| Show fT I SPECIAL PARADE'S Intelligence Report BeimmdftWoodmWmcohWPandoMMftdcanadmumWerim - 1 b r- - "rt-'" ' R-- I 'i r Q 10 : I 177 s cl gi 1 e : ir:f 1 i pii ow 1:4b 1 it :) :: The Schecters during '87 return to Russia: Women are still weary says Leona (seated) sex life of the The young woman in Soviet Union is deficient inferior and virtually passe— at least with her husband "Basically she is too fatigued too exhausted too overworked to make love or what is more important to even think of making love and thereby stimulating desire "She is a prisoner of Soviet custom and doctrine which calls for a wife without her husband's help to perform the tough rough rugged household chores —the laundry the cleaning the cooking the moving the shopping the of these in addition to holding down her own job outside the home eight hours a day "Unless you've witnessed it firsthand you have no idea of what an arduous and aggravating day the Soviet woman puts in She rises early not much past 6 prepares breakfast for the family gets the children off to school goes to child-caring—- all g —more cooking more more laundry—they have no Laundromats—more menial labor of every type Even if she managed to generate a minimal desire for conjugal relations the typical Soviet wife simply does not have enough energy at the end of her day for any passionate lovemaking If she submits to her husband I suspect she falls asleep a few minutes into her submission "No wonder so many Soviet men drink sulk and accuse their wives of frigidity and indifference No wonder the Soviet Union is so rife with divorce A whole nation of wives has become too tired for love" The above are the spoken words of Leona Schecter who knows Russia and its women well In the late 19608 she and her child-carin- Too Tired for Sex her own work During lunch it's hurry up and wait Instead of enjoying a breather she bolts down her food and races to the closest store where she waits and waits and waits to buy whatever approximates the needs of her family Almost always there's a shortage of meat fruit vegetables soap and quality products of anything "Once she gets home she begins another battery of chores husband Jerrold then bureau lived in chief for Time-Lif- e Moscow with their five children Choosing to live outside the American enclave the Schecters sent the children to Soviet schools where they gradually were integrated into Soviet society permitting their parents to establish a network of Soviet friends and an intimate knowledge of their ways and values The seven Schecters later wrote about their Soviet experiences in An American Family in Moscow a collective work published and well-receiv- in 1975 In 1987 the Schecters and their extended family flew back to st Moscow to write another book and r 'A s E 1 t okaemic' j jr to film a documentary on how w 4 itt t Russian life had changed since f do ' ' r6ift10111 1968 The result is Back in the 1i USSR a fascinating book 1 t4! published last month by Scribner's t that reveals how glasnost and 111 perestroika are affecting the lives of the average Soviet citizen According to Leona Schecter have been many changes 'There I ' in the Soviet Union—especially '5!" N'- tf 41111111t in the expanded freedom of as and the A1 speech the sex press—but life of the average regards Soviet housewife the operative N sentence still is 'Not tonight Leona Schecter shops in Moscow market Sergei Too tired— 41:!e r - ' f t-1- 4414e617 - BY LLOYD SHEARER On Top ow bill 1 that his seventh book Gracie: A Love Story has made all the best-sell- er lists comedian George Burns 93:1s hard at work dictating his eighth It's a compilation of anecdotes yarns and reminiscences titled All of My Best Friends These friends past and present include Jack Benny George Jessel Phil Silvers Danny Thomas Milton Berle Hemay Youngman and dozens more In almost a century of work a man makes many pals and colleagues George's literary agent Artie Pine (also a friend of course) already has arranged for him to accept a $425000 advance on the book A second Burns project in the works engineered by his lace manager l!Irving Fein is a videotape i t called George ' - - ' -1 ki Ah - Burns: Ills Wit !and Wisdom 'Itshrowshow up his good health For Bum Good shape demonstrating his wisdom the comic is getting $150000 and 50 of the royalties To be healthy wealthy wise d and in demand at age 93 is to be as George Burns so pithily puts it "in good shape" In fact he is in such good financial shape that he celebrated his birthday on Jan 20 by announcing that he was donating $1 million to the Cedars-SinMedical Center in Los Angeles "At my age" he quipped "it's great to get out of bed every morning I well-love- ai can't make any money in bed" A justified optimist Burns insists he'll play the London Palladium on his 100th birthday 'Tm booked in for two weeks" be advises with a small smile "If you're on the ball you'll order your tickets now" 1989 PAGE 14 FEBRUARY 26 1989 PARADE MAGAZINE |
