Did you see the classic sex ed parody videos from the now-defunct "Technical Virgin" site a few years ago? If not, they're still out there -- on the internet, nothing funny ever dies -- so go have yourself a
look! It's the weekend, so the fact that they're borderline unsafe for work shouldn't be a problem. This is the
other one, and they're each only 30 seconds long. Then come back and look below the fold -- because the Technical Virgin needs your help.
Melanie Martinez of Technical Virgin fame indeed went on to a bright future as the host of the "Good Night Show", a PBS Kids program for children 2 to 5 years old. Last week, she was fired for the seven-years-ago indiscretion of having made the video you just saw. PBS' ombudsman said the following in his petition about PBS officials' decision to fire Melanie:
There is probably little doubt that they would have been hammered by a much larger group than wrote in defense of Ms. Martinez had they taken no action, since the videos, which do have a shock effect, are now pretty easy to find on the Web.
I like what one grandparent wrote:
Once again, it appears PBS has preemptively silenced someone based on fear that America's Right Wing will not like you. I have an important message for you: AMERICA'S RIGHT WING WILL NOT LIKE YOU AS LONG AS YOU EXIST. You can fire hosts like Bill Moyers and Melanie Martinez until the cows come home, and America's Right Wing will not like you. They fear the truth, and to the extent that your programs reveal the truth, you become the enemy. I suppose if you fill the entire broadcast day with "Antiques Roadshow" and "The New This Old House Hour", they may find you no longer the enemy. But they still won't want to see any CPB money flowing your way.
So what can you do about this? At the very least, sign the petition. Probably the best place to go for updates, and advice on further action is BringBackMel.blogspot.com
One more thing, on a slightly more personal note. There's very little in the world that makes me as angry as seeing men disparage a woman for having a colorful sexual past. This case involves even less than that -- it's merely that she acted in a few 30-second parody videos, seven years ago, dealing with sexual topics. I look forward to the day when people who disdain women with exciting sexual histories are generally shunned, the same way that explicit sexists and racists are shunned today.