Dr. Ruth Westheimer, acclaimed sex therapist and Israeli Defense Force sniper, dies at 96
By Joel Searls
Posted On Jul 15, 2024 12:33 PM PDT
Tessa Robinson
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 11: Dr. Ruth Westheimer attends Annual Charity Day Hosted By Cantor Fitzgerald, BGC and GFI - BGC Office – Inside on September 11, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images for Cantor Fitzgerald)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 11: Dr. Ruth Westheimer attends Annual Charity Day Hosted By Cantor Fitzgerald, BGC and GFI - BGC Office – Inside on September 11, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images for Cantor Fitzgerald) Dave Kotinsky
Dr. Ruth Westheimer created her own career and niche business when sex therapy discussions in public were a taboo subject. This was especially true with a woman who was over 50 years old and speaking about it in public, on the radio. She made immense waves with Sexually Speaking in 1980 upon its release and continued on air to discuss sex issues for 10 years. By 1983 she had a top-rated radio show in a huge market, NYC, for the country. Her over-the-airwaves success led to her starting her own TV show, The Dr. Ruth Show, which opened her to a different medium that took further altitudinal flight in the 1980s. TV talk shows were the thing to watch whether it was Oprah, Donahue, Arsenio, Carson or Letterman. She still stood out even with the market being so crowded with more options than ever like Cavett, Griffin, King, Raphael and Riveria taking up more of the airwaves. She made a strong career out of a life of tragedy, challenges and yes, military service. What else would we write about?
https://www.wearethemighty.com/entertainment/dr-ruth-westheimer-sex-therapist-and-israeli-defense-force-veteran/