PVCC Puma Press: October 2004

She Said
Everyone is talking about it. It might seem like everyone is doing it. It’s everywhere—in magazines, on television and even in school. But really, what’s the big deal about sex?

In today’s society, women have many obstacles that they encounter on a daily basis. I believe one of those hurdles is sex. Even when we were little girls it was always frowned upon. “Don’t have sex!” was always the message I received from my parents, teachers and higher authorities. We were always reminded of the negative outcomes when one would become involved in a sexual relationship. For example, becoming pregnant, contracting an STD or maybe worse than both—being labeled a slut.

When a daughter is born, most parents automatically feel it is their responsibility to make sure the big bad world does her no harm. However, when a son is born, parents believe he should face the world and be a “man” about any situations thrown his way. Therefore, little girls grow to believe they are to be taken care of—typically by their prince charmings.


Women are to be sexually alluring, but at the same time principled.

As girls begin to grow into women, their reputations can be a valuable asset in earning the commitment of men who will care for them. However, during adolescence, girls begin dealing with pressures to have sex, relationships and the uncertainty of becoming women. All these combined with the yearning to fit in and to be cared for may cause girls to become trapped in situations they are not ready for. They become trapped between conflicting desires—to please the boyfriends of the hour or to preserve their reputations.

Here is the problem. Women are to be sexually alluring, but at the same time principled. This is the “dance” that every woman steps to: being seductive and attractive to the man in her life, although careful not to attract attentions of other men and step out of her principled part in the dance.

In her article “Bimbos and Rambos: The Cognitive Basis of Gender Stereotypes” published in 1999 by “Eye on Psi Chi,” Margaret W. Matlin, PhD., writes, “Women are much more likely than men to serve as a decorative function. Women recline in seductive clothing [¹] and drape themselves coyly on the nearest man.” Their role traditionally has been to stir desire, then to control it. The successful end of the dance has been the man’s commitment.
While women have come far in society over the last 50 years, the inequities in this dance still linger. We are now working hand and hand as leaders with men in the work environment in the home and on the streets. Unfortunately, it may be decades before this changes in our approach to the bedroom!

By Francis Beltran
Staff Writer

He Said
“Why is it that when a woman is involved with more than one sexual partner, she’s considered easy, but when a man does the same thing, he’s considered to be almost heroic?”

At least in some circles of society, men view sex as just another form of sport. The goal is to score as many times as possible, and we all know what scoring means. Feelings are nothing, lust is everything. It’s a sad state of affairs when any man’s world centers on sex. Is society immoral or just sexually biased?

What are the reasons most men and more women are becoming sexually active at an early age? Biology plays an important role in this issue. The two genders are created differently. In the male, raging hormones usually reach their sexual peak by the time the male is in his late teens and early 20’s. On the other hand, the female body reaches its peak of sexual activity in the early 40’s. Still, young women in today’s society seem to be as sexually active as males. Why?


Society’s accepting this kind of behavior does not justify the immorality of it.

Along with hormonal differences, socialization has also affected both men and women’s sexual appetites. A strong sense of masculinity traditionally stresses attributes like physical strength, courage, virility, and aggressiveness. This too often has accompanied the idea that the sexual domination of women is a desirable masculine trait.

The feminist movement, however, has motivated women to step to the front, and throw off their cloth of sugar and spice, and everything nice. They are urged to seek their piece of the pie, and that includes sexual freedom.

We, as a nation, including pop culture have embraced and interpreted this idea of sexual freedom in different ways. The entertainment media, for example, portrays many male characters on television as “players” who sleep with several different women on a regular basis. In the music world, some rap artists express this bravado attitude through their lyrics. Jay-Z, one of rap’s most influential lyricists, released a song called “Big Pimpin,” in which he raps “…Me give my heart to a woman? / Not for nothin’, never happen/ I’ll be forever mackin/ Heart cold as assassins, I got no passion/ I got no patience/ And I hate waitin…”

Other segments of society still embrace the old idea that “nice girls don’t do such things.” The double standard has got to go.

As a guy, I understand the concept of machismo—being strong and competitive, but when that competitiveness spills over to the sexual area to conquer as many women as possible, we should not be applauding. Men should not be revered for satisfying their sexual hunger by being with numerous people of the opposite sex, while women are condemned for doing the same thing. The majority of society accepting this kind of behavior does not justify the immorality of it. The same standards should be held for everyone regardless of gender. That’s just my opinion.