Let's talk about sex - John Bohannon and Black Label Movement

Ndao hiresaka fananahana - John Bohannon sy ny Black Label Movement

Transcriber: Andrea McDonough Reviewer: Bedirhan Cinar

Let's talk about the facts of life.

Hiresaka momba ny zava-misy eo amin'ny fiainana isika.

You remember that conversation you had when you were a kid

Tadidinareo angamba tamin'ny mbola zaza, ireny resaka

about sex

momba ny fananahana

or drugs

sy ny zava-mahadomelina

with your parents or some trusted adult?

nifanaovana tamin'ny ray aman-dreny na olon-dehibe natokisana ireny?

Probably not

Angamba tsia

because it's a myth.

satria angano fotsiny izany.

You don't talk to kids about that stuff.

Tsy resahina amin'ny ankizy ny zavatra toy ireny.

It's just so embarrassing.

Mahamenatra loatra.

And, hey, maybe that's OK.

Kanefa, ohatran'ny mety ihany an.

We've been outsourcing the facts of life for decades.

Toa navelantsika hataon'ny hafa ny zavatra toy izany am-polon-taona maro izay.

We spend billions of dollars on it.

Nandaniantsika lavitrisa dolara maro izany.

So, why talk to kids when you can just turn on the TV?

Fa maninona moa no hiresaka amin'ny ankizy raha toa ka vitan'ny fahitalavitra izany?

I learned about drugs from an egg and a frying pan:

Ny nahafantarako momba ny zava-mahadomelina dia ny ohatry ny lapoaly sy ny atody:

"This is drugs,

"Ity ny zava-mahadomelina,

and this is your brain on drugs.

dia ity ny atidohanao rehefa voan'ny zava-mahadomelina.

Pssssssss.

Pssssssss.

Any questions?"

Misy fanontaniana?"

Yeah, actually, I did.

Ie, izay tokoa no zava-nisy.

But it's not about questions.

Fa tsy fanontaniana no resaka eto.

It's about data.

Fa ny antontan'isa.

In the 1980's when I was growing up,

Tany amin'ny taona 1980, fony aho mbola kely,

those data were terrifying parents:

nampirohorohoro ny ray aman-dreny tokoa ireo antontan'isa ireo:

1% of high school seniors had try heroin,

1%'ny mpianatra eny amin'ny lycée no efa nanandrana héroïne,

12% hallucinogens,

12% nanandrana zava-mahadomelina manova ny fahatsapana,

12% tranquilizers,

12% zava-mahadomelina mampitony,

17% cocaine,

17% cocaïne,

26% stimulants,

26% zava-mahadomelina manaitaitra,

and over 50% of us had tried marijuana.

ary mihoatra ny 50% no efa nandray rongony.

It was an epidemic!

Azo lazaina ho tena valan'aretina tokoa izany!

At least, that's what they told us.

Izay aloha no nolazaina tamintsika e.

And marijuana was the gateway drug, leading to all the harder stuff.

Ary ny rongony no zava-mahadomelina manoka-baravarana amin'ireo zava-mahadomelina maherihery kokoa.

Of course, 92% of us were drinking alcohol,

Mazava ho azy, 92% amintsika no misotro toaka,

and that was killing more of us than all drugs combined.

ary mamono betsaka kokoa noho ny zava-mahadomelina rehetra mitambatra izany.

But, nevermind, it's legal.

Fa tsisy kôzy satria ara-dalàna.

So we declared war on drugs!

Raikitra ary ny ady amin'ny zava-mahadomelina!

Nancy Reagan was our general.

Nancy Reagan no jeneraly.

All drugs will kill you, so just say, "No!"

"Lavo ny daina fa mamono ny aina!"

Just say, "No!" to pot.

"Lavo ny maina!".

Just say, "No!" to cocaine.

"Lavo ny cocaïne!".

Just say, "No!" to everything.

"Lavo daholo izy rehetra!".

So simple!

Tsotra be!

If you want to save kids,

Raha tianao ho avotra ny ankizy,

you have to scare the hell out of them!

dia ampihorohoroy mafy izy!

And we spent ridiculous amounts of money doing that.

Dia nandany vola tsy toko tsy forohina ary isika nanao izany.

Soon that war on drugs spread to become a war on sex.

Dia nivadika tsikelikely ho ady amin'ny fananahana indray ary ity izy.

We were pushing abstinence on kids to fight AIDS.

Noraràna mafy ny ankizy tsy hanao firaisana mba hisorohana ny SIDA.

And when all the data finally came home,

Ary rehefa nangonina ary ny antontan'isa,

guess what:

inona hoy ianareo:

completely ineffective.

tsy nahomby na dia kely aza.

We love big solutions to big problems, don't we?

Tiantsika mihitsy ny mandray vahaolana lehibe amin'ireo olana lehibe, sa tsy izany?

What if the facts of life don't work that way?

Ahoana ary raha tsy toy izay no tena fandehany?

What if the experience of having that conversation can't be mass-produced?

Ahoana raha tsy vita atao amin'ny besinimaro izay resaka izay?

What if it can't be scaled up?

Na tsy afaka ampiakarina sehatra ambonimbony kokoa?

Well, that would be very frustrating for everyone in this industry, wouldn't it?

Mety hanahirana ihany an!

And, many of them are really trying to help.

Ary betsaka tokoa ireo miezaka manampy.

Who, then?

Iza ary?

Us.

Isika.

We have to talk to kids.

Mila miresaka amin'ny ankizy isika.

Openly and honestly.

Miresaka mivantana sy tsy misy miafinafina.

But are we ready to be honest?

Fa vonona amin'izany ve nefa isika?

I don't think so.

Tsia, raha ny fahitako azy.

We mythologize childhood.

Nataontsika toy ny angano ny fahazazana.

Mine was in Stone Mountain, Georgia,

Ny fahazazako manokana dia tany Stone Mountain, any Georgie,

a completely typical 1980's American suburb.

sisin-tanàna amerikanina toy ny mahazatra tany amin'ny taona 1980.

For the parents, a wholesome paradise of bridge parties and tennis games.

Paradisan'ny fanaovana bridge sy lalao tennis ho an'ny ray aman-dreny.

For us kids, we were all working on a secret research project,

Ho anay ankizy kosa, nanana tetik'asa fikarohana miafina izahay tamin'izany,

and our laboratory was in the woods after school,

ary tany anaty alaala tany no laboratoara rehefa mirava mianatra,

under the covers during sleep-overs,

any anaty bodofotsy rehefa matory any amin'ny namana,

really, any opportunity we could take

rehefa afaka manala akanjo

to peel off our clothes and investigate.

sy manadihady ny ao anatiny.

What were these things,

Inona ary itony zavatra itony,

bodies?

vatana?

What do they do?

Inona no ataony?

We had to figure them out

Dia lasa saina ery nandinika azy.

and that's childhood.

dia izay ny fahazazana.

It's not just fun and games,

Tsy hoe nilalao sy nanala azy fotsiny,

it's actually a Manhattan project of nakedness.

fa tena tetik'asan'ny fiboridanana tao Manhattan mihitsy.

And then you walk into your first class in middle school,

Avy eo niakatra sekoly ambaratonga faharoa,

and the bomb goes off.

dia teo no nipoaka ny marina rehetra.

You are not just a body any more.

Tsy vatana fotsiny intsony kay ianao.

Oh no, now you are grotesque.

Toa lasa zavatra hafahafa.

That's when the suffering really starts.

Izay vao tonga ilay tena maharary.

So, yeah, talk to kids.

Resaho ary ny ankizy.

But if you are not honest about your own experiences first,

Fa raha tsy mitsotra ny marina momba ny traikefanao manokana ianao,

everything you say smells like bullshit.

dia ho toy ny lainga daholo izay lazainao rehetra.

Don't worry, you can practice

Aza manahy, afaka mampihatra ianao

and you should start by talking to the one kid you definitely know:

ary atombohy amin'ny ankizy tena fantatrao indrindra:

you.

ianao ihany.

What kind of kid were you?

Ankizy toy inona ianao?

What troubled you?

Inona no tena olanao?

For me, it was age 13.

Ho ahy manokana dia ny faha-13 taonako

That was the worst year.

no tena tsapako naharary ahy indrindra.

I was obsessively curious about sex

Liana fatratra tamin'ny fananahana aho

and also deeply ashamed by it.

sady menatra mafy amin'ilay izy ihany koa.

It wasn't my only problem, of course, not by a long shot,

Mazava ho azy tsy izay irery no olako,

but it was the beginning of a downward spiral.

saingy teo no nanomboka nivary lavo

And my bad luck was to hit bottom

Ary niafarany aza dia latsaka ambany dia ambany tokoa

while watching "The Wall" by Pink Floyd,

rehefa nijery an'ilay "The Wall", hiran'i Pink Floyd,

which is a bad idea for a miserable 13-year old high on weed.

izay tena nanoro vohona tanteraka ahy, izay boay kely 13 taona, mpifoka rongony.

So, that night, for whatever reason,

Tsy haiko izay tena antony,

it seemed like good idea to shave off my eyebrows,

fa tamin'io alina io dia noharatako ny volomasoko,

and then try to kill myself by swallowing all the pills in the bathroom,

ary saika namono tena tao amin'ny efitrano fidiovana aho, nitelina fanafody,

which was not at all fatal,

saingy tsy maty aloha e,

but everyone noticed the eyebrows.

saingy tsikaritry ny rehetra ilay volomaso noharatana.

And that made middle school extra fun.

Ka lasa fihomehezana tany an-tsekoly.

So, what was your low point?

Noho izany, inona no tena fahalemenao?

And if you could build a time machine to travel back and talk to that kid,

Ary raha afaka namboatra masiinina ahafahana miverina any amin'ny lasa ianao ka afaka miresaka amin'io ankizy io indray,

what would you say to yourself?

inona no hambaranao azy?

For me, it was easy.

Ho ahy, mora ny nanao azy.

All I really needed was someone to reassure me

Ny hany nilaiko dia olona afaka manome toky ahy

that somehow I was a normal part of the universe.

fa toy ny zava-drehetra misy amin'nizao tontolo izao ihany aho.

But I didn't feel like I could talk to anyone.

Saingy tsy hiresaka amin'iza na amin'iza aho.

And yet weirdly, I fully expected a time traveler

Na dia izany aza, mba nanantena masinina fiverenana any amin'ny lasa aho

to materialize at any time

ahafahako mandeha amin'izay fotoana rehetra tiako

because I was a geek.

satria izaho rahateo adalan'ny teknolojia izay ihany.

I didn't know if it would be my unborn son

Tsy fantatro raha ho ilay zanako lahy mbola tsy teraka ilay izy

or a T-101 cyborg.

na ho cyborg T-101.

But either one would be awesome!

Fa samy mety hahavariana daholo.

Hey, it's me, yourself from the future, in the year 2012.

Eh! Izaho ihany ity, ianao avy amin'ny ho avy, taona 2012.

I have crucial information for you, but not about the future, about the past,

Misy zavatra lehibe tiako lazaina aminao, tsy momba ny ho avy, fa momba ny efa lasa,

a billion years in the past, when this planet was covered with nothing but cells

lavitrisa taona lasa izay, fony mbola rakotra sela ity tany ity

and all they did was fight, eat, and divide;

ary ny hany nataony dia ny miady, mihinana ary mizara;

fight, eat, and divide.

miady, mihinana ary mizara.

Except for one.

Afa-tsy anankiray.

And that's your ancestor.

Dia ny razambenao izany.

This cell enslaved other ones,

Io sela iray dia nandevo ny hafa,

but master and slave became one.

ka lasa iray ny andevo sy ny tompo.

And then those cells invented sex,

ary namorona ny fananahana ireo sela ireo,

and then they invented the first bodies

ary namorona ny vatana voalohany

with each cell doing a different job,

ka samy nanana ny asany ireo sela,

some smelling,

misy ny manimbolo,

some moving,

misy ny mihetsika,

some eating.

misy ny mihinana.

And the job of sex went to a special cell called the gamete.

Ary ny fananahana kosa dia sela iray antsoina hoe gameta no niandraikiitra azy.

And those bodies became giant.

Ary lasa goavambe ireo sela ireo avy eo.

The distance to the next body was vast so they had to swim.

Lasa lavitra ilay vatana hafa ka voatery nilomano izy ireo.

Most would be lost and die so they were mass-produced.

Ny ankamaroany very na maty an-dàlana hany ka tsy maintsy maro no nalefa.

Soon the oceans were a non-stop riot of sex and death

Taty aoriana dia lasa sakorokana fananahana sy fahafatesana

until 500 million years ago, when the first beast crawled onto land.

hatramin'ny 500 tapitrisa taona lasa izay, rehefa nanomboka nandady teto an-tany ireo biby voalohany.

Land is hard

Mafy ny tany

because bodies are heavy.

satria mavesatra ireo vatana.

And the sun kills gametes.

Ary namono gameta ny masoandro.

To keep them safe,

Mba hiarovana azy ireo,

so deep inside of a body,

dia namorona ranomasin akely

the mother builds a tiny ocean.

ny reniny ao anatin'ny vatana ao.

Outside are events of unimaginable violence.

Herisetra tsy hay eritreretina ny aty ivelany.

Whole new forms of life are being created

Betsaka ireo karazana aina vaovao niforona

only to be wiped away.

ary ringana nony avy eo.

Millions of years are flashing by.

Mandalo ireo tapitrisa taona.

But in here, it's always the same.

Saingy mitovy ihany ny ato.

Peace.

Filaminana be.

Just peace.

Filaminana fotsiny.

Maybe we will never know why,

Mety tsy ho haintsika mihitsy ny antony,

but of all the possible bodies that have appeared on this planet,

kenfa amin'ireo vatana rehetra niforona teto amin'ity tany ity,

it was this one,

dia ity iray ity,

bilaterally symmetric,

mirafitra mahitsy sady mira ila,

warm-blooded,

mafana rà,

bigger than a mouse,

lehibe noho ny totozy,

smaller than a horse,

kely noho ny soavaly,

2 legs, 10 toes,

tongotra 2, rantsantongotra 10,

no tail,

tsy misy rambo,

big brain,

be atidoha,

language,

miteny,

technology,

mahay raha,

and civilization

rising and falling for thousands of years.

manana fomba sy kolontsaina

niaka-midina nandritry ny arivo taona.

And here you are,

Ary io ianao,

a 13-year old human

olona kely 13 taona

perplexed and embarrassed about sex.

sadaikatra sy menatra raha resaka fananahana.

That's what I came here to tell you:

Izay no nahatongavako hiresaka aminareo:

we don't know why sex evolved nor why it persists.

tsy haintsika ny antony nivoaran'ny fananahana na ny mbola mampisy azy.

Why don't we just clone ourselves like all life did a billion years ago?

Fa maninona raha samy anaovana "clones" fotsiny toy ny ny efa nisy lavitrisa taona lasa izay?

It's so much more efficient.

Toa mahomby kokoa.

We would all have babies, no mates.

Samy hahazo zanaka daholo, tsy mila vady.

It could be that children who are genetically different from each other are protected from disease.

mety ho voaaro amin'ny aretina ireo ankizy izay tsy misy mitovy rà sy firafitra jenetika.

And that is still our best guess.

Ary izay no tena eritreritsika.

So be comforted to know that even in the distant future,

Mifalia ary mahafantatra fa any aoriana be any,

in the year 2012,

amin'ny taona 2012,

we still don't know what sex is for.

dia mbola tsy haintsika ihany ny atao hoe fananahana.

It is perplexing.

Mbola mahasadaikatra ihany.

You shouldn't be embarrassed by it.

Tsy tokony hahamenatra io.

Sex is a beautiful puzzle.

Mistery mahafinaritra ny fananahana.

And without it, you simply would not be here.

Ary raha tsy misy azy, tsy misy olona tsotra izao.

By the way,

Efa eto ihany isika,

be nice to your little sister.

Tiavo ny anabavikelinao.

She's your best friend. You'll see.

Izy no namanao be indrindra. Ho hitanao.