Whether or not you’re a fan of reading paranormal romance like the Sookie Stackhouse books, this excerpt round-up contains hilarious quotes from sex scenes written in that genre (no pics, so it’s SFW). I think my favorite is “His man lance prepared for duty.” Follow us on Twitter @mysexprofessor. Follow Jeana, the author of this post,@foxyfolklorist. Continue Reading →
Art & Culture
Recent posts
Where in the World is the Wondrous Vulva Puppet? Chichén Itzá Edition
My favorite travel accessory and I recently got to see the Mayan ruins at Chichén Itzá, located in Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula. The archeological site covers a spectacular five square kilometers and includes the pyramid (called El Castillo), the observatory (called El Caracol), and the Great Ball Court, among other fascinating structures. Here’s the vulva puppet posing in front of El Castillo (which is actually a calendar, not a castle as the name suggests). Despite attracting over a million visitors a year to the site, this shot is delightfully free of throngs of tourists to share the vulva puppet’s limelight. Travel with your own vulva puppet? Continue Reading →
The Human Body In Motion
Artist Shinichi Maruyama has found a way to make the human body even more interesting and beautiful: combining thousands of still photos of a nude subject dancing to create a single composite (and safe for work, because all details are blurred out) image. Check it out if you want to see something unexpectedly beautiful. Continue Reading →
Genitals in the Wild – Holiday Special
I drive by this billboard every day on my way to work. I think I’m reading too much into it, but I’m sure this lovely community of sex geeks can confirm – I’m not just seeing things, right? Happy Holidays and hope you have less-than-silent nights! Continue Reading →
Henna As Celebration Of Identity
The ethnographic film Painted Bride follows a Pakistani henna artist in New York as she practices her art – temporary plant-based body painting – in the context of fellow immigrants’ wedding celebrations. Check out the video when you get a chance; it’s vibrant as well as informative! And see this older post by me for information on women’s dress in a similar cultural context (India). Continue Reading →
Folklore, Celebrations, And Rites Of Passage
I’ve written about the intersections of folklore and sexuality in the past. Now, with the upcoming holiday season, I’d like to focus on two aspects of folklore – celebrations and rites of passage – that are both relevant and interesting to discuss, especially in light of gender and sexuality. If we define folklore as expressive culture, then most holiday celebrations are informed by and can be categorized as folklore. Whether the holidays or festivals celebrated today are sacred or secular or some mix of both, when people gather in groups they display important aspects of their identities. To be sure, holidays in America are also influenced by pop culture and the mass media, not to mention capitalism and commercialism. Continue Reading →
Wedding Season Reflection Part II: Giving Wedding Night Advice
After the fabulous affirmation of the power vested in us to support same-sex marriage, I went to the wedding of a good friend of mine who was doing an unusual thing for my particular friend group to do: she was waiting until she was married to do anything sexual with her partner. I thought this was unusual for most of my friends but apropos for her hip Christian outlook on life. I found her decision so fascinating that I asked her to come into the sex ed class that I teach during our session on “Abstinence” and talk about why she was choosing to wait until she was married. Of course, I also brought in another one of my friends who had consciously chosen NOT to wait until marriage, and had them each present their points why they were choosing abstinence or not and then had the students ask questions. It was one of the best classes I ever observed, and my abstinent friend was a big part of that. Continue Reading →
MSP interviews Jason Ball, Activist and Gay Football Player
Australians will often tell overseas visitors that Aussie Rules Football, or simply ‘footy,’ is like a religion. It’s rare to find an Aussie who doesn’t passionately support an AFL (Australian Football League) team and team rivalries are deeply entrenched in family and footy culture alike. As with most sports, the professional teams are all male and reflect and reinforce traditional male gender roles. When I read that an Aussie Rules Football player – Jason Ball – had come out publicly as gay (the first ever to do so), I was thrilled to see how it would affect change in this traditional institution. Not only has he come out, he’s also become a passionate spokesperson for eliminating homophobia in the AFL. Continue Reading →
Disclosing Relationship Status In The Classroom
I wonder, sometimes, whether my relationship status matters to my students. Right now, I’m teaching an introduction to folklore course, so I’m not a straight-up sex educator or researcher, though I do frequently bring gendered topics into the classroom. Still, Dr. Debby’s post on how being considered conventionally attractive influences her pull as a sex educator/researcher resonates for me. I know that dressing smartly in the classroom helps to hold students’ attention. I take pleasure in fashion to a degree, and I tend not to subscribe to the belief that beauty and brains cannot coexist. Continue Reading →
Wedding Season Reflection Part 1: The Power Vested in Us
This summer was an epic one for weddings. Many people I knew tied the knot this summer (including two of my favorite sex bloggers. Congrats, Jeana and Emily!). My partner and I attended six from May to September, and I thought I would share a few stories and lessons in the next few blog posts that I learned from the half-dozen ceremonies, receptions, and the one crazy carnival I experienced. Today I would like to contribute a story from one of my favorite wedding moments thus far. Continue Reading →