Jul 21, 2007

Why is masturbation so taboo?



I mean, aside from the obvious religious implication and such  (ie. "Every sperm is sacred..."), why do we shun masturbation when it's really one of the best gifts we can give ourselves?

Feeling stressed? Masturbate!

Feeling depressed? Masturbate!

It's like a wonder rememdy. I don't feel like getting into the science behind it, but we've all heard or know that orgasms release some kind of endorphins or something that send these "feel good" messages to the brain and then we, voila! Feel good!

And what could possibly be more important in life other than to feel good? No, really. Think about it.

We may have jobs, kids, responsibilities, etc. but at the end of the day (or beginning) all we really want is to feel good, don't we?

And what better way to make yourself feel good than masturbation?

I used to get wicked jealous of my husband for masturbating to porn. It made me feel somehow inferior to the women in the magazines, but what I realize now is that it was just lack of imagiation on his part (no offense, honey). I don't need magazines (when Bill Pardy will do -- how'd that get in there? lol Seriously tho...), but why blame him for needing them? I mean, just because I can create some big strange fantasy about being some Greek Goddess or Egytian Princess getting it on with a God doesn't mean everyone can (or would want to). In other words, we all get our rocks off different ways... We are all individuals... Why blame someone for getting their rocks off differently (as long as "differently" doesn't mean anything harmful or illegal, y'know)?

As a writer, I need to "get my rocks off" (I honestly do not know where I got that expression, but I like it so I'm sticking with it), but if I'm writing every day and, um, my husband is off in Colorado working on a film, well, what am I suppose to do, right? Masturbation!

But then guilt creeps in and all those moments someone said something like "Ew, gross, you do that?" or "That's wrong" and all of a sudden I feel blocked. And then, well, then I end up not writing, which really bugs me. I want to be unstoppable like James Gunn, but being unstoppable means you gotta start in the first place!

Damn, I'm on a rant... Don't want to get too tangential...

The point is why the big deal? Why is it taboo to talk about masturbating? Why does it have to be a "dirty little secret?"

Eating isn't. Drinking isn't. Finding shelter from a storm or going to sleep when you're tired isn't taboo.

Isn't sex, or, more importantly orgasm, just one more thing we humans NEED.

Nourishment, shelter, sleep, & sex.

Aren't those our basic needs without which we could not survive?

I suppose a gaggle of nuns or priests might say icks-nay on the ex-say, but come on! Perhaps sex with someone else, but don't we all need the release of sexual gratification even if it is  just with our hands (or whatever you use)?

How many popular songs have been about it?

She Bop - Cyndi Lauper
Dancing with Myself - Billy Idol
Touch Myself - DiVinyls (I think??)
Whip It - Devo

These are just off the top of my head... I'm sure there are many more. Oh!

Me and My Hand - Pink (or whatever that song is called)

I think you get my point... People have sung about it, written about it (Joe Matt)... It's obvious we need it, so why keep it taboo? Why not just be totally open and upfront about it?

Is it because what may get our rocks off isn't what we want people to think does? Maybe, but who cares what your private fantasy is... Most of our daily choices seem to stem from the same place... Why do I love Serenity so much? Why did I love Star Wars so much when I was younger? They get my rocks off. Maybe not in the same exact way as masturbation (that could be embarrassing and messy), but still, the point is, something gets my heart racing, something uplifts me, brings me to a higher level...

Hey, maybe masturbation could be looked at like prayer...

Wow. A whole bunch of strange thoughts just flooded my brain with that one sentence, one of them being my very Catholic grandmother -- my only grandparent still living -- whacking me over the head with rosaries, but, hopefully, you get my point.

Prayer is a solitary thing we do at night if we are at all even remotely spiritual (and sometimes even when we're not). It makes us feel better. It helps us focus on what's most important. It channels our positive energy.

So, why not masturbation? It pretty much does the same thing only it feels a heck of a lot better, imho.

Well, enough chatter... I got some professional writing to do,but first I gotta get my rocks off.

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