The luckiest break in my professional career was getting a Carnegie grant at Penn to create the first course on mass culture in an American university (1957). First year design the course. Second, teach it. The third year was a pleasant surprise when the TV Guide publisher Walter Annenberg gave Penn 2 million dollars to found a graduate school of communication.
“Faute de mieux” I became the gofer to get the
school organized. “Gofer”? Go for this. Go for that! A boring job
until I persuaded my mentor, Gilbert Seldes to be Dean. I taught
media history in the Annenberg School until I was appointed the first
director of the East-West Center in Honolulu. Philly was hot Terri
Gross had just started one of the greatest series on TV. She knew
from thestart how to analyze the gifts of a guest.
One of the most
annoying results of my overseas assignments was no access to this
series. My German frau finally found an internet medium that brought
me back to Terri’s audience. By far the greatest take took place on
January 15, 2014 when Lena Dunham was guest. Hear her here.
I was unfamiliar with her
boffo TV show called “Girls”. She talked with Terri with utmost
candor about her sex education limitations.I’m 87 and my own sex
education was zero, leading to a divorce twenty years and three kids
later. So I’m in no way equal to reporting what took place. It was
even too gross for Terri!
But I urge that this hour long essay be
widely promoted in senior high sex and freshman education. With a
small brochure to provide deeper understanding. (I spent many
Tuesdays in New York flogging BBC films to University TV stations to
know how successful this technique of selling can be.) Our pathetic
divorce and out of wedlock birth statistics. “Fresh Air” indeed,
in a choking atmosphere.
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