Oral Sex: Special Occasion Or Occasionally Special?

2008_05_30_oral.jpgEarlier this week, Slate columnist William Saletan wrote an article to your parents explaining to them that oral sex is no longer a dirty and illicit act: these days, everybody (but especially teenagers and college students!) loves to go downtown, whether with the love of their life or whoever they met at last call. Many readers then wrote in to gently explain that he was crazy and that oral sex has always been standard operating procedure for quite some time–in other words, this “stigma” that has supposedly evaporated never really existed at all.

Today, Saletan fires back with the pesky little thing known as “evidence.” Just to be clear, he isn’t arguing that oral sex has replaced regular intercourse among today’s younger generation (as several afterschool specials might lead you to believe): it’s just that blowjobs and pussy eating are no longer considered taboo, or shameful, or the kind of thing that you only do with that very special person who you better be married to.

So what we want to know is: Is this true? Did the stigma ever exist for you? Were you raised to believe that oral sex is more intimate than intercourse? We don’t care what you think about it now; the issue is whether there was ever a time when getting or giving head was considered something especially special. (Of course, if you’re gay or lesbian you probably think we’re stupid for even asking, but everyone gets confused sometimes.)

Gawker Media polls require Javascript; if you’re viewing this in an RSS reader, click through to view in your Javascript-enabled web browser.

Oh, and here’s some food for thought, if you need it …


· “Lisa Sparxxx giving head” (RedTube)


· Eating her Pussy (RedTube)

· The normalization of oral sex + Was oral sex always normal? (slate.com)
· Thumbnail via My First Sex Teacher (strokersgals.com, via askjolene.com)

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  • Anonymous

    This poll is very vague. It’s an interesting question but what constitutes “something special”? and what was the original second base?

  • softkitten88

    Sigh…. this should have been how it always was. Does this mean it’ll be another 50 years before anal on the first date is the norm?

  • Anonymous

    oral sex is nothing new, it’s been practised regularly for ages, esp by more educated people as statistics will show. oral often provides the best orgasm for a woman, in my opinion, if it’s done with careful attention to avoid overstimulation of the clitoris (as a large dog might lick peanut butter). i’m happy to see young people use it more often, which may be a modern sexual practice. as to the ‘specialness’ of it, perhaps for many it is only granted to those that are open enough, and trusted, and willing to please and reciprocate. anal sex is a whole other issue. for one, it requires more trust and relaxation, and LUBE, and rarely brings an orgasm to a woman. i do it to please a partner, not because it gets me off. i don’t see it becoming a ‘first date’ sexual choice, but rather a result of a couple experimenting with various positions. comments? lisa :)