What would Drew do?

Emily C. Ries

In a speech that touched upon everything from the legalization of drugs to painful sexual mishaps and masturbation, co-host of MTV’s “Loveline” Dr. Drew Pinsky, fielded questions Friday night from a packed crowd at Stephens Auditorium. One question concerned intercourse gone awry – however, it was not the typical sexual blunder. An audience member’s friend had been having sex with his girlfriend – she was on top – when she slipped and fell on his penis. The injured sexual organ quickly took on the appearance of a sweet potato. When asked whether the friend should seek medical help, Dr. Drew expressed surprise that the student had not seen a doctor. “Aren’t guys great? His penis looks like a sweet potato and he wants to know if he has to go to the doctor,” Dr. Drew said. “Some guys would have to be airlifted to the hospital.” Fitting the West Coast star stereotype, Dr. Drew showed up fashionably late. Stephens was stuffed with students and community members of all ages eagerly awaiting Dr. Drew’s arrival. Fortunately, Dr. Drew’s lecture on “Drugs, Sex and Relationships,” was worth waiting for. Dr. Drew’s talk flowed from a man with many years of experience, both in the medical field and from being asked what may be some of the world’s weirdest questions. Dr. Drew balances his celebrity status, career in medicine, radio and television shows and family life with an ease that many would envy. “My life is very full,” Dr. Drew said. “I’m always home for my kids. I cook breakfast in the morning, have dinner with them in the evening and try to get them to bed before I go out to do radio late at night.” Many students were surprised by Dr. Drew’s dedication to his family. “His work schedule is crazy,” Brooke Mooney, sophomore in exercise and sport science, said. “A guy with that much to do should be recognized all over the world. I think it is great that he still makes time for his family.” Dr. Drew covered a wide variety of topics, ranging from advice on dealing with bad roommates to how to help a heroin addict seek counseling. These are not easy topics to deal with, though they affect college-age students all across the country. Dr. Drew also addressed what is often seen as a taboo subject – the legalization of marijuana. “Go ahead and legalize it,” Dr. Drew said, to the cheers of students. Dr. Drew went on to explain that the country was still using a law dealing with “illegal” drugs that dated back to the early 1900’s. “To say that it [marijuana] is worse than alcohol or other drugs is ridiculous,” Dr. Drew said. “It was strange to see a doctor promoting the legalization of marijuana,” said Dustin Camp, sophomore in pre-business, “because he didn’t seem like he was promoting it for medical purposes either.” Dr. Drew discussed at length how important it is for parents to be open with their kids. The right time to talk to kids about subjects such as sex is simply when they ask, Dr. Drew said. There is no specific age that is the right time to talk to children about these subjects. Dr. Drew’s live personality differed from his “Loveline” one, according to some students. “He was so open and blunt,” Camp said. “He is just a normal guy. He seems so reserved on television.” “Before Dr. Drew started, I remember thinking about how I wasn’t sure if people were going to have enough guts to ask questions in front of all the other people,” said Kelly Jo Johnson, senior in child and family services. “I was happy to hear Dr. Drew say that Iowa must have high moral standards.”