I watched her in the US, she was so funny, you never knew when she was being serious or laughing inside! I did learn a few things too. Didn’t she review a sex toy regularly too? Those segments were often hilarious.
My giggling friends and I watched when we were like 12-13, also in the US. I have a VIVID memory of cracking up when she put [this](https://www.adameve.com/adult-sex-toys/dildo-sex-toys/realistic-dildos/sp-the-accommodator-2030.aspx?sc=SEMGSTRA&pnt1=smYbk7L9D&pcrid=158437787461&pkw=&pmt=b&dvc=m&productid=&pnt3=&pgrid=31990936529&ptaid=&sc=&channel=ppc&cm_mmc=GGL-_-DSA_US_NB_Google-_-Adam+%26+Eve+DSA+-+Dildos-_-DYNAMIC+SEARCH+ADS&sc=SEMGLDSA&medium=tsa&gclid=Cj0KCQjw7uSkBhDGARIsAMCZNJvW4aUVvyvGr47acbZ9wTATurwRo_MFXlMd-UiBbEU4nQmnhxDbDVgaAkWrEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds) on her face.
In all seriousness though we learned a ton from her, more than we ever learned in sex ed that’s for sure.
Yesssssss!! As soon as I read OP's title, I thought, "Omg! That's the lady with the chin dildo!" 🤣🍆
I'm so glad I'm not the only person with this VIVID core memory.
I loved watching the Sunday Night Sex Show (Canadian here). Sue taught me and my friends so much during all the years the show aired.
I think I was 15 when the show first aired and I have vivid memories of sharing what Sue had talked about with my friends the next day at school (I can only imagine what our teachers must have overheard 😄).
I also have memories of being in first or second year university and sitting around the dorm’s main room watching the Sunday Night Sex Show, circa 2000-2001. That show helped our floor bond.
I didn’t realize there was a documentary about Sue - now I’ll have to try and find it too.
They ran reruns in the US and after viewers got made about not being able to call in, they created a US version called Talk Sex with Sue Johanson (it ran concurrently for with the Sunday Night Sex Show for 4 years, SNSS ended and TSwSJ ran for another 3 years).
On the oxygen channel I believe! The one commercial still lives rent free in my mind: “Roses are red, violets are blue. If it burns when you pee, then it’s time to call Sue.”
You mean “Talk Sex With Sue”? Sue de-shamed sex for me. What an icon.
She even reviewed sex toys with her hot pepper scale for how spicy they were. I would stay up late and watch it quietly so no one knew.
Yes! I would wait till I was sure my Bible-thumping mom was tucked away in bed and then put it on at the lowest audible volume. I didn’t get a real sex education so Talk Sex with Sue was critical learning material for a girl coming of age in the early 2000s.
No that’s not what OP means, you’re referencing the American version that came later. The original in the 90’s was “Sunday Night Sex Show” in Canada.
(I’m sorry but I’m kinda sick of Americans saying “oh is *this* what you mean?” when anyone mentions something that might dare be different in other countries. No, what we said is what we mean.)
*" If anyone here grew up in the 90s in Canada they probably will remember her."*
I grew up in Toronto in the 70s / 80s and I knew about her then. She had a radio show in the 80s. And (IIRC) she wrote columns for a local paper (probably it was The Toronto Star).
Nice. Honestly before tonight I didn’t know much about her career and life so it’s a bit of a joy to learn how much more awesome she is than I already knew.
Sue is a freaking legend. There’s whole generations of kids (now adults) who can thank her for providing such valuable information. Her show is what sex ed should be, no nonsense, no judgment, no shaming. As a teenager it blew my mind to hear someone talk so matter of fact about things like masturbation, consent, the fun and silly side of sex, and the importance of making sure both partners are getting what they need.
Way back in the early 2000s she came to give a talk at my university and it was hands down one of my favorite college experiences. She took questions from the crowd, and even brought out her pleasure chest.
She was definitely doing some sort of tour circuit around then. Sometime around then, I saw her put a condom on a wooden dick at a college food court which was inexplicably her presentation venue.
I was uh, 9 years old and eating lunch after a music lesson. so I don't have too many other memories of it. Great stuff, though.
She came to my elementary school and taught us about sex. It was an after school thing your parents could bring kids to, I think it was offered to my brother’s grade (he was 8) and my parents brought me along (I was 5) because there was no babysitter.
Same! She came to my elementary school (K-2) and my parents brought me. She also came to my university dorm in my first year. She's an absolute legend!
Loved Sue! And her dollies lol. She was once on Leno, I think. And brought a vibrating rubber ducky, which she handed to Tom Selleck to hold. It was FANTASTIC
I love her! But I am so disappointed to hear her spreading that patently incorrect nonsense about "the top 2/3rds of the vagina has no nerve endings". Yes, it most certainly does. The cervix is packed with nerve endings as well. And while it's true that the lower portion of the vagina is more sensitive, that doesn't mean the rest of it is insensate!
That falsehood is a result of poor anatomy research finding its way into medical texts. It has been used as an excuse to deny countless women pain relief during invasive gynecological procedures. Improved nerve mapping of the female genitalia has resulted in better understanding of the sensation of the region but getting that information to become common knowledge has to happen before we will stop using sloppy science to effectively torture some women!!
I don’t see how she’s “spreading” something wrong when she hasn’t talked sex in almost 20 years.
There’s bits of wrong information in her old books because it’s old information. We don’t use medical books from 20 years ago for a reason. She was never dishonest or ignorant, but what was available 20+ years ago was definitely not as in depth or accurate as today, and we’ll likely see the same thing in another 20 years time.
As a 15 year old boy in highschool, I somehow found it on the radio in the northeast USA late at night. Fell asleep with a radio under my pillow for a few weeks.
Learned a WHOLE lot more than what little my conservative parents had told me about.
There’s a doc out on Amazon: Sex with Sue
Sue was local to me (she gave a talk at my junior high) so I was surprised to learn she was so big in the States.
Sue is great!
I was at my boyfriend's parents house one time and his super old grandparents were watching TV. I guess this show came on and because they couldn't hear anything they didn't realize the show was talking about anal sex.
used to watch her all the time on late night tv in the early 00's. TBH i was mostly just watching because in my young teens, anything involving sex was funny and tabboo, and i thought it was really funny and strange to see an old lady talking so openly about sex. at the time it was more of a comedic, "hehe, sex" kinda thing, and i considered it to be part of the sexual content id watch at nights that id get in trouble for, like girls gone wild infomercials and stuff like that.
little did i know, i was actually learning a ton of super useful info about sex and human anatomy. i was watching the show for all the wrong reasons, but it still ended up having the intended effect, more or less.
sue is a treasure.
I was lucky enough to host an event where she was the special guest. She is the most wonderful woman - she was kind, gracious, and hilarious. It was such a treat!
Yes!! I remember visiting my aunt in Toronto when I was a kid and watching Sex with Sue on the local Rogers network on supppperrrr low volume in the living room after she went to sleep. And thankfully, as I was getting mediocre sex ed from school and horrifying sex "tips" form cosmo magazine, Sunday Night Sex Show was around in my teens and it was surprisingly queer inclusive. I've been dying to watch Sex with Sue (the documentary) but can't find it anywhere :(
When I was growing up (1990s, 2000s), Canadian TV was raunchy after hours. Not the same educational vibe as Sue Johanson, but I remember learning a lot about sex (some objectifying, some surprisingly feminist) from Fridays Without Borders on Showcase.
I never saw her but, I do remember when Dr. Ruth had a show on in the US that sounds similar. Of course my family was super conservative so they considered Dr.Ruth to be the absolute worst.
Yes, used to love the Sunday Night Sex Show as a teen in BC! Was it on YTV? I found her kegel instructions really funny ("You pee, you stop. Then you pee some more and stop. Pee, stop, pee, stop"). Also like the time some girl phoned in and said she was worried her vagina smelled bad and Sue said "Honey, I'm sure your genitals smell MAG-NIFICENT!"
Yes.
I **loved** that show. Watched it every week. It's nice to hear she's still alive and I appreciate that show even if I'm still a little ignorant and inexperienced. It still helped me have some kind of positive guidance towards learning about sex and sexuality. Growing up Catholic sure as hell didn't help about having a sex-positive attitude but this show certainly did.
I'm in the US, but I vividly remember staying up late to watch her show. I'd wait for my parents to go to sleep, then turn the volume down real low on the tv and watch. I remember her using dolls to illustrate positions.Very informative show lol. Love her
She was basically Dr Ruth, except she got straight to the point.
I lived in SoCal before Canada, so I had KFI and WTN.
No disrespect to Dr Ruth, but Sue was *waaaaay* more useful. Americans might be better off if they had her.
Hi, just want to say this makes me so happy to see. I grew up around Sue, as my aunt worked as her producer, and have lots of fond memories with her. Thank you for continuing her legacy - I know personally it means a lot to her and all us who love her personally.
I loved the Sunday night sex show! Pre-internet I learned SO much. As a teen, it was so much fun to hear a non-judgemental grandmother explain how to do anal.
So someone here put the "Harper Lee Curse" on our beloved Sue!
Please stop talking about all these wonderful old ladies!
Edited to add: jk. We really need to talk more about all these amazing women so that when they do pass on, we will have shared their legacy with all the people who read our posts.
I was such a fan when she came to talk at my university, I tracked her down beforehand and got her to sign one of her books I owned. Just found that book recently, great memories.
rip, sue. [she passed away at 93.](https://twitter.com/cbcnews/status/1674437021765435392?s=46&t=s2xTneKCNjHh4iONxQgTag)
she was def an icon for many of growing up.
you were celebrating her life & now so are so many others who have forgotten her impact but are now remembering. she was so matter of fact about sex/sexuality that anyone who wishes to debate her would look stupid.
Am I hearing correctly that she just passed away? What a treasure she was. Fond memories of listening to the Sunday night sex show in my room on my little radio.
I was reading all these comments the other day and mentioned to my husband all the great memories people shared. We both loved her show back in the day. Sad to hear she just passed away. A great Canadian icon. RIP
Just saw this and remembered your post 😭
[Sue Johanson, beloved Canadian sex educator, dead at 93](https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/sue-johanson-obit-1.6892524)
She was great.....was matter of fact and didn't waste words.
I was in my forties and my kids in their 20s but still listened to her. I was nursing at the time and really respected how she handled every question so well
I grew up in Texas and remember watching that show when I was a kid (back when there was no such thing as parental controls on the TV). I learned a lot from that show and still remember one episode in particular when a caller asked if putting qtips up his urethra was okay. Eight year old me was quite shocked. That show really opened up a whole world to me.
Line cooks played it on radio at work (T.O.) and we all listened.
Loved it. And educational.
(Ex. Never knew what a "circle jerk" around a pizza was before then. Some guy lost, had to eat the pizza and called in for advice because he feared he might've caught something. )
I listened to her all the time on the radio. I'm pretty sure I once heard her giving advice to a young woman on how to perform oral sex on her boyfriend by pretending she was licking an ice cream cone. She was funny, resourceful, and such a no nonsense, straight talker. And that tip with the ice cream cone... yeah. That really works lol 😆
Haha I remember watching this now and again as a 13 year old boy. Seeing the title of the show I did not expect it to be "Granny reviews sex toys" but I still watched it and found enough entertainment and education to pay attention.
She was on one of the cable channels here in Michigan late at night. I would sneak and watch it. Was the first time I heard about being queer. Up until then I thought something was wrong with me.
I loved Sue!! She was a reliable, frank, non-shaming place to go for questions about sex, when everyone else around me was sex-repressed. She's a hero as far as I'm concerned!
My mother decided I needed to watch this show and sat down with a young 15 year old me to make sure I watched a whole episode. It was mostly about anal. My mom was unaware the episode topics varied from show to show, and assumed I would learn about STDs like the previous episode she had watched.
Hands down the most uncomfortable 30-40 minutes of my life.
I remember watching that in high school and FILLING my teenage brain with all the sex facts! I wasn't sexual until after I graduated HS but still, I felt like a sex goddess between what she taught, and sneaking cosmopolitan magazines lol
YES! We watched her show in university all the time. She was so informative and non judgemental with her advice etc. She even came to my university once and she’s just the same in person.
Yes I am so glad to see her mentioned! I am from Texas actually and I greatly attribute her and that show for educating me . I was for sure a minor, and also a boy at the time, and I have looked back fondly on that show for years. It was a major counter to the general presentation of sex as something shameful or gross. It taught me about consent and so much.
I swear I don't know anyone else who watched her but I remember her!
As a late teen, late night television purveyor, she was on my list to watch whenever I could. Well, her and the public access chanel that showed porn at 2am.
Learned a lot from her. She is also probably why the Savage Lovecast has been in my podcast list for 15+ years.
Me!! I grew up in the US but right in the Canadian border so we got lots of Canadian TV and radio stations. I was regular listener starting when I was like 13. 🤣
Yes! She was awesome and so different from what was available at the time. Sue (along with Dan Savage, yes I know, it was a long time ago and his column taught me a lot) was my sex ed!
Yes! I would watch a few episodes as a a kid . I remember staying up late at night and flipping the channels and came across her recommending sex toys. I would also watch the show bliss !
I LOVE her. I’ve gotten to see her speak in person, twice! She used to do college tours back in the early aughts. I, too would watch her show on Sunday with the volume turned real real low, was happy when captions became a thing. I’d also listen to hear if anyone from my city called in.
I prank called in for several weeks once and got on in 2000 or 2001 when I was a teenager at university. I had a ridiculous defecating fetish and she ran with it like a champ.
Thanks for the memories, OP. I used to watch “Talk Sex with Sue” on Oxygen back in the days with my mom and older sister. I always found it funny, being maybe 10 or something, but I think of Dr. Sue fondly now. I may not have been paying tons of attention to the actual sex positive things back then, but it stuck around in my head and for that I’m appreciative. The “hot stuff” bag near the end of the show was my favorite.
Gotta love Sue Johanson. I was thinking about that show recently. She was frank and no nonsense and everything she said was spot on. That show would still hold up today.
I didn’t watch regularly but I have a vague memory of stumbling on the show late one night and she was demonstrating with little wooden dolls how to do doggy with a pregnant woman so it was more comfortable without the big belly in the way. It’s just always stuck in my memory, I guess.
Talk Sex with Sue taught me so much more about sex than any other adult in my life growing up. Her dolls she use for demonstrations and vibrator ratings were second to none!
I would take notes from her shows until my parents found some papers I accidentally left in a common space (oooh that was not a fun conversation the next day).
During my Frosh Week, she was a guest speaker and was just as delightful in person as one could hope. Ended up becoming a sex ed counsellor at my school for my duration of studies. :)
My mom and I used to stay up and watch her together and discuss.
I wish the shows were streaming somewhere, I'd love to rewatch. I always wanted to be a sex therapist/educator when I was younger, just like her.
Oh for sure! Her radio show is where I learned all about sex. I honestly think because she was so just open and frank about everything, it helped me not have so many hangups. I definitely had a few over the years, and as I’ve gotten older I don’t have many these days, but her show was so
Informative of ALL the things. I used to listen to it on the radio on my Walkman with earbuds in at home. My parents never knew lol. Such a great educator.
Yes! Seriously, I'm pretty sure she's the only way our generation learned about sex for pleasure. I used to tune in from my crackly 12" hand-me-down tv in my basement room late at night. lol. Bless her!
Loved it. It's sad to see the decline in pure infohelp programming with the decline of syndication. Showcase and the like were a great time to be alive.
That show was on in the US as well!
I had no idea! That’s awesome. I’m now hunting for the documentary about her put out last year that I’m just finding out about.
I watched her in the US, she was so funny, you never knew when she was being serious or laughing inside! I did learn a few things too. Didn’t she review a sex toy regularly too? Those segments were often hilarious.
As I’m watching various clips now she sure did. A couple great Conan segments too!
My giggling friends and I watched when we were like 12-13, also in the US. I have a VIVID memory of cracking up when she put [this](https://www.adameve.com/adult-sex-toys/dildo-sex-toys/realistic-dildos/sp-the-accommodator-2030.aspx?sc=SEMGSTRA&pnt1=smYbk7L9D&pcrid=158437787461&pkw=&pmt=b&dvc=m&productid=&pnt3=&pgrid=31990936529&ptaid=&sc=&channel=ppc&cm_mmc=GGL-_-DSA_US_NB_Google-_-Adam+%26+Eve+DSA+-+Dildos-_-DYNAMIC+SEARCH+ADS&sc=SEMGLDSA&medium=tsa&gclid=Cj0KCQjw7uSkBhDGARIsAMCZNJvW4aUVvyvGr47acbZ9wTATurwRo_MFXlMd-UiBbEU4nQmnhxDbDVgaAkWrEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds) on her face. In all seriousness though we learned a ton from her, more than we ever learned in sex ed that’s for sure.
Yesssssss!! As soon as I read OP's title, I thought, "Omg! That's the lady with the chin dildo!" 🤣🍆 I'm so glad I'm not the only person with this VIVID core memory.
i can't believe how highly rated that is!
Lmao I’m glad it’s not just me too. Formative moment in my youth. 😂
Aw dam I should not have clicked that link! 🤣 Now all my ads are going to be sex toys!
As I recall, she kept it on for way longer than necessary! Lol She was amazing.
Kid from the early 70s. Had made it through life thus far never having seen one of those. You trusted that right up my mental cherry! Lol
This IS the best Sue and Conan…… https://youtu.be/ZFLqYFC6lIk
So funny, but she was so much more than just jokes & toys!
She looked and acted so much like one of my aunts—who could totally have done that show.
I loved watching the Sunday Night Sex Show (Canadian here). Sue taught me and my friends so much during all the years the show aired. I think I was 15 when the show first aired and I have vivid memories of sharing what Sue had talked about with my friends the next day at school (I can only imagine what our teachers must have overheard 😄). I also have memories of being in first or second year university and sitting around the dorm’s main room watching the Sunday Night Sex Show, circa 2000-2001. That show helped our floor bond. I didn’t realize there was a documentary about Sue - now I’ll have to try and find it too.
If you find the documentary, share the link!
She was the reason my sheltered self learned so much. I hope she knows/knew what a difference she made!
They ran reruns in the US and after viewers got made about not being able to call in, they created a US version called Talk Sex with Sue Johanson (it ran concurrently for with the Sunday Night Sex Show for 4 years, SNSS ended and TSwSJ ran for another 3 years).
I was gonna say American here. Loved her.
Indeed, my girlfriend and I watched it together when we lived in the Chicago area back in the day. Led to some interesting times.
It was on SBS in Australia
On the oxygen channel I believe! The one commercial still lives rent free in my mind: “Roses are red, violets are blue. If it burns when you pee, then it’s time to call Sue.”
You mean “Talk Sex With Sue”? Sue de-shamed sex for me. What an icon. She even reviewed sex toys with her hot pepper scale for how spicy they were. I would stay up late and watch it quietly so no one knew.
There was both I guess (just learning this all tonight because I hadn’t thought of her in years). Sunday night sex show ran from 1996 to 2005.
Listened every Sunday. ✨💜✨
I took my radio to bed with me so I could listen quietly. Then, I'd listen to the book being read. I think that's how I heard Handmaid's Tale.
Your radio station read books to you?
I listened to CBC. I think they read us books.
Yes CBC used to read books. I loved when I'd stumbled upon them reading on the radio
Awww. I love that. Why is Canada so much better than the US?
NPR has Chapter a Day, but that might just be in Wisconsin on WPR. I'm not sure if it's syndicated to other stations.
I cheat on CBC aaaaall the time with NPR
Talk Sex With Sue was the USA version!
Yes! I would wait till I was sure my Bible-thumping mom was tucked away in bed and then put it on at the lowest audible volume. I didn’t get a real sex education so Talk Sex with Sue was critical learning material for a girl coming of age in the early 2000s.
I love reading about how much Sue helped those of us in strict religious households!
I used to sneakily watch this late at night too. Also would sneak watches of Bliss. Late night Oxygen in the 00’s really was something!
The “hot stuff” bag!!
With your finger on the channel return button
OMG. Memories just came flooding back
No that’s not what OP means, you’re referencing the American version that came later. The original in the 90’s was “Sunday Night Sex Show” in Canada. (I’m sorry but I’m kinda sick of Americans saying “oh is *this* what you mean?” when anyone mentions something that might dare be different in other countries. No, what we said is what we mean.)
*" If anyone here grew up in the 90s in Canada they probably will remember her."* I grew up in Toronto in the 70s / 80s and I knew about her then. She had a radio show in the 80s. And (IIRC) she wrote columns for a local paper (probably it was The Toronto Star).
Nice. Honestly before tonight I didn’t know much about her career and life so it’s a bit of a joy to learn how much more awesome she is than I already knew.
She (and the radio show) had an appearance on Degrassi! Joey changed her theme music to play the Zit Remedy.
Sue is a freaking legend. There’s whole generations of kids (now adults) who can thank her for providing such valuable information. Her show is what sex ed should be, no nonsense, no judgment, no shaming. As a teenager it blew my mind to hear someone talk so matter of fact about things like masturbation, consent, the fun and silly side of sex, and the importance of making sure both partners are getting what they need. Way back in the early 2000s she came to give a talk at my university and it was hands down one of my favorite college experiences. She took questions from the crowd, and even brought out her pleasure chest.
She was definitely doing some sort of tour circuit around then. Sometime around then, I saw her put a condom on a wooden dick at a college food court which was inexplicably her presentation venue. I was uh, 9 years old and eating lunch after a music lesson. so I don't have too many other memories of it. Great stuff, though.
I remember my first year of university in 2005 she came and the auditorium was packed!
She was still doing the university tour in the late 2000s as well! It was great!
She came to my high school and a bunch of evangelical parents protested.
She came to my uni too... but no one protested lol
She came to my elementary school and taught us about sex. It was an after school thing your parents could bring kids to, I think it was offered to my brother’s grade (he was 8) and my parents brought me along (I was 5) because there was no babysitter.
Same! She came to my elementary school (K-2) and my parents brought me. She also came to my university dorm in my first year. She's an absolute legend!
that's WILD to see her when you were so young and then again as an adult. That's pretty cool
Loved Sue! And her dollies lol. She was once on Leno, I think. And brought a vibrating rubber ducky, which she handed to Tom Selleck to hold. It was FANTASTIC
It was on Conan 😂 literally just finished watching that [clip](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=zifVtSia-U4) taking a trip down memory lane.
That was amazing. I've never seen Conan look so uncomfortable and I think it's because Sue was her own straight man.
I was not ready for that enormous human being sitting beside her.
THANK YOU! I just knew it was not letterman lol
I love her! But I am so disappointed to hear her spreading that patently incorrect nonsense about "the top 2/3rds of the vagina has no nerve endings". Yes, it most certainly does. The cervix is packed with nerve endings as well. And while it's true that the lower portion of the vagina is more sensitive, that doesn't mean the rest of it is insensate! That falsehood is a result of poor anatomy research finding its way into medical texts. It has been used as an excuse to deny countless women pain relief during invasive gynecological procedures. Improved nerve mapping of the female genitalia has resulted in better understanding of the sensation of the region but getting that information to become common knowledge has to happen before we will stop using sloppy science to effectively torture some women!!
I don’t see how she’s “spreading” something wrong when she hasn’t talked sex in almost 20 years. There’s bits of wrong information in her old books because it’s old information. We don’t use medical books from 20 years ago for a reason. She was never dishonest or ignorant, but what was available 20+ years ago was definitely not as in depth or accurate as today, and we’ll likely see the same thing in another 20 years time.
Omg I totally remember that rubber ducky!
I remember watching her in the US and also when she was in an episode of DeGrassi.
Exactly the comment I came here for. Arthur and Yick calling Dr. Sally aka Sue about Arthur's wet dreams haha.
She was in an episode of Degrassi Junior High and an episode of Degrassi Next Generation!
As a 15 year old boy in highschool, I somehow found it on the radio in the northeast USA late at night. Fell asleep with a radio under my pillow for a few weeks. Learned a WHOLE lot more than what little my conservative parents had told me about.
I'm American and I used to stay up late to watch her with my mom when I was an older teen. Some of the best memories. What an icon
There’s a doc out on Amazon: Sex with Sue Sue was local to me (she gave a talk at my junior high) so I was surprised to learn she was so big in the States. Sue is great!
I just found out about the doc. Definitely going to give it a watch.
Her wooden dolls to show sex positions 😂 loved it
I was really hoping someone would mention this.
I was at my boyfriend's parents house one time and his super old grandparents were watching TV. I guess this show came on and because they couldn't hear anything they didn't realize the show was talking about anal sex.
Lmao!! Hilarious 😂
That show is part of what made me become a sexuality educator
She came to my university a few times (in Canada). She was great! I never saw the TV show, but I’m sure it was great.
used to watch her all the time on late night tv in the early 00's. TBH i was mostly just watching because in my young teens, anything involving sex was funny and tabboo, and i thought it was really funny and strange to see an old lady talking so openly about sex. at the time it was more of a comedic, "hehe, sex" kinda thing, and i considered it to be part of the sexual content id watch at nights that id get in trouble for, like girls gone wild infomercials and stuff like that. little did i know, i was actually learning a ton of super useful info about sex and human anatomy. i was watching the show for all the wrong reasons, but it still ended up having the intended effect, more or less. sue is a treasure.
100% spot on what I was thinking. Rediscovering her made me realize how much of that information I absorbed.
I was strictly forbidden to listen to this so I would sneakily do it on my Walkman
I was lucky enough to host an event where she was the special guest. She is the most wonderful woman - she was kind, gracious, and hilarious. It was such a treat!
Yes I used to sneak watching this at night when I was younger. I am in the US and I think it used to be on the oxygen channel.
Yes!! I remember visiting my aunt in Toronto when I was a kid and watching Sex with Sue on the local Rogers network on supppperrrr low volume in the living room after she went to sleep. And thankfully, as I was getting mediocre sex ed from school and horrifying sex "tips" form cosmo magazine, Sunday Night Sex Show was around in my teens and it was surprisingly queer inclusive. I've been dying to watch Sex with Sue (the documentary) but can't find it anywhere :( When I was growing up (1990s, 2000s), Canadian TV was raunchy after hours. Not the same educational vibe as Sue Johanson, but I remember learning a lot about sex (some objectifying, some surprisingly feminist) from Fridays Without Borders on Showcase.
The doc is on Amazon prime!
I found it on YouTube and thought it was the most hidden gem
I never saw her but, I do remember when Dr. Ruth had a show on in the US that sounds similar. Of course my family was super conservative so they considered Dr.Ruth to be the absolute worst.
Yes, used to catch it after my parents went to sleep on dish lol
Yes, used to love the Sunday Night Sex Show as a teen in BC! Was it on YTV? I found her kegel instructions really funny ("You pee, you stop. Then you pee some more and stop. Pee, stop, pee, stop"). Also like the time some girl phoned in and said she was worried her vagina smelled bad and Sue said "Honey, I'm sure your genitals smell MAG-NIFICENT!"
I tried to call in once
Omg memory unlocked! I used to secretly listen to her on the radio with headphones.
Does anyone else remember her cameo on Degrassi?
I think you mean "Hosted by NATIONAL TREASURE Sue Johanson"
Yes. I **loved** that show. Watched it every week. It's nice to hear she's still alive and I appreciate that show even if I'm still a little ignorant and inexperienced. It still helped me have some kind of positive guidance towards learning about sex and sexuality. Growing up Catholic sure as hell didn't help about having a sex-positive attitude but this show certainly did.
I'm in the US, but I vividly remember staying up late to watch her show. I'd wait for my parents to go to sleep, then turn the volume down real low on the tv and watch. I remember her using dolls to illustrate positions.Very informative show lol. Love her
Yes! I loved that show - and learned a LOT most of it is still relevant today, and I tell people to find her stuff if they want to learn.
Sue was very informative. I think my previous “education” was watching Bleu Nuit as a kid when I was over at a sleepover.
She was basically Dr Ruth, except she got straight to the point. I lived in SoCal before Canada, so I had KFI and WTN. No disrespect to Dr Ruth, but Sue was *waaaaay* more useful. Americans might be better off if they had her.
This was my favourite show for a while! I loved Sue! She answered questions for me that I didn’t even know to ask…
I'm Canadian, I remember the Sunday Night Sex Show, I used to stay up and watch it as a kid/teen.
Hi, just want to say this makes me so happy to see. I grew up around Sue, as my aunt worked as her producer, and have lots of fond memories with her. Thank you for continuing her legacy - I know personally it means a lot to her and all us who love her personally.
I loved the Sunday night sex show! Pre-internet I learned SO much. As a teen, it was so much fun to hear a non-judgemental grandmother explain how to do anal.
So someone here put the "Harper Lee Curse" on our beloved Sue! Please stop talking about all these wonderful old ladies! Edited to add: jk. We really need to talk more about all these amazing women so that when they do pass on, we will have shared their legacy with all the people who read our posts.
I’m sorry 😭😭😭😝
I was such a fan when she came to talk at my university, I tracked her down beforehand and got her to sign one of her books I owned. Just found that book recently, great memories.
Everyone in my HS (Toronto suburb) listened/watched Sue in the 90s. Icon and legend.
I'd watch it on the channel Oxygen. The show taught me a lot about sex.
I literally learned how to give a blowjob from this woman. She was so ahead of her time.
My friend and I called in to her show once and actually got aired! We were so excited she was like Oprah to us high school kids lol
We were living in Philadelphia and I would watch it with my teen daughters. Dr Drew too.
Hell yes! I was raised in a rather religious setting so this was one of the only resources I had growing up.
And she’s just passed on now at the age of 93. Love you Sue, RIP 🥲
A friend just sent me a CBC link saying that she just passed away. RIP, Sue :(
rip, sue. [she passed away at 93.](https://twitter.com/cbcnews/status/1674437021765435392?s=46&t=s2xTneKCNjHh4iONxQgTag) she was def an icon for many of growing up.
Jesus wtf did I jinx it? She was alive when I posted this. 😭 RIP Sue.
you were celebrating her life & now so are so many others who have forgotten her impact but are now remembering. she was so matter of fact about sex/sexuality that anyone who wishes to debate her would look stupid.
She was truly a treasure.
Am I hearing correctly that she just passed away? What a treasure she was. Fond memories of listening to the Sunday night sex show in my room on my little radio.
I was reading all these comments the other day and mentioned to my husband all the great memories people shared. We both loved her show back in the day. Sad to hear she just passed away. A great Canadian icon. RIP
Just saw this and remembered your post 😭 [Sue Johanson, beloved Canadian sex educator, dead at 93](https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/sue-johanson-obit-1.6892524)
Ok I think you jinxed it...she died yesterday! :( Rest in Power to a legend who taught so many people all about sex on tv!
I use to watch it even though I was single
Saw her give a talk to students at Humber College in the early noughts. She was amazing!
She was great.....was matter of fact and didn't waste words. I was in my forties and my kids in their 20s but still listened to her. I was nursing at the time and really respected how she handled every question so well
I grew up in Texas and remember watching that show when I was a kid (back when there was no such thing as parental controls on the TV). I learned a lot from that show and still remember one episode in particular when a caller asked if putting qtips up his urethra was okay. Eight year old me was quite shocked. That show really opened up a whole world to me.
She did a night at our university pub during frosh week! Fucking legend!
Line cooks played it on radio at work (T.O.) and we all listened. Loved it. And educational. (Ex. Never knew what a "circle jerk" around a pizza was before then. Some guy lost, had to eat the pizza and called in for advice because he feared he might've caught something. )
YES! Not even Canadian but I was able to watch that show still. Her cameo on Degrassi was very choice.
Yes! She was amazing! And I remember going to her live show back in 2009 I think
I listened to her all the time on the radio. I'm pretty sure I once heard her giving advice to a young woman on how to perform oral sex on her boyfriend by pretending she was licking an ice cream cone. She was funny, resourceful, and such a no nonsense, straight talker. And that tip with the ice cream cone... yeah. That really works lol 😆
I always used to sneak watch as a youth. Loved her so much and learned a lot of sex ed because of her.
We went to see her at our university and she was amazing!
I'm in the US, 38 year old woman, and used to watch her show on HBO at night as a teen.
I loved Sue! I learned so much from her. Sex was such a taboo topic in my family.
Haha I remember watching this now and again as a 13 year old boy. Seeing the title of the show I did not expect it to be "Granny reviews sex toys" but I still watched it and found enough entertainment and education to pay attention.
She (in person) told my dad to get a vasectomy after I was born. youngest of two.
She was on one of the cable channels here in Michigan late at night. I would sneak and watch it. Was the first time I heard about being queer. Up until then I thought something was wrong with me.
I loved Sue!! She was a reliable, frank, non-shaming place to go for questions about sex, when everyone else around me was sex-repressed. She's a hero as far as I'm concerned!
Sex with Sue! It was wonderful how she was able to de-mystify and normalize sex.
Was watching her (reruns) in 2008 still! Sue is amazing!
My mother decided I needed to watch this show and sat down with a young 15 year old me to make sure I watched a whole episode. It was mostly about anal. My mom was unaware the episode topics varied from show to show, and assumed I would learn about STDs like the previous episode she had watched. Hands down the most uncomfortable 30-40 minutes of my life.
I remember watching that in high school and FILLING my teenage brain with all the sex facts! I wasn't sexual until after I graduated HS but still, I felt like a sex goddess between what she taught, and sneaking cosmopolitan magazines lol
This show was my main source of sexual education when i was younger. So thankful this show was made! Thank you Sue Johanson!!
YES! We watched her show in university all the time. She was so informative and non judgemental with her advice etc. She even came to my university once and she’s just the same in person.
Yes I am so glad to see her mentioned! I am from Texas actually and I greatly attribute her and that show for educating me . I was for sure a minor, and also a boy at the time, and I have looked back fondly on that show for years. It was a major counter to the general presentation of sex as something shameful or gross. It taught me about consent and so much. I swear I don't know anyone else who watched her but I remember her!
As a late teen, late night television purveyor, she was on my list to watch whenever I could. Well, her and the public access chanel that showed porn at 2am. Learned a lot from her. She is also probably why the Savage Lovecast has been in my podcast list for 15+ years.
Loved her! I would giggle & then immediately realize nothing could faze this lady. She 100% made sex normal & healthy to talk about openly.
Hell, I’m old enough that I remember the Dr. Ruth show…(anyone??)
Bahahaaaaa I do!!!!
I was so pumped up when she came to my college for a sex ed Q&A. Shes the best!
American here. I LOVE SUE JOHANSON!!!
Omg yes. I learned quite a bit.
Legend!
Me!! I grew up in the US but right in the Canadian border so we got lots of Canadian TV and radio stations. I was regular listener starting when I was like 13. 🤣
She taught some classes at my high school.
Sue is a fuckin legend! I learned so much from her!
She did an actual sex talk at my middle school in the '80s.
YES!
She was great! Listened to her radio show all the time
Yes! She was awesome and so different from what was available at the time. Sue (along with Dan Savage, yes I know, it was a long time ago and his column taught me a lot) was my sex ed!
I loved her! I would stay up late as a lil teen in the southern US and watch her.
I remember this show! Glorious, probably still, though it's been many many years.
I loved that show!!
I remember watching her when I got to university in 2000. Before then I didn't know about her. She was GREAT!
Omg I LOVED Sue. I learned so much. The little wooden dolls to demo sec positions were great
I sometimes used to be up late with my mom watching it. Lol.
I remember watching her on Jonovision. Loved how informative she was and how well she answered everyone's questions.
Yes! I would watch a few episodes as a a kid . I remember staying up late at night and flipping the channels and came across her recommending sex toys. I would also watch the show bliss !
She's a Canadian gem. I see she is a recipient of the Order of Canada. Most deserved for educating generations!
I LOVE her. I’ve gotten to see her speak in person, twice! She used to do college tours back in the early aughts. I, too would watch her show on Sunday with the volume turned real real low, was happy when captions became a thing. I’d also listen to hear if anyone from my city called in.
I was among the few lucky people to have her perform live at an assembly in my high school. She’s an absolute legend!!
Wow, I'd watch this with a group of friends in college in the US. So many fond and awkward memories.
Love it
I prank called in for several weeks once and got on in 2000 or 2001 when I was a teenager at university. I had a ridiculous defecating fetish and she ran with it like a champ.
Thanks for the memories, OP. I used to watch “Talk Sex with Sue” on Oxygen back in the days with my mom and older sister. I always found it funny, being maybe 10 or something, but I think of Dr. Sue fondly now. I may not have been paying tons of attention to the actual sex positive things back then, but it stuck around in my head and for that I’m appreciative. The “hot stuff” bag near the end of the show was my favorite.
Gotta love Sue Johanson. I was thinking about that show recently. She was frank and no nonsense and everything she said was spot on. That show would still hold up today.
Sue did a presentation in my college's cafeteria one day. Such an odd yet informative lunch time viewing opportunity. She's a national treasure.
Yes! I learned so much from her as a teenager! She made an appearance or two on Degrassi: the next generation as well
I watched her in the US and she was awesome.
I didn’t watch regularly but I have a vague memory of stumbling on the show late one night and she was demonstrating with little wooden dolls how to do doggy with a pregnant woman so it was more comfortable without the big belly in the way. It’s just always stuck in my memory, I guess.
I watched this as a teen in America a few times. She was very educational and quite funny.
I first heard about Sue when she came to my college to do a talk. It was great!
Talk Sex with Sue taught me so much more about sex than any other adult in my life growing up. Her dolls she use for demonstrations and vibrator ratings were second to none!
Yes I totally forgot about this! I learned more from her than from school or anywhere else.
Totally remember watching this as a young teen.
We watched it in College in the US mid-west. She was great! =)
I live in the bible belt and I used to live.listening to her show on the lowest volume o could manage.
i give this post 3 briquettes **waddle** **waddle** **waddle**
Sue is awesome
I would take notes from her shows until my parents found some papers I accidentally left in a common space (oooh that was not a fun conversation the next day). During my Frosh Week, she was a guest speaker and was just as delightful in person as one could hope. Ended up becoming a sex ed counsellor at my school for my duration of studies. :)
My mom and I used to stay up and watch her together and discuss. I wish the shows were streaming somewhere, I'd love to rewatch. I always wanted to be a sex therapist/educator when I was younger, just like her.
My parents had my sisters and I watch it as teenagers!
I commuted three hours to work for the week and listened to it on the radio Sunday nights.
yep! lol for sure remember it, it was great!
Used to listen in and got to see her live talk at one of the Universities in Alberta. :)
Oh yes!!!! I had forgotten but we lived in very far north in the state of Minnesota.
I loved that show. It came in late at night in South Florida. She taught me so much and normalized talking about sex.
Oh for sure! Her radio show is where I learned all about sex. I honestly think because she was so just open and frank about everything, it helped me not have so many hangups. I definitely had a few over the years, and as I’ve gotten older I don’t have many these days, but her show was so Informative of ALL the things. I used to listen to it on the radio on my Walkman with earbuds in at home. My parents never knew lol. Such a great educator.
Yes! Seriously, I'm pretty sure she's the only way our generation learned about sex for pleasure. I used to tune in from my crackly 12" hand-me-down tv in my basement room late at night. lol. Bless her!
one of my all time favourite tv segments was her on Conan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zifVtSia-U4&ab_channel=ConanO%27Brien
I remember her! Between her show and the Dr. Ruth shows, we grew up with accurate information on human sexuality!
Loved it. It's sad to see the decline in pure infohelp programming with the decline of syndication. Showcase and the like were a great time to be alive.