History: Sex & Drugs

[shortindiangirl]

Watched two fascinating shows on the History Channel (one of our fav. channels) (Note: The first while hula-hooping with my new weighted hula-hoop).

The first was about sex and the way it was perceived and part of life in the East. All the way from Bhagdad to Beijing. From the turn of the millenium to well, the turn of the century. (The program's

Comments

Tragic stories of cultures regressing from sexual expression

[chaibacca]

Think about the Chinese then (100+ years back) and now. They went from a sexually liberal culture to this. OK, you have to scroll a ways down to get to the relevant part, so here's an except, regarding the possibility of airing Friends in China:

Qin Mingxin, deputy director of the international department of CCTV's Entertainment Program Center expressed his misgivings about the proposed broadcast. “I had thought the play focused on friendship, but after a careful preview I found each episode had something to do with sex. Also, the attitudes of the six close-knit young friends in the play cannot be generally accepted by Chinese audiences yet,”

[djpekky]

Interesting stuff.

I sometimes think that cultures go from conservatism to liberalism in waves. I also constantly thinking about the goods and bads of evolution of cultures and morals, and how oppressive and empowering systems can be used about it.

We will always be wrong some way or another. We like to think that our modern way is the way, or that past times are the way. Who is really right about the morals? Hard to tell.

[desiwoman]

Interesting. I like how religion and sex are so intertwined.

Although, I do have to disagree with the section on Islam. Time and time again, it's emphasized that the woman's pleasure is just as important as the man's. Women are actually supposed to receive pleasure before men ejaculate, and if a woman doesn't feel like having sex, she is fully able to turn a man down. Divorce is also not as easy as it is portrayed. Both men and women are allowed to initiate a divorce, and the three utterings of "I divorce you" must take place at least a month apart before it is finalized. Even then, if both parties agree, the divorce may be nullified.