A Long, Long Way From Cleopatra

Egytian satellite TV channel talks sex and nation’s youth reveal they don’t know their lingam from their yoni. The government disapproves either way:

A risque mix of sex and politics has got a ground-breaking Egyptian satellite TV channel into hot water with the government.

Dream TV has been asked to abide by new ethics guidelines presented to channels operating in Egypt’s Media Production City (MPC) after it provoked a furor with a program that discussed sex, Dream TV presenter Hala Sarhan said.

“They (government) gave us a warning and basically the warning said that they created this new board to review and follow up all programs that are coming out of the MPC by private channels,” she told Reuters.

The program, aired on the pop-to-politics channel in October with studio guests and audience, explored sexual problems facing young people forced to delay marriage until their 30s because of Egypt’s current economic troubles.

But some say the slap on Dream TV’s wrist was as much to do with its courting of critics of government policies as its frank discussion of sex in Egypt’s conservative society.

“We had a doctor who said that it (masturbation) causes impotence sometimes and a clergyman who said it’s forbidden and gave solutions to young people to stop doing that,” Sarhan said.

“It’s a sensitive subject, it’s considered a taboo,” Sarhan said, adding a live phone-in on the same program showed that sexual ignorance was rife among young people. [from Reuters]

“Solutions”? Saltpeter is the only one I can think of. “Son, if you’re having trouble keeping your hands off yourself, go loot a pyramid or something.”

Man, back in the day Egypt was wild – Islam has not been a boon to the sex lives of its 1 billion adherents, unless you’re a wealthy man of course.

It’s nice to see some competition for al Jazeera, though.