Americans have an unmatched talent for taking something great, and turning it into a perverted atrocity.
In today’s American culture, which seems to constantly shove sex into our eyes and minds like it’s something that we need every second of the day, sex is being further and further degraded in society, from something that used to be perceived as a private and intimate act of sincere love in relationship of marriage, into a thing that is seen as a casual experience that everyone should do just because it’s natural and it feels good.
Roxanne Jones, former ESPN Vice President, perfectly summarized the American perception of sex when she gave CNN readers advice to, “Never have sex with a girl unless she’s sent you a text that proves the sexual relationship is consensual.”
For those who go around having sex all the time, this is a fantastic idea.
What could be the big deal anyways? It is just sex.
Well then, by all means, please legalize prostitution. Who cares? It is just sex. (I dare you to click on that last link.) By all means, put condoms in the hallways, put condoms in the classrooms, and put condoms in the bathrooms. Who cares if teenagers have sex with whoever, whenever? It is just sex.
Sex isn’t something that should be considered casual. Yes, it is a beautiful thing and yes, it is necessary to reproduce. But our culture today perverts sex into something that is necessary to fit into society.
In every magazine, in every TV show, in every movie, in every ad, even in our books, Americans display not only a tolerance of sex as a casual deed, not only acceptance as proven by our ever increasing sex influenced lifestyles, but a continual, unquenchable thirst for more and more sex-related material to satisfy our natural, yet apparently crooked urges.
We let it dominate us. We contaminate sex with lustful thoughts and crooked hearts more and more, and then we let it contaminate us.
Honestly, I feel I haven’t been harsh enough at all. In this particular piece of writing, I’ve held back more than you know when it comes to truly telling the fault of our thinking the way we do, and acting the way we do. This 600-word article is just the beginning.
But don’t think I am excluding myself from fault either. I’m just as guilty of letting sex dominate my life as the next person. We all are. It is our nature and we are letting it pervert us.
Sex in America is perverted. Truly it is. For a country with Puritan roots and morals, I shudder to think at how the rest of the world views sex.
Obviously, the Puritans were too strict when it came to dealing with those who violated their ancient laws regarding sex. Let’s face it. There will always be those who degrade sex, who use it casually, whenever they want. Those scumbags will always be there.
But at least the Puritans saw sex as a beautiful, intimate, private display of love between two people. They didn’t degrade it to a point where any act of casual sex was justifiable because it felt good, or it was natural.
As an American society, we need to turn sex back into an aspect of our lives that is dignified, honoring, and respectful. Foothillians, as high schoolers we need to show the maturity to be able to rise above what society tells us we absolutely need to be happy. Guys: no more taking pride in “hitting that.” Girls: don’t submit to a sexual male pressure created by a sexual culture.
Yes, sex is a gift and needs to be taken advantage of, but in the correct way, and in an honorable manner.
Anonymous • May 11, 2021 at 8:04 pm
Thank you for sharing your views. The only other argument against casual sex I’ve seen is “sex is a sin, don’t do it,” but you provide a sound argument with reasonable claims that can apply to all people, non-religious and religious alike. As for the article’s message, I’m glad I’ve found someone who agrees with me. I don’t like how sex is portrayed as this uncontrollable urge that can’t be held back and is absolutely (emphasis on absolutely) required for people to live happy, healthy lives. It’s like they think you would die without it, or it will solve all of your problems, or something. I believe that the “sex is natural” argument forgets the fact that humans are more intelligent than animals and have actual self-control. Like pretending you’re sick so you don’t have to go to work, people claim they have no self-control over their sexual urges (by this I mean only consensual sex) so they are free to “go at it” as often as they want. Of course, I will “live and let live” and try my best not to judge others for believing differently, and I in no way believe people who choose sex before marriage should be shamed, but I do believe that the view on sex as a special act reserved only for those you truly love should be highly encouraged.
Yellow • Jan 3, 2021 at 10:20 pm
Thank you for your thoughts on this sensitive topic. The problem is with a lack of sexual education, self-love, and self-care. We were purposely not given the proper education in the USA so we could be controlled and we are under a lot of control. Because people put a taboo on sex or make it raunchy and tacky, there is so much sexual assault, sexual harassment, and pedophilia.
PrivateDoomsday • Dec 10, 2019 at 8:23 pm
Let’s be real, here. My response? You are 100% RIGHT, about America.
Part of this meant this “pride propaganda”, in Kids’ shows; saying that “those that are born” differently, should only be “good guys”; only comparing STRAIGHT people to propaganda, or “evil” in general.
But that is not the case; look at the history, behind Adolf Hitler. He gave people born differently, a bad name. If he was straight, then WHY was he secretly admiring teen boys, even without ACTUALLY having sex with them. (He did marry a woman, to make himself look straight. But he never had sex with her.)
This is proof that even many people that are born differently, can be some of the WORST people, of all time. Even some of them, are sex perverts, and even hateful people. (Not all people born differently, however. There are some, that are modest, kind individuals.)
My point is, it does not matter whether you are straight, gay, bisexual, or lesbian; you don’t go around promoting propaganda, because it can lead others to become HATEFUL and ABUSIVE; regardless of orientation.
Unfortunately, America has MOSTLY become a shameful excuse of a country; forgetting about the needs of children & animals. It USED to be a GREAT country; despite it’s imperfections. (For example; we had it great, in the 70’s, 80’s, 90’s and early 2000’s, as far as things such as entertainment, went) But since of the darker “Smartphone Age”, America MOSTLY focuses FAR less on our rights, and it focuses more on the interests of sexually deviant adults, alongside SEX & MONEY. (Not all of us, but most of us, these days.)
That’s why a lot of people from countries today, such as Russia, Germany, and Mexico, think of the United States, as a horrible place; we’ve got FAR too many bad examples, in a country that lost it’s humility & modesty.
But hey; the last I can say is, if you want to be an example, for culture in the United States, and show to other countries that NOT ALL Americans are bad people, we can learn, from the 70’s, 80’s, 90’s, and early 2000’s, as far as modesty and boundaries, go. (It doesn’t hurt to be creative, when it comes to various things, such as cartoons, music, and book-writing…but boundaries should come first.)
Cuddly Chops • Jan 18, 2019 at 12:40 am
American society is by far the most hypocritical culture on the planet.
When other countries perfom unusual sexual practices, right away the United States are the first to finger point and place shame.
This is why our country has so much rape violence and distrust, sure other places have it as well. But USA bureaucracy loves to criticize as though they’re virgins. Europeans have an open mind. Not obsessive.
Daniel Tzabary • Jun 5, 2018 at 10:30 am
Yes the West is very obsessed with sex for some odd reason. I was actually pressured by my parents to date by the age of 15. If someone doesn’t want to have sex, date or marry at 15 or at 25, so what? I don’t support sex or marriage. I find parents to be very selfish though their offspring. If parents really cared for their kids happiness, they’d actually ask their kids what would make them happy and work with them to achieve that. If parents pressure you to date or persue a certain career path, I’m sure they’re thinking more about their own desires, not yours.
Brian McMillen • Oct 22, 2017 at 12:21 pm
We all know what God says about all of this, These are God’s judgements which we are to follow and share with our peers, We are to share God’s Judgements with the world!!!
James Bond • Aug 25, 2017 at 8:29 pm
Shame is the problem.
And for some reason, pop culture only puts the shame taboo on heterosexual sex.
Every kind of other sexual perversion in western culture is seen as some kind of enlightenment to be embraced and celebrated.
Yes, we have reached the point of the biologically and evolutionary bizarre as a species.
jen • Aug 31, 2017 at 10:36 am
i think my eyes are bleeding from having to read “pop culture only puts the shame taboo on heterosexual sex” oh my god?
Justin • Aug 18, 2016 at 12:14 pm
The consequences are in the statistics. Let them live with their depression, let them live with their std’s, let them live within their culture of mental disorders. Sure the culture is surviving physically into old age but mentally and emotionally they are either dead or already dying.
Dallas • Sep 19, 2022 at 11:33 pm
Oh my God, that was savage. But true.
sanc1 • May 17, 2016 at 5:17 am
“Society is too focused on sex”
“Legalise prostitution”.
Legalising prostitution will just fuel the obsession with sex.
Red • Oct 5, 2018 at 4:01 pm
Reading comprehension. That entire paragraph was meant to be sarcastic, talking about “if sex is no big deal,” we might as well legalize prostitution, put condoms in classrooms etc. The author was trying to show that yes, sex IS important, and shouldn’t be dismissed as something casual.
Kashif Ansari • Apr 3, 2016 at 7:16 am
sex cannot be controlled. it is the last taboo and is the oldest instinct and hence the most repressed. by poisoning the minds of teenagers and even adults, religion has made even such a beautiful thing as sex into a sin. there are individuals on this planet who have ended up being stunted sexually due to the perverted minds of many of the priests and so-called conservative guardians of society. oh to have a sexually free society where pagan values reign supreme and let go of the monotheistic fanaticism which has wreaked so much havoc and made the lives of children and especially women such a desperate affair. let us say with the children that we all deserve a break from the adult-centric madness which is leading the way to hell. this western, judaeo-christian-islamic civilization with its impossible to live up to laws has to go. we don’t need heroes,. we need to be free and live our lives in the most beautiful manner in peace instead of being daggers drawn and living in an environment of war and hatred. where there is sex, the aggressive instincts will vanish. suicide bombers have sex on their minds and cannot express themselves fully so they blow themselves up into pieces. better to lower your standards and live out a meaningless yet happy life rather than be a neurotic scholar (like you) who pontificates against society and sex. i would rather be a happy sweeper who enjoys sex here, there and everywhere and no, i do not like people dictating to me how i should live my life. these problem parents you find today ought to be given a taste of their own medicine and spanked by their children. the no-sex society is not worth living in. it is a suicidal world of pain and misery where people yearn to breath yet cannot have any access to fresh air, sunlight or even water.
Ami Ballmer • Jan 17, 2014 at 6:02 pm
Zack,
Your opinion on the value of sex, namely that it is the ultimate act of love and should only be shared within a marriage, is a perfectly valid one. No one should judge you or call you a “prude” for viewing sex as you do, and it is not my intention to argue that your own personal choice to wait is wrong.
But just as you should not be judged for your own personal decision, you should not judge others for theirs. I was alarmed by the amount of slut-shaming in your article, and the fact that you were “holding back” is even more shocking. You go so far as to say that people who have casual sex “degrade it” and are “scumbags”. I understand that having casual sex is not a choice you would make for yourself, but fail to see any justification in applying such a harsh word to people who do.
You first say that “we contaminate sex with lustful thoughts”. According to Google’s definition, lust is very strong sexual desire. How can desire for something contaminate it? If you desire to eat Mac and Cheese, that doesn’t “contaminate” it when you finally do, it just makes it more enjoyable. Eating a food you have no desire for and hate, say brussel sprouts, is not enjoyable or fun. If anything, sex is enhanced and made more enjoyable through lust. In any case, lust is biologically programmed into us, as it is what makes us want to have sex at all and continue on the species. Lust is an integral part of sex, and the two can never be separated.
In addition, you also said of the Puritans: “They didn’t degrade [sex] to a point where any act of casual sex was justifiable because it felt good, or it was natural”. I fail to see how enjoying something isn’t enough justification to do it. Sure, if that thing was harmful it wouldn’t be okay, but sex, when practiced consensually, safely, and non-abusively, isn’t harmful. Sex not only “feels good” and can be a fun stress reliever, but can lower blood pressure, improve immunity, and help you sleep. But back to the point: you don’t need some amazing justification to have sex. Simply enjoying it is enough.
You also tell girls to not “Don’t submit to a sexual male pressure created by a sexual culture”. This seems to imply that women are always pressured into sex when they would rather not. Women, however, are just as able to enjoy and want sex as men. If a woman wants to have casual sex just because she enjoys is, it doesn’t make her a “slut”, “whore” or a “scumbag”. Everyone has the right to use their body in any way they choose, and as long as they aren’t harming anyone, not to be called a “scumbag” for it.
In the end, you assume that sex must be used only for expressions of love. While that is certainly a valid application, the institution of sex itself is not degraded when people partake for other reasons. I hope that in the future, you will be more understanding with people who chose another path.
Anonymous • Dec 17, 2021 at 6:06 pm
“You first say that ‘we contaminate sex with lustful thoughts’. According to Google’s definition, lust is very strong sexual desire. How can desire for something contaminate it? If you desire to eat Mac and Cheese, that doesn’t ‘contaminate’ it when you finally do, it just makes it more enjoyable. Eating a food you have no desire for and hate, say brussel sprouts, is not enjoyable or fun. If anything, sex is enhanced and made more enjoyable through lust. In any case, lust is biologically programmed into us, as it is what makes us want to have sex at all and continue on the species. Lust is an integral part of sex, and the two can never be separated.”
Lust is considered wrong because it can cause people to do what is described in this article: treating sex as a craving you should indulge in mindlessly, instead of treating it like a meaningful and private act to be done between two people who have a deep emotional connection. Going by your food analogy, satisfying our cravings for food, eating it even when it is not necessary, or eating food that tastes good but is not healthy, is actually ingrained into American culture, and you know the result? Obesity.
“In addition, you also said of the Puritans: ‘They didn’t degrade [sex] to a point where any act of casual sex was justifiable because it felt good, or it was natural’. I fail to see how enjoying something isn’t enough justification to do it. Sure, if that thing was harmful it wouldn’t be okay, but sex, when practiced consensually, safely, and non-abusively, isn’t harmful. Sex not only ‘feels good’ and can be a fun stress reliever, but can lower blood pressure, improve immunity, and help you sleep. But back to the point: you don’t need some amazing justification to have sex. Simply enjoying it is enough.”
Having sex carries risks, even when practiced “safely.” The condom can still break, the birth control can fail, etc. Top that off with the fact that sex is not a neccessity in the way something like eating is, and you reach the conclusion, “well, I could just not have casual sex.”
There are other, non-sexual ways to get health benefits like the ones you described. Plus, there are also plenty of negative risks associated with sex. STD and pregnancy are the two most talked about, but there are also plenty of negative emotional, mental, social, and even economic risks, such as trusting the wrong person with your body who then criticizes or makes fun of your appearance, or having to pay for an abortion or childcare.
“Just because I enjoy it” is not a valid reason for having sex because the choice to have sex is a huge decision with a lot of weight and filled with a lot of risks. When you have sex, you are revealing your private body parts to another person, trusting another person with your body, doing very intimate things that bring on an intense rush of emotions. You are risking pregnancy, STD (yes, even if you wear a condom/take birth control), and betrayal after the encounter is over. People who treat it as something casual most likely don’t understand the gravity of their decision.
Anti-ice cream • Jan 3, 2014 at 4:00 pm
I couldn’t agree more, there are too many people in today’s society that view sex as no more than a four year old views an ice cream cone. It’s something that they want in a moment, the thought of it is appealing but they can never commit to just one flavor. They have there full and then once the satisfaction is fulfilled they’re done. Sex is not a treat that you indulge in every so often because you have a craving for it. Sex is one of the biggest, most intimate ways people can demonstrate there love for each other. I hope that everyone can get to experience true intimacy in this lust filled world we live in.