Dr. Ruth, the host who revolutionized the way we talk about sex on TV, dies

Ruth Westheimer, famous on American television as Dr. Ruth, has died. She was 96 and lived in New York. In the 1980s, she received a radio program of just 15 minutes, in the early hours of the morning, to talk about sexuality. The success was instant.

Soon she received an invitation to make her TV debut. She continued to give advice in simple and funny language. She openly said that men and women had the right to pleasure without guilt. One of her most famous quotes was about oral sex. “Pretend it’s an ice cream cone.”

Popular and respected, she appeared several times on the most popular talk shows of the time. She was included in the list of the most interesting people of the 20th century in the magazines “Playboy” and “People”. She worked in front of the cameras until 1993, when she decided to retire. She dedicated herself to a YouTube channel for a few years.

Ruth Westheimer’s relaxed style has been copied by programs all over the world. She has made a significant contribution to the fight against taboos, especially those that prevent female orgasm.

Born in Germany, she came from an Orthodox Jewish family. The rise of Hitler’s Nazism prompted her parents to send her to boarding school in Switzerland. She never saw them again: they were killed in a concentration camp.

As a teenager, Ruth moved to Palestine. She also received training as a sniper. At the age of 20, she was injured by shrapnel during an attack on Jerusalem. Recovery took months.

She married an Israeli soldier. In Paris she studied psychology at the Sorbonne. Divorced, she emigrated to New York. She earned a master’s degree in sociology and became a doctor of pedagogy. She later specialized in sex therapy.

Ruth Westheimer had two children from different marriages and four grandchildren. Under 5’3″ tall, with a pleasant accent and always smiling, she leaves behind a legion of admirers and countless disciples who talk about sex on television.

Source: Terra