This is a thinking aloud blog. In yesterday's paper, there was a piece about a website for teenagers that gave advice about threesome sex. I have been thinking about this ever since. First reaction was one of revulsion. It would have been unacceptable for me to provide that kind of information to my children. It would have been impossible, as it is outside my experience. So would it have been ok for someone else to do it? Not with me.
Are there some things that are not ok at all? Ever? Or not ok as part of public discourse? Is that censorship? Is there a right to total freedom of information? Is it ok for Japan to publish manuals giving directions for successful suicides? Is the tradition of seppuku being perpetuated? Is that ok? Would it be ok in Ireland?
Some of the talk on the threesome business mentioned Pompeii. I assume they are referring to the illustrations in Pompeiian brothels. It is also reasonable to assume that an understanding of this behaviour was at some level part of public knowledge. But would it have been considered appropriate to provide this kind of material for children? For the children of the upper classes?
Is there a case to be made both for restraint and for constraint? If we can publish whatever we wish in one area of life, why not in another? Why not get rid of granny? Why not kill the weak and unproductive? Is there a connection between all these things?
I think threesomes should be conducted, if at all, as Mrs. Patrick Campbell suggested: in privacy, with discretion. To claim that threesomes are normal, mainstream sexual activities is silly, and could be dangerous. Let us not frighten the horses.
I wish somebody read these blogs. A response or two would help this
