Friday, March 11, 2011

Nair for Men and the Fading of Taboo

I am completely amazed and excited at the ease with which people speak with on topics these days, that in the not too distant past, would have been considered taboo, at least in this country. For instance, while talking to a friend at work tonight (str8, christian, virgin, engaged, cute) a misunderstanding came up regarding an insult I yelled at him. He was under the impression that I told him to, "lick my butt" when what I had really said was, "lick my balls."

Now, if you have ever worked in the service industry, you will know they are not the upstanding bastions of political correctness and appropriate sexual neutrality. They actually are more like seething cesspools of sex, lies, rumors and harassment. Throw in a good hard dose of cash and heavy drinking, amp up the hormones from the younger bus boys and back of the house guys, muddle in the stress of all the girls up front and you have a weird place similar to high school, but without the angst, more drama and a lot more fun.  Well, I guess that depends on how you define fun?

So, he is thinking "butt" and I am talking "balls". I make matters worse by informing him that is why they made Nair for Men (which I do not use, preferring instead to shave and man-scape my junk with a razor and electric clippers, like a real man...bwhahahaha) and advise him he might give it (Nair for Men) a shot once he gets married.
 
Uh...yeah.

He stated he wouldn't "make her" do something like that and I was shocked to think that a girl would not like to give head and a guy wouldn't want to receive it.  North face vs. South face. Needless to say, once we sorted it all out, we had a pretty good laugh and I was suitably embarrassed and amused. There is no way we could explain what just happened to Jaime and I am glad we didn't try.

Now...the only reason why I dragged you through that conversation was to illustrate how taboo and things once considered "unmentionable" are finally being discussed and talked about in "polite" society. People are finally waking up to the idea of communication about all the issues and topics that the adults before us have never even broached, much less joked and kidded about. I am not saying our conversation was correct, but when else in the world would a guy like him (see above description) and a guy like me (gay, christian, single, ruggedly handsome) have a conversation about such things, much less a common ground to joke and kid about the very things, that to be honest, still can make us uneasy and unsure of ourselves? We can shift from jacking around, like guys do, to discussing the pride in our lives or stuff we wrestle with and need work on. Seamless transition and transparent communication, even among those not considered close friends.

Things are changing, and while the frozen chosen and uptight conserviquacks aren't going to like it much, people are talking and what was no longer is.  I don't recommend going around and sexually harassing your friends and coworkers, by any means, but if something comes up that needs discussing, don't be scared to speak your mind. Too many have been too silent for too long.

Let your voice be heard. Just make sure they hear the difference between "butt" and "balls"!  :)

That's all!

1 comment:

  1. Thank you for making me laugh! :)

    I grew up watching married couples sleep in separate beds on some movies, hahaha. Times have changed.

    I remember two big changes in attitude over the years.

    First, Lorena Bobbitt cut off her husband's penis in 1993. Gruesome, but that was the first time I had ever heard the word on television news. By the way, it was reattached.

    Then, Monica Lewinsky gave oral sex to Bill Clinton which was all over the news in 1997. It seemed that, after that time, oral sex was acknowledged more as a reality in public.

    It's all been downhill from there, hahaha!

    I for one am glad for the honesty.

    michael e

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