In the recent Santa Cruz heat, it's almost felt too hot to move. I've spent many days off work holed up in my house, trying not to melt all over the room and cause a mess. For those days when you are too sweaty and icky to move, Netflix is a godsend! In my Netflix travels, I discovered that Bill Nye's latest TV project has come to life! Enter
Bill Nye Saves the World. Aimed at a more varied and adult audience than his earlier project,
Bill Nye Saves The World retains every bit of his old-school campiness and charm.
So what's this got to do with sex, anyway? I think I can safely assume that's why you came here in the first place! Well, Bill's new show has a great, informative episode about sex (and gender!) On his new show, each episode features a panel of experts on the topic of discussion. This one features Solomon Georgio,
Katrina Karkazis, and Jeff McCune, who all research different facets of queerness and queer identity.
So what's the episode about? Is Bill gonna show us some Kama Sutra? The answer to that one is a hard "no," but it does have some gems. The episode talks about how we arrived at the vast array of sexual preferences and types of gender expression we can now see coming out into the open around the world. Bill also delves into detail about the differences between gender, sex, presentation, and attraction; as well as some of the historical trains of thought that relate to these. Bill touches on the fact that it is possible (and even permissible) for a person to shift identities and gender expression over the course of their lives - while also emphasizing that this is not something an outside source can "cause." It's a short and sweet introduction to all of these varied, complex topics.
If you or someone you love finds non-cisgender, non-heterosexual life and identity confusing, this episode is for you - and for them! For your more conservative or older family members, you have my permission to skip over the
My Sex Junk rap skit with Rachel Bloom. Personally, I found the whole rap cacophonous and distracting. But if you do skip it, you should definitely go back at a later time and watch it over - even if just to giggle and shake your head incredulously at its utter, campy glory.
Catch Bill on Netflix with his new show,
Bill Nye Saves The World, on the air as of late April. And if you need a visual on the whole sex vs identity vs gender vs attraction situation, here's
Gender Unicorn with an easily-digestible, printable graphic to clear things up.
