Ignorance Is Not Bliss

I found out about this from my FB Friend & massage teacher, Fred. He joined a group that is requesting an apology from the producers of The View for what they said about massage therapists. I always think it's funny when specified groups seek out apologies for things that other people have said, or opinions expressed. You're not allowed to say what you think? They want to "raise awareness" that it's not OK to say ________ about ________.  That said, here's the clip:



Trying. To. Maintain. Sense. Of. Humour.  GRRRRRR . . . it's all funny until something hits close to home.  Unfortunately, these people are expressing the basic ignorance that our society has about massage in general. I've said it before, but our culture is so misinformed when it comes to touch; somehow it all equals sex. So let me address a few of the comments:

Masseuse: Perhaps this is an East Coast thing, but I am a massage THERAPIST, not a masseuse. A masseuse wouldn't know her cranium from her acetabulum. Yeah, look it up. "Masseuse" is an antiquated term that implies something that doesn't require 8 months of full-time schooling in anatomy & physiology, thousands of dollars, or a national exam. Now, if they still use that label in Oregon, we need to unify as a profession.


"I think it's also a good message about massage, because massage always has the potential to go wrong. You're like one push away from something weird happening."   Really, Blondie?* A "good message?"  A better message is that massage doesn't mean something "weird" could happen, but relieves pain, improves range of motion & structural function, and relieves stress--which BTW, according to cell biologist Bruce Lipton, is responsible for 95% of all diseases.

Time: A one-hour massage is OK, but a three-hour massage implies "diving in head first."  Blondie says, "That's a date, OK?"  After a 5-day, unrelenting headache, I finally got relieve from a fellow massage therapist. I had an hour and a half massage just on head & shoulders. End of headache.  "Nothing good happens after the first hour of massage." The ignorance our society has about touch, and the function of their own bodies, is just astonishing.

Blondie describes this "hot chick" who was "fantastic, really nice" but the husband was "so uncomfortable because he knew how pissed I was because she kept music going."  He was uncomfortable because she was uncomfortable. You know what?

She needs a massage.

In fact, they all do. Then perhaps they can have a personal experience and reference for massage instead of regurgitating on national TV their own insecurities & ignorance about what massage is.

*Sorry,  don't know her name.  All the blond people can be offended as a group & demand an apology in the comments. BTW, I am blond.
Update: Her name is Elisabeth Hasselbeck and the guy's name is Joe Scarbrough. FYI.  You can read comments posted on The View website here.