The M Word

1 Response to The M Word

1. John Powers says:

   April 14, 2007 at 14:57

   I appreciate your courage and forthrightness to post on the subject of masturbation. I’m sure you already know it, but just in case, you can find Twain’s “Thoughts on the Science of Onanism” here.Okay so we’ve got the instinctive and cultural preferences in a muddle. I’m no expert and can’t give a citation, but it’s my feeling that here in America there is a strong class basis for determining the acceptableness of masturbation: middle class thinks it okay, lower classes disgusting. Clearly preferences aren’t just one thing, and just as clearly people of all classes network. Perhaps sexual networks are more important for poor people.One of my pet peeves about moralizing about sex is the idea that rich people want to deprive poor people of something like sex, when done right costs no money. But I’m not sure that the strong preference against masturbation exists because of notions of self restraint or moralizing. Rather I suspect it’s the importance of sexual networks in poorer communities that’s most important. Anti-masturbation not as anti-sex, but rather pro-sex.

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