It’s hard to put a positive spin on the vaginal fart
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Can you learn the art of shagging? Those who are eager to pick up some tips might be interested in the newly published Rough Guide to Sex which, at first glance, seems just the tome to swat up on the finer points of sexual technique.
But are men really the target market for a ‘how to’ guide for ‘love making techniques?’ Most guys don’t even bother reading the instructions when it comes to assembling flat-pack furniture, so are they going to want to pore over a guide of what to do with their genitals? The assumption amongst most of us is that if you need a guide book when it comes to what to do in bed you must a) be beyond hope and b) haven’t spent enough time learning the basics ‘in the field.’
Sex manuals have a long and successful publishing history since the Kama Sutra made its debut in second century India. However, despite becoming known as ‘the sixty four’ due to its various permutations on sexual positions, James McConnachie, author of the Rough Guide to Sex, points out it only actually contains eight positions with 18 additional ‘unusual sexual acts.’
More modern publishing sensations include psychologist Tracey Cox, who has been churning out books including Supersex and Quickies at regular intervals for the past 10 years. She even sells a ‘Supersex Advanced Anal Kit’ via an online retailer which comes with a medium and large butt plug. Handy!
The aptly named Cox has been joined by ex-Brookside actress turned sex know-it-all Julie Peasgood, who has published books including The Greatest Sex Tips in the World and even popped up on the Alan Titchmarsh Show, of all places, telling grandmas to be more experimental in their sex lives.
As this evidence demonstrates, the market is clearly geared to ladies who maybe want to compare how many multiple orgasms they should be having with their pals over a few Flirtinis. The ‘tasteful’ covers and model poses aren’t the sort of stuff that’s going to appeal to the men’s market. The euphemisms which crop up throughout these kind of sex manuals are also more likely to make men cringe rather than expand their sexual repertoire.
Take this quote from Tristan Taormino, author of The Ultimate Guide to Anal Sex for Women for example;
“Anal sex is my way of saying ‘Here is delicate part of my body, and I trust you not to hurt me but to make me feel good.’”
Or this from Ian Kerner’s oral sex bible She Comes First. You should start off, apparently:
“Like taking the first sip of an expensive bottle of wine that you’ve been saving for that special occasion.”
Hmm. Pour the herbal tea and pass the mung beans.
The Rough Guide To Sex sets itself the tricky task of trying to appeal to men and women, straight and gay, all at the same time. There are the typical GCSE biology text book-esque illustrations of reproductive organs and how-to guides on masturbation (starting off with the very basics then…) positions, and orgasms. As well as less well-worn topics;
“It’s hard to put a positive spin on the vaginal fart” writes McConnachie, with refreshing (for a sex manual) simplicity.
Size isn’t everything and even though there are 400 pages here don’t expect it all to be about where to put your genitals for maximum entertainment. There’s stuff here to put you off ever doing it again. There’s a chapter about STIs, pages about contraception and have you heard of the Rapex? It’s a female condom lined with 25 inward-pointing barbs, designed to give a woman time to escape her assailant, who would no doubt be a bit surprised, should she ever find herself being attacked. Blimey.
It’s a comprehensive bit of work but probably of interest to male readers, who don’t think they really need to be told how to do it, only because of the quirky odd ball facts it contains.
At least you can wow your friends down the pub with nuggets like the statistic that one in five penguins are gay. The technical ins and outs of how the pelvic floor muscles actually work isn’t going to win out, for entertainment value for most blokes, over an episode of Top Gear.
You may also be interested in:
Can you learn the art of shagging? Those who are eager to pick up some tips might be interested in the newly published Rough Guide to Sex which, at first glance, seems just the tome to swat up on the finer points of sexual technique.
But are men really the target market for a ‘how to’ guide for ‘love making techniques?’ Most guys don’t even bother reading the instructions when it comes to assembling flat-pack furniture, so are they going to want to pore over a guide of what to do with their genitals? The assumption amongst most of us is that if you need a guide book when it comes to what to do in bed you must a) be beyond hope and b) haven’t spent enough time learning the basics ‘in the field.’
Sex manuals have a long and successful publishing history since the Kama Sutra made its debut in second century India. However, despite becoming known as ‘the sixty four’ due to its various permutations on sexual positions, James McConnachie, author of the Rough Guide to Sex, points out it only actually contains eight positions with 18 additional ‘unusual sexual acts.’
More modern publishing sensations include psychologist Tracey Cox, who has been churning out books including Supersex and Quickies at regular intervals for the past 10 years. She even sells a ‘Supersex Advanced Anal Kit’ via an online retailer which comes with a medium and large butt plug. Handy!
The aptly named Cox has been joined by ex-Brookside actress turned sex know-it-all Julie Peasgood, who has published books including The Greatest Sex Tips in the World and even popped up on the Alan Titchmarsh Show, of all places, telling grandmas to be more experimental in their sex lives.
As this evidence demonstrates, the market is clearly geared to ladies who maybe want to compare how many multiple orgasms they should be having with their pals over a few Flirtinis. The ‘tasteful’ covers and model poses aren’t the sort of stuff that’s going to appeal to the men’s market. The euphemisms which crop up throughout these kind of sex manuals are also more likely to make men cringe rather than expand their sexual repertoire.
Take this quote from Tristan Taormino, author of The Ultimate Guide to Anal Sex for Women for example;
“Anal sex is my way of saying ‘Here is delicate part of my body, and I trust you not to hurt me but to make me feel good.’”
Or this from Ian Kerner’s oral sex bible She Comes First. You should start off, apparently:
“Like taking the first sip of an expensive bottle of wine that you’ve been saving for that special occasion.”
Hmm. Pour the herbal tea and pass the mung beans.
The Rough Guide To Sex sets itself the tricky task of trying to appeal to men and women, straight and gay, all at the same time. There are the typical GCSE biology text book-esque illustrations of reproductive organs and how-to guides on masturbation (starting off with the very basics then…) positions, and orgasms. As well as less well-worn topics;
“It’s hard to put a positive spin on the vaginal fart” writes McConnachie, with refreshing (for a sex manual) simplicity.
Size isn’t everything and even though there are 400 pages here don’t expect it all to be about where to put your genitals for maximum entertainment. There’s stuff here to put you off ever doing it again. There’s a chapter about STIs, pages about contraception and have you heard of the Rapex? It’s a female condom lined with 25 inward-pointing barbs, designed to give a woman time to escape her assailant, who would no doubt be a bit surprised, should she ever find herself being attacked. Blimey.
It’s a comprehensive bit of work but probably of interest to male readers, who don’t think they really need to be told how to do it, only because of the quirky odd ball facts it contains.
At least you can wow your friends down the pub with nuggets like the statistic that one in five penguins are gay. The technical ins and outs of how the pelvic floor muscles actually work isn’t going to win out, for entertainment value for most blokes, over an episode of Top Gear.
You may also be interested in:
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