Schizophrenic Society and Sex
09/05/2006

A conversation with a friend got me thinking about society’s expectations when it comes to sex. Is monogamy truly the norm for humans? What would society be like if monogamy was considered abnormal?
I’m a firm believer in question everything. While asking these questions, I realized that Aldous Huxley asked the same questions in “Brave New World.” That society considered pairing off to be abnormal.
Most of society’s expectations when it comes to sex are insane. Think about the recent craziness, like the debates over a naked breast on a mother’s magazine or whether or not teens should be allowed Plan B and the constant bombardment by sexualized advertising.
I realize that the “sex police” have a long history of keeping society in check. Basically, if you control women’s sexuality, you also control men. It’s terribly frustrating for anyone whose ideas or appetites don’t fit into a little box.
I like to imagine a society somewhere between Huxley’s and our own. Both are about control. I would like to see less control and more acceptance. I will keep dreaming.
Technorati: sex, Huxley, contraceptives, sex, society, monogamy










TerraPraeta said,
September 5, 2006 @ 3:03 pm
I agree!
But its not only the control mehanisms that they use sex to provide… its also all of the damage it does to people.
There is certainly some evidence to suggest that serial killers and rapists are largely the product of our repressive society…
It makes ya think.
tp
TheHamburger said,
September 5, 2006 @ 3:35 pm
Wait…there is such thing as sex police? Oh yeah, clergy members…stupid me…
Liz said,
September 5, 2006 @ 3:42 pm
As far as harm to the psyche goes…I don’t know how long it takes most people to get over their upbringing when it comes to sex, but it took me a few years. I’ve tried to provide my son with a more sane view…trying to counter those crazy clergy.
stjarna said,
September 9, 2006 @ 4:42 am
When you are talking about how controlling society’s sexual urges, were you going for the pun when mentioning keeping things in a ‘little box?’
just curious.
-stjarna
p.s. I liked your description of SF. Having been there before, I would agree that it’s not like any other city. Rather than seeing if that guy was a homophone, though. I think I would have just gone for seeing his ‘midwestern sensibilities’ get challenged. Kinda like the eye-opening experience I had when my SF friend took my mom & I to the Lesbian & Gay Freedom Day parage. My Ohioan background left me speechless when the first group started the parade: Dykes On Bikes.
p.p.s. this is a blogmad hit, btw!
Liz said,
September 9, 2006 @ 7:07 am
I had missed the pun: box=vagina.