This semester I taught a course at U of Delaware titled "The Evolution of
Human Sex Roles and Reproductive Behavior."  We started out with a book by
Dickson titled "Primate Sexuality" (which includes humans) and is full of
more information than anyone can digest in one reading.  It is fascinating.

The students had to give up many cherished notions about how humans were
unique in their sexual behavior and physiology.  They also had to give up
their cherished notions -- mostly gained from movies and TV shows and
bodice-ripping novels -- about how sex actually works in humans.  I told
them that I hated to burst their bubble, but in fact, real sex isn't usually
like the way it is portrayed in the movies, with both partners writhing
around and having wild and simultaneous orgasms simply from vaginal
penetration with the penis, and lots of yelping and thrashing going on.
Some of them, of course, have not had any sex yet at all, but most of them
have, and a number of both males and females came up to me privately and
said "Thank you for clearing that up -- I thought there was something wrong
with me."

Just like all the depictions of life with a baby on TV and in the movies,
where they lay down a wide-awake baby in the crib, say goodnight, turn off
the light, and the baby goes to sleep.  Yeah right.

But people see these media versions of reality and assume that they are
abnormal if their life isn't like this.  If people are interested I will
provide some of the details from Dickson's book.

Kathy Dettwyler

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