The Sexual Revolution

[Sappho]

I've been watching a multi episode documentary on iview lately called Sex: The Revolution. It is a facinating doco... most enlightening... although completely american centric. So I thought it might be interesting, given we are from various generations of the sexual revolution, to give our own perceptions of the era's which impacted our sexual lives. So... from contraception to aids... lets share our views.

[Sappho]

I was a teenager of the 80s and spent my 20s in the 90s... for me the sexual revolution was about maintaining sexual health and in particular... protecting yourself against herpes. In sexual education classes at school however the focus was still on contraceptive with very little discussed on sexual health. Most of what i learnt about sex, sexual diseases and protecting yourself from such diseases came from Dolly, Cleo and Cosmo magazines.

Aids, the incurable virus, was also making a splash and scaring the hell out of everyone. I remember the uproar about the ad showing the Grim Reaper bowling down men, women and children. I personally couldn't see what all the fuss was about... somebody needed to shake our reality around a bit and make us think more about protection and sleeping around.

Homosexuality was normalized but still homophobia was still quite rampant. Gender reassignment was the new kid on the sexual block. I actually met two transgenders when I was 14, through my rather freaky circle of friends at the time. I fired question after question at them and they answered all with patience and calm. I was very impressed and much more the wiser for having met them.

All in all, I am glad that the excessive promiscuity of the 70s had come to pass by the time I was a teen. I think that gen cheapened the idea of what the sexual revolution was all about... nonetheless, their legacy which impacted upon we of the 80s and onwards is the sexual objectification of the female form.

[al.coholic]

lets hope that women are open to this revolution

hey it will save them buying batteries!

[donniedarko]

Is this where you spin around while boinking?

[Rainbow Moonlight]

Hated the pill. Read about the association of the pill and stroke, depression and weight gain in studies. Just made me feel like a cow. Didn't want something interfering with my emotions and creativity and it did that- probably be affecting hormones I guess. I remember wondering whether to hide the copy of The Joy of Sex from the kids or just leave it on the bookshelves with the other books, effectively hidden by the number of other books anyway. People I knew with AIDS and who were partnered with people who had it. I remember that Bowling alley/grim reaper campaign too- thought it was very good. Wondering whether to pick up and drink from a glass when i was unsure if my gay friend with AIDS had drunk from it, but doing so anyway.Coming to terms with how others looked at sex and the opposite sex. Sexual advice in Cosmopolitan. Complex association of love, sex, mental compatibility, creativity and friendship.

[Sappho]

Female contraceptives have certainly come a long ways from the dim dark days of the pill first hitting the market. Back then... according to that doco I'm watching... it was a one size fits all affair... so that many women were getting more of a dosage than was actually needed.

I found condoms better than the pill... although now days with the capsules inserted under the skin, but even then it is for those for whom the side affects are minimal... protection from pregnancy is almost full proof.

Hey ele... do you remember the male centrefold in cosmo I think it was... that was a direct response to playboy challenging women to do the same as men have in celebrating the human form all sexy like. I had no idea. But it came about as a result of a talk back show in which the Playboy dude, what ever his name is, challenged the feminists who were complaining about the sexualization of women. So cleo or cosmo took up the challenge.

It didn't last though... but then came the sealed section.

[Rainbow Moonlight]

Don't think i do remember it - do seem to remember sealed sections though. I read it from about 1978-1980- when i was finding out about sex. Re contraception, I liked the copperT.

[Aussie]

Female contraceptives have certainly come a long ways from the dim dark days of the pill first hitting the market. Back then... according to that doco I'm watching... it was a one size fits all affair... so that many women were getting more of a dosage than was actually needed.

I found condoms better than the pill... although now days with the capsules inserted under the skin, but even then it is for those for whom the side affects are minimal... protection from pregnancy is almost full proof.

Hey ele... do you remember the male centrefold in cosmo I think it was... that was a direct response to playboy challenging women to do the same as men have in celebrating the human form all sexy like. I had no idea. But it came about as a result of a talk back show in which the Playboy dude, what ever his name is, challenged the feminists who were complaining about the sexualization of women. So cleo or cosmo took up the challenge.

It didn't last though... but then came the sealed section.

Jack Thompson.

[Rainbow Moonlight]

You were reading Cosmo Aussie?

[Aussie]

You were reading Cosmo Aussie?

Bloody oath. How else could a bloke work out what you women wanted?