Today's theme is bisexuality.
I'm curious about how common so-called sexual fluidity is. Supposedly, it occurs somewhat frequently among women, though I know quite a few male bisexuals. Would I ever have sex with a woman? I have kissed women, and it was enjoyable. It wasn't gross or threatening, (it also wasn't mean to impress anyone). But if I am being honest, I'm pretty secure with my heterosexuality. I have no romantic inclination towards women and am not even actively attracted to them, if I see a pretty girl I am much more likely to want to exchange beauty tips and share that sisterly bond than to tongue her down. The only woman who has ever turned me on is the "Shane" character from the L Word, but I think that has to do with the fact that she was so androgynous, if not masculine. I sort of assume many female bisexuals are trying to achieve a certain amount of cache with a young, hip demographic, (or men) though I don't think this applies to all of them...but think about David Bowie in the 60s who later revealed himself to be comfortably straight, was it genuinely a period of self discovery, or a ploy for attention? You decide.
I think the male bisexual is a much more enigmatic creature. I find myself questioning their motives, for some reason. I am friends with two men who describe themselves as bisexual "with a strong preference for women". This made me think about Ancient Greeks, and the role pederasty played. This kind of sexual activity did not usually fall under romantic love, it was more of a mentoring activity between a young man and an older, more authoritative man, (who would always top). Perhaps the actual sex wasn't mentoring, that should be reiterated. As a part of that relationship, the apprentice-type younger man would service his guide. This says a lot about the connection between masculinity and sex more than it does about love or orientation. I feel like that applies to many modern, male bisexuals. Not that it's any of my business what people choose to do with their bodies, but it is somewhat curious. One of said friends said he "prefers twinks" when he is with a man. This, I think, would support my theory, and there is of course the stereotypes regarding what happens in a prison. I also sometimes think "bisexual" is a halfway stop for coming out as gay.
Again, none of this is my business, but it is an interesting thing to chew on.
What do any readers I might have think of bisexuality, is it offensive? Does it cheapen the gay community and make light of the choice many have made to come out? I sometimes think so. Comments are welcome as always.
penny.n.copper@gmail.com
Friday, August 31, 2012
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Here we go again.
I know am talking to an empty theater, but I would rather at least try to get heard than sit on my ass and be sorry I never gave it a shot.
This is my second post after the Reboot of my blog. Initially, I was going to post only on Mon, Wed, Fri, but now I'm thinking I need to kick it up a notch and post every day.
I have thought of more things to rant about.
First order of business is unemployment. I am fresh off the school train and have been looking for a job with NO success (while working in publishing is my priority, I have to try and pay some of my bills while I build up my readership from scratch). What does it take to get a job nowadays? I have applied to nearly every establishment I have entered in the past four months, harassed them with phone calls daily, and still no luck. I would prefer retail, temping, or waitressing, etc, but am willing to do custodial work, fast food, seriously, any job you can sling me would be a blessing.
Now that that is off my chest, I am going to be grateful for something. (I think this is going to be the format for this blog- something to hate and something to love every day)
I love stand up comedy. The raunchier the better...well not always, but a lot of time the more sordidly sexual items can illicit a response. I love that there are so many female comediennes that have found success in the past twenty years; Ellen Degeneres, Margaret Cho, Kathy Griffin, Chelsea Handler...and let's not forget our old school champions like Joan Rivers. There are of course men who are funny too, my personal favorites lie on opposite ends of the spectrum Eddie Izzard and Jeff Foxworthy...yes, I know, shut up. I also love Eddie Murphy in the 80s- "A goony goo goo" - shit's hilarious. I admire people who just go balls to the wall and risk it all, I was in drama in the 9th grade and I had panic attacks regularly.
I think an appropriate addition to this format would be the inclusion of questions at the end.
Today's Are:
Have you felt the brunt of unemployment, if so, how?
&
What do you think of Stand up Comedy? Do you find it obnoxious or genuinely funny? Who are your favorite Comics?
Well I can hear the crickets chirping...I better stop writing.
This is my second post after the Reboot of my blog. Initially, I was going to post only on Mon, Wed, Fri, but now I'm thinking I need to kick it up a notch and post every day.
I have thought of more things to rant about.
First order of business is unemployment. I am fresh off the school train and have been looking for a job with NO success (while working in publishing is my priority, I have to try and pay some of my bills while I build up my readership from scratch). What does it take to get a job nowadays? I have applied to nearly every establishment I have entered in the past four months, harassed them with phone calls daily, and still no luck. I would prefer retail, temping, or waitressing, etc, but am willing to do custodial work, fast food, seriously, any job you can sling me would be a blessing.
Now that that is off my chest, I am going to be grateful for something. (I think this is going to be the format for this blog- something to hate and something to love every day)
I love stand up comedy. The raunchier the better...well not always, but a lot of time the more sordidly sexual items can illicit a response. I love that there are so many female comediennes that have found success in the past twenty years; Ellen Degeneres, Margaret Cho, Kathy Griffin, Chelsea Handler...and let's not forget our old school champions like Joan Rivers. There are of course men who are funny too, my personal favorites lie on opposite ends of the spectrum Eddie Izzard and Jeff Foxworthy...yes, I know, shut up. I also love Eddie Murphy in the 80s- "A goony goo goo" - shit's hilarious. I admire people who just go balls to the wall and risk it all, I was in drama in the 9th grade and I had panic attacks regularly.
I think an appropriate addition to this format would be the inclusion of questions at the end.
Today's Are:
Have you felt the brunt of unemployment, if so, how?
&
What do you think of Stand up Comedy? Do you find it obnoxious or genuinely funny? Who are your favorite Comics?
Well I can hear the crickets chirping...I better stop writing.
struggles of writing and readership today - a rambling
Hello anyone who may have accidentally stumbled upon this blog,
I am Penny Copper, and no, that is not my real name. Today is a special day, today I am going to rant about all the difficulties surrounding making it in the writing world. A lot of what will be said is Captain Obvious material, but I'm saying it anyway, so deal. Let's not eff around and get down to it.
1. This one is a no-brain-required one: there are people who are willing to help you, but they are so few in comparison with the people who are looking out for their own skins, it's all about competition, I guess. I don't know who I can trust to review my material before it goes to print (no one in personal life is really qualified.)
2. Reading and Writing appeals to individual taste, but people confuse this with intellectual capacity. Just because I like urban fantasy and paranormal romance does not mean that I am stupid; I can totally appreciate the importance Nietzsche, Kant and Aristotle and I get the relevance of the beat generation, but I also understand that those things are not-so recreational. For leisure, I want something a little less mentally taxing (that's not to say that fantasy and romance NEVER yield a didactic purpose), and, lets face it, less boring, if you think that's silly: I NEVER ASKED YOU. Writers and readers are constantly trying to one-up each other by calling others dumb and unoriginal, which is just unnecessary, all you have to say is "not my cup of tea". This is why I hate hipster culture. Doing something for the sake of originality and/or intellectual superiority breeds not only insincerity, but plain old hostility, ergo, childlike insecurity and lower quality writing.
3. Because of the first two, those of us who are struggling to break into the industry have a HELL of a time trying to network.
4. Most of us are broke. The end. We cannot afford to pay off our student loans, let alone for advertising.
5. A lot, if not most of us, are hyper-emotional beings. We write for catharsis. Even if it's not something we are recognized as being good at, there is something that draws us to it. That being said, when we fall, we fall hard, and it hurts.
6. This one is shocking: Some of us are...wait for it...WOMEN. I know, but you can handle it. There seems to be this myth swirling around that sexism is dead, and um, I think that is falser than false. This is coming from someone who used to get really annoyed with raging feminists. I used to think when feminists made a lot of noise they were causing more problems that they were fixing by creating a bigger divide between professional men and women. Now that I am well into my twenties and have a little work experience, I can no longer flail my limp teenage wrist and say "boys will be boys." FUCK NO. Even if we cannot be discriminated against legally from a job, there is still an underlying message in society that states that "women's interests"...i.e their thought, opinions, beliefs, are a subset to "normal" (male) issues. Ever notice the Women's Interest section in a book store? It is almost always confined to fashion magazines, and while I do love fashion and make up and that, am I totally wrong in thinking it should be labeled "Fashion," not "Women's Interest"? And why does breast cancer research get so little funding in comparison with men's cancers even though way more women are affected by breast, ovarian and uterine cancer? Don't get me started on the wage gap. Oh, and the new favorite republican myth that women cannot get pregnant from a rape! Dear God. What does this have to do with writing and readership? Everything. The message in western, maybe even global, culture, is that women don't need to be taken as seriously, even talented writers.
Dear everyone, please respond to this post, tell me what you think, I am dying to know.
If you have the time, go to either Smashwords of Kindle and read WANTON LANDS and tell me what you think.
Thank you, and Sorry
Penny
penny.n.copper@gmail.
I am Penny Copper, and no, that is not my real name. Today is a special day, today I am going to rant about all the difficulties surrounding making it in the writing world. A lot of what will be said is Captain Obvious material, but I'm saying it anyway, so deal. Let's not eff around and get down to it.
1. This one is a no-brain-required one: there are people who are willing to help you, but they are so few in comparison with the people who are looking out for their own skins, it's all about competition, I guess. I don't know who I can trust to review my material before it goes to print (no one in personal life is really qualified.)
2. Reading and Writing appeals to individual taste, but people confuse this with intellectual capacity. Just because I like urban fantasy and paranormal romance does not mean that I am stupid; I can totally appreciate the importance Nietzsche, Kant and Aristotle and I get the relevance of the beat generation, but I also understand that those things are not-so recreational. For leisure, I want something a little less mentally taxing (that's not to say that fantasy and romance NEVER yield a didactic purpose), and, lets face it, less boring, if you think that's silly: I NEVER ASKED YOU. Writers and readers are constantly trying to one-up each other by calling others dumb and unoriginal, which is just unnecessary, all you have to say is "not my cup of tea". This is why I hate hipster culture. Doing something for the sake of originality and/or intellectual superiority breeds not only insincerity, but plain old hostility, ergo, childlike insecurity and lower quality writing.
3. Because of the first two, those of us who are struggling to break into the industry have a HELL of a time trying to network.
4. Most of us are broke. The end. We cannot afford to pay off our student loans, let alone for advertising.
5. A lot, if not most of us, are hyper-emotional beings. We write for catharsis. Even if it's not something we are recognized as being good at, there is something that draws us to it. That being said, when we fall, we fall hard, and it hurts.
6. This one is shocking: Some of us are...wait for it...WOMEN. I know, but you can handle it. There seems to be this myth swirling around that sexism is dead, and um, I think that is falser than false. This is coming from someone who used to get really annoyed with raging feminists. I used to think when feminists made a lot of noise they were causing more problems that they were fixing by creating a bigger divide between professional men and women. Now that I am well into my twenties and have a little work experience, I can no longer flail my limp teenage wrist and say "boys will be boys." FUCK NO. Even if we cannot be discriminated against legally from a job, there is still an underlying message in society that states that "women's interests"...i.e their thought, opinions, beliefs, are a subset to "normal" (male) issues. Ever notice the Women's Interest section in a book store? It is almost always confined to fashion magazines, and while I do love fashion and make up and that, am I totally wrong in thinking it should be labeled "Fashion," not "Women's Interest"? And why does breast cancer research get so little funding in comparison with men's cancers even though way more women are affected by breast, ovarian and uterine cancer? Don't get me started on the wage gap. Oh, and the new favorite republican myth that women cannot get pregnant from a rape! Dear God. What does this have to do with writing and readership? Everything. The message in western, maybe even global, culture, is that women don't need to be taken as seriously, even talented writers.
Dear everyone, please respond to this post, tell me what you think, I am dying to know.
If you have the time, go to either Smashwords of Kindle and read WANTON LANDS and tell me what you think.
Thank you, and Sorry
Penny
penny.n.copper@gmail.
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