How Scary TV is For Women: A Guy's Take

Joe Nelson realizes how oppressive TV can be for women.

I never thought there was anything weird about television advertising until someone started leaving the TV on in my office during the day. The commercials that followed the overcaffeinated yammering of the morning talk show hosts gave me a glimpse into what it must be like to be a woman. And it scared the hell out of me. Most women I know don’t live their lives in fear, but you wouldn’t be able to tell that from watching the ads. On TV, women worry about stubborn stains. They face dilemmas about floor wax and carpet cleaners and toilet bowls and grape juice on T-shirts. The women I know have plenty to worry about, sure. They can’t afford their apartments. They don’t know how much to trust their boyfriends. They don’t know how they’re going to get ahead when the big dogs at work all wear suits and ties. But if any of them are watching daytime TV for a little escapism, all they have to do is wait for the commercials, and life turns ugly again, fast.

My First (and Last) Lap Dance

One man's visit to a Canadian strip club reveals the selfish side of love.

You can touch a stripper in Toronto. You can fondle her thighs, squeeze her boobs, kiss the nape of her neck as she arches her back in pretend ecstasy. Unlike the American clubs where you'll get beaten by a bouncer and tossed in the alley if you lay a finger on her, you can do almost anything you want in Toronto. Why do men want lap dances? In my case, I was curious. I was out of town in a city with lax rules and willing to try something I’d never done before...