Stud vs. Creep vs. Slut: The challenges of being a sexual male in our age.

I read a great editorial at Alternet.org titled, Why Do We Demonize Men Who are Honest about Their Sexual Needs? by Clarisse Thorn  It is one feminist's view on the dangerous corner men are being put into that is full of double standards and unwarranted limitations.  It is the first blatantly open writing I have read from a feminist that explains many of the challenges the modern sexual male faces.  Please read her article before reading the rest of this post.

So how can a man express his sexual needs without being tarred as a creep? After all, the point of promoting sex-positive attitudes is for everyone to be able to be open about their needs and desires, right? [Emphasis mine]

First, I know most of all sexual crimes are perpetrated by men.
Second, I acknowledge the male gaze heavily dominates our pop culture.
Third, I acknowledge and respect the continued struggle for equality and respect of women.

With those disclaimers out there, I have to now share a rant.  As a middle-aged, upper middle-class, heterosexual white male, I am in a group that is easy to dislike, disparage, and disenfranchise.  Much of this comes from the sins of my forefathers who did the same to almost all other groups.  With that historical baggage, many distrust the motives, intentions, and value of what I offer.  This is especially true when discussing sexual desires, needs, and attractions.  If I say I prefer tall, skinny, blond bombshells with pert tushes and big breasts (not actually my preference)*, I can be labeled as a racist, misogynist who perpetuates the dangerous stereotypical ideal that encourages eating disorders and the oppression of alternative looks.   If I share nothing about my preferences I never get what I seek and am accused of not sharing my feelings.  If I share my desires, I am judged on them.

Preferences are things we prefer.  They may be narrow or broad.  They may limit our experiences or make them overly abundant.  I made up a term and call myself a "terravore".  That means I only eat food that comes from above water.  That preference limits me, but it is what I prefer.  I don't like dramatic musicals like Phantom of the Opera.  I prefer musical comedies.  I prefer the music of Dire Straits to the solo works of Mark Knopfler.  If I say I prefer* short, dark-haired Latina women, I am not saying I want to harm all other women and oppress them.  It is just my personal taste and preference in what I find attractive and desirable.  I do not judge poorly others who have different preferences than mine, to each their own.

The pressure put on men to be initiators, yet avoid seeming creepy or aggressive leads to an unpleasant double bind. After all, the same gross cultural pressures that make women into objects force men into instigators; how many women do you know who proposed to their husbands?

It is tough to be an alpha male in our culture, especially in regards to sex and desire. If a man takes the lead, he is an oppressor.  If he doesn't, he is a wimp and is disregarded.

We feminists often say that men's promiscuity is lauded while women's is stigmatized, and one point of this argument is purely linguistic: "stud" is a complimentary word for a promiscuous man, while "slut" is a hurtful word for a promiscuous woman.


The stud vs. slut dichotomy is worth discussing, but it has one flaw: it entirely ignores the word "creep," whose function appears to be restricting male sexuality to a limited, contradictory set of behaviors. [Emphasis mine]

So how can a man express his sexual needs without being tarred as a creep? After all, the point of promoting sex-positive attitudes is for everyone to be able to be open about their needs and desires, right?

As I have mentioned before, I am not my forefathers.  I am not trying to repress your sexuality.  How can I express mine if it is seen as wrong and "creepy"?  The actual content of my desires may be creepy, but the act of expressing it shouldn't be.

Men are under so much pressure to get busy all the time that even when they're having sex, their own pleasure may be less central than meeting the stereotype of how dudes are supposed to get laid. For some men, the stereotypes do kinda represent their desires; for some, the stereotypes don't work at all.

That is the double standard.  There are stereotypes of men that do not apply to all men.  If my desires do not fit into the stereotypical guy's desires, I am labeled as a creep.  Being labeled a "creep" is far worse than a "stud",  "Lothario", "womanizer", etc.  Creeps are in the same group, or a notch above pedophiles in popular culture.  As Thorn writes, " Men are supposed to be insatiable only within those bounds. Men who step outside them -- for example, heterosexual men who are attracted to curvier women, or who like being pegged with a dildo in the butt -- are either mocked or viewed with anxious suspicion."  If women, homosexuals, and other non heterosexual males can explore different sexual avenues of pleasure openly, why can't heterosexual males?

Like most people, men want sex, and that's not a bad thing. Like everyone, men deserve to feel as though their sexuality is hot, awesome, delicious, valuable, and can be pleasurable for all parties in a consensual situation. Just as women shouldn't have to feel exploited when they have consensual sex, men shouldn't have to feel like they're exploiting someone when they have consensual sex. Just as more and more space is being made for forthright discussion of female sexuality, more and more space should be made for forthright discussion of male sexuality.

It's also incumbent upon us to honor each others' boundaries. But this is not a question of limiting or repressing male sexuality, and it shouldn't be framed that way. It should be framed entirely as a question of consent, communication and respect.

AMEN

* I will not share my preferences in beauty and attraction.  It evolves and I don't want to be pinned down.  Being a male, even that declaration makes me sound like an opportunist who wants what ever tickles my momentary fancy.  That is actually far from the truth.