Columns

X-Rated

This week, we present our sex issue. Sex, if you hadn’t noticed, is pretty big; if you’re not having it, you’re talking about it. And if you’re not doing either of those, you’re probably thinking about it. Quite often at that, if the notorious seven seconds statistic is anything to go by.
 
Given this, it’s pretty easy to see why people think we’re sex-obsessed. It’s not love that’s all around us, it’s sex; in the form of music videos, advertising, television, magazines, the internet and movies. Some argue that such excessive discussion of sex trivializes it, others argue that this is a sign of sexually liberation. As should be obvious from the mere fact we’ve produced a sex issue, we’re all for openness about sex, assuming one leaves one’s sexism and judgement at the door.
 
Much like the narrow idea of beauty in our society, sex is often presented in a fairly idealised way on TV and in movies. Only in the realm of the bleary box do people orgasm at their lover’s touch, or manage to have sex while entirely clothed. In reality, there are no “hard and fast” rules about sex (pun sort of intended). To emphasise just how different people’s perspectives and experiences are, we sent Siobhan Downes out to talk to six different students about, well, sex. Meanwhile, Mrs John Wilmot, our resident sexpert, did a little field work and came up with the top locations around Dunedin for a little hanky panky.
 
I suppose what I’m saying is that sex means a lot of different things to different people. Unfortunately for the Critic team (or fortunately, depending what you’re into), “sex” has been more associated with the awkward and bizarre this week than the exciting and satisfying. On Monday, my flatmates and I sat around watching our gender-confused bunny hump a detachable fake-fur collar on our couch. Post-coitus, the gender-confused bunny in question pooed on its new love before eating the droppings off its back.
 
On Tuesday, we directed a photoshoot in which my flatmates pretended to have sex on my bed (if you somehow missed this, see the cover). Needless to say, a fair few glasses of goon were necessary to enable me to survive the experience.
 
Wednesday saw me holding a banana in front of Countdown (much to the excitement of a near-by consumer). By Thursday, we were discussing the top ten most memorable movie sex scenes with a 7 and an 8 year old in the office. Whoever said Critic wasn’t educational?!
 
Anyhow, we hope you enjoy this week’s issue.
 
Julia Hollingsworth