The short answer to the question, “Can a sex act be liberating?”
Breaking with an imposed standard that feels oppressive in order to move toward being true to oneself (instead of trying to live up to outside expectations) is extremely liberating, no matter what it is.
I wrote that in a comment at Bitch | Lab and was so pleased with my sudden, unexpected eloquence that I figured I’d re-post it here. More to come.
Other quick things to note…
I’m going to my second pole dancing class tonight; w00t! We’ll see if I suck any less this time. But you know, who the fuck cares; I’m there to have fun.
My OB/GYN wants me to get the new HPV vaccine. I think it’s awesome that I get to be one of the first people to get it. She says I would be a “good candidate” because I’m 26 and that’s the high end of the “recommended age range” (or whatever the exact term was). She said she thought that age range was odd, though, because (as she put it), “30-year-olds have sex too.” Heh.
Rusty and I are going on a road trip July 2nd-3rd to (among other places) the Georgia Rural Telephone Museum. We’re going to stay at a bed and breakfast in Americus (in the “jacuzzi room”). It’s going to rule. And oh yes, there will be podcasting.
Anyhow. That is all for now. The past few days have been a mile a minute, but I have good news (I can’t post it here yet, but stay tuned).
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16 Responses to "Short answer and various tidbits"
I’m all for liberating sex acts, but I’m hoping the podcast won’t be from the jacuzzi itself!
And, I had a little fun at dave’s site today…
http://dailydoseofdave.net/one-hell-of-a-tuesday/#comments
Hmm. I wonder if 30 is considered high-end because of latency. A lot of cancers take decades to form, and past a certain age things like growth-factor production slows down so much you wind up dying of something else even though nominally you still have cancer.
As for whether an act of sex can itself be liberating I’d probably not. In the technical sense of the word liberation comes from the act of creating a space within which one may engage in subsequent acts. Following that reasoning, by the time you engage in a particular act of sex any liberation has probably already taken place.
For a not-strictly-sexual example consider your pole dancing class. Is the act of taking the class liberating? No. That’s just moving into a space created by self-determination. Self-determination is liberating, choosing to pole dance is just a choice within that space.
Nerd note: The origins of the words liberty, liberal, liberation, etc. derive from a term meaning “within or between walls.” There’s an implication of self-determination in the word. For instance when you say “I’m not at liberty to discuss” something you’re implying participation whereas if you said “I don’t have the freedom to discuss…” you’re implying coercion. In practical terms “your right to swing your fist ends at my face” is a statement about liberty, as are all statements of rights. If you instead have freedom to swing your fist then I have no recourse but to duck or accept a broken nose. It’s worth noting that the Presnit, however stupid he may be, understands perfectly the distinction between freedom and liberty, and its tragically clear which way he swings. End nerd note.
figleaf
Yay for good news! ;)
Enjoy your jacuzzi!
figleaf,
Thanks for the comments, and for linking this post from your site.
My main point is, it’s all about context. I don’t think you and I disagree on this. This is why it’s disingenuous to say (for example) “blowjobs are demeaning,” or the opposite, “blowjobs are empowering.” It’s much more realistic to say, “blowjobs can be demeaning” or “blowjobs can be empowering.”
But I think we all understand this distinction (I hope), so no point in belaboring it!
I see your point, but I do have to disagree slightly. While I absolutely agree that the act of taking the class by itself can’t be called liberating, I also don’t think it’s completely accurate to say simply, “self-determination is liberating” and leave it at that. Sure, I can have a feeling of self-determination; that is great and not to be undervalued; but if I do nothing differently in my life as a means of actualizing (probably not the best word, but I couldn’t think of a better one at the moment) that self-determination, then I’m just spinning my wheels.
Russ wins the Killjoy of the Week award.
Telephone museum? Very cool. I hope it’s fun.
How could it not be fun? It’s a telephone museum!
We’ve defiled many a jacuzzi and my cash and prizes (and general health) is still in full working order and disease free. I’m sure the place you’re staying is fine and dandy…
heh.
Those bacteria and such only make us stronger, M@ber.
As for the age range for the HPV vaccine, my understanding is that the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices figured that by 26, most women HAVE been sexually active and thereby have already been exposed to the virus. Further, the vaccine may actually increase the risk of cervical cancer in women who have already contracted the virus. However, the CDC is recommending that women within that range who are already sexually active still receive the vaccine.
Well, I know for a fact that I have already been exposed to HPV - one of the “low risk” (ie, not potentially cancer-causing) strains. I asked my doc why I should get the vaccine, and she said it will protect against other strains - most importantly, the “high risk” ones - should I be exposed.
Hey, Amber! I’m the one who randomly approached you at the photo exhibit last weekend. Anyway, if you’re staying at the Americus Garden Inn, it’s fantastic. I posted about it and our trip to Americus on my blog recently. You should definitely drop by Koinonia if you have the time and inclination. (The organic blueberry picking is fabulous!)
Jacuzzi podcasting?
Well, I meant telephone museum podcasting, but since everyone seems to be so interested in jacuzzi podcasting… give the people what they want, right?
DO NOT GET THE VACCINE!
http://www.whale.to
Seriously, do some research before signing up for ANY vaccine. The entire vaccine industry is built on lies. (And I say that as someone who worked in the industry.)