Northwestern students, though smart enough to ace their SATs, quadruple major and solve world hunger, generally get an F when it comes to romantic relationships. Luckily, Northwestern Sex Week 2013 brought in YouTube sensation Laci Green on Wednesday night for some “Clit-ical Thinking: An Intimate Evening with Laci Green and Relation-shit” to help guide students through the complex world of dating, hook-ups and sex.
Laci Green, a 23-year-old sex educator from the San Francisco Bay area, has made it her goal to expand sex education and create a society of “sex positive” thinking. Her project, called Sex+, incorporates her YouTube video channel, blogging, live shows and university lectures to encourage an open and positive perspective on sexuality, gender and body image.
“I want to get people to talk about sex in a way that isn’t shameful, awkward or weird,” Green said. “People are uneducated and this creates so many stigmas that don’t need to be there.”
Green’s presentation at Northwestern was focused on romantic relationships, covering everything from friends-with-benefits scenarios to same-sex dating to utter relationship disasters. Using GIFs, lists and funny anecdotes to communicate the most important parts of dating, Green kept the audience attentive and laughing, even through some weighty topics.
“Laci is knowledgeable. She seems like she really knows,” said senior Ryan Jenkins, who attended the presentation with his girlfriend. "She had the room’s attention from the start, so clearly this is an effective way to do it."
Much of Laci Green’s success during her presentations comes from involving the audience and making them feel like their personal questions are being heard and answered. Audience participation was incorporated throughout the presentation, whether through Q&A’s, demonstrations or impromptu role-plays. Not only did this participation engage audience members, but it also gave fans a chance to interact with their favorite YouTube celebrity.
“I got to touch Laci Green. I was like, ‘I’ve seen you on YouTube, but I never imagined you in real life,” said sophomore Sex+ fan Akosua Owusu-Akyaw after she got to practice some flirting techniques onstage with Green.
After the presentation, Green stuck around to sign autographs, take photos with fans, and chat casually with students about Sex Week. “They told me some students [at Northwestern] watched my videos, and I was happy to come hang out and talk,” Green said. She also added that Northwestern Sex Week is one of the best things she’s ever heard of, describing it specifically as “fuckin’ awesome.”
Sex Week thus far has run very smoothly, according to sophomore planning committee member Sarah Watson, and students have received it very well. “We’re just trying to have events that cater to a big group of people—men, women, queer, religious and everything in between. To get Laci Green here was great because she’s basically a celebrity in the sex education world and has ideas that we wanted to project,” Watson said.
Before departing, Green gave Northwestern students a few last words of important relationship advice to live by. “Be like this cat: Be ya bad self,” she said. “And one last thing: Remember, you’re a badass and anyone would be lucky to date you.”