Sex Stories We Love: Awesome Appointment, Shroom Zoom, and Restrictive Art

There are certain things I look for when I choose stories for Sex Stories We Love. It might seem I am always after a punchline, but really, the most important aspect of these stories is expanding our opportunities to learn about sex. I’m really lucky. I get exposed to so many new ideas, products, and sexiness. In sharing them, I hope to give you some whipped cream for thought.

An Awesome Appointment

Nobody likes to be on the clock. Nobody likes to be told what to do (unless that’s your thing—much love for all the submissives out there). As Dr. Trina Read notes, some people have a real hang up about the potential of scheduled sex in long-term relationships. I can’t help but find this to be a really bizarre opinion to have. So many of us have date books and calendars filled to the brim with “Do this” or “Meet this person” or “Be here.” We schedule every minute of our lives. Yet, somehow, reserving time and energy to connect with our partners is somehow unromantic. Somehow contrived? Dr. Read nails it here with very sound advice on how scheduled sex is actually quite good for couples!

Rollin' a Not-So Fatty

We’re probably all familiar with the term ‘whiskey dick,’ right? It is the unfortunate condition that indicates a man’s alcohol intake is more than his penis can handle. It means he, pretty much, drank himself under the table. It means he’s had too much to drink and can’t get it up. Well, it seems another favored substance can also produce similar effects, and has also produced the endearing appellation "weed dick." Recent studies suggest marijuana can have similar effects on performance and regular smokers have higher instances of erectile dysfunction. Sorry to harsh your buzz, folks.

Shroom Zoom!

While pot may be a detriment to dudes’ dicks, it seems mushrooms might be mellifluous to women! Researchers identified a new mushroom with the potential to induce orgasms in females - but not in males. The aroma of these mushrooms found growing in lava in Hawaii, is said to be rather pungent, but, apparently the “hormone-like compounds” overcome the stench for women. This could prove to be a curious find—perhaps even be the true, but elusive, pure aphrodisiac or female Viagra people have sought for centuries. Whether there are medicinal qualities remains to be seen, but these shrooms certainly seem more appealing that weed right now.

Restrictive Art

A story about an artist creating an entire sex shop out of fabric for a protest exhibit targeting porn laws is an interesting story. However, I am truly stuck on one small detail of this story. Artist Lucy Sparrow, a former lap dancer, created this magnificent work of crafting to speak against the recently enacted, greatly restrictive British porn laws. She’s got all manner of items that you’d normally see in a sex shop recreated in fabric. Brilliant! The key word here is “recreated.” They aren’t real sex items. They are facsimiles. So, why at the bottom of the article does it note admittance is restricted to those 18 years of age and older? Why are people under 18 denied entry to an art exhibit? They are exposed to all kinds of sex imagery in every day society—why is this taboo?

Working Out a Bind

Fortunately, another instance of age restriction has been handled in a better manner, with give and take from two groups. Ottawa sex shop Venus Envy was recently fined for selling a chest binder. A chest binder is an undergarment worn to flatten the chest. It helps people achieve their desired gender expression. The chest binder was sold to someone under the age of 18. Since Venus Envy is a sex shop with 18+ materials, the person could not, legally, be in the store to make the purchase, even though it is the only place in town chest binders can be found. When the matter was brought to Ottawa City Council, they agreed to review the by-law, and at the same time, Venus Envy is removing porn from the floor to make their space all ages. This is a great example of people working together to advance sex positivity!

Hoping for Straight Xs?

Okay, I really want to know about what Rocco Siffredi's porn university's mascot will be. Pepe Le Penis? The Victory Vulva? There are so many options! Maybe we’re getting a little ahead of ourselves. The porn legend is, indeed, offering his vast knowledge of the industry to contestants in his new reality show. He’ll be teaching them everything they need to know in order to get ahead and pull away from the competition in the very competitive world of porn. Will Siffredi Hard academy be filled with all of the contrived back-biting and pseudo-intrigue that have plagued reality television since that first Survivor? I’m hoping they take a different approach and demonstrate that porn is a job and an art, something you can strive to excel at and create work to be proud of.