So Prof Bailey teaches a popular human sexuality course at Northwestern (this writer's alma mater) and conducts sex toy demonstrations after hours in his home. One such demo involved a naked woman and the use of a contraption he calls the fucksaw. Did he violate any school policies? Is this an appropriate class related demonstration or just a crazy ass prof behaving badly? It does appear that one can learn much from Prof Bailey's classes, and after all students are adults, but I do have a few problems and issues with the fucksaw. This particular experiment using a mechanical work tool is negative from where I sit. Shame on my alma mater. Prof. Bailey be thankful you teach at Northwestern. Your head would be served up on a platter if you taught at any of the UW campuses. Several years ago, the legislature along with UW System whacked a prof for saying that 911 was an inside job, so you know what would happen with you and your fucksaw.
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Northwestern University Professor Under Fire After Class Sex Toy Demonstration
A Northwestern University professor is defending a controversial after-school demonstration, which featured a naked woman "being repeatedly sexually stimulated" by a device he called a "fucksaw" in front of students.
The Daily Northwestern reported Tuesday that Prof. John Michael Bailey, who teaches a popular Human Sexuality course at the school, often holds after-class events which include everything from "a question-and-answer session with swingers to a panel of convicted sex offenders."
Last week, the after-class event featured a naked woman being stimulated by a motorized sex toy called a "fucksaw" on stage, the paper reports. The woman was not a student.
The A.V. Club Chicago explained the toy in question:
The "fucksaw" in question is basically a dildo attached to a reciprocating saw which, when cranked up to full blast, can drive a person to orgasm.
Students were reportedly warned about the explicit nature of the demonstration, and were urged to skip the event if they were worried about being uncomfortable. One school administrator told the Daily Northwestern he was surprised to hear of the demonstration, but said it most likely did not violate school policies. But after the "fucksaw" story made national news Wednesday, the university's president spoke out against Bailey's after-class event.
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After this story went viral everyone at Northwestern decided to speak out against it. Prof Bailey may be given his walking paper. He may become a millionaire with the fucksaw. Anything is possible in America.
You Americans are way too Victorian still. Grow up and realize that sexuality is a natural part of living. As long as the demonstration was teaching something, let it be. Don't be a prude. Your sexual repressions are what cause you so many frustrations.
ReplyDeleteUmmm... to ANON 10:16...what's natural about repeatedly stimulating a woman with a human-made machine with a human-made dildo attached? Of course "sexuality is a natural part of living", but I find nothing natural about the "fucksaw". I think the only thing the "fucksaw" could really demonstrate is that humans' sexual urges/desire for stimulation paired with a little imagination and creativity, can lead to perverted sex devices such as the "fucksaw". But that can be demonstrated just by looking at the damn thing. Students have their own imaginations to fill in the rest.
ReplyDeleteI support learning about sexuality and I find Freud's theories of repressed sexual urges very interesting and educational and whatnot, but I mean come on, the line has to be drawn somewhere....I'd like to know what important things there really are to learn from such a demonstration. I also wonder what other kind of sexual demonstrations could be deemed "educational"....
And I sure hope this woman was at least getting paid good money....I wonder where it might have come from if she was. Or perhaps, this professor's wife happily volunteered (if he even has one).
I really don't think this type of practice in a classroom is necessary - didn't seem to be an actual requirement for the students, and I find it somewhat disturbing that the demonstration was held at all and students actually WANTED to attend.... I mean, do you think every student who attended was really in it 100% to learn? They know that kind of entertainment usually requires some cash.
I'd like to see a well articulated argument for why this professor felt this demonstration was educational and necessary to provide for students.
I'm all for open-mindedness, but seriously, I think the sex toy inventions and sexual perversions are best kept in writing, the privacy of one's own home, and places like porn shops.
Yes that sounds Victorian alright. How else will you people break through your repression unless you start being a little more free with your sexuality? Sexuality is beautiful. It is not something to hide. The irony is that your advertising doesn't hide it. Yet you want to hide it within instructional settings. Fucking brilliant. Let sexuality run free in your advertising but make it taboo in the places where you learn about it. Americans and their sexual repression. You're full of temptation and teasing out of one side of your mouths, but then full of denial and taboo on the other side.
ReplyDeleteYou still haven't explained what there is to learn from a live demonstration like this that cannot be learned in writing or in discussion. There is no need to have a live, naked woman objectified this way in front of students. Like I said, students have their own imaginations - is there really a need for the woman to be physically stimulated in front of a live audience with the "fucksaw"? This is just unnecessary for the classroom - there is a time and place for everything, and the classroom is just not an appropriate setting for this kind of activity. There are clubs and private homes where people engage in these sort of things - but in a classroom, I think it is enough to have it either read about or simply discussed; there is no real need to go further, unless students are just that incapable of grasping the learned concepts without a live demonstration.
ReplyDelete@anon 11:09, read the story again, the demonstration was not in a classroom but in his own home, and students were not forced to attend. Some of them did leave but others stayed. While I contend that it was in bad taste, the prof broke no laws. By the way, "penetration" is against the law in every booty club in the US except in Vegas. Always keep in mind the political ramifications of these kind of acts, it is not smart to alienate donors and Northwestern receives a lot of money from conservative supporters, and I assume this is the reason the President finally spoke out against the prof.
ReplyDeleteUpdate, the fucksaw prof punts! He will sell the fucksaw on ebay.
ReplyDeleteCHICAGO — A Northwestern University professor apologized Saturday for letting a couple demonstrate the use of a sex toy after one of his classes, but he said he still sees "absolutely no harm" in what happened.
Psychology professor J. Michael Bailey said he regrets hurting Northwestern's reputation and "upsetting so many people in this particular manner. I apologize."
The incident took place Feb. 21. After a class on human sexuality, Bailey invited students to stay for a discussion of sexual fetishes. He repeatedly warned that it would be graphic.
The discussion included a woman who stripped and allowed her partner to use a sex toy on her.
In a statement, Bailey said he had never before allowed something like that and would never allow it again.
"During a time of financial crisis, war, and global warming, this story has been a top news story for more than two days," Bailey said. "That this is so reveals a stark difference of opinion between people like me, who see absolutely no harm in what happened, and those who believe that it was profoundly wrong."
Initially, Northwestern defended the demonstration. Then President Morton Schapiro said he was troubled and disappointed by the incident and promised an investigation.
Many alumni and parents have also condemned it.
Bailey said critics have not made a compelling case. He said he would give them an "F" if he were grading their arguments.