Ohio Rightwing Newspaper Columnist: 70% Of All Music Is Sexy, Causes Pregnancy

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Apparently, there could be words and rhythms someplace in the "Star Spangled Banner" that can get the juices flowing and hormones humming. So you better watch out this 4th of July. And be sure to turn down the TV or radio when a sporting event is broadcast. Our national anthem might be an aphrodisiac.

This startling tidbit of information comes from the morning metropolitan daily in Cincinnati, where far-right columnist Peter Bronson informed his readers this month that abstinence is good for teenagers and music makes them do the horizontal rumba. He quoted an abstinence advocate who wants to keep tax-funded abstinence programs in the public schools.

"Seventy percent of music has overtly sexual overtones, and much of that is overtly derogatory to females," the advocate told the Cincinnati Enquirer's Bronson.

No examples were offered of how that 70% figure was determined. Is it possible the abstinence movement listened to every musical composition in every human culture since the world began? Is it possible that 70% of all Aztec music had overtly sexual overtones? And what about the stuff in the Vatican -- is Ave Maria a siren song to fire up the mating instinct?

Bronson's musical musings never addressed the where or how the abstinence movement came up with its data. In other words, nothing backed up the claim.

The figure Bronson cited was delivered by Gary Rose, a physician who heads the Medical Institute. Advocates of abstinence programs have been critical of Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland for turning down federal aid because there is little proof the programs actually work. Now they seem to be ginning up a statistic that is ridiculous. Sure there is sexy music. But plenty is inspirational. And the statement Bronson regurgiated unthinkingly is ridiculously shallow -- how can anybody prove 70% of all music, every note, is overtly sexy?

Rose told Bronson that his mission is to promote health education, not moral (or religious) programming: "This is not an agenda to be moralistic. Our goal is to provide objective and scientific information."

So, there is science behind the claim that 70% of music stirs the loins? Boy, was I ever fooled when I heard the words "swing low, sweet chariot, coming for to carry me home." And, one has to wonder, what was Kate Smith thinking when she belted out God Bless America. Isn't there a verse about something white with foam?

Cincinnati Enquirer: Ripped For Rightwing Abstinence-Only Story

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- The morning metro daily newspaper in Cincinnati is under attack for failing to report that teen pregnancies have declined because kids are using contraceptives. Instead, the newspaper openly appeared to side with Republican rightwingers who claim abstinence programs are responsible for the reduced birth rate.

Major H/T to JMZ at Writes Like She Talks for catching the criticism of Cincinnati's morning newspaper, which many Dems consider a journalistic organ determinedly resistant to anything progressive.

It is widely known that the Cincinnati Enquirer, Ohio's third-largest newspaper, has been in bed with Republicans for years on its editorial page, and endorsed Republican Ken Blackwell last year in his unsuccessful race against Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland, who just recently announced he's eliminating funding for abstinence-only education programs. Blackwell is an abstinence education backer.

But Strickland apparently has seen slight evidence that warning teens not to have sex is practical, considering hormones and genes and millions of years of human nature that programs young people to procreate after puberty. In fact, public schools in Cincinnati and across the state teach broad-based sex education as part of a health education curriculum, including information about various methods of birth control. They teach it all.

Remember, this is a paper whose publisher, Margaret Buchanan, is a declared Republican, a Republican who accepted an appointment to the University of Cincinnati board of trustees. In other words, she holds a patronage position.

Amanda Marcotte, the former John Edwards blogger who was a bit too outspoken for the campaign, wrote on Pandragon that the Enquirer's story last week was hollow and biased. It omitted basic information about contraception.

"The alternative is probably one of two things -- either drop sex education completely, which is still better than telling kids lies about how condoms don't work, or to provide comprehensive sex education and encourage kids to use contraception when they do have sex that they don't want to result in STDs or unwanted pregrancy, which they will at some point in their lives, yes, even if they're married. The article fails to note that the reason teenage pregnancies is down because teens are using more contraception than they ever have before."