It would appear that when it comes to our sexual fantasies, these days things are less taboo and more “me too.”
A study published online in The Journal of Sex Research spoke to 1,040 Quebec residents aged 16-64 to find out about their sexual desires – and it seems that we’re all freaks in the bed. Which, I guess, by its very definition, would mean that none of us are freaks after all…
The participants were asked about their feelings about a number of paraphilic behaviours — translation: intense sexually arousing fantasies or sexual urges to atypical objects, situations or individuals.
A quick check on Wikipedia, and you’ll see that paraphilia is also known as a sexual perversion or sexual deviation. So we’re not just talking about having missionary sex at the foot of your four-poster instead of getting your rocks off next to the headboard.
Just under half of all those in the University of Quebec at Trois-Rivieres study (45.6 per cent) were interested in at least one anomalous sexual behaviour, and 33.9 per cent had made this sexual fantasy a reality, having experienced this for themselves at least once in real life.
The most common desire or experience was voyeurism, as 35 per cent of those questioned confessed to having a sexual interest in watching people involved in traditionally private behaviours like undressing, showering, or having sex.
Joint second was fetishism, with 26 per cent of those questioned admitting to the sexual attraction of being touched with an inanimate, non-sexual object. Frotteurism – rubbing oneself against a non-consenting stranger – was equally popular, and masochism – suffering or being dominated during sex – was not far behind, at 19 per cent.
The paraphilic interests listed in the Diagnostical and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders include voyeurism, exhibitionism, frotteurism, masochism, sadism, pedophilia, fetishism and transvestism. And while some of these are non-consentual and illegal, the author of the study, Christian Joyal, told The Globe that many of the others should not be viewed as abnormal.
And it’s almost definitely not just the Quebecois who are kinky. Whether it’s the Fifty Shades of Grey effect, or since the world has become a lot smaller these days, we seem more open to trying (or talking about) things that may in the past been deemed ‘weird’ or ‘not normal’.
Black Cindy from Orange is the New Black probably put it best with these pearls of wisdom from season three:
“See, it used to be all these weirdos sitting alone in their houses, jerking it to bugs or falling in love with their toasters, feeling all creepy and sad. Now, all they got to do is log on and find the same-minded toaster-loving peeps and, like, bam, suddenly shit be perfectly normal.”
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