Saturday Night Sex Talk: Drink the Water
Hello, radio land! Anyone out there? It's Saturday night, and this is Maureen Johnson with your racy weekly dish about sex, love, and relationships on an island. Now's the time to usher any children out of the room, and turn off your radios if you have sensitive ears, because it's time to talk about sex.
*plays a few bars of Let's Talk About Sex*
So I was flipping through a stack of magazines I found in the rec room, and found an issue of Details with an article in the back espousing the Rules of Style from Tom Ford, whom you may know as one of those fashion industry icon types - at least, he is now, apparently. When I was in New York, I'd only heard the name because he was working for Marc Jacobs and Gucci and I liked to hang around models. Anyway.
Details, in case you're unfamiliar with this fine publication, is a magazine that pretends to not to be for gay men, but actually is. So I've got the issue right here, and I think that Mr. Ford makes a fine point in number 10 on his list of the rules of style for men. He says:
There’s one indulgence every man should try in his lifetime: If you’re straight, sleep with a man at least once, and if you’re gay, don’t go through life without sleeping with a woman. Either way, you might be surprised at how natural it will feel if you can get past the mind-fuck of stereotypes. In the end, it’s just another person that you are relating to in a physical way.
Bravo, Mr. Ford. Though let me add a caveat. Since, as I noted, this is essentially a magazine for gay men that pretends not to be, I highly suspect that it is trying very hard to get into the pants of its handful of straight male subscribers. So maybe there's a touch of propaganda to this, but that doesn't mean there isn't any truth to it.
Come after me with pitchforks if you want, but I'm all in favor of what I've heard island residents refer colloquially to as Drinking the Water. Why does this happen, you might ask? Is there really something in the water? Is it island magic? Are we all just really bored and there's not enough members of the opposite sex? Maybe a little of all of the above, but I'd still posit that it's more the culture of the island - not just hey hey it's okay to be gay, but it's okay to be straight, it's okay to be bisexual, it's okay to be promiscuous, it's okay to be kinky - basically, no one cares what you do with your sex life as long as it's not hurting anyone else, and more power to you.
Though one thing I wanted to point out, as Mr. Ford does, is that - pardon the expression - this swings both ways. I'd actually wager that many of you listening to this would be more willing to tell someone who's straight to maybe consider having a go with someone of the same sex than someone who's gay to try the other flavor. And I think that kind of makes sense in the real world, considering the default - the assumption is that if you're gay you're probably definitely gay because why would you put yourself through the crap that society inflicts upon you otherwise? Whereas there are plenty of people who might be a little - okay, sorry, I hate this word, but I'll use it - bi-curious, who would never act on it because they want to be normal. Imagine air quotes around that one.
So my deep philosophical question to you tonight is: does that still apply? Here on the island where hey hey it's okay to be gay, is it as acceptable to suggest that, for example, a man who self-identifies as gay should try sleeping with a woman, as it is to suggest that a man who self-identifies as straight should consider hooking up with another guy?
Though I should say that I'm not touting that whole Kinsey scale oh everyone is really bisexual they just don't realize it stuff. Like me, I really don't like squid. And I knew I wouldn't like squid. I mean, just... ew, it's all slimy and gross-looking, and they dress it up in fried stuff and call it calamari but you know what's underneath there. But I tried it anyway, and it was gross, and I never ate it again. If someone now tried to tell me that I should be making squid a regular part of my diet, I'd think they were nuts. Though on the other hand, I once thought the same thing about sushi - hello, more slimy and gross-looking, really, and raw? - but I tried some yellow tail sashimi when I was living in New York and it wasn't bad. Not my favorite thing, but every once in a while I'd think it sounded pretty good, and even though I tried some salmon too and thought it was pretty gross so it was clear I didn't like all sushi, and you know, I wasn't going to be eating it every night and I definitely wasn't giving up steak for it - I'd still have some every once in a while.
... god, that was a lame metaphor, wasn't it. I apologize. No more seafood, promise.
I'm interested in other perspectives on this. Maybe I'm not the best person to be waxing poetic about this particular subject since I've considered myself bi-sexual since I hit puberty. Though as a counterpoint I will mention that I ran this idea for a show by my roommate, Prior, who says that he tips the Kinsey scale so gay that it falls over, and he thinks that I'm out of my mind in even suggesting that he should consider icky girl parts, even once. Though he does recognize that he's a total hypocrite since it was a favorite sport of he and his friends when he did drag to try to pick up straight guys.
I'm down in the basement as usual, so until we get that island switchboard you'll have to come down here to talk to me. But please do because I'd love to hear more thoughts on this. I'm going to put on a song, and hopefully when I come back on the air you'll be able to hear someone besides just me.
I'm Maureen Johnson, and remember, don't be afraid to let someone spin you 'round.
*plays You Spin Me Right Round*
[OOC: Please feel free to tag either in the context of coming down to talk on the air, or catching her afterward. Timed to last night at about 10pm.]
*plays a few bars of Let's Talk About Sex*
So I was flipping through a stack of magazines I found in the rec room, and found an issue of Details with an article in the back espousing the Rules of Style from Tom Ford, whom you may know as one of those fashion industry icon types - at least, he is now, apparently. When I was in New York, I'd only heard the name because he was working for Marc Jacobs and Gucci and I liked to hang around models. Anyway.
Details, in case you're unfamiliar with this fine publication, is a magazine that pretends to not to be for gay men, but actually is. So I've got the issue right here, and I think that Mr. Ford makes a fine point in number 10 on his list of the rules of style for men. He says:
There’s one indulgence every man should try in his lifetime: If you’re straight, sleep with a man at least once, and if you’re gay, don’t go through life without sleeping with a woman. Either way, you might be surprised at how natural it will feel if you can get past the mind-fuck of stereotypes. In the end, it’s just another person that you are relating to in a physical way.
Bravo, Mr. Ford. Though let me add a caveat. Since, as I noted, this is essentially a magazine for gay men that pretends not to be, I highly suspect that it is trying very hard to get into the pants of its handful of straight male subscribers. So maybe there's a touch of propaganda to this, but that doesn't mean there isn't any truth to it.
Come after me with pitchforks if you want, but I'm all in favor of what I've heard island residents refer colloquially to as Drinking the Water. Why does this happen, you might ask? Is there really something in the water? Is it island magic? Are we all just really bored and there's not enough members of the opposite sex? Maybe a little of all of the above, but I'd still posit that it's more the culture of the island - not just hey hey it's okay to be gay, but it's okay to be straight, it's okay to be bisexual, it's okay to be promiscuous, it's okay to be kinky - basically, no one cares what you do with your sex life as long as it's not hurting anyone else, and more power to you.
Though one thing I wanted to point out, as Mr. Ford does, is that - pardon the expression - this swings both ways. I'd actually wager that many of you listening to this would be more willing to tell someone who's straight to maybe consider having a go with someone of the same sex than someone who's gay to try the other flavor. And I think that kind of makes sense in the real world, considering the default - the assumption is that if you're gay you're probably definitely gay because why would you put yourself through the crap that society inflicts upon you otherwise? Whereas there are plenty of people who might be a little - okay, sorry, I hate this word, but I'll use it - bi-curious, who would never act on it because they want to be normal. Imagine air quotes around that one.
So my deep philosophical question to you tonight is: does that still apply? Here on the island where hey hey it's okay to be gay, is it as acceptable to suggest that, for example, a man who self-identifies as gay should try sleeping with a woman, as it is to suggest that a man who self-identifies as straight should consider hooking up with another guy?
Though I should say that I'm not touting that whole Kinsey scale oh everyone is really bisexual they just don't realize it stuff. Like me, I really don't like squid. And I knew I wouldn't like squid. I mean, just... ew, it's all slimy and gross-looking, and they dress it up in fried stuff and call it calamari but you know what's underneath there. But I tried it anyway, and it was gross, and I never ate it again. If someone now tried to tell me that I should be making squid a regular part of my diet, I'd think they were nuts. Though on the other hand, I once thought the same thing about sushi - hello, more slimy and gross-looking, really, and raw? - but I tried some yellow tail sashimi when I was living in New York and it wasn't bad. Not my favorite thing, but every once in a while I'd think it sounded pretty good, and even though I tried some salmon too and thought it was pretty gross so it was clear I didn't like all sushi, and you know, I wasn't going to be eating it every night and I definitely wasn't giving up steak for it - I'd still have some every once in a while.
... god, that was a lame metaphor, wasn't it. I apologize. No more seafood, promise.
I'm interested in other perspectives on this. Maybe I'm not the best person to be waxing poetic about this particular subject since I've considered myself bi-sexual since I hit puberty. Though as a counterpoint I will mention that I ran this idea for a show by my roommate, Prior, who says that he tips the Kinsey scale so gay that it falls over, and he thinks that I'm out of my mind in even suggesting that he should consider icky girl parts, even once. Though he does recognize that he's a total hypocrite since it was a favorite sport of he and his friends when he did drag to try to pick up straight guys.
I'm down in the basement as usual, so until we get that island switchboard you'll have to come down here to talk to me. But please do because I'd love to hear more thoughts on this. I'm going to put on a song, and hopefully when I come back on the air you'll be able to hear someone besides just me.
I'm Maureen Johnson, and remember, don't be afraid to let someone spin you 'round.
*plays You Spin Me Right Round*
[OOC: Please feel free to tag either in the context of coming down to talk on the air, or catching her afterward. Timed to last night at about 10pm.]