You What? A Discussion of Sexual Fetishism

     Everybody has some aspect of their sex life that they really enjoy and some favorite things that are quite arousing to them. It is often difficult for a person within the United States to find personal fulfillment and delight in how they choose to express their sexuality because a set of stereotypes govern what is socially acceptable. While it is easy to say that we are a nation of individuals who are not governed by social pressures, appropriate public expression of one’s sexuality is highly influenced by the stereotypes that have remained unchanged for generations.

     The Sexual Revolution of the 1960’s may have served to make sex a more acceptable topic for discussion, but it did not do very much to resolve the stifling culture pressures surrounding it. The role of social pressure and the influence it has upon American sexuality and its expression, however is not the focus of this article. It is enough to say that many of the more conservative attitudes still govern how sex and sexuality is viewed by society here in the United States. As a result of this, there are many people who feel that they are some how flawed or unacceptable because they do not meet the stereotypes or find that their interests are a match with the conservative perspective that is seemingly the norm(1).

An Unhealthy Stereotype

     Let us briefly explore what the stereotypes are within the society of the United States with respect to sex and sexuality. Since the Sexual Revolution, some points have gained full acceptance while others have had a tepid tolerance at best. The sexuality of women, in general, has become as accepted in the mainstream of society as the sexuality of men. Heterosexuality is still viewed as the norm for sexual orientation with the social pressures still focused upon monogamous relationships.

     Serial monogamy is tolerated, if not increasingly encouraged, among women and men. Polyamorous heterosexual relationships are encouraged amongst men, but the stereotype requires that the women involved be under the impression that their relationship with the man in question is monogamous. Also, society has come to accept the concept of women and men who are not married living together and engaged in an active sexual relationship.