I wrote this essay on masturbation 18 years ago, before many on this board were born. Most of the young ppl here know better about the taboo subject, as did most young ppl in the college town where this was published knew in '94. However, like the monster in a B-horror movie, you never know when discredited ignorance will come back alive to cause more misguided harm. In fact this was written at the time Surgeon General Joycelyn Elders was fired because she officially advocated masturbation as a safe release for young ppl. This ref is also to that traditional Chinese Crap that was recently posted on this forum. MASTURBATION DEC 1994 Published: Moon Magazine, G'vlle, Jan. 11, 1995 "Masturbation Consternation") On Dec. 9, l994, Surgeon General Joycelyn Elders was forced to resign by President Clinton because she stated the fact that masturbation is a part of human sexuality and this should be taught to our children. The Prez found this embarrassing. The outspoken Dr. Elders had previously embarrassed the president by publicly commenting that we should provide condoms for school kids, and we should study legalizing drugs. Now it's understandable that the president, who admitted to once smoking dope (but didn't inhale), could want to distance himself from appearing tolerant of drug abuse, even though intelligent thinkers from the National Academy of Sciences to William F. Buckley Jr. have been calling for legalization for years. But, why such an overreaction to masturbation, something that's done by almost everyone on the planet. Statistically, the odds are that the prez himself has choked his chicken at least once (though he may not have ejaculated). Depending on the survey, the statistics show that nearly all men (90 to 95 percent) and most women (70 to 85 percent) have masturbated. Considering this almost universal indulgence, the strong taboo against masturbation seems particularly hypocritical, putting it right up there with homosexuality as the "love that dare not speak its name." This taboo in our culture is the result of a history of Puritanism and medieval Christian mythology, coupled with bad science that formed conclusions to satisfy these predetermined religious notions. The guilt associated with masturbation is deeply engrained in our cultural mythos and has resisted the last half century of enlightened investigation. The reactionary attack on Dr. Elders for proposing a more rational acceptance of masturbation shows the extent of this cultural taboo. There was a time, before the Judeo/Christian/Muslim domination of the world, when sexuality was celebrated. The ancient Greeks were quite open about all manner of sexual gratification, and masturbation was considered no more than a pressure release enjoyed by males and females. Likewise, many non-Christianized cultures in Africa and the South Pacific islands incorporated masturbation as a juvenile means of learning sexuality. But, these are sex positive cultures that actually demonstrate and teach sexual techniques to young people, rather than deny this natural part of life. In this regard, our own "developed" culture resists modern examination of these realities that are known by simpler cultures. The Judeo/Christian concept of masturbation as sin started with a misunderstanding between God and Onan. According to the Jewish law of that time, Onan was required to "go in unto" his dead brother's wife and make babies in his brother's name. For some reason Onan didn't like the idea and either by pulling out or pulling off, spilled his seed on the ground. God got pissed and zapped Onan to kingdom come. So that's the story. No one knows for sure that masturbation was actually involved. Many scholars think that God was displeased because Onan refused to follow the law and that God could care less about a little cum on the floor. But the Christians of the dark ages interpreted God's wrath as being against any non procreational sexuality and particularly against masturbation. If masturbation as sin was foisted on us by the ancient church, it was an l8th century Swiss physician who perpetuated it into the age of enlightenment. In l758 S. A. Tissot wrote a scholarly treatise, "On Onanism, or a physical dissertation on the ills produced by masturbation." This was where the "degeneracy theory" invaded the western medical establishment. Tissot proposed that semen is a vital fluid and by wasting it men drained their bodies of vitality, becoming susceptible to diseases and infirmity. This theory was not new to other ancient cultures. The Chinese believed that semen was exhaustible, and would waste a man's "yang" energy. Women could masturbate freely because "yin" energy is inexhaustible. This observation is a natural conclusion to anyone familiar with the exhaustion experienced by most men after just one orgasm. Tissot, however, based his observations on castrated men, without knowledge that a lack of hormones and not wasted semen could cause loss of virility. He also observed that men who frequented prostitutes were sickly, and blamed it on wasted semen, without knowledge that rampant venereal diseases were the cause. With the strict Christian social condemnation of "self pollution" or "manustupration" (the derivation of the Latin masturbari from manu stuprare, "to defile oneself with the hand") it's obvious that none of the very healthy and virile masturbators came forward to refute such flawed conclusions. This belief system, posing as medical science, continued to pollute the minds of Europeans. By 1832, Tissot was translated in the U.S. and the masturbation madness spread here as well. It would be a century before the Western world would again get a grip on self stimulation. By the late 19th century, masturbation hysteria had reached maximum absurdity, rivaled only by the l6th century witch-hunts. Doctors enumerated the "witches marks" of the secret abuser: general apathy and laziness, dim or shifty eyes, pale complexion, slouching posture, or trembling hands. When accused by such authority, the miscreant self abuser would often confess. The medical establishment, having convinced themselves of the severity of the physical debilitation, blindness, and insanity caused by self abuse, attacked it with a passion. Indeed, it was literally a sado-masochistic-bondage relationship between doctor and patient. To prevent children from masturbating at night, their hands were tied to the sides of the bed, or they wore mittens spiked with iron thorns. Special chastity belts were designed for women and men. Men could also wear a locked-on steel cage around their penis at night which denied any access of their hands to spontaneous erections. To prevent the normal sleep erections, there were penile rings with metal spikes inside to rudely awaken any man fool enough or sick enough to actually put it on. And, for the gentleman who had everything, an electric alarm to prevent nocturnal emissions. The more persistent male masturbator might have to endure infibulation, or inserting a metal ring through the foreskin, making an erection very painful. Women could have their clitoris cauterized or cut out (a mutilation that persisted in the U.S. into the l930s and is still practiced in some parts of the world). Occasionally men were castrated to prevent masturbation, which blew the hell out of the wasted semen argument, and there has been the ultimate cure of penile amputation. In the 20th century, only circumcision remains as a male genital mutilation to prevent self abuse. Not since bloodletting to cure anemia has the medical profession done so much harm from blind ignorance, the only blindness ever connected to masturbation. No doubt there was mental illness and insanity caused by the repression of natural urges, and the guilt for those who saw themselves as having weakness of character. But the ignorance didn't stop at the entrance of the 20th century. Not until Dr. Alfred Kinsey (a scientist, not a medical doctor) did his groundbreaking survey of male sexuality in l948, did some of the myths start crumbling. The truth was finally out that most men did masturbate, and were not blind, debilitated, or insane. In actuality, high school and college graduates were more prone to masturbate than those at lower educational levels (The Sex Atlas, pg 194). These facts, and others on human sexuality, are now slowly being assimilated by our culture, as everyone tries to fit facts into their personal belief system. Eventually, the medical profession may be trusted again to know more than the average jerk-off in matters of sex, but as late as l962 an investigation discovered that nearly half of a large group of medical students subscribed to the belief that masturbation frequently causes mental illness. So, Dr. Elders is correct to propose that we need more sex education, and that masturbation is a real part of teen sexuality. In a world full of unwanted babies, and lethal sexually transmitted diseases, the benefits of masturbation as an alternative to sexual intercourse should be encouraged. Besides, there are real dangers in masturbating that young people should be educated to. For example, boys should be told not to stick their penis into a vacuum cleaner hose. The last guy who did it cleaned all the skin off his penis. Also don't stick it in the suction drain of a swimming pool or you might have the embarrassment of waiting for fire rescue to get you out. As for women, they should perhaps cultivate an appreciation for fingers on the clitoris, for there are certain risks in inserting objects into the vagina, or urethra. In the mid l9th century, there were so many incidents of ladies losing hairpins in the bladder while diddling that a German surgeon invented a special instrument for their removal. Other objects needing removal from the vagina by professionals (has to be embarrassing) are candles, corks, crochet needles, tumblers, and hens eggs. Be careful with makeshift dildos. Carrots, cucumbers, and bananas have a good track record, but never use bottles or you may be waddling to the emergency room. Seems they get warm, then cool, sucking in the vaginal wall and getting stuck. But, with a little common sense, masturbation can be a safe and relaxing way to enjoy yourself. AFTERWORD For those unconvinced about the normalcy and safety of masturbation, there still exists some l9th century nutritional remedies to combat self pollution. In the 1830s the Reverend Sylvester Graham developed a special flour to combat lust, and in l898 John Harvey Kellogg (a proponent of clitoridectomies and enemas), produced a breakfast cereal to reduce sexual desire. Graham crackers and corn flakes are still available, although neither has been proven to thwart self abuse.
Shale- that was fan-fucking-tastic. Thanks for sharing that. It would be funny if it it wasn't so sad. You're cool man. Hey send that to the member named "Cutted". I can't talk to him anymore cause I'm self polluting myself.
