1 00:00:00,320 --> 00:00:02,960 Speaker 1: Brought to you by the reinvented two thousand twelve Camray. 2 00:00:03,240 --> 00:00:10,000 Speaker 1: It's ready. Are you welcome to stuff Mom Never told you? 3 00:00:10,200 --> 00:00:17,439 Speaker 1: From House Stuff Works dot Com. Hello, and welcome to 4 00:00:17,480 --> 00:00:20,239 Speaker 1: the podcast. This is Molly and I'm Kristen Christ and 5 00:00:20,280 --> 00:00:22,880 Speaker 1: I'm I. When we were researching this podcast today, which 6 00:00:22,920 --> 00:00:25,319 Speaker 1: is called should Dad's Be in the Delivery Room? I 7 00:00:25,400 --> 00:00:27,240 Speaker 1: was reminded of his story. My mother told me once 8 00:00:27,280 --> 00:00:31,479 Speaker 1: about the birth of my younger brother, or her third child, 9 00:00:32,440 --> 00:00:35,000 Speaker 1: and since it was the third child, the doctor asked 10 00:00:35,040 --> 00:00:38,239 Speaker 1: my dad if he wanted to catch the baby. You know, 11 00:00:38,280 --> 00:00:40,160 Speaker 1: he'd seen enough by that point he could he could 12 00:00:40,200 --> 00:00:42,080 Speaker 1: handle it. And my mom told me that at that 13 00:00:42,159 --> 00:00:44,639 Speaker 1: point my dad was just useless to her because all 14 00:00:44,640 --> 00:00:46,520 Speaker 1: he did was run around getting ready for his job, 15 00:00:46,680 --> 00:00:48,960 Speaker 1: talking to doctors about his job. And it's just like, 16 00:00:49,720 --> 00:00:51,680 Speaker 1: you know, he kind of forgot she was one having 17 00:00:51,680 --> 00:00:53,400 Speaker 1: the baby. His job of catching the baby. You know, 18 00:00:53,400 --> 00:00:55,680 Speaker 1: we didn't want to mess it up. Obviously has a 19 00:00:55,760 --> 00:00:57,640 Speaker 1: bad thing to mess up. But she said, you know, 20 00:00:57,680 --> 00:01:00,680 Speaker 1: it's not like he was helping her during that point 21 00:01:00,800 --> 00:01:02,520 Speaker 1: at because you know, he was just like, what do 22 00:01:02,560 --> 00:01:03,920 Speaker 1: I do? What do I do? Good do I do this, 23 00:01:04,040 --> 00:01:07,480 Speaker 1: we'll look well and uh so you know it was 24 00:01:07,680 --> 00:01:09,560 Speaker 1: she said that he's a little useless on that on 25 00:01:09,600 --> 00:01:13,000 Speaker 1: that delivery. But based on the articles we've read about 26 00:01:13,440 --> 00:01:17,000 Speaker 1: father's experience in the delivery room, your dad was pretty 27 00:01:17,000 --> 00:01:22,479 Speaker 1: brave for being stationed willingly down there. That's the maybe 28 00:01:22,480 --> 00:01:26,760 Speaker 1: I mean up close uplose personal with your mother's vagina, 29 00:01:27,800 --> 00:01:29,880 Speaker 1: wells at their child I guess by that point maybe 30 00:01:29,880 --> 00:01:31,880 Speaker 1: he'd I don't know if he'd been stationed at the 31 00:01:31,880 --> 00:01:34,120 Speaker 1: head or the bottom before. I mean, that seems to 32 00:01:34,120 --> 00:01:35,720 Speaker 1: be a big deal in these articles. You're right about 33 00:01:35,720 --> 00:01:38,760 Speaker 1: where you where you're stationed during the child birth. But 34 00:01:39,680 --> 00:01:41,880 Speaker 1: I was thinking of that story when I was reading 35 00:01:41,880 --> 00:01:44,240 Speaker 1: these articles because there's this big question. I guess it's 36 00:01:44,240 --> 00:01:46,520 Speaker 1: not a big question, but it's a question you've been 37 00:01:46,520 --> 00:01:49,960 Speaker 1: thrown out there about whether dad's do more harm than 38 00:01:50,040 --> 00:01:52,840 Speaker 1: good in a delivery room when they're there with their wives, 39 00:01:53,840 --> 00:01:56,320 Speaker 1: and whether they should be there at all, because maybe 40 00:01:56,320 --> 00:01:58,240 Speaker 1: they don't want to be. Maybe we're just all forcing 41 00:01:58,280 --> 00:02:01,640 Speaker 1: them to be in there kind chords catching babies when 42 00:02:01,680 --> 00:02:04,800 Speaker 1: they'd rather just be uh. During the nineteen fifty dead 43 00:02:04,880 --> 00:02:07,200 Speaker 1: thing and just hanging out in the waiting room. Right. 44 00:02:07,240 --> 00:02:09,400 Speaker 1: I mean, I've I've thought about this. No, I've never 45 00:02:10,000 --> 00:02:13,600 Speaker 1: been in a situation that that would demand Uh okay, 46 00:02:13,600 --> 00:02:16,200 Speaker 1: I've never been pregnant. That's the easiest way to put it. Um. 47 00:02:16,280 --> 00:02:20,160 Speaker 1: But the thought of you know, a guy, man you 48 00:02:20,280 --> 00:02:26,000 Speaker 1: love seeing all that gore U the beauty of birth 49 00:02:26,040 --> 00:02:30,720 Speaker 1: and also the gore of birth is a little disconcerting. Um. 50 00:02:31,120 --> 00:02:35,040 Speaker 1: But this all there's a debate that kicked off fairly recently, 51 00:02:35,320 --> 00:02:39,840 Speaker 1: UM by this French obstetrician who claims that fathers and 52 00:02:39,960 --> 00:02:44,200 Speaker 1: the quote masculinization of the birth environment are causing an 53 00:02:44,320 --> 00:02:49,840 Speaker 1: increasing rate in c sections. Right. He argues that if 54 00:02:49,880 --> 00:02:51,880 Speaker 1: the male partners in the in the delivery room, and 55 00:02:51,880 --> 00:02:55,040 Speaker 1: he's really anxious because obviously birth can be kind of 56 00:02:55,080 --> 00:02:59,000 Speaker 1: a traumatic process if you're watching it. He's saying that 57 00:02:59,400 --> 00:03:01,880 Speaker 1: this ans this man who's pacing back and forth, he 58 00:03:01,960 --> 00:03:05,120 Speaker 1: wants to fix all this pain. He's actually slowing the 59 00:03:05,160 --> 00:03:08,960 Speaker 1: woman's production of oxytocin, which aids in the process of labor. 60 00:03:09,520 --> 00:03:12,560 Speaker 1: And without this hormone oxytocin, that's you know, rushing through 61 00:03:12,560 --> 00:03:15,959 Speaker 1: the woman making the birth go easily, the woman is 62 00:03:16,000 --> 00:03:18,400 Speaker 1: more likely to have a C section. Right, and that 63 00:03:19,200 --> 00:03:23,120 Speaker 1: theory has yet to be confirmed by any any follow 64 00:03:23,200 --> 00:03:25,800 Speaker 1: up studies. And the thing is, having dad's in the 65 00:03:25,840 --> 00:03:28,680 Speaker 1: delivery room is a pretty big deal that took a 66 00:03:28,680 --> 00:03:34,160 Speaker 1: long time. Um. In the thirties and up into the sixties, 67 00:03:35,080 --> 00:03:38,040 Speaker 1: guys did not hang out in the delivery room. You 68 00:03:38,080 --> 00:03:40,480 Speaker 1: dropped your wife off at the hospital, or you sat 69 00:03:40,560 --> 00:03:43,200 Speaker 1: in what they called a stork club just basically just 70 00:03:43,240 --> 00:03:46,960 Speaker 1: a glorified waiting room. But there were these journals in 71 00:03:47,000 --> 00:03:49,360 Speaker 1: these waiting rooms and men would write to them, and 72 00:03:49,480 --> 00:03:52,160 Speaker 1: their writings were actually one of the big things that 73 00:03:52,200 --> 00:03:55,640 Speaker 1: allowed men to get into the delivery room. Um. Yeah, 74 00:03:55,640 --> 00:03:59,400 Speaker 1: there was a study that we found on the history 75 00:04:00,040 --> 00:04:01,680 Speaker 1: of the or I guess I should say that the 76 00:04:01,720 --> 00:04:05,160 Speaker 1: process of moving the men from like you said, just 77 00:04:05,240 --> 00:04:07,880 Speaker 1: dropping dropping their wives off to actually hanging out the 78 00:04:07,880 --> 00:04:10,920 Speaker 1: hospital to actually being in the delivery room. And in 79 00:04:11,000 --> 00:04:14,160 Speaker 1: these stork clubs where they would have radios and the 80 00:04:14,160 --> 00:04:17,400 Speaker 1: guys could smoke cigarettes and pace around, felt very you know, 81 00:04:17,440 --> 00:04:20,000 Speaker 1: like where Donald Draper would probably go to wait for 82 00:04:20,120 --> 00:04:25,320 Speaker 1: a January Jones to give birth. Um. And they would 83 00:04:25,440 --> 00:04:28,880 Speaker 1: fill out their thoughts in a in a father's book, 84 00:04:29,360 --> 00:04:32,880 Speaker 1: and a lot of them focused on how worried they 85 00:04:32,880 --> 00:04:35,800 Speaker 1: were about their wives being in pain. Um, a lot 86 00:04:35,839 --> 00:04:39,360 Speaker 1: of them beseeching Jesus Christ to help their dear wife 87 00:04:39,440 --> 00:04:42,400 Speaker 1: out and deliver baby safely. And a lot of them 88 00:04:42,440 --> 00:04:46,800 Speaker 1: also talked about how much they were really really hoping 89 00:04:46,800 --> 00:04:51,200 Speaker 1: for a boy. Yeah. In fact, I was reading some 90 00:04:51,279 --> 00:04:52,719 Speaker 1: of these things and one of the funny ones was, 91 00:04:53,160 --> 00:04:54,960 Speaker 1: thank God it's a girl, so she will never have 92 00:04:55,040 --> 00:04:57,280 Speaker 1: to go through what I went through waiting for the 93 00:04:57,320 --> 00:04:59,440 Speaker 1: white birth. She'd actually be the one in the room. 94 00:04:59,520 --> 00:05:01,560 Speaker 1: But I was like only person who was really glad 95 00:05:01,640 --> 00:05:03,560 Speaker 1: that he had a girl, who saw like this weird 96 00:05:03,600 --> 00:05:05,279 Speaker 1: bright side of having a girl that you know, thirty 97 00:05:05,360 --> 00:05:07,520 Speaker 1: years down the line, she wouldn't have to wait in 98 00:05:07,560 --> 00:05:10,120 Speaker 1: a story club. But yeah, it was these really, I 99 00:05:10,120 --> 00:05:12,000 Speaker 1: mean most of them are very sweet, like, oh my, 100 00:05:12,000 --> 00:05:13,920 Speaker 1: my poor wife is not good with pain. I wish 101 00:05:13,960 --> 00:05:15,520 Speaker 1: I could be there with I wish you could hold 102 00:05:15,520 --> 00:05:19,400 Speaker 1: her hand and uh. Robert Bradley, who wrote a book 103 00:05:19,800 --> 00:05:21,760 Speaker 1: called the Bradley Method that a lot of women used 104 00:05:21,920 --> 00:05:24,920 Speaker 1: to um prepare for labor, also had a book called 105 00:05:25,000 --> 00:05:29,000 Speaker 1: Husband Coach Childbirth, and it was based on his reading 106 00:05:29,000 --> 00:05:31,400 Speaker 1: and his delivering reading of these journals and also his 107 00:05:31,480 --> 00:05:34,719 Speaker 1: delivery of babies that convinced him that husbands could play 108 00:05:34,760 --> 00:05:36,760 Speaker 1: a really important role in the birth right. And he 109 00:05:36,800 --> 00:05:39,160 Speaker 1: wrote this book in nineteen sixty two, and it was 110 00:05:39,200 --> 00:05:42,080 Speaker 1: around this time that the push for men to move 111 00:05:42,200 --> 00:05:46,120 Speaker 1: into the labor ward really kicked off. And actually the 112 00:05:46,160 --> 00:05:51,039 Speaker 1: first prenatal classes for couples started around nineteen fifty six, 113 00:05:51,040 --> 00:05:52,920 Speaker 1: so that's that's when we start to see this movement. 114 00:05:53,320 --> 00:05:57,560 Speaker 1: And it was interesting, um that it wasn't linked to 115 00:05:58,520 --> 00:06:01,719 Speaker 1: any type of feminist movement. You know, this wasn't about 116 00:06:01,800 --> 00:06:05,040 Speaker 1: gender equality at all. Um, it was actually more about 117 00:06:05,080 --> 00:06:09,120 Speaker 1: this fifties focus on the era of quote the husband, 118 00:06:09,200 --> 00:06:12,520 Speaker 1: wife and two point four children. It was, um, you know, 119 00:06:12,600 --> 00:06:17,400 Speaker 1: there's this new idea of this family unit, and with that, 120 00:06:17,720 --> 00:06:20,080 Speaker 1: you have the dad in the delivery room ready to 121 00:06:20,680 --> 00:06:22,880 Speaker 1: catch that baby, which in some ways kind of cuts 122 00:06:22,920 --> 00:06:25,160 Speaker 1: down on the sense of community that other women might 123 00:06:25,160 --> 00:06:27,320 Speaker 1: have fell in earlier times having babies. I mean, babies 124 00:06:27,360 --> 00:06:29,320 Speaker 1: used to be born in your home with a bunch 125 00:06:29,320 --> 00:06:32,320 Speaker 1: of women around you, and it wasn't considered a man's 126 00:06:32,480 --> 00:06:34,720 Speaker 1: place at all. I'd be there for that, And you're right, 127 00:06:34,720 --> 00:06:37,360 Speaker 1: it's the shift towards the importance of the family unit 128 00:06:37,440 --> 00:06:40,240 Speaker 1: that really drives the dad into the delivery room. And 129 00:06:40,279 --> 00:06:42,240 Speaker 1: it kind of seems maybe like a double edged toward 130 00:06:42,279 --> 00:06:44,440 Speaker 1: because on the one hand, there are plenty of dads 131 00:06:44,440 --> 00:06:46,400 Speaker 1: who describe it as magical that they were so glad 132 00:06:46,440 --> 00:06:48,560 Speaker 1: they're there they could support their wives. But on the 133 00:06:48,560 --> 00:06:51,320 Speaker 1: other hand, maybe these women aren't in the support of 134 00:06:51,360 --> 00:06:54,800 Speaker 1: a midwife that they need or adula, or maybe these 135 00:06:54,839 --> 00:06:57,040 Speaker 1: men just don't want to be there, are ill equipped 136 00:06:57,080 --> 00:06:59,520 Speaker 1: for this role where they you know, aren't in control 137 00:06:59,520 --> 00:07:01,800 Speaker 1: and help their wives the way they might want to. 138 00:07:02,760 --> 00:07:04,920 Speaker 1: And uh, you know, we talked before Christen about how 139 00:07:04,960 --> 00:07:08,279 Speaker 1: maybe in modern relationships to put too much pressure on 140 00:07:08,360 --> 00:07:10,960 Speaker 1: this one person to complete you and to be there 141 00:07:11,000 --> 00:07:14,240 Speaker 1: for you for everything. And maybe it's too much pressure 142 00:07:14,280 --> 00:07:17,280 Speaker 1: to expect someone to be by your side in childbirth 143 00:07:17,320 --> 00:07:19,040 Speaker 1: and then also want to have sex with you later. 144 00:07:20,640 --> 00:07:23,320 Speaker 1: My goodness. Sure, sure there are a lot of a 145 00:07:23,440 --> 00:07:26,800 Speaker 1: lot of mothers and couples, UM who would have plenty 146 00:07:26,800 --> 00:07:29,920 Speaker 1: to say about that, UM, But anecdotally, yeah, that can 147 00:07:29,960 --> 00:07:33,320 Speaker 1: be the case. For instance, writer um Nick Hornby said 148 00:07:33,320 --> 00:07:35,440 Speaker 1: that the experience of seeing his first child born left 149 00:07:35,480 --> 00:07:40,240 Speaker 1: him numbed and shocked. Um Some psychologists have compared men's 150 00:07:40,280 --> 00:07:43,520 Speaker 1: experience of seeing their wife give labor as um post 151 00:07:43,560 --> 00:07:47,760 Speaker 1: traumatic as inducing post traumatic stress disorder. UM. Guys almost 152 00:07:47,800 --> 00:07:53,000 Speaker 1: always report feelings of massive anxiety and fear because they're 153 00:07:53,000 --> 00:07:56,680 Speaker 1: seeing this person that they love in a lot of pain. Probably, 154 00:07:56,680 --> 00:07:58,600 Speaker 1: I mean, they might be a little numbed out due 155 00:07:58,640 --> 00:08:04,040 Speaker 1: to an epidural UM. There's always that sense of helplessness, right. 156 00:08:04,080 --> 00:08:05,920 Speaker 1: And you know, one article put it, or one writer 157 00:08:06,040 --> 00:08:08,240 Speaker 1: put this way that you know, if your if your 158 00:08:08,240 --> 00:08:10,400 Speaker 1: wife needed like knee surgery, it's not like they would 159 00:08:10,400 --> 00:08:12,160 Speaker 1: expect you go into the room and hold her hand 160 00:08:12,160 --> 00:08:15,160 Speaker 1: while she's getting knee surgery. But this is this can 161 00:08:15,200 --> 00:08:16,960 Speaker 1: also be a major surgery if you're having a c 162 00:08:17,120 --> 00:08:20,200 Speaker 1: section or just sort of a long process if you're 163 00:08:20,200 --> 00:08:23,440 Speaker 1: giving birth naturally. And and maybe um, there shouldn't be 164 00:08:23,480 --> 00:08:25,120 Speaker 1: you know, your partner and they're holding your hand when 165 00:08:25,120 --> 00:08:28,640 Speaker 1: it's a major medical emergency like that. Yeah, And and 166 00:08:28,720 --> 00:08:33,000 Speaker 1: not to freak people out, but statistically, marriage breakups are 167 00:08:33,040 --> 00:08:37,280 Speaker 1: most likely to occur in the eighteen months following childbirth. 168 00:08:37,320 --> 00:08:39,720 Speaker 1: And there was one psychologist writing in The New York 169 00:08:39,720 --> 00:08:44,080 Speaker 1: Times who was saying, I mean, I'm not saying the childbirth. 170 00:08:44,080 --> 00:08:48,720 Speaker 1: You know, seeing that happen is you know, triggering all 171 00:08:48,760 --> 00:08:53,200 Speaker 1: these divorces. But in some of his patients, it was 172 00:08:53,280 --> 00:08:55,880 Speaker 1: something that you know, the men would never recover from. 173 00:08:56,120 --> 00:09:00,600 Speaker 1: They could never see their wife in the same way 174 00:09:00,000 --> 00:09:04,840 Speaker 1: after that. And yeah, I don't know, I'm kind of 175 00:09:04,880 --> 00:09:09,520 Speaker 1: I feel uncomfortable even saying that out loud, um, But 176 00:09:09,640 --> 00:09:12,320 Speaker 1: that's why we have listeners, Kristen. I mean, the solution 177 00:09:12,360 --> 00:09:16,359 Speaker 1: that all these psychologists and writers and obstetricians are suggesting 178 00:09:16,480 --> 00:09:19,960 Speaker 1: is that rather than having every father by default in 179 00:09:20,000 --> 00:09:22,439 Speaker 1: the delivery room, the couple should have more of a 180 00:09:22,480 --> 00:09:24,720 Speaker 1: discussion about whether the dad even wants to be there. 181 00:09:25,200 --> 00:09:27,880 Speaker 1: If he does, are their special like prenatal classes, he 182 00:09:27,880 --> 00:09:31,280 Speaker 1: should be taking their gear directly toward him, as opposed 183 00:09:31,320 --> 00:09:33,800 Speaker 1: to toward a couple or towards the mother ways in 184 00:09:33,880 --> 00:09:36,120 Speaker 1: which we can make dads feel more comfortable in the 185 00:09:36,200 --> 00:09:39,000 Speaker 1: delivery room. But I think that's the question for our listeners. 186 00:09:39,000 --> 00:09:41,160 Speaker 1: Since you and I have never given birth, can you 187 00:09:41,200 --> 00:09:43,959 Speaker 1: imagine giving birth without your husband there? I mean, would 188 00:09:44,200 --> 00:09:46,480 Speaker 1: would it have been better if he wasn't there? Or 189 00:09:46,520 --> 00:09:49,000 Speaker 1: would uh would you rather have him in the story 190 00:09:49,040 --> 00:09:51,520 Speaker 1: club or doesn't need to be there. Is it something 191 00:09:51,600 --> 00:09:54,520 Speaker 1: that fathers need to see? Yeah? And um, Also we 192 00:09:54,600 --> 00:09:56,800 Speaker 1: have to keep in mind that back in we don't 193 00:09:56,800 --> 00:09:59,880 Speaker 1: want to we don't want to regress back to the forties, 194 00:10:00,120 --> 00:10:03,080 Speaker 1: doctors would not allow men in there. There was even 195 00:10:03,120 --> 00:10:06,760 Speaker 1: a story of a guy chaining himself to his wife's 196 00:10:06,840 --> 00:10:10,679 Speaker 1: bed so that he could be there, um for the delivery. 197 00:10:10,800 --> 00:10:15,280 Speaker 1: And in nineteen seventy three there was actually legislation introduced 198 00:10:15,280 --> 00:10:19,400 Speaker 1: in Congress that would force hospitals and physicians to allow 199 00:10:19,440 --> 00:10:22,120 Speaker 1: fathers in the delivery room. Yeah. Now obviously we don't 200 00:10:22,160 --> 00:10:24,040 Speaker 1: and that would never passed the goodness because we don't 201 00:10:24,080 --> 00:10:27,120 Speaker 1: need to legislate that kind of stuff in my opinion. Um. 202 00:10:27,160 --> 00:10:28,760 Speaker 1: And also we need to keep in mind the fact 203 00:10:28,840 --> 00:10:32,320 Speaker 1: that not everyone, actually a lot of people who are 204 00:10:32,400 --> 00:10:35,560 Speaker 1: giving birth in hospitals these days don't have husbands, you know, 205 00:10:35,720 --> 00:10:40,120 Speaker 1: and what kind of role you know, should boyfriends or 206 00:10:40,200 --> 00:10:41,840 Speaker 1: if there is no boyfriend, you know what I mean? 207 00:10:41,880 --> 00:10:46,199 Speaker 1: Like now, the conversation is so much different than it 208 00:10:46,400 --> 00:10:48,719 Speaker 1: was back in the days of the husband, wife and 209 00:10:48,760 --> 00:10:52,280 Speaker 1: two point four two point four kids. Yeah, but then 210 00:10:52,280 --> 00:10:54,280 Speaker 1: at the same time, doctors, you're saying you can't have 211 00:10:54,400 --> 00:10:56,040 Speaker 1: some many people are people in there who are gonna, 212 00:10:56,240 --> 00:10:58,840 Speaker 1: you know, impeters from doing our job. So that's a 213 00:10:58,880 --> 00:11:01,000 Speaker 1: fine line too. And um, that's why I think we 214 00:11:01,000 --> 00:11:02,800 Speaker 1: should just open up to our listeners like who did 215 00:11:02,800 --> 00:11:04,680 Speaker 1: you want in there? Who was in there? Who was 216 00:11:05,160 --> 00:11:08,079 Speaker 1: dead weight in there? Who was running around trying to 217 00:11:08,080 --> 00:11:11,920 Speaker 1: catch the baby like my dad on baby number three? Uh? What? 218 00:11:11,920 --> 00:11:14,800 Speaker 1: What are your thoughts on this is? Is this French 219 00:11:14,880 --> 00:11:19,000 Speaker 1: obstetrician just insane, just anti mail, trying to bash all 220 00:11:19,000 --> 00:11:20,640 Speaker 1: the dads out of there? Or there there's some dads 221 00:11:20,640 --> 00:11:22,280 Speaker 1: out there who would have liked to have opted out, 222 00:11:23,160 --> 00:11:25,920 Speaker 1: So send us your thoughts mom stuff at how stuff 223 00:11:25,960 --> 00:11:29,480 Speaker 1: works dot com and squeamish dad's out there. Don't worry. 224 00:11:29,520 --> 00:11:33,280 Speaker 1: We will protect your analimity. You can be honest with us. Uh. 225 00:11:33,320 --> 00:11:40,280 Speaker 1: And in the meantime, let's read a listener email or two. Okay, 226 00:11:40,320 --> 00:11:42,920 Speaker 1: I have one here from Maren and it's about the 227 00:11:43,120 --> 00:11:46,440 Speaker 1: soap opera podcast. She writes, I'm a proud watcher of 228 00:11:46,480 --> 00:11:48,280 Speaker 1: General Hospital in Days of our Lives and I was 229 00:11:48,320 --> 00:11:50,840 Speaker 1: so happy to see a soap podcast. I grew up 230 00:11:50,880 --> 00:11:52,640 Speaker 1: with my mother coming home at noon and watching One 231 00:11:52,679 --> 00:11:54,400 Speaker 1: Life to Live and I have very fond memories of 232 00:11:54,440 --> 00:11:56,280 Speaker 1: curling up with her on her lunch showers while she 233 00:11:56,320 --> 00:11:59,080 Speaker 1: watched her stories. When I was twelve, Disney was the 234 00:11:59,120 --> 00:12:01,520 Speaker 1: entity that launched me in my own soap fascination via 235 00:12:01,559 --> 00:12:04,640 Speaker 1: their movie Xenon Girl the twenty one Century. Though I 236 00:12:04,679 --> 00:12:06,719 Speaker 1: fell out of watching soaps regularly by my senior year 237 00:12:06,720 --> 00:12:08,480 Speaker 1: of high school and the first few semesters of the college, 238 00:12:08,520 --> 00:12:10,400 Speaker 1: I found a renewed love for the soaps after moving 239 00:12:10,440 --> 00:12:12,000 Speaker 1: back in with my parents as a two broke to 240 00:12:12,080 --> 00:12:14,800 Speaker 1: function on my own college student. Thanks to Soaping It 241 00:12:14,920 --> 00:12:16,760 Speaker 1: and their evening showings. With the daily soaps, I've been 242 00:12:16,920 --> 00:12:20,080 Speaker 1: better able to recapture the lovely mother daughter time spent 243 00:12:20,160 --> 00:12:22,360 Speaker 1: bonding over how Bo and Carlie made a bare couple 244 00:12:22,400 --> 00:12:25,520 Speaker 1: than Bow and Hope, how revolting e. J. Demeri's is 245 00:12:25,600 --> 00:12:28,319 Speaker 1: thanks to his use of children his chess pieces, how 246 00:12:28,360 --> 00:12:30,440 Speaker 1: cruel it wasn't Nicole to steal Samy's baby, And I've 247 00:12:30,480 --> 00:12:32,199 Speaker 1: even found my way back to my favorite soap star, 248 00:12:32,559 --> 00:12:35,280 Speaker 1: Christian Storms, who now plays the delicious, fashionable, and slightly 249 00:12:35,320 --> 00:12:39,000 Speaker 1: neurotic Maxie Jones on General Hospital. I'm incredibly sad to 250 00:12:39,000 --> 00:12:41,120 Speaker 1: see the end of an astounding era in TV history, 251 00:12:41,160 --> 00:12:42,439 Speaker 1: and it breaks my heart to know that I will 252 00:12:42,480 --> 00:12:45,120 Speaker 1: never be able to bond with my daughter over soaps 253 00:12:45,120 --> 00:12:47,719 Speaker 1: in the way that my mother and I have. Well, 254 00:12:47,760 --> 00:12:50,440 Speaker 1: I've got one here from Malcolm, and this is in 255 00:12:50,480 --> 00:12:53,880 Speaker 1: response to our episode on men in makeup. He writes, 256 00:12:54,000 --> 00:12:55,920 Speaker 1: I'm a twenty four year old gay man who has 257 00:12:56,040 --> 00:12:58,040 Speaker 1: at more than one time in my life worn makeup, 258 00:12:58,320 --> 00:13:02,839 Speaker 1: specifically eyeshadow, i'll ar mascara, and concealer. Outside of one 259 00:13:02,840 --> 00:13:05,520 Speaker 1: particular incident while working at a coffee shop, I had 260 00:13:05,559 --> 00:13:08,600 Speaker 1: nothing but positive reactions to my wearing of makeup from 261 00:13:08,600 --> 00:13:11,680 Speaker 1: men and women, and several women even asked me where 262 00:13:11,679 --> 00:13:14,200 Speaker 1: I got my makeup. I don't wear makeup anymore, in 263 00:13:14,280 --> 00:13:16,880 Speaker 1: part because my personal style has changed, and in another 264 00:13:16,920 --> 00:13:19,319 Speaker 1: part because I'm a college student and don't have time. 265 00:13:19,880 --> 00:13:23,439 Speaker 1: In contrast to this, my current boyfriend uses an extensive 266 00:13:23,480 --> 00:13:26,839 Speaker 1: amount of skincare products, so much so that his nightly 267 00:13:26,880 --> 00:13:31,120 Speaker 1: beauty care regiment takes up to an hour. While few men, 268 00:13:31,240 --> 00:13:33,640 Speaker 1: gay or straight will admit to such practices, I can 269 00:13:33,800 --> 00:13:38,040 Speaker 1: verify that it is incredibly common. The reason this may 270 00:13:38,120 --> 00:13:40,600 Speaker 1: have not shown up in the statistics you read during 271 00:13:40,640 --> 00:13:43,760 Speaker 1: the podcast is because in the case of my boyfriend 272 00:13:44,040 --> 00:13:46,679 Speaker 1: and a few straight friends of mine. Many men by 273 00:13:46,760 --> 00:13:53,400 Speaker 1: women's skin care products and or use their girlfriends interesting insight, Malcolm, 274 00:13:53,440 --> 00:13:55,080 Speaker 1: So if you have some insight to share with us 275 00:13:55,080 --> 00:13:58,000 Speaker 1: as well, our email addresses mom Stuff at how stuff 276 00:13:58,000 --> 00:14:01,080 Speaker 1: Works dot com. You can also hit us up on 277 00:14:01,120 --> 00:14:06,040 Speaker 1: Facebook and follow us on Twitter at mom Stuff Podcast, 278 00:14:06,640 --> 00:14:08,640 Speaker 1: and in the meantime, you can read our blog during 279 00:14:08,679 --> 00:14:11,760 Speaker 1: the week, It's stuff Mom Never told You from how 280 00:14:11,880 --> 00:14:18,000 Speaker 1: Stuff Works dot com. Be sure to check out our 281 00:14:18,000 --> 00:14:21,400 Speaker 1: new video podcast, Stuff from the Future. Join how Stuff 282 00:14:21,400 --> 00:14:24,320 Speaker 1: Work staff as we explore the most promising and perplexing 283 00:14:24,400 --> 00:14:27,880 Speaker 1: possibilities of tomorrow. The how Stuff Works I Fine app 284 00:14:27,920 --> 00:14:35,840 Speaker 1: has arrived. Download it today on iTunes, brought to you 285 00:14:35,880 --> 00:14:39,240 Speaker 1: by the reinvented two thousand twelve Camray. It's ready. Are 286 00:14:39,320 --> 00:14:39,480 Speaker 1: you