Sex, Sex, Sex
Why are Americans so obsessed with sex? Our American society spends more time and money on sex than it does on anything else. Don’t get me wrong, sex is an enjoyable and healthy interest when kept in perspective, but America has absolutely no perspective on the subject. Think about it for a second, how much money and energy is spent in this country either trying to have, see or talk about sex or trying to rid the country of any vestiges of it?
America is considered a modern nation, but our attitudes on sex are anything but current with international norms. We are one of the only cultures in existence today (the others being theocracies) that consider the human body itself a sexual icon. What I mean by that is Americans are one of the few nations in the world that see a simple naked human as somehow sexual. When confronted with a picture or images of a nude person Americans react by thinking, “SEX”. From there they either are happy to have seen a naked person because it’s titillating to them, or they’re upset because the idea of sex is not one they want to be reminded of. I experienced for myself how unique American ideas are on this subject when I spent four years of my youth living in Germany. My parents and I would go to the local public pool during the summer, and the people there would change into their suits right out in the open, no dressing rooms. No one there batted an eyelash or thought anything of it. That would never happen in the U.S. the person would be arrested and talk of it would be splashed across the news. Why is that? I know, we’re a nation founded by puritans, but it’s been over three hundred years since they hit our shores, isn’t it about time we stop acting like giggling, blushing five year olds at the mention of the word naked?
If my example doesn’t drive the point home for you look around, evidence that America is sex obsessed is everywhere in our society, from the marketing campaigns that sell the most asexual products on earth using sex, to the constant uproar and scandal caused over anything seen as even slightly sexual (remember the fervor over Janet Jackson’s nipple?). I personally think that it’s time for America to grow up a little on this subject and stop treating sex as if it’s the end all and be all of everything, good and bad. You may find it fun or find it evil depending on your point of view, but it’s been around since the beginning of time and it’s not going anywhere, so get over it and think about something else for awhile America.
America is considered a modern nation, but our attitudes on sex are anything but current with international norms. We are one of the only cultures in existence today (the others being theocracies) that consider the human body itself a sexual icon. What I mean by that is Americans are one of the few nations in the world that see a simple naked human as somehow sexual. When confronted with a picture or images of a nude person Americans react by thinking, “SEX”. From there they either are happy to have seen a naked person because it’s titillating to them, or they’re upset because the idea of sex is not one they want to be reminded of. I experienced for myself how unique American ideas are on this subject when I spent four years of my youth living in Germany. My parents and I would go to the local public pool during the summer, and the people there would change into their suits right out in the open, no dressing rooms. No one there batted an eyelash or thought anything of it. That would never happen in the U.S. the person would be arrested and talk of it would be splashed across the news. Why is that? I know, we’re a nation founded by puritans, but it’s been over three hundred years since they hit our shores, isn’t it about time we stop acting like giggling, blushing five year olds at the mention of the word naked?
If my example doesn’t drive the point home for you look around, evidence that America is sex obsessed is everywhere in our society, from the marketing campaigns that sell the most asexual products on earth using sex, to the constant uproar and scandal caused over anything seen as even slightly sexual (remember the fervor over Janet Jackson’s nipple?). I personally think that it’s time for America to grow up a little on this subject and stop treating sex as if it’s the end all and be all of everything, good and bad. You may find it fun or find it evil depending on your point of view, but it’s been around since the beginning of time and it’s not going anywhere, so get over it and think about something else for awhile America.
posted by Leo at 1:32 PM
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