Sexual Attitudes in different countries

[ArenaBoy]

The virginity thread got me thinking about the way sex is viewed in many countries and it got me thinking. The United States IMO has always been about abstinence, saving till marriage, and sex only being for making children. I've always viewed sex as not only for the child part, but for having a special kind of fun with someone you care about and it being the physical part of love.

Japan from what I've read has a very open sexual culture but not to the point that you're talking about what you're doing in your bedroom.

Like with CMS, this creeps me out. I can understand being involved with your child's life but this just goes beyond involved to whoa.

The problem with sexual attitudes here in the States is that we are often taught that it is to be viewed as a horrible thing and is only meant to create children. To me it means just sharing an exclusive bond and is only the physical part of love.

The Japanese have the right idea IMO, sexuality is out on display over there but the act of sex between two consenting humans are kept private and discreet. Part of their religion (Shinto) has some of their statues displaying phallic objects, lovemaking, childbirth, and various other things that would put some people here in a coma. There are so many things out in the open that proudly display things of a sexual nature over there that it's normal.

I also noticed Sweden is open towards sex, there was a essay I wrote about the US and the Swedes having a conflict, the US was more focused towards abstinence while Sweden was focused on not only safety but being good lovers (IIRC).

So how should sex be viewed? I view it in the style of Japan, nothing wrong with it but keep your acts private.

[MadMike]

I've said many times in the past that this country has its priorities out of whack. Sex is evil, dirty, and nasty, but violence is OK. It should be the other way around.

Seriously, I've seen quite a few horror movies on network TV, that were edited as most movies they show are. But most of the time, they'll edit out any profanity and nudity, and yet leave the violence intact.

I think a child would be far less traumatised by seeing a body in its natural state than by seeing one getting hacked to pieces.

[rahmota]

I'll agree that attitudes about sex and violence and drugs in america are very strange. Either people go overzealous and want to create a nerf world or they want to go the other extreme and rub everyones face in it. Or barring those poles they go nuts about one of the three or two and leave the other alone or say its ok.

I wouldnt like to see tv and movies go back to the 40s or 50s where you couldnt even say pregnant much less show how you get that way. But maybe a little less gratuitous sex and violence just for the sake of it would be okay. Moderation and personal responsibility for your own lives would be great.

If you personally dont like it dont watch it, dont let your kids watch it but end your ranting there.

[powerboy]

I view sex or making love as being private. What goes on in the bedroom, should stay in the bedroom

[Will-Mun]

Arena, I don't know exactly where you grew up, but I know I was NEVER taught that sex was vile and evil and only for baby making when married...

But I'm gonna get down to the bare bones here. Sex is for Procreation. Period. We as a species are hard wired to have as MUCH sex as possible so that we can survive into the next generations, to spread our genes and make stronger, better children.

But it FEELS good, and people do what feels good. So its now not just about procreating, it's about enjoying your life the way YOU want to. Which is cool...

The problem is that people back in the dark ages saw sex as something that was vile and evil, I really don't know WHY they thought this, something about a guy named Jehovah and Original Sin... sounds like a song or something.

America got the worst of it cause the first settlers here were Puritans, the Psycho-Christians that even the Catholic Theocracy of England couldn't stand. England basically took the Puritans, put them on a little dinky boat, and said "Get off the fucking island."

So while the renaissance was goin down in England, the colonies were being established by bland Psycho-Christians...

And even now a few hundred years later, we are STILL suffering from the close minded teachings of the Puritans.

Sex is pretty much the most natural thing there is. People fuck, we're PROGRAMED to... I don't get why people want to say it's anything but...

[Dorath]

Actually Will, sex is not just for procreation. The body is programmed to utilize sex for recreation as well. It triggers production of both adrenaline and endorphins, which heighten sensativity. And it's been discovered humans are not the only species to engage in sex for pleasure. Dolphins do it for fun too.

[blas87]

It also depends on how children are taught about sex. Some parents use the "it's evil, it's dirty, if you do it before marriage you'll go to Hell" approach like my mother did.....others say "Just be safe"

[Alfie]

I'm still surprised at hearing about how massive of an outcry there was in America when Janet Jackson's boob flopped out. In Australia, the former Miss Universe's skirt fell off when she was doing a catwalk show and we all saw her butt, everyone was high-fiving eachother about it.

[Seshat]

Arena, I don't know exactly where you grew up, but I know I was NEVER taught that sex was vile and evil and only for baby making when married...

I wasn't explicitly taught it, but it was a definite undercurrent. 'Don't look at that', 'don't touch yourself there', hanging undergarments in the middle of the clothesline so the neighbours don't see them, never seeing the married adults around me giving each other more than a chaste 'family' type kiss.

I grew up knowing the academic, procreation things about sex, and knowing vaguely that my hormones would 'give me trouble' as a teenager. I didn't figure out that sex was fun. In fact, I was actually rather scared of it.

[Saydrah]

Everyone should visit another country sometime during their life, and this is one of many reasons why. When I went to France in 7th grade, as a very sheltered and rather shy girl at the time, I was shocked to see billboards depicting nude women, with breasts and nipples showing, unblurred. You could also buy all sorts of naughty things in shops without being 18- cards with naked people on them, pens that when turned upside down the person depicted on them lost their clothes, dice with sex positions on them- stuff they sell in porn shops here was at the convenience store there.

However, there was hardly any violence depicted anywhere. I saw few action movies playing, no stores selling violent video games, few action/adventure novels, and none of the spy/gun imagery used in advertising in America.

Better? I'm not sure if hiding violence from kids is necessary, but the openness about sex, I think, is much better. French women do not feel the need to constantly diet, nor to dress like Britney Spears, nor to giggle and make explanations if they'd like to eat dessert. Some of them don't shave their armpits (which I find ewww but liberated at the same time), and many don't shave their legs. I saw very little female insecurity over there. I think the continual display of the human body in all its forms, versus the dichotomy of either a sexy picture or a professional picture here, was helpful. Over there, a woman can be sexy in everyday clothes, and she can be professional naked. Here, once you take one sexy picture, you're a tramp forever.

[Amethyst Hunter]

I'm still surprised at hearing about how massive of an outcry there was in America when Janet Jackson's boob flopped out.

Fun fact: a little known truth about over 90% of the so-called 'complaints' that the FCC gets about supposed "indecency" is that they come from an arm of Focus On The Family (yes, the same group whose fearless leader was one of the first to blame 9/11 on Those Ebil Ghei People). Their sole purpose is to harass the FCC about every little naughty bit and manipulate the networks into censoring or even pulling programs as they see fit.

Another thing that pissed me off about the whole Janet Jackson thing was that her partner Timberfuckwit (or whoever the hell he was) wasn't getting hardly *any* censure at all for his part in Boobiegate - it was all that hussy Jackson's fault. Nope, there's no gender bias in this country, nosirree not at all.

[miffed]

I think the result of oversensitivity towards nudity comes from pornography. Many, if not just about all, are taught that porn is evil, porn is bad, it corrupts and warps your mind!!1 That mentality creates a kneejerk reaction to any form of nudity because in our minds it is related to porn. Basically nudity=porn=evil.



Dangit I keep mispelling porn as "pron". Stupid henpecking over-eager index finger going for the R before I get the O.

[Seshat]

Some of them don't shave their armpits (which I find ewww but liberated at the same time), and many don't shave their legs.

Side question: why is it eww? It's just hair. It's not even hair that isn't supposed to be there (unlike 'moustache' or 'beard' type hair in women with endocrine disorders).

[the_std]

Side question: why is it eww? It's just hair. It's not even hair that isn't supposed to be there (unlike 'moustache' or 'beard' type hair in women with endocrine disorders).

I feel the same way as Saydrah, and... I can't explain why. I cannot shave any part of my skin, because of sensitivity issues, so I wax. If I leave my legs for a month or two and people start calling me "Chewbacca", I couldn't care less. But if my armpits get hairy, I have a small fit. I know it's just hair, and that it doesn't matter., but I guess I was imprinted, in high school, with the "ew! pit hair!" mentality, and it just kind of stuck. Meh. I think I look better with smooth underarms anyways. :P

(Sorry Saydrah, I just thought Seshat's question was interesting.)

[DesignFox]

I don't know ArenaBoy. I think the Japanese are a little weird when it comes to sexuality. Can we say Tentacle Rape? I mean, what's up with that? Selling porn in vending machines? School girl costumes?

But, I agree that we would be better off in America if we weren't so damn prude.

I think it's all got to be about balance. I don't want to see tons of billboards with naked people all over them, but I don't think someone's boob popping out on TV is a big deal.

Also, if I'm stuck looking at some nekkid chick, I want some balance..let me see some man tushy, too!

I think overall, we'd be more comfortable if sex and nudity weren't so taboo. I wasn't taught to fear sex or that sex was "dirty" or unnatural...or worst of all that I would burn in hell if I didn't wait to be married.

I was taught to make my choices responsibly. That's all my parents asked.