Asses are trending. Belfies are flooding Instagram. Songs like “Anaconda” and “Wiggle” became viral sensations. Brazilian butt lifts increased by 53% in 2013, and women are flooding to the gym to squat their life away. Previously, asking “does this dress make my butt look big?” required a reassuring “no,” but now we hope for a positive “fuck yea, you look thicc”.

According to Pornhub search traffic statistics, young people like butts way more than their parents. Viewers between 18 and 24 were 20% less likely to search for breast-related content than those aged 55-64. It’s 2018 grandpa, we eatin’ ass now.

Partial thanks go to celebrities like Jennifer Lopez, Kim Kardashian and Nicki Minaj. They flaunt their apple bottoms constantly through social media and honestly, who could blame them? The more they flaunted their rumps, the more attention they got, until . . . BOOM! An ass-obsessed generation ensued.

We are in the midst of a sexual revolution. Open anal discussion a decade ago would have seriously raised eyebrows, but now we are eating assholes and raving about it. Guys have also come a long way in embracing their buttocks – it’s now completely acceptable to get it in the ass if you’re a guy.

Anal sex is no longer thought of as exclusively for gay men or Christians wanting to keep their ‘purity’.

Butt reverence is also having a positive effect on standards of beauty. Not long ago, European features were deemed the most “beautiful” – pale skin, petite, narrow figures and straight hair. Now it’s all about big butts, hourglass figures, big lips and brows, aspects typically found in non-European women.

Many women are no longer starving themselves to look like a Victoria’s Secret model, but are instead loading up on the protein to look like a Kardashian. The great thing about asses is that you can build one if you work hard – unlike boobs, where you either have them or you don’t. But this ass obsession can also leave women feeling more insecure. Once we just had to worry about being skinny and having big boobs. Now we have to have perky boobs, a big ass and a tiny waist? Pretty tough.

So what actually makes butts so attractive to men? Biologically, women with big hips and a fat ass were seen as more fertile and healthy at a time when 50% of women died during childbirth. Possibly they like it because it’s uncharted territory – sex in its raw form. Also, anal can’t result in pregnancy, so anal sex is purely for pleasure. For others, it’s a bit of a novelty bucket list thing.

However, butt love isn’t all bubbly and fun, as it can still create some pretty shitty standards, so to speak. One of these is called the “human/toy complex,” where some men see women as either humans, or as sexual objects. Big butts are the latest “toy” and men want to have a play. Even if you have a pretty normal ass, some guys just seem obsessed with smacking it, and that can be pretty fucking disrespectful.

And while anal is becoming more normalized, it’s still not for everyone. Many women just don’t want to. It can be painful, and needs to be done properly by someone you trust.

So, What’s Anal Sex Really Like?

Anal sex is like wine: some people love it and some don’t. I fucking love wine but I hate anal (I tried it once, it hurt and felt like I was shitting myself). I decided to hit up a few people for their thoughts on the matter.

Kim:

I enjoy it because butt holes are a different kind of feeling. I know it sounds fucked up. Anal sex is a lot more intense than vaginal sex and I was curious. Plus, I kinda liked it. This one time I messed with this guy who was really into Star Wars and he convinced me to stick a toy light saber up my butt. It was a kink thing and he was really into it!
One morning after unprotected anal sex I woke up and [shit] was through my pajama pants and the sheets. I am still horrified. However, I’ve always enjoyed it. It’s the whole pain/pleasure element that’s good about it. When it’s done properly it’s so much better than ordinary sex. The butt hole is the magnifying glass of the body. Anything you put in there feels three times bigger than it is. But, make sure you’re extremely prepared and use a whole bottle of lube.

Michelle:

It was so bad. I hated it. We warmed up a lot but when he put it in I actually felt like I was being ripped apart. Even though he was pretty gentle, it was still horrible. Every time he thrust in it was painful and every time he thrusted out I felt like I was pooing. I could tell he was loving it so I tried to go on, [but] I only lasted about two minutes and then I told him to stop. The worst part though was when he pulled out. There was a little bit of poo on the tip of his dick and I was so disgusted and embarrassed. He was really cool with it though because he had done anal a lot before. He made me feel a lot better about the situation but I still never wanted to do anal again. We ended up breaking up in the long run. He was really into butt stuff and I wasn’t at all. He wanted me to eat his ass and was constantly trying to put fingers in my butt and sex just became a bit of a battle. He was an ok guy but in the bedroom we just weren’t on the same page. Plus, he was a raging homophobe and said gay sex was disgusting which I thought was a bit hypocritical considering he was constantly begging me to put my dildo up his ass.

Sam:

I guess the appeal was a mix. On the one hand, it seemed like it'd be cool to try. Why not, seems hot, it's something my partner and I can do to each other, which is cool. On the other, I went to a conservative as fuck school packed with guys who boasted about wanting to kick the fuck out of gays, so there was like a taboo/subversive edge to it. I once ate someone's ass in a public pool, fingered someone else's in a cemetery. I probably have way too many public anal stories tbh. It's a regular part of my sex life, from both sides. Straight up it just feels good – anal is a healthy addition [to sex] as far as I'm concerned. Lots of lube, obviously. Try in the shower or bath first if you're nervous, as long as you're a generally hygienic person there isn't too much to worry about anyway. And be slow, relaxed, start small! Get a butt plug, starter ones are pretty cheap and if you're cash strapped there's an NGO Sexy Liberation that'll ship you a couple starter ones (along other basic sex toys) super cheap. Oh, and to lads who would never let anyone near their [own] ass but expect anal from their partners – get the fuck over yourself and let your girlfriend put something in you! Don't give what you can't take.

Chris:

It was my girlfriend’s idea actually. There's definitely an appeal because it’s a taboo, and I found it pretty hot that my partner would trust me enough to do it. I was really paranoid about hurting her the first time, so I worked up to it for ages with my fingers, and used like half a bottle of lube – I was so slippery that I couldn't even hold the bottle! To be honest, it wasn't for me. We tried it a couple more times to be sure, but in the end I felt like she was mostly doing it for me, and I thought that vag sex just felt better – and required a lot less prep. But while we decided full-on anal sex wasn't for us, we did discover the wonders of a finger up the butt along the way. My advice is work your way up to it – don't go straight for the dick! Put something smaller in there first. It can hurt both parties involved if you dive in unprepared. And of course don't pressure anyone or feel pressured to do anything you don't want to do.

Whether you’re gay, straight or in between, everyone can appreciate a nice round bum. The butt trend is a sexual revolution because regardless of what you do in the bedroom, people are more open about anal sex. Taboos are lifting, people are embracing different body types and finally our behinds are getting the attention they deserve. We are a butt-loving, anal-fucking, ass-eating generation and it’s fucking great.