[lit-ideas] Re: Correction and Weight Watchers (1974)
- From: Eternitytime1@xxxxxxx
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Mon, 10 May 2004 02:02:26 EDT
Hi,
One of my favourite books about men is "What Men Are Like" written by John A
Sanford and George Lough. It's basically a non-technical treatment of male
psychology from a Jungian perspective. (Originally discovered by me when it
was
tossed across the room to me by a dear one in my life with the statement "Not
all men are like that, Marlena. Some of us are enlightened." [he is an
Epsicopal priest who stopped very short of being certified as a Jungian
psychologist]
I was in an odd place in my life at the time and was kind of cross with
'men'. <g>)
I do like it's answer to this question, though, and do also think that it has
its match for women, as well. In conversation with my friends when we
discuss such concepts, it is intriguing to me who people react when one really
discusses what is really being played out...(I also do think that it
perpetuates
the 'good girl/bad girl' problem that is within our society--not sure if this
fits within the paragraph I will quote, but in one of the porn catalogs that I
read once [yes, read <g>], there was actually an article being written by a
'doctor' to a man who stated that he was no longer attracted to his wife since
she had had a baby. Instead of discussing how the good girl/bad girl issue
might
be explored, the 'doctor' merely said that his reaction was normal and could
be dealt with by purchasing some of the company's products. It was, to me,
interesting that the company would choose to address that issue in a very
simplistic manner...little is done on a commercial basis for catalogs without
every
single word being judged for impact...)
Anyway. Here is a thought in regards to the question:
"as we have seen, the most basic underlying element in a man's sexual
fantasies is the need for him to contact the anima and her world of the inner
realm,
and for many men the anima is contacted primarily through sexual intercourse.
In that brief moment of sexual orgasm a man and his anima are at one with each
other. If, however, a man's psychological development is lacking, the sense
of union with his feminine self will be fleeting, and the man wil lbe driven to
repeat his sexual experience again and again."
Basically the idea (I think) is that the Other in pornographic media (I write
this as I do think it goes towards all sexes...) is more of an archetype and
that there really IS more going on in terms of inner symbolic meaning. (Of
course, I have not all answers <g> and I do not claim to do so...I only offer
these thoughts as a reflection ... though as a librarian, I always think that
the answers ARE somewhere and if there is anyone who can find out where...it
would be me. <sigh>)
I know there are other theories 'out there'--and I have a good friend who
tells me whenever he finds himself looking at 'other women' whether real or in
the media in more sexual or romantic directions, he always ends up going back
to
his wife and talking to her so that they can figure out what is going
on--inside of him/her/or their relationship. His wife does the same
thing-though I
think it takes her a little longer to talk about it to him than it does for him
to her. But, that book also talks a bit about that sort of situation:
"In some cases married men who have intense erotic attractions to other women
may be 'too married'. We have already seen that there are many reasons why a
man's anima may go to a woman other than his wife. In addition to the reasons
already mentioned, a many may be prey to sexual fantasies about a variety of
women because his life is too tied down. When a man marries he does not just
marry his wife. He may also be married to his work or his business, to feelings
of obligation of all sorts, to fixed ideas that he has to make so much money
or live in a specific way. There are all kids of things in life that a man
'marries' and if no room is left for the unexpected, the varied, the unusual,
the
anima image may take the form of the kind of woman who offers him fantasies of
an illegitimate sexual relationship. Behind this is the need for a man to
divorce himself from some obligations, ideas, and commitments that he has
become
too involved in, so that he may acquire a new kind of consciousness that is
capable of more freedom of action in life."
I thought of this during the discussion of "Why Fiction" that we were having.
I also remember reading, once upon a time, a similiar sort of discussion
about why it is so important to play bridge or do something like that which is
completely different and takes one out of oneself and one's life so that one
can
be the better for returning to it. (I read it and cannot find it again though
I have looked and looked...It was one of the best reasoned essays on why
doing what some people call 'frivolous' is helpful to real life. It is
important
to me as one of the parts of my job is to create such opportunities for
people--the whole concept of edu-tainment, I suppose.
Anyway...
Those are some initial thoughts after a sweet day...just my own musings but
thought I'd share them...
Marlena in Missouri
In a message dated 5/9/2004 10:02:54 AM Central Standard Time,
aamago@xxxxxxxxxxxxx writes:
> What is it that keeps porn the biggest industry on the internet, if not
> among the biggest, period. What makes people keep buying?
>
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