General Discussion

LongTomH

(8,636 posts) Tue Apr 10, 2012, 12:47 PM Apr 2012

Are we experiencing a "Sexual Counterrevolution?"

Last edited Tue Apr 10, 2012, 02:16 PM - Edit history (1)

There was a post in GD yesterday stating: Conservatives are trying to define contraceptives as a recreational drug. That tends to support the thesis of author Nancy Cohen's latest book: Delirium: How the sexual counterrevolution is polarizing America.

Briefly stated, that thesis is (quoting from Ms. Cohen's website):

In DELIRIUM, Nancy L. Cohen tells the story of a little known shadow movement deep within both parties that has brought us to our present crisis. For the past forty years, she shows, one of the prime forces fueling America’s political wars has been the reaction against the sexual revolution and the progressive movements which emerged from it. Cohen charts the birth and career of the sexual counterrevolution: how conflicts about sex, women’s rights and women’s roles, gay civil rights, and family values drove Americans into irreconcilable warring camps, polarized national politics, and shattered and remade our political parties.

I'm old enough to remember the sexual revolution of the sixties and early seventies that led to, among other things: women taking charge of their own lives and their own sexuality, and a more equal relationship between the sexes as well as the gay rights revolution. The counterrevolution started with the ascendancy of the Religious Right in America. The books states that this is affecting both parties; perhaps, but I saw it mostly from the GOP right.

That 'sexual counterrevolution' has surfaced as one of the two major themes of the 2012 GOP campaign (The other is social Darwinist austerity in the form of the Ryan budget), as a war on abortion, contraception and gay rights. I don't really think Conservatives are going to be able to force the sexual 'toothpaste' back in the tube; but, they're sure as hell going to try!

Edited to add: George Orwell understood the principle - to be able to control a population, the elites have to control (suppress) their sexuality. That's why the mention of "The Anti-Sex League" in 1984. George was just 28 years early!

10 replies

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Highlight:

Are we experiencing a "Sexual Counterrevolution?" (Original Post) LongTomH Apr 2012 OP

That sounds like a book well worth reading. hifiguy Apr 2012 #1

I don't know ParkieDem Apr 2012 #2

We'll see el_bryanto Apr 2012 #3

"What the leadership wants?" LongTomH Apr 2012 #7

Well they may have been keen on it when they initially broached it. el_bryanto Apr 2012 #9

Yeah! LongTomH Apr 2012 #10

If I have recreational sex on my Corian countertop... lapislzi Apr 2012 #4

We need to fight to keep the American Taliban and the Tea Party Terrorists out of our bedrooms!! Initech Apr 2012 #5

more like two sides fighting dominance over women..... in the middle is womans rights. nt seabeyond Apr 2012 #6

Thanks to marketing culture, we have actually gone back to the pre-sexual revolution mindset Tom Ripley Apr 2012 #8

hifiguy

(33,688 posts)

1. That sounds like a book well worth reading.

Reply to LongTomH (Original post)

Tue Apr 10, 2012, 12:55 PM

Apr 2012

It's now on my list.

ParkieDem

(494 posts)

2. I don't know

Reply to LongTomH (Original post)

Tue Apr 10, 2012, 01:01 PM

Apr 2012

In my view, there are two prongs to the sexual revolution.

The first involves heightened equality for women, GLBTQ persons, etc. In this area, I don't know if there is a "counter-revolution going on. Maybe it's stealth, I don't know.

The second prong is more like the whole "free love" thing. And there is a counter-revolution going on here on a few levels, although it's not entirely bad. I think that, do a limited degree, the whole "free love" notion has hypersexualized the culture, making women less valuable if they are supposedly "unattractive" or "overweight" - which runs entirely counter to the goals of the first prong of the sexual revolution.

el_bryanto

(11,804 posts)

3. We'll see

Reply to LongTomH (Original post)

Tue Apr 10, 2012, 01:06 PM

Apr 2012

Again there's a conflict between what some in the base want (return to the morals of an imaginary 1950s) and what the leadership wants (not to have to attack contraception). Romney doesn't want this fight, that's pretty sure. Nor do many of the senators running. It's an issue that benefits their enemies (i.e. us).

But they might end up not having much choice if their base gets restive, and if we keep putting it front and center.

Bryant

LongTomH

(8,636 posts)

7. "What the leadership wants?"

Reply to el_bryanto (Reply #3)

Tue Apr 10, 2012, 02:20 PM

Apr 2012

Hello......the GOP leadership has been using the fight on abortion, contraception, gay rights, as well as having their mouthpieces like Rushbo attack women as 'sluts' or 'prostitutes' as ways of firing up that portion of the base that has been trying to turn the clock back to pre-sexual revolution days.

el_bryanto

(11,804 posts)

9. Well they may have been keen on it when they initially broached it.

Reply to LongTomH (Reply #7)

Tue Apr 10, 2012, 03:15 PM

Apr 2012

But after seeing how that stengthened Obama's hand, do you really think Romney and his team still want to focus on Contraception?

Bryant

LongTomH

(8,636 posts)

10. Yeah!

Reply to el_bryanto (Reply #9)

Tue Apr 10, 2012, 03:28 PM

Apr 2012

lapislzi

(5,762 posts)

4. If I have recreational sex on my Corian countertop...

Reply to LongTomH (Original post)

Tue Apr 10, 2012, 01:59 PM

Apr 2012

Am I engaging in the sexual counter-revolution?

Initech

(100,100 posts)

5. We need to fight to keep the American Taliban and the Tea Party Terrorists out of our bedrooms!!

Reply to LongTomH (Original post)

Tue Apr 10, 2012, 02:14 PM

Apr 2012

Reagan was dead wrong again - the scariest words in the English language aren't "I'm from the government and I'm here to help". The scariest words in the English language are "Excuse me, mind if I take a look in your bedroom"?

The fact of the matter is the Catholic Church went completely apeshit in this whole contraception deal and crossed a line that should not have been crossed. They stepped over the line and the Tea Party Terrorists and the American Taliban are buying it hook, line, and sinker. They have officially made Roe V Wade a moot point without overturning it - and that scares the shit out of me.

If we don't work to fight these fucking anti sex bigots back - we will quickly descend to the dark ages faster than you can blink.

seabeyond

(110,159 posts)

6. more like two sides fighting dominance over women..... in the middle is womans rights. nt

Reply to LongTomH (Original post)

Tue Apr 10, 2012, 02:18 PM

Apr 2012

Tom Ripley

(4,945 posts)

8. Thanks to marketing culture, we have actually gone back to the pre-sexual revolution mindset