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Meredith for Real: the curious introvert
Each episode explores a taboo question or cultural blind spot with an expert who is themselves, a paradox -
Like the atheist doctor who studied near death experiences for 50 years (ep 224)
Or the deeply religious man studied by NASA who sees UFOs regularly (ep 261).
The mission is to inspire the kind of curiosity that looks for & celebrates nuance, because we all deserve a more curious future.
So tune in each week (new episodes every Monday) to question things like American individualism (ep 260), trigger warnings (ep 208) & circumcision (ep 178).
Still not sure where to start?
Other listeners loved ep 230 - Can a sexless marriage survive? and ep 237 - Black man who attends KKK rallies: race & friendship
Meredith for Real: the curious introvert
Ep. 310: American Circumcision: Preference or Cultural Hypnosis? [REMASTERED]
When & why did circumcision begin (it’s not what you think)? What are the arguments for it & what are the experts saying? Sugar water instead of anesthetic??
Brendon Marotta is a filmmaker whose feature-length documentary, American Circumcision, won multiple awards & can be found on Amazon & YouTube. In this episode, we talk about the surprising history of circumcision, the practice today, parental consent & why this is so hard to talk about, but female circumcision isn’t.
This episode originally aired March 13, 2023.
If you like this episode, you’ll also like episode 293: THE SECRET LIVES OF MEN: MENTAL HEALTH CONFESSIONS!
Guest:
https://www.instagram.com/bdmarotta/
Host:
https://www.meredithforreal.com/
https://www.instagram.com/meredithforreal/
https://www.youtube.com/meredithforreal
https://www.facebook.com/meredithforrealthecuriousintrovert
Sponsors:
https://www.jordanharbinger.com/starterpacks/
https://www.historicpensacola.org/about-us/
00:00 — Why Americans still circumcise
02:00 — Thought barriers around foreskin
04:30 — Cultural hypnosis at work
07:00 — The ripple effect on men’s lives
09:00 — Masculinity, shame & silence
13:00 — Who really benefits?
14:00 — Circumcision’s strange beginnings
16:00 — From “cure for masturbation” to medicine
18:00 — Parental choice or medical coercion?
21:00 — Relative vs absolute risk explained
23:00 — Science, politics & cultural blame game
27:00 — The baby restraint nobody wants to see
28:00 — Sugar water instead of anesthetic
29:00 — Trauma that lives in the body
30:00 — Physical consequences & lost sensation
33:00 — When men discover hidden trauma
35:00 — Anger, intimacy & what’s really missing
36:00 — The simplest solution of all
37:00 — Where to find Brendon’s work
Request to join my private Facebook Group, MFR Curious Insiders https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1BAt3bpwJC/