Sex is all around us, and not just through music like Donna Summer's above, in which she hints strongly at a recording-studio orgasm. (Time counted 22 in total in her extended version of the song.) Lately, thanks to Republican efforts to repress it through subjugating legislation and moral hyperbole, the side effect for our politics has been more explicit language, not less.
The word "vagina" leading a newscast would have been verboten back in a more sexually-repressed era -- but now, in this only slightly less sexually-repressed era, it is not only a catalyst for sophomoric giggling, but also for legitimate and introspective political conversation. That is, if it's approached honestly. That is what we aim to do today, as we continue an adult conversation about sexuality and politics, concentrating today on the very problematic industry of pornography.
Before we get to that, though, we'll talk about how the presidential candidates' jobs plans compare, the struggle for cities to innovate with dwindling resources, Mitt Romney's various positions on the Supreme Court decision on health care reform, and the importance of musician Frank Ocean "coming out."
Our guests will include:
- Eleanor Clift, contributor to Newsweek and The Daily Beast.
- Dan Dicker, CNBC contributor, principal partner at MercBloc, and author of "Oil's Endless Bid: Taming the Unreliable Price of Oil to Secure Our Economy."
- Michael Eric Dyson, professor at Georgetown University and msnbc contributor.
- Jaclyn Friedman, writer, educator, and activist. Jaclyn is also the author of "What You Really Want: The Smart Girl's Shame-Free Guide to Sex & Safety."
- Steven Mufson, energy reporter at the Washington Post.
- Ed Pawlowski, mayor of Allentown, PA.
- Tristan Taormino, sex-positive feminist and author of "The Secrets of Great G-Spot Orgasms and Female Ejaculation."
- Zephyr Teachout, associate professor of law at Fordham University.
- William "Pete" Welch, councilman in Baltimore's District 9.
We hope that you interact with us during the show here in the comments of this post, on Facebook, and on Twitter, using the hashtag #nerdland -- and encourage others to do the same. We look forward to having you join us at 10am ET on msnbc!