Thread: Is this really genuine..."In the USSR we don't have sex"

Originally Posted by Оля

Originally Posted by BappaBa

At that time in the USSR the word "sex" had only one meaning - "to f@ck".

Erm... But isn't that what it really means? I mean, 'sex' not a synonym for 'love', at least in Russian.

I needed to add "with hardly familiar person" =) I mean at that time nobody told "I had sex with my wife/girlfriend" but "making love".

Originally Posted by BappaBa

I needed to add "with hardly familiar person" =) I mean at that time nobody told "I had sex with my wife/girlfriend" but "making love".

and/or done in public. "Они хотели показать нам СЕКС!" /mock horror/ was a rather popular comedic line. Then again, I indeed was (rather precocious) provincial kid back then, I might have missed some nuances.

Anyway, although "Namedni" mentions Pozner's telebridges, and mentions the infamous goof, it DOESN'T SHOW THE ACTUAL FOOTAGE! Is this a conspiracy, or what?

On the other hand, this is understandable, the poor lady became infamous enough as it is.

On the still other hand this is nonetheless a crime against history.

I'm glad to hear it actually happened. Even if no footage can be found, what a line!

The word "sex" seems to have negative connotations in Russian even now. Some people on the net even misspel it on purpose in strange and ugly ways like "секас". Brr.

I suppose, in English, it doesn't have those negative coonnotations, since the first meaning is "gender." Actually, I know that now the word "gender" is preferred in some contexts.

Interesting version from the wiki but what a naive suggestion.

В общем, начался телемост, и одна американка говорит: да вы из-за войны в Афганистане вообще должны перестать заниматься сексом с вашими мужчинами — тогда они не пойдут воевать. И пальцем всё время тычет. Я ей и ответила: в СССР секса нет, а есть любовь. И вы во время войны во Вьетнаме тоже не переставали спать со своими мужчинами.
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Но все запомнили только начало фразы. А что, я не права? У нас же действительно слово «секс» было почти неприличным. Мы всегда занимались не сексом, а любовью. Вот это я и имела в виду.

Originally Posted by Оля

Originally Posted by BappaBa

At that time in the USSR the word "sex" had only one meaning - "to f@ck".

Erm... But isn't that what it really means? I mean, 'sex' not a synonym for 'love', at least in Russian.

to have sex and to make love are two different things in American culture also just for clarification.

Originally Posted by Basil77

When I saw this topic, the first thing that rang the bell was the quote from "Deja vu" movie when main character (american gangster) was asked about entertaiments he prefer and his answer was: "Sex, boxing & jazz", he immediatly got responce: "We don't have sex here".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkX6v-vF0II

"Deja vu" movie is from 1989, but those "TV-bridges" with Pozner were about 1986. So the copyright should be from the real life.

Originally Posted by Niamh

I'm glad to hear it actually happened. Even if no footage can be found, what a line!

Одному мне кажется, что автор так ничего и не понял?

Originally Posted by starrysky

Some people on the net even misspel it on purpose in strangely and ugly ways like "секас". Brr.

I guess "секас" came from here :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cN9ninkr3E

Originally Posted by BappaBa

Originally Posted by Niamh

I'm glad to hear it actually happened. Even if no footage can be found, what a line!

Одному мне кажется, что автор так ничего и не понял?

Всем. Вообще, вырывать фразу из контекста - мерзкое дело.

Originally Posted by Crocodile

Originally Posted by BappaBa

Originally Posted by Niamh

I'm glad to hear it actually happened. Even if no footage can be found, what a line!

Одному мне кажется, что автор так ничего и не понял?

Всем. Вообще, вырывать фразу из контекста - мерзкое дело.

Have I caused offence?! And why does it appear that I have understood nothing? I merely asked for validity and it appears the
context is disputed.

Originally Posted by Crocodile

Originally Posted by BappaBa

Originally Posted by Niamh

I'm glad to hear it actually happened. Even if no footage can be found, what a line!

Одному мне кажется, что автор так ничего и не понял?

Всем. Вообще, вырывать фразу из контекста - мерзкое дело.

С одной стороны да. И мне нечаянного автора этого перла по-человечески жалко.

А с другой, - из песни слова не выкинешь, так уж получилось что фраза вошла в историю именно так. И не вошла бы, если бы в ней не было доли правды.

И с третьей, - как раз точного контекста мы и не установили.

Originally Posted by Niamh

Have I caused offence?! And why does it appear that I have understood nothing? I merely asked for validity and it appears the
context is disputed.

No, not really. It's just that, like most unintentional comedy, it's only fun until you consider what the participants ought to feel now.

Just imagine billions of people laughing at you forever and ever... Ok, this might be a hyperbole, but not that far from the truth.

Originally Posted by Niamh

And why does it appear that I have understood nothing?

It appears so since even after it's been said the phrase has been cut out of context, you still exclaimed: "[...] what a line!"

The truth is that there was no "line" at all. There were other very funny things back then (and some awful too), but every time this "line" is brought up I realize why "democrats" in Russia can't win. They have to be honest first and not use just about anything that can help them to make the USSR look bad. The creation of such "lines" makes people skeptical about the other [a lot of correct] things they say.

Originally Posted by Crocodile

Originally Posted by Niamh

And why does it appear that I have understood nothing?

It appears so since even after it's been said the phrase has been cut out of context, you still exclaimed: "[...] what a line!"

The truth is that there was no "line" at all. There were other very funny things back then (and some awful too), but every time this "line" is brought up I realize why "democrats" in Russia can't win. They have to be honest first and not use just about anything that can help them to make the USSR look bad. The creation of such "lines" makes people skeptical about the other [a lot of correct] things they say.

Yes but I felt that irrespective of context, it was simply a humourous sweeping statement to have ever been made.

Yes, the phrase was really said. But the speaker didn't meant what a common person would think having heard the phrase. She meant 'no sex on the Soviet TV'.

Originally Posted by Ленивец

Yes, the phrase was really said. But the speaker didn't meant what a common person would think having heard the phrase. She meant 'no sex on the Soviet TV'.

Well, that I understood!!

Originally Posted by Niamh

Originally Posted by Ленивец

Yes, the phrase was really said. But the speaker didn't meant what a common person would think having heard the phrase. She meant 'no sex on the Soviet TV'.

Well, that I understood!!

It's also that this phrase is commonly used to demonstrate how brainwashed were the Soviet people [to only display the positive sides of the SU] that they couldn't even admit they had sex.

Originally Posted by Crocodile

Originally Posted by Niamh

Originally Posted by Ленивец

Yes, the phrase was really said. But the speaker didn't meant what a common person would think having heard the phrase. She meant 'no sex on the Soviet TV'.

Well, that I understood!!

It's also that this phrase is commonly used to demonstrate how brainwashed were the Soviet people [to only display the positive sides of the SU] that they couldn't even admit they had sex.

Really? Even to this day?

Originally Posted by danova

I've definitely watched that show, but I was a kid of 8 or 7 back then, so my recollections of the details are vague and based on later second-hand retelling.

?? Excuse me, what do you mean exactly? Yes, I said that, but later although we have failed to find a definitive proof, everybody who had heard that agrees that the phrase was out of context. No one could prove what that context was exactly, of course.

And that's amazing, in its own way, and a bit scary, but that's besides the point. What it was caused by some sort of severe misunderstanding of the question is indisputable.


Re political implications. Ребят, давайте жить дружно. Неужели вы считаете, что Niamh поднял(а) эту тему, чтобы ещё раз посыпать соль на рану "патриотам*"? Он(а) просто поинтересовалась, произошло ли такое на самом деле и как такое могло произойти.

*В смысле самоназвания определённой группы течений русской мысли и политики, а не в смысле абстрактной любви к Родине. (Анархист тоже может любить "[С] картинки в своём букваре,// Хороших и верных товарищей,//Живущих в соседнем дворе".) Потому в кавычках.

Originally Posted by ac220

Re political implications. Ребят, давайте жить дружно. Неужели вы считаете, что Niamh поднял(а) эту тему, чтобы ещё раз посыпать соль на рану "патриотам*"?

Thanks- no salt to wound scenario was intended. As I have said, I have heard this phrase referenced a few times. But I merely wanted to clarify if it was a urban legend and if possible establish the context. Offending or mocking was not a side agenda!