| From: | Erik Jameson <erikj@****.COM> |
|---|---|
| Subject: | Re: Sex & the Single Shadowrunner(thanks) |
| Date: | Tue, 5 May 1998 15:04:41 -0400 |
>I think it's cuz women don't have to deal with testosterone. From
>the ages of 1-11 I couldn't care less about sexuality issues. Then,
>Bang, I couldn't think of anything else and didn't understand it a
>bit. It's like getting a craving for icecream and you're pretty sure
>you know what flavor you want, but you don't have a clue as to how to
>get some, let alone knowing how to eat it.
I disagree on the matter of testosterone; biology is a major factor, but
nowhere near the only one. It has far more to do with cultural standards
and behaviors. Women are supposed to attract men, so sexuality is much
more of a frontal part of their thinking and psychology. And while men
tend to be nearly obsessed with sex (myself not excluded), culture dictates
that we are the bread winners, that sex is to be pushed back on our
priorities.
This holds true in many, many different cultures. The woman is supposed to
find a man and have babies. The man is supposed to provide for them all.
As far as clothing and compliments go, it's also culture. A woman at a
club dresses to attract a man, to show off her body (which, at a primal
level, is showing her "fertility"). A man dresses to impress, to show off
his wealth (which, at a primal level, is showing his ability to provide for
his children). And women have been conditioned to be very fashion concious
and will discuss fashion. Men have been conditioned to the opposite, that
fashion is for girls, that simple and functional is better with clothing.
Now in 1998 USA, this is starting to change as part of the fallout from the
so-called sexual revolution. But it's a part of our biology and it's a
integral part of our society, so I don't see it radically changing.
>Over time most men either get used to it and learn to deal with their
>sexuality, or the testosterone level drops off and they don't care.
>I learned to deal with it :) Being married also adds to my level of
>security <shrug>.
Married? That explains a lot; you no longer have to prove your
masculinity. Single men still do, which provides for a certain level of
insecurity since single men are always having to prove their masculinity
and "proper" sexuality. That's *one* reason why there is that whole "notch
on the bedpost" thing.
>Is that a man or a woman, both, neither? What do you mean you used
>to be a man? I only date women that used to be men, they know how to
>make love to a man. Etc.
Gah. That's a small fetish now; given the medical advances by 205x, it
would have to be a thriving fetish niche industry. Egads. And think of
the plot devices that could be used with this...what better way to hide
yourself from everyone than to change not only your appearance but your
sex? Kinda like that one guy/girl in Escape from LA actually.
Wow. Maybe I'll create a one of these characters for my Comic Con SR game,
and give it to a mature player if I find one. That could be fun...
Sexuality, in a mature game, can be very potent. It can be a great plot
device; what started out as a bar pickup ended up as a marriage engagement
for a character of mine.
But here's the crux of the matter:
I think most people avoid it because it can quickly degenerate into
immaturity quickly. I mean, sex that had THAC0's for example. I had a
player recently that while a male, wanted to play a voluptous female that
would and could seduce nearly any man. There was a certain titilation for
this 18-yr old. Needless to say, neither the PC or the player lasted very
long in my game.
It's like racism, which we discussed a while back here. It's an integral
part of the game and can be used to powerful effect, but there's so many
things that can and often do go wrong that most people avoid dealing with
the subject. Too many times you get sex THAC0's and score fests and "I
roll my Charisma, okay, I got a 9, 6, 5, 5, and a 4. Does she go to bed
with me?" Absolute crap.
And to be truthful, a role-played seduction doesn't go over very well also,
simply because a real seduction takes an extended amount of time, time that
could be better spent killing bad guys and making nuyen.
Anyway, it's about time for lunch here.
Erik J.
"Ladies & Gentleman, the newest member of the band, the one and only Spice
Boy, GRUMPY SPICE!!!" <and the crowd goes wild!!!>
