Japan has something of a contradictory reputation. While the media of the country can sometimes have a rather salacious approach to sex and sexuality, public displays of affection are very rare when out and about in real life. Sex is rarely discussed in polite company and the school curriculum for compulsory sex education is sterile and uninformative wherever it does exist.
Shelly, a Japanese-American talent and model, started her YouTube channel Shelly’s Bathroom (Shelly no Ofuroba) in December. Since then it’s grown tremendously in viewership, primarily due to her very frank and humorous approach to sex education. At the time of writing, Shelly’s Bathroom has over 114,000 subscribers and a passionate fanbase who take to her comments section to share anecdotes and ask questions…lots of questions.
▼ One of Shelly’s breakout successes: a video titled "My First Confession! One Embarrassing Thing That Happened to Me."
In the video above Shelly stresses the importance of good sex education by talking about an experience she had in high school. This experience wasn’t hers—a friend told her excitedly that she had had sex for the first time with her boyfriend. As she gushed excitedly about the details Shelly started to get concerned. They did it in a park? And then the guy…um, spilled on her stomach? And then he wiped it up?
“Wait, wait, wait, wait,” Shelly says to the camera with an expression of bewilderment on her face, “so where was the condom?!”
She then reveals that she got a lot of her own advice growing up from her two older sisters, who stressed the importance of safe sex and that Shelly shouldn’t trust a guy who wasn’t willing to use a condom with her. The disparity between herself and her friend, who saw zero need to make sure her boyfriend had a condom, was a vast one.
Then she tells the story of a girl at her high school who was rumored to have gone to an abortion clinic not once, but twice. “Not that a condom is 100% guaranteed to stop a pregnancy,” Shelly explains, “but anyway, her boyfriend refused to pay for the second trip. It’s your kid, you know?!”
She then says that while there are many kinds of people in the world, this cavalier approach to sex can cause emotional and physical damage. And sex shouldn’t be that way. She created this channel to help make sex into something more positive and to reduce the amount of mistakes young people will make.
And don’t worry, she had her own embarrassing story to tell too. She shared a conversation between herself and her then-boyfriend from when things began to get a little hot and heavy:
Boyfriend: Um, I don’t have a condom.
Shelly: Oh yeah? That’s a shame.
Boyfriend: Huh? So we’re not gonna do it?
Shelly: You’d do it?! We don’t have a condom, so that’s that!
Boyfriend: You gotta be kidding me!
Shelly: Fine, go buy some then! Even a convenience store sells condoms.
Boyfriend: Nooo, that’s embarrassing. It’s my local convenience store, I’m always shopping there.
Shelly: Then fine, it sucks but we can’t do it today.
Boyfriend: Well, I’m sure we could use like…cling wrap or something?
▼ “Could we really?! Idiot!”
Other videos cover important information like putting on a condom, and tips to stay safe on a night out. Her straightforward, blunt manner of addressing topics thought of as embarrassing or illicit has won her a legion of fans of all ages and genders, with men in particular surprised by how much they learned.
▼ She explains the basics of condoms here with guest Harry Sugiyama.
One male commenter, in particular, thanked her for talking so openly about the existence of male sexual assault victims as it helped him to come to terms with his own experiences of sexual harrassment. Others weren’t aware that condoms stop sexually-transmitted diseases and aren’t just a method to prevent pregnancy.
Talking about sex can be uncomfortable, but these videos are a low-pressure way to learn about how to stay safe and happy during one of the most vulnerable activities you can indulge in with another person. Thanks, Shelly.
Source: YouTube/SHELLYのお風呂場
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- External Link
- https://soranews24.com/2021/03/07/japanese-youtuber-talks-candidly-about-sex-education-with-fresh-flair-and-funny-anecdotes/
25 Comments
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Bernard Marx
I can count on one hand in two decades the number of Japanese girls who have been the one to suggest safe sex to me when getting down to it. This country must be rampant in STDs.
Pukey2
Either that or unwanted pregnancies. Or both.
First time I've seen the words Japanese Youtuber and funny in the same sentence, unless there's a not somewhere.
starpunk
Cute or not, she gives good advice for teenagers who may 'stumble'. And I do think it's good that she is addressing sexual assault/rape against men. Male rape is more common than many want to admit due to the stigma it has. I don't care if it's a male or female carrying this message, it needs to be heard and addressed.
kohakuebisu
I didn't watch it, but Shelly was a commentator on that Terrace House program wasn't she? I don't suppose its much of a jump from talking about (scripted or not) relationships to talking about sex and safe sex.
Regardless of what you may think of the presentation, its good information. Some people have some very archaic views in Japan, and anything that counters them should be welcome. Schools should probably do more, but the reality is that they are not.
Sven Asai
Please stop it, I get nausea and can’t even imagine that anyone gave or she has any experience. lol
Desert Tortoise
She's Japanese-American. Probably explains her humor and candor.
starpunk
When I was a teenager in America during the 80s it was a similar double standard. On a HS field trip to Virginia Beach, buying condoms was frowned upon by older cashiers but classmates who bought them (in boxes) showed them off openly to the rest of us to show how 'mature' and 'cool' they were.
It doesn't make you 'macho' or 'cool'. In fact, some of them probably used them as balloons, maybe.
girl_in_tokyo
Reckless Today 11:28 am JST
Shelly would likely tell you that it isn't the size of the boat, but the motion of the ocean. ;)
ulysses
Maybe you should listen to Shelly, your arm is not the place to put it on!!!
snowymountainhell
Her visage is well known so, to refreshing to see Shelly air out la puce in a country that has no sex education, especially for young girls.
Fanny Greene
Saran wrap seals in the moisture and flavor
Ascissor
As opposed to syphilisian
1glenn
There are a lot of very funny anecdotes about ignorance over here in the States, as well, especially among the self-proclaimed religious types.
Anyway, good on her. Ignorance about sex is certainly not bliss.
snowymountainhell
Thank you Shelly for bringing attention to this issue @*starpunk 10:23a JST: “it's good she’s addressing sexual assault/rape against men. Male rape is more common than want to admit due to stigma. I don't care if it's a male or female carrying this message, *it needs to be heard and addressed.” -
“https://www.tokyoreporter.com/crime/aided-by-sleeping-pills-and-social-media-ex-osaka-teacher-raped-more-than-300-men/
kaimycahl
@Reckless
I buy the XXXL at Don Quijote with pride.
So share with us what the little writing on the end says? Ok you probably don't know because you didn't say and never had to roll a condom back that far!!! Stop boasting and check your ego. The other one!!!
Pukey2
Without context, I would have thought you were talking about clothes or waist size. I really hate it that the bargain shelves at Uniqlo are always only full of clothes with revolting colours or XXXL sized clothes.
Ah_so
Remember my first experience in Japan - I sidled up to the counter, and used the word that was in my dictionary ("sakku") - this caused bemusement on the face of the staff member. Within seconds there were three smiling ladies on the other side of the counter - one old enough to my mother and two young ladies, which slightly added to my embarrassment.
I changed track to "condom" and it was met with immediate recognition - more smiles and "hai hai"s and they presented the box to me with delight as though they had just made my day (or evening to be precise). There was no disgust at all.
starpunk
Something like thiis occured in my hometown, man-rapes-a-man. And of course this is how Bill Cosby raped those 60-odd women.
Boku Dayo
I think Shelly needs to lose the blue hair.
starpunk
What's so wrong with it? Quite a lot of young women are doing it. It's 2021, not 1950, not 1970.
Boku Dayo
Maybe Shelly should go for pink hair with a nose ring for accent.