SEXPERT
A sexual revolution sweeps across India and everyone wants in! Not a week goes by without some report on the arrivestes in the sexual landscape of modern, cosmopolitan India. From the widely read India Today to the serious Outlook and the run-of-the-mill magazines; all have their take & claim to get under the skin of the youth with their “exclusive” surveys a finger on their pulse (tell us the cause of the Tachycardia!) The latest is that even Mr. Hefner—no doubt regarded by many young men all over the world as a kind and benevolent figure… for obvious reasons—plans to launch Playboy in India. What next?
Not that there is anything wrong with that. There are of course a lot of good things about raising awareness about a lot of issues. Eve Ensler’s “Vagina Monologues” is very much in-your-face and shocking in parts… but does its bit to raise the issue of violence against women in various cultures. India is home to an astonishing number of AIDS afflicted. As is our wont to be world leaders for the worst possible reasons, we are looking at a ticking bomb that threatens to tear the normal albeit complex fabric, of the Indian society asunder as we march on quite uninhibitedly, to overtake S. Africa soon. So there is a huge need where education is concerned.
The problem is that the government is doing what they can in their pachyderm-like manner, plodding on ever so slowly.
The NGO’s are doing their bit, but there are so many of them that it is difficult to tell who is serious and who is really doing any good work.
The media makes much ado about anything sensational and is not really up to much constructively speaking.
The educated think they know it all anyway.
The common man thinks that it can’t happen to him; AIDS is a bad word anyway. The illiterate don’t know squat and nobody seems to get the message!
In this scenario then, it is rather entertaining and amusing to the see the “rise” in every newspaper worth its salt, of the sexperts. Usually these are medical professionals (though not always!) who dispense pearls of wisdom regarding all matters pertaining to gonad function and other such geni(T)al queries.
What was once preserved in the pages of so called adult oriented magazines or glossies like ‘cosmo’ and confined to the bedroom has now burst forth into the living rooms with the morning cuppa. Is it sensible for Sharma (60) or relevant even? Might it help Kumar(35) seal his big deal for the bank? Brian(24) smart alec, the cynosure of the guy huddle in college and 18yr Neha whisper’s confidently contribute to the morning gossip as each of them hold forth on matters of sexual calisthenics. Is it right that even Sujoy(12), Bina(10), Kiran(15) should even be reading this in the first place I couldn’t say. They might get the feeling that they are sexperts in their own right based on half-baked truths and distorted notions of issues gleaned from porn films and unsubstantiated articles. What about the fact that these kids are perhaps getting to know of terms and ideas that they aren’t ready to face yet?
I am not a prude, nor do I ascribe to the Victorian morals and am against grandstanding about personal choices and sexual preferences etc. What we as a society need to realize is that merely bandying shocking notions about does not imply an awakening, nor does this imply a liberation. Some of the questions are plain stupid, some plain bizarre others downright crass. It’s a rare sensible question which receives an equally precise & truthful answer. So the point I would like to make is this—rather than pander to the lewd immorality and allow decadence to set in—lets raise the bar in reporting the facts and promoting awareness about serious issues. Simply titillating the public rather than dispelling myths increases confusion and anxiety, with such wanton promotion of debauchery in a veiled manner only spells disaster for the coming generation.
After all the what transpired between Adam & Eve is considered THE original sin!
And it was curiosity that killed the cat...yes?
Not that there is anything wrong with that. There are of course a lot of good things about raising awareness about a lot of issues. Eve Ensler’s “Vagina Monologues” is very much in-your-face and shocking in parts… but does its bit to raise the issue of violence against women in various cultures. India is home to an astonishing number of AIDS afflicted. As is our wont to be world leaders for the worst possible reasons, we are looking at a ticking bomb that threatens to tear the normal albeit complex fabric, of the Indian society asunder as we march on quite uninhibitedly, to overtake S. Africa soon. So there is a huge need where education is concerned.
The problem is that the government is doing what they can in their pachyderm-like manner, plodding on ever so slowly.
The NGO’s are doing their bit, but there are so many of them that it is difficult to tell who is serious and who is really doing any good work.
The media makes much ado about anything sensational and is not really up to much constructively speaking.
The educated think they know it all anyway.
The common man thinks that it can’t happen to him; AIDS is a bad word anyway. The illiterate don’t know squat and nobody seems to get the message!
In this scenario then, it is rather entertaining and amusing to the see the “rise” in every newspaper worth its salt, of the sexperts. Usually these are medical professionals (though not always!) who dispense pearls of wisdom regarding all matters pertaining to gonad function and other such geni(T)al queries.
What was once preserved in the pages of so called adult oriented magazines or glossies like ‘cosmo’ and confined to the bedroom has now burst forth into the living rooms with the morning cuppa. Is it sensible for Sharma (60) or relevant even? Might it help Kumar(35) seal his big deal for the bank? Brian(24) smart alec, the cynosure of the guy huddle in college and 18yr Neha whisper’s confidently contribute to the morning gossip as each of them hold forth on matters of sexual calisthenics. Is it right that even Sujoy(12), Bina(10), Kiran(15) should even be reading this in the first place I couldn’t say. They might get the feeling that they are sexperts in their own right based on half-baked truths and distorted notions of issues gleaned from porn films and unsubstantiated articles. What about the fact that these kids are perhaps getting to know of terms and ideas that they aren’t ready to face yet?
I am not a prude, nor do I ascribe to the Victorian morals and am against grandstanding about personal choices and sexual preferences etc. What we as a society need to realize is that merely bandying shocking notions about does not imply an awakening, nor does this imply a liberation. Some of the questions are plain stupid, some plain bizarre others downright crass. It’s a rare sensible question which receives an equally precise & truthful answer. So the point I would like to make is this—rather than pander to the lewd immorality and allow decadence to set in—lets raise the bar in reporting the facts and promoting awareness about serious issues. Simply titillating the public rather than dispelling myths increases confusion and anxiety, with such wanton promotion of debauchery in a veiled manner only spells disaster for the coming generation.
After all the what transpired between Adam & Eve is considered THE original sin!
And it was curiosity that killed the cat...yes?
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