ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Julia Sweeney - Actor, comedian, playwright
Julia Sweeney creates comedic works that tackle deep issues: cancer, family, faith.

Why you should listen

Julia Sweeney is a writer, director, actress, comedian and monologist. She is known for being a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 1990 to 1995, where she created and popularized the androgynous character, Pat. She is also well known for her comedic and dramatic monologues. God Said Ha! is a monologue about serious illness, her brother's lymphoma and her own cancer, and her family's crazy reactions to this crisis as they soldiered their way through struggle, confusion and death. This play was performed all over the U.S. and on Broadway at the Lyceum Theater. It was made into a film produced by Quentin Tarantino, and the comedy album from the show was nominated for a Grammy.

Sweeney's second monologue, In the Family Way, played in theatrical runs in New York and Los Angeles. It was ultimately fashioned into a book, a memoir titled If It's Not One Thing, It's Your Mother. Sweeney's third monologue, Letting Go of God, chronicled her journey from Catholicism to atheism. It was made into a film that played on Showtime.

More profile about the speaker
Julia Sweeney | Speaker | TED.com
TED2010

Julia Sweeney: It's time for "The Talk"

Julia Sweeney punya "Cerita"

Filmed:
3,719,405 views

Meskipun sudah berusaha, artis komedi Julia Sweeney terpaksa berbohong saat putrinya yang berusia 8 tahun mulai belajar tentang reproduksi katak -- dan mulai menanyakan pertanyaan-pertanyaan cerdas.
- Actor, comedian, playwright
Julia Sweeney creates comedic works that tackle deep issues: cancer, family, faith. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

00:15
I have a daughterputri, MulanMulan.
0
0
2000
Saya memiliki seorang putri, Mulan.
00:17
And when she was eightdelapan, last yeartahun,
1
2000
3000
Dan tahun lalu saat dia berusia delapan tahun,
00:20
she was doing a reportmelaporkan for schoolsekolah
2
5000
2000
dia menulis laporan untuk tugas sekolahnya,
00:22
or she had some homeworkpekerjaan rumah about frogskatak.
3
7000
2000
atau mendapatkan PR tentang katak.
00:24
And we were at this restaurantrestoran,
4
9000
2000
Dan kami berada di rumah makan.
00:26
and she said, "So, basicallypada dasarnya,
5
11000
2000
Dan dia berkata, "Jadi, pada dasarnya,
00:28
frogskatak layawam eggstelur
6
13000
2000
katak bertelur
00:30
and the eggstelur turnbelok into tadpolesBerudu,
7
15000
2000
dan telurnya berubah menjadi berudu,
00:32
and tadpolesBerudu turnbelok into frogskatak."
8
17000
2000
dan dari berudu berubah menjadi katak."
00:34
And I said, "Yeah. You know, I'm not really up on my frogkatak reproductionreproduksi that much.
9
19000
3000
Dan saya berkata, "Ya. Saya tidak begitu mengerti tentang reproduksi katak.
00:37
It's the femalesPerempuan, I think, that layawam the eggstelur,
10
22000
2000
Saya pikir katak betina bertelur.
00:39
and then the maleslaki-laki fertilizemenyuburkan them.
11
24000
2000
Dan para pejantan yang memberi pupuk.
00:41
And then they becomemenjadi tadpolesBerudu and frogskatak."
12
26000
2000
Lalu telur-telur itu menjadi berudu dan katak."
00:43
And she saysmengatakan, "What? Only the femalesPerempuan have eggstelur?"
13
28000
2000
Dan dia berkata, "Apa? Hanya katak betina yang bertelur?"
00:45
And I said, "Yeah."
14
30000
2000
Dan saya menjawab, "Iya"
00:47
And she goespergi, "And what's this fertilizingpemupukan?"
15
32000
2000
Dan dia bertanya kembali, "Lalu apa pupuknya?"
00:49
So I kindjenis of said, "Oh, it's this extratambahan ingredientbahan,
16
34000
2000
Jadi saya menjawab, "Oh, itu bahan tambahan,
00:51
you know, that you need
17
36000
2000
kau tahu, yang diperlukan
00:53
to createmembuat a newbaru frogkatak
18
38000
2000
untuk menciptakan katak baru
00:55
from the momibu and dadayah frogkatak." (LaughterTawa)
19
40000
2000
dari ayah dan ibu katak."
00:57
And she said, "Oh, so is that truebenar for humansmanusia too?"
20
42000
3000
Dan dia berkata, "Oh, jadi manusia juga seperti itu, benar?"
01:00
And I thought, "Okay, here we go."
21
45000
3000
Dan saya berpikir, "Baik, begini."
01:03
I didn't know it would happenterjadi so quickcepat, at eightdelapan.
22
48000
2000
Saya tidak tahu hal ini akan terjadi sangat cepat, pada usia delapan tahun.
01:05
I was tryingmencoba to rememberingat all the guidebooksbuku panduan,
23
50000
2000
Saya mencoba mengingat semua buku panduan,
01:07
and all I could rememberingat was,
24
52000
2000
dan yang dapat saya ingat adalah,
01:09
"Only answermenjawab the questionpertanyaan they're askingmeminta.
25
54000
2000
"Jawablah hal-hal yang ditanyakan saja.
01:11
Don't give any more informationinformasi." (LaughterTawa)
26
56000
3000
Jangan memberikan informasi yang lain."
01:14
So I said, "Yes."
27
59000
2000
Jadi saya berkata, "Iya."
01:16
And she said, "And where do, umUMM,
28
61000
3000
Dan dia bertanya, "Lalu di mana,
01:19
where do humanmanusia womenwanita,
29
64000
2000
di mana kaum wanita
01:21
like, where do womenwanita layawam theirmereka eggstelur?"
30
66000
2000
menaruh telurnya?"
01:23
And I said, "Well,
31
68000
2000
Dan saya menjawab, "Begini,
01:25
funnylucu you should askmeminta. (LaughterTawa)
32
70000
3000
kau mungkin merasa lucu.
01:28
We have evolvedberevolusi to have our ownsendiri pondkolam.
33
73000
3000
Kita memiliki kolam kita sendiri.
01:31
We have our very ownsendiri pondkolam insidedalam our bodiestubuh.
34
76000
3000
Kita memiliki kolam pribadi di dalam tubuh kita.
01:34
And we layawam our eggstelur there,
35
79000
2000
Dan kita meletakkan telur di sana.
01:36
we don't have to worrykuatir about other eggstelur or anything like that.
36
81000
3000
Kita tidak perlu khawatir tentang telur yang lain atau hal-hal seperti itu.
01:39
It's our ownsendiri pondkolam. And that's how it happensterjadi."
37
84000
3000
Ini kolam kita sendiri. Dan begitulah kejadiannya."
01:42
And she goespergi, "Then how do they get fertilizeddibuahi?"
38
87000
2000
Lalu dia bertanya lagi, "Lalu bagaimana telur-telur itu dipupuk?"
01:44
And I said, "Well,
39
89000
2000
Dan saya menjawab, "Begini,
01:46
MenLaki-laki, throughmelalui theirmereka penispenis,
40
91000
3000
Pria, melalui penis mereka,
01:49
they fertilizemenyuburkan the eggstelur by the spermsperma comingkedatangan out.
41
94000
3000
mereka memupuk telur-telur itu dengan sperma yang keluar
01:52
And you go throughmelalui the woman'swanita vaginavagina."
42
97000
3000
dan melalui vagina si wanita."
01:55
And so we're just eatingmakan, and her jawrahang just dropstetes,
43
100000
2000
Saat itu kami sedang makan, dan dia langsung tercengang,
01:57
and she goespergi, "MomIbu!
44
102000
2000
dan dia berkata, "Bu!
01:59
Like, where you go to the bathroomkamar mandi?"
45
104000
3000
Mirip dengan pergi ke kamar mandi?"
02:02
And I said, "I know.
46
107000
2000
Dan saya berkata, "Saya tahu.
02:04
I know."
47
109000
2000
Saya tahu."
02:06
(LaughterTawa)
48
111000
6000
(Tawa)
02:12
That's how we evolvedberevolusi. It does seemterlihat oddaneh.
49
117000
2000
Begitulah cara kita berkembang biak. Memang terdengar aneh.
02:14
It is a little bitsedikit like havingmemiliki a wastelimbah treatmentpengobatan plantmenanam
50
119000
3000
Ibarat memiliki tempat pengolahan limbah
02:17
right nextberikutnya to an amusementHiburan parktaman ...
51
122000
3000
di sebelah taman hiburan.
02:20
BadBuruk zoningzonasi, but ..." (LaughterTawa)
52
125000
2000
Penempatan yang buruk. Tapi...
02:22
She's like, "What?" And she goespergi, "But MomIbu,
53
127000
3000
Dia menjawab, "Apa?" Dan dia meneruskan, "Tapi Bu,
02:25
but menpria and womenwanita can't ever see eachsetiap other nakedtelanjang, MomIbu.
54
130000
3000
pria dan wanita tidak pernah melihat satu sama lain telanjang.
02:28
So how could that ever happenterjadi?"
55
133000
2000
Bagaimana hal itu bisa terjadi?"
02:30
And then I go, "Well," and then I put my MargaretMargaret MeadMead hattopi on.
56
135000
3000
Dan saya memakai topi Margaret Mead.
02:34
"HumanManusia maleslaki-laki and femalesPerempuan
57
139000
2000
"Manusia pria dan wanita
02:36
developmengembangkan a specialkhusus bondobligasi,
58
141000
3000
mengembangkan ikatan khusus,
02:39
and when they're much olderlebih tua, much, much olderlebih tua than you,
59
144000
3000
dan saat mereka dewasa, jauh lebih dewasa darimu,
02:42
and they have a very specialkhusus feelingperasaan,
60
147000
2000
dan mereka memiliki perasaan yang sangat khusus,
02:44
then they can be nakedtelanjang togetherbersama."
61
149000
2000
mereka dapat telanjang bersama."
02:46
And she said, "MomIbu,
62
151000
2000
Dan dia berkata, "Bu,
02:48
have you doneselesai this before?"
63
153000
2000
apakah Ibu pernah melakukan ini sebelumnya?"
02:50
And I said, "Yes."
64
155000
3000
Dan saya berkata, "Iya."
02:53
And she said, "But MomIbu, you can't have kidsanak-anak."
65
158000
2000
Dan dia berkata, "Tapi, Ibu tidak bisa memiliki anak."
02:55
Because she knowstahu that I adopteddiadopsi her and that I can't have kidsanak-anak.
66
160000
2000
Karena dia tahu bahwa dia adalah anak angkat dan saya tidak dapat memliki anak.
02:57
And I said, "Yes."
67
162000
2000
Dan saya menjawab, "Iya".
02:59
And she said, "Well, you don't have to do that again."
68
164000
2000
Dan dia berkata, "Kalau begitu, Ibu tidak perlu melakukannya lagi."
03:01
And I said, "..."
69
166000
3000
Lalu saya seperti, "..."
03:04
And then she said, "But how does it happenterjadi when a man and womanwanita are togetherbersama?
70
169000
3000
Lalu dia berkata, "Tapi bagaimana hal ini dapat terjadi saat pria dan wanita bersama?
03:07
Like, how do they know that's the time?
71
172000
2000
Maksudnya, bagaimana mereka tahu itulah saatnya?
03:09
MomIbu, does the man just say,
72
174000
2000
Apakah pria hanya perlu berkata,
03:11
'Is now the time to take off my pantsCelana?'"
73
176000
2000
"Apakah sekarang saatnya untuk melepas celana saya?"
03:13
(LaughterTawa)
74
178000
2000
(Tawa)
03:15
And I said, "Yes."
75
180000
2000
Dan saya berkata, "Iya."
03:17
(LaughterTawa)
76
182000
2000
(Tawa)
03:19
"That is exactlypersis right.
77
184000
3000
"Benar sekali.
03:22
That's exactlypersis how it happensterjadi."
78
187000
2000
Begitulah kejadiannya."
03:24
So we're drivingmenyetir home and she's looking out the windowjendela, and she goespergi,
79
189000
3000
Lalu saat kami dalam perjalanan pulang, dia melihat keluar jendela dan bertanya,
03:27
"MomIbu. What if two just people saw eachsetiap other on the streetjalan,
80
192000
2000
"Bu, bagaimana jika dua orang saling menatap di jalanan,
03:29
like a man and a womanwanita, they just starteddimulai doing it. Would that ever happenterjadi?"
81
194000
3000
seperti pria dan wanita, dan mereka langsung melakukannya. Apakah hal itu mungkin?"
03:32
And I said, "Oh, no. HumansManusia are so privatepribadi.
82
197000
3000
Dan saya menjawab, "Oh, tidak. Manusia sangat bersifat pribadi.
03:35
Oh ..."
83
200000
2000
Oh tidak."
03:37
And then she goespergi, "What if there was like a partypesta,
84
202000
2000
Lalu dia bertanya, "Bagaimana jika ada sebuah pesta.
03:39
and there was just like a wholeseluruh bunchbanyak of girlsanak perempuan and a wholeseluruh bunchbanyak of boysanak laki-laki,
85
204000
2000
Dan ada segerombolan pria dan wanita.
03:41
and there was a bunchbanyak of menpria and womenwanita and they just starteddimulai doing it, MomIbu?
86
206000
3000
Lalu apakah segerombolan pria dan wanita ini langsung melakukannya?
03:44
Would that ever happenterjadi?"
87
209000
2000
Apakah hal itu mungkin?"
03:46
And I said, "Oh, no, no.
88
211000
3000
Dan saya menjawab, "Tidak, tidak.
03:49
That's not how we do it."
89
214000
3000
Bukan begitu cara kita melakukannya."
03:52
Then we got home and we see the catkucing. And she goespergi,
90
217000
2000
Lalu kami pulang dan kami melihat seekor kucing. Lalu dia bertanya,
03:54
"MomIbu, how do catskucing do it?"
91
219000
2000
"Bu, bagaimana kucing melakukan hal itu?"
03:56
And I go, "Oh, it's the samesama. It's basicallypada dasarnya the samesama."
92
221000
2000
Dan saya menjawab, "Oh, sama saja. Pada dasarnya sama saja."
03:58
And then she got all caughttertangkap up in the legskaki. "But how would the legskaki go, MomIbu?
93
223000
2000
Lalu dia tertarik pada kakinya, "Tapi bagaimana dengan kakinya, Bu.
04:00
I don't understandmemahami the legskaki."
94
225000
2000
Saya tidak mengerti."
04:02
She goespergi, "MomIbu, everyonesemua orang can't do the splitsperpecahan."
95
227000
2000
Dia meneruskan, "Bu, tidak semua orang bisa melakukan split."
04:04
And I go, "I know, but the legskaki ..."
96
229000
2000
Lalu saya menjawab, "Saya tahu, tapi kakinya..."
04:06
and I'm probablymungkin like, "The legskaki get workedbekerja out."
97
231000
2000
Saya seperti, "Hal itu bisa diatasi."
04:08
And she goespergi, "But I just can't understandmemahami it."
98
233000
1000
Dan dia meneruskan, "Tapi, saya tidak mengerti."
04:09
So I go, "You know, why don't we go on the InternetInternet,
99
234000
2000
Jadi saya menjawab, "Mengapa kita tidak melihat internet,
04:11
and maybe we can see ... like on WikipediaWikipedia." (LaughterTawa)
100
236000
3000
dan mungkin kita dapat melihat ..." seperti di Wikipedia.
04:15
So we go onlineon line, and we put in "catskucing matingperkawinan."
101
240000
2000
Jadi kami online, dan kami mengetikkan perkawinan kucing.
04:17
And, unfortunatelysayangnya, on YouTubeYouTube, there's manybanyak catskucing matingperkawinan videosvideo.
102
242000
3000
Dan sialnya, di Youtube, ada banyak video kucing yang sedang kawin.
04:20
And we watcheddiawasi them and I'm so thankfulbersyukur,
103
245000
2000
Dan kami menontonnya, dan saya sangat bersyukur,
04:22
because she's just like, "WowWow! This is so amazingmenakjubkan."
104
247000
2000
karena dia hanya bereaksi seperti, "Wow! Menakjubkan."
04:24
She goespergi, "What about dogsanjing?"
105
249000
3000
Dia berkata, "Bagaimana dengan anjing?"
04:27
So we put in dogsanjing matingperkawinan, and,
106
252000
2000
Lalu kami mengetikkan perkawinan anjing dan,
04:29
you know, we're watchingmenonton it, and she's totallysama sekali absorbedterserap.
107
254000
2000
anda tahu, kami menontonnya, dan dia benar-benar terpikat.
04:31
And then she goespergi, "MomIbu,
108
256000
2000
Lalu dia berkata, "Bu
04:33
do you think they would have, on the InternetInternet,
109
258000
3000
menurut Ibu apakah di Internet ada
04:36
any humansmanusia matingperkawinan?"
110
261000
3000
persetubuhan manusia?"
04:39
(LaughterTawa)
111
264000
2000
(Tawa)
04:41
And then I realizedmenyadari that
112
266000
2000
Lalu saya menyadari bahwa
04:43
I had takendiambil my little eightdelapan yeartahun old'stua itu handtangan,
113
268000
2000
saya telah membawa tangan putri kecil saya,
04:45
and takendiambil her right into InternetInternet pornporno. (LaughterTawa)
114
270000
2000
dan membawanya ke pornografi Internet.
04:47
And I lookedtampak into this
115
272000
2000
Dan saya menatap
04:49
trustingmempercayai, lovingpenuh kasih facemenghadapi,
116
274000
2000
wajahnya yang penuh kepercayaan dan kasih,
04:51
and I said,
117
276000
2000
dan saya berkata,
04:53
"Oh, no.
118
278000
2000
"Oh, tidak.
04:55
That would never happenterjadi."
119
280000
2000
Hal itu tidak akan pernah terjadi."
04:57
Thank you.
120
282000
2000
Terima kasih.
04:59
(ApplauseTepuk tangan)
121
284000
2000
(Tepuk tangan)
05:01
Thank you.
122
286000
2000
Terima kasih.
05:03
(ApplauseTepuk tangan)
123
288000
3000
(Tepuk tangan)
05:06
Thank you. I'm so happysenang to be here.
124
291000
2000
Terima kasih. Saya sangat senang berada di sini.
Translated by Antonius Yudi Sendjaja
Reviewed by Katherine Kho

▲Back to top

ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Julia Sweeney - Actor, comedian, playwright
Julia Sweeney creates comedic works that tackle deep issues: cancer, family, faith.

Why you should listen

Julia Sweeney is a writer, director, actress, comedian and monologist. She is known for being a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 1990 to 1995, where she created and popularized the androgynous character, Pat. She is also well known for her comedic and dramatic monologues. God Said Ha! is a monologue about serious illness, her brother's lymphoma and her own cancer, and her family's crazy reactions to this crisis as they soldiered their way through struggle, confusion and death. This play was performed all over the U.S. and on Broadway at the Lyceum Theater. It was made into a film produced by Quentin Tarantino, and the comedy album from the show was nominated for a Grammy.

Sweeney's second monologue, In the Family Way, played in theatrical runs in New York and Los Angeles. It was ultimately fashioned into a book, a memoir titled If It's Not One Thing, It's Your Mother. Sweeney's third monologue, Letting Go of God, chronicled her journey from Catholicism to atheism. It was made into a film that played on Showtime.

More profile about the speaker
Julia Sweeney | Speaker | TED.com