If you’d have asked me twenty minutes ago about the fields that seemed to combine the least long-term upside with the most short-term danger or at least unpleasantness, I’d have suggested:

5. Ryan Rhodes’ plumber

4. Minnesota Monitor’s journalism teacher

3. Courtney Love’s accountant

2. Moslem sex-advice radio host.

1. Etiquette consultant for Democrat bloggers

Twenty minutes later, I see I’m totally wrong:

Dr. Heba Kotb is tackling a taboo in the Arab world unlike anyone else: She’s talking about sex openly on a show broadcast all over the Middle East.

It’s a big first in these parts of the world, and Kotb leaves little uncovered.

“We talk about masturbation … sex over the Internet. We talk about sex and Ramadan. We talk about the wedding night,” said Kotb. Entitled “The Big Talk,” the show is broadcast once a week over a satellite channel from Cairo, Egypt.

It took the 39-year-old mother three years of negotiations to get her show on the air. And a main reason she succeeded is that she talks only about sex allowed in the Quran — sex between husband and wife. (Watch sexologist describe why sex is good )

But even with that guideline, it’s no easy sell.

The promo for “The Big Talk” starts with Kotb saying, “Sex. Don’t be afraid. Join me to talk about sex without shame.”

I’m assuming there will be plenty of burka-related questions.

This entry was posted by by Mitch Berg on Friday, April 27th, 2007 at 3:23 am and is filed under Media. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.