazingly open
and vulnerable in an interview, and that humanizes even those who
have very different views from your own. So while I may not agree
with someone's beliefs or viewpoints, I do often come to understand
why and how they came to them. I don't have an 'agenda,' I just have
more compassion now than when I entered the field, and I think that
may make people think I've become more 'liberal.'
POSTED 1/15/2001
Michelle, Oklahoma City, OK, United States, Female, Baptist,
White/Caucasian, Straight, Journalist, Over 4 Years of College
Mesg ID 115200135630
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Question:
Why is sex with children legal in Japan? What is the reasoning
behind it? How do the Japanese feel about this 'Rorikon' (Japanese
for 'Lolita complex' - meaning an older man after a young girl.)? Is
there an opposing view? How do Japanese Americans feel about it?
POSTED 1/8/2001
J., Pittsburgh, PA, United States
Mesg ID 15200154540
Responses:
It is not legal in Japan to have sex with prepubescent children.
I forget what the cutoff age is, but it would not be permissible to
have sex with an 11-year-old girl, for example. Rape is illegal in
any case. However, there are no significant consensual sex laws
regarding teenage girls. The main reason is that until recently, it
wasn't common enough to merit attention. If it did occur, typically
the couple would be either seeking a marriage or forced into it.
Since the economic depression of the '80s, times have changed. An
increasing phenomenon is the practice of 'compensated dating,' in
which an older man pays a younger girl to be his girlfriend. The
awareness of this is growing in Japan, and unprecedented laws are
being passed to prohibit it. Ironically, it's the girls who end up
having to pay the penalty, which is usually a hefty fine. It seems
when it comes down to it, the Japanese put a lot more faith in a
teenage girl to manage her own destiny than we would ever dream of
doing in the United States. For the most part, they succeed.
POSTED 1/14/2001
Edward, Durham, NC, United States, 31, Male, Teacher
Mesg ID 111200163005
I don't know about Japan's consent law, but it is wise to realize
that many Scandanavian countries, and Australia - which is rather
similar to the United States - permit children to have sex with other
children, as long as the age difference is not greater than two
years.
POSTED 1/14/2001
Kent, Melbourne, NA, Australia, 58, Male, Episcopalian,
White/Caucasian, Straight, Business consultant, Over 4 Years of
College , Middle class
Mesg ID 113200161614
Sex with children is not legal in Japan. The age of consent in
Japan is 16. In most American states it is 18, but I believe in a few
it is lower. Rorikon is a type of manga, or Japanese comic book.
Comics are not just for kids in Japan and are just as legitimate
reading for all ages as books or magazines are in the United States.
Rorikon is a subgroup of hentai, or pervert, manga. It is produced
because children participating in sexual acts is illegal. Rorikon
represents a very small amount of the manga in Japan, and while I am
not Japanese, I have been told there are many moral objections there
to hentai, and specifically rorikon. There is no organized
legislative effort to ban its sale and production, however.
POSTED 1/14/2001
Ethan J., Berkeley, CA, United States, 19, Male, White/Caucasian,
student, 2 Years of College , Middle class
Mesg ID 19200184755
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Question:
Why is minority recruitment for HIV vaccine trials always so
difficult? I remember the horrible Tuskeegee experiment, but that was
decades ago. Still, perhaps this remains part of the background
problem? Or is it difficulty with governmental paternalism? Or, is
the conspiracy theory of HIV's governmental manufacture really that
strong? Or a combination of issues? How can confidence be
strengthened?
POSTED 1/8/2001
Curious, Los Angeles, CA, United States, Female,
White/Caucasian, Bisexual, Over 4 Years of College
Mesg ID 18200130931
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