by William S. Dean
(12/20/06)
And so we come to another end-of-year "lustful gaze" around at the debris and trophies. 2006 was a year full of sexual escapades brought to light. Although it had a slow start, momentum certainly rolled a bigger snowball as the year moved to its close.
Sex and Words
Were you ready for "outercourse"? Attitudes and feelings about sex and erotica obviously show up in our everyday language as well as the public media. "Outercourse" was the result of trying to define any sexual activity that was not obvious intercourse (or penetrative sex). As fetishes made a stronger showing in 2006, the need was felt for some general term to include spanking, bondage, or handjobs, for example, into the sexual lexicon.
Interestingly, the year also saw the general public becoming more aware that the younger generations have some totally different attitudes about what constitutes sex. Wow, who would have thought "sex" was such an "organic" term? Okay, that was just a bit sarcastic. Our definition of sex is always changing, but for old school types, the new kids on the block are making waves that can be puzzling. A lot of young folk say oral sex isn't, like, you know, sex sex. Handjobs or manual masturbation (solo or with a friend) are also an iffy thing for younger generations. Is it sex or something else?
As bondage and light SM became the experimental flavor of the year, it became necessary for journalists and sex writers to puzzle out what terms to use when describing the scenes. In many cases, particularly among purists, tying folks up, doing suspension, or even flogging them is not about the sex. This can make some people say "Huh?" In other words, if you're not actually fucking (penis-artificial penis-vagina-ass), it's not having sex. Oooookay, then. We're back to "outercourse," I suppose. What you personally consider "sex" may vary, of course.
If you masturbated, watching someone else simultaneously masturbate online, did you have sex or what? Some folks may consider it sex, others may not. Mileage variance, right?
Sex in Fashion and Fame
Late 2006 surprised me a bit as pubic fashion shifted backwards, from shaved to natural again. Hair fetish -- bald, trimmed, or au naturel -- has been with us for centuries at least. Online porn sites popularized shaved pubes, for women, then men, too. Like tats and piercings, fashion dictated that if you saw yourself as sexually active, no matter what your chronological age, you shaved your pubic region. Then came the backlash. Vocal proponents of natural or slightly trimmed pubic hair fought back and now we're seeing more and more folks sporting the short and curlies.
Online exposers may be setting the trend, however, for their real life imitators. Celebs, such as Brittany Spears, are now showing their underwearless crotches in public with nonchalance. Is it a play for notoriety or is it simply another in-your-face "What's the big deal?" slam to the prudish? Like anything else relating to sex and eroticism, you're the "decider." In a lot of cases, we DO need to get over the "shame" factor to more fully enjoy the sensual pleasures life can offer.
Sex and Politics (and Religion)
Shame, too, is at the root of our recent sexual scandals. Consider the newsy blather about evangelist Ted Haggard. It was the hiding of the truth that undermined his career. His hypocrisy about homosexuality fell into the "closet trap" that also made a bigger deal about Congressman Mark Foley's predatory activities with Congressional pages. Here we are deeper in the twenty-first century and people are still spending way too much time in the territory of negative sexuality. In fact, as 2006 draws to a close, Rev. Joel Hunter, the President-elect of the Christian Coalition of America, has declined assuming the office, because "the organization wouldn't let him expand its agenda beyond opposing abortion and gay marriage." If the sole purpose of an organization is opposing sexual freedoms, such as choice of birth or no-birth, or recognition of alternative sexual unions, then the organization is strictly about repression, wouldn't you think? If that's not old old school, what is?
Sex, politics, and religion, hopefully, will be moving into a new era as Democrat Nancy Pelosi takes the reins as the first ever female Speaker of the House in Washington, D. C. in January. Women have consistently demonstrated a far more comprehensive understanding of sex and sexuality than the patriarchs of yore. Women generally are the purveyors of sexual education and tolerance, so -- again hopefully -- the United States of America will move on from the pretty much useless concept of "I have a penis, so I rule" attitude prevalent for far too long.
Sex and Science (and Porn!)
If you keep up with sex and science (hey, it's part of my job!), you, too, will already know that Vinico World of Condoms in Germany is set to begin marketing a sexual first: the spray-on condom. The condom consists of a mixture of natural rubber and water and is applied by using what looks like an aerosol can. The rubber and water vulcanize at room temperature and the company claims that, after usage, the rubber then breaks down into humus (great for the gardening enthusiast!), easing the sometimes awkward issue of post-fuck disposal.
The Chinese -- in November -- released information about their development of a liquid condom for women. Its official name is the Nanometer-silver Cryptomorphic Condom (NCC), but undoubtedly it will gain a more popular nickname soon. This version of the condom-in-a-can is an antiseptic foam spray that the manufacturer claims forms a physical membrane inside the vagina to protect it from infection and acts as a barrier to pregnancy.
Okay, you were anxiously waiting for the porn part, right? Also, out of China, comes the fascinating tale of panda porn. See, apparently, when male pandas reach maturity -- about the age of six -- they can become rather indifferent to female pandas' sexual overtures. So, the Chinese researchers -- twice daily -- stick Mr. Ho-Hum in front of movies of pandas mating. Whoa, success! Last year, Ximeng in Wolong completed his first natural mating after a long bout of sex education. He is now a father.
And panda handlers are even more optimistic about Didi, also in Wolong. After an intensive dose of panda porn, he is showing a stronger libido than Ximeng and is expected to mate next year. Hmm, wonder if panda porn is an aphrodisiac for humans, too.
