Cybernetic sex.... the new intercourse

The world has changed. It has expanded. Humans are no longer bound to the tangible reality that our ancestors have explored, discovered and settled. No, humans have created their own world. Separate from reality. Where you can be who you want to be. It is accessible 24/7. And has an infinite amount of information only a few keystrokes away. This world however, was created by humans and therefore suffers from the same pitfalls as reality. Addiction. Abuse. Crime. Deception. And just general hate. We have had to redefine much of what we once thought was straight-forward. In particular, sex.

The definition of cybersex varies but it is generally described as virtual sex encounter in which two or more persons connected remotely via a computer network send one another sexually explicit messages describing a sexual experience. It is further broadened with picture sharing and video capabilities such as webcams. Sex is undeniably tied to our individual and cultural identities. But just as sex is apart of our reality, are the same principles applicable in the e-world? Are we still cheating on a partner if we are having cybersex? What about a meaningful relationship? What is it that makes it real? The physical or the emotional? Can you have a meaningful intimate relationship over the internet?... Yes, cybersex certainly exists in a blurred reality. Nothing is black and white but, instead grey, where meaning is somehow lost then found and changed to suit the needs of the user.

Women and the web: cybersex activity and implications is a study by Marnie Ferree. This article discusses the female user and her activities in contrast to males. Women are generally omitted from discussion on cybersex activity, yet women are over-represented among those who are cyber sex compulsive (Ferree, 2003). Here is a quick overview some interesting findings in Ferree’s article. Twenty per cent of internet users have accessed pornographic or explicit material whilst on-line. In 2002, an estimated $83 million was spent on internet sex within the U.S. Most users accessing the site are wrongly assumed male. A study of 9000 users found that 14% of them were women, 21% of these women account for cyber-sex addicts. Eighty per cent of women are more likely to meet their on-line sexual partner in the flesh than men. And of the sample, on-line infidelity was a major contributor in 22.3% of relationship break-ups. Personally I found these statistics quite shocking. These people/users sex lives are tied in with their internet use.

Sex is in the real world is a physical, emotional and intimate act felt, expressed and carried out differently by each person. We understand what it is. It is clear and easily defined. But e-sex is not so simple. This is a new concept which 20 years ago didn’t exist. We have to grapple the possibility our partner may be ‘getting off’ while on-line. And if so, are they cheating? Is there some sort of limit before it is considered infidelity? What is the limit? The issue of cybersex is too new in both our different worlds to have the answers. Right now I believe that the general consensus is that e-sex is not considered harmful and is an activity that only men participate in. Who knows? Maybe cybersex one day will be accepted as a legitimate form of intercourse. What is for sure though is that the lines between sex and cybersex are not clear and won’t be for a very long time, if ever

Here is a short interesting article about cybersex:

What Counts As Cybersex?

by Bonnie Ruberg

Fundamental's flaws

After reading the article 'Why today's youth culture has gone insane' written by Christian fundamentalist David Kupelian, I was finally relieved to know exactly why I have grown into the Godless, self-mutilating and presumably ‘doomed’ young man I am today. Every time I read anything written by a right-wing conservative I constantly remind myself that everyone is entitled to their own opinion, no matter how erroneous or narrow-minded it may appear to me. This article however has enlightened me and made me realise the reason I am the way I am is largely due to the brainwashing public schools I attended. And most of all my parents, who after all their sacrifice and hard-work in raising 3 children didn’t teach me appropriate morals and now I am a heathen upon this Earth. Preposterous. Kupelian is articulate and well spoken however, his views are heavily dictated by religious values and I feel it is this concept that he is really trying grasp. The world has changed, Christianity is no longer the dominant religion in the world and the youth have distanced themselves finding alternatives to the vengeful God.

Since Kupelian started with sex so will I. According to him:

“Anything goes – from heterosexual to homosexual to bi-, trans-, poly-, and you-don't-want-to-know sexual experiences. Sex has become a ubiquitous, cheap, meaningless quest for ever-greater thrills. As Dr. Laura Schlessinger quipped, the guy no longer has to lie to the gal, pretend he likes her or take her out to dinner to get sex – he just has to show up.”

Well that’s illuminating. Apparently sex is effortless and meaningless to all of us young people. Young women are lusting after men, waiting for the opportunity to undress and fornicate. If I knew women were that ‘easy’ maybe I wouldn’t be gay but, instead I succumbed to the temptation of a culture comparable to Sodom and Gomorrah. The two cities that were condemned and destroyed by God for the sinfulness and sexual deviation exhibited by the inhabitants. Yes, the kids today have indeed been perverted by society.

Kupelian goes on further to discuss the self-mutilation by ‘regular’ people in the form of tattoos and piercings. Self expression is not a value held highly by this particular ‘born-again’

"Oh come on," you might say, dismissively. "They're just adorning the human body to make it more beautiful and unique. Let them have their fun. Who are they hurting?" Such mellifluous excuses spring up in our minds quite easily, as most certainly they did also in the time of Sodom, Gomorrah and other perverse societies.

But hang on, why exactly is it wrong? I could understand his argument though his reasoning was lost on me. Why is it that the activities of the young are so disapproved by a supposedly all-loving God. That supposedly created us all. Everyone, so unique and beautiful but, apparently meant to conform and all be the same. Free will is our one defining attribute as individuals. We make our OWN decisions regarding our OWN lives.

Bug-chasers, people who actively seek to contract the HIV-AIDS virus and ‘suspension’ which is the act of suspending the human body through hooks the flesh are also discussed. Yes, these acts are FAR from the mainstream and hard to understand by the wider community. Participants of these acts, and those mentioned earlier, describe a ‘spiritual’ journey associated with the activities. I’m neither condoning or condemning any of these activities (with the exception of bug-chasing but, that’s a whole other issue unto itself) however, it is my opinion that we ALL have the RIGHT to our own opinion. What really aggravated me about this article was that Kupelian was so quick to generalise. Not all youths are suspending themselves, getting tattoos, piercings or going out to contract fatal diseases. No, a very small percentage of the population are participating in these activities. And to say its youths who are doing it is ridiculous. Some of these acts have been performed for centuries and many have found solace in doing them.

To argue that these activities are perverted is to degrade human nature itself. Kupelian comments on the cultural revolution of the 60s and how it has poisoned the minds of the youths. But to me I see it as liberation. Those children of the 60s are now the parents of the present. They raised us to be ourselves and do our own thing. At school we were ‘brainwashed’ to be individual and follow our own dreams. I can safely assume in the eyes of Kupelian I am going to hell. That doesn’t concern me as I have vastly opposing view of the afterlife. What does alarm me is the children of Kupelian and like-minded people. They are being raised to reject so much that our culture has to offer. Tattoos. Piercings. S&M. Though it may not work for everyone, it does work for some. And if those few can find enlightenment in their own way, and they are not harming anyone (who doesn’t want to be harmed) then who else does it concern? To claim that they have not found a legitimate form of spirituality is complete arrogance. God doesn’t work for everyone. Those who follow a religion are part of a sub-culture themselves. The difference between my youth subculture and his Christain sub-cultre is that I accept people for the differences. If he is so full of God’s love why can’t he spread it around? Instead he is condemning those who do not fit into his picture of the perfect little world.

For more information on suspension go to:

http://www.suspension.org/

For the bug-chasing article mentioned in Kupelian’s article go to:

http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/5939950/bug_chasers

Our Mates of Hate

When we think of extremist groups we tend to think things like Ku Klux Klan, Al Qaeda and Skinheads. These groups spread messages of hate and intolerance. Members of these groups are unified by their ignorant principles towards certain factions they deem to be ‘unworthy’ of the same basic rights all humans deserve. The Australian political party, Australia First could and should be viewed as an extremist body. However, after looking at their website (Australia First) their views do not seem extreme at all. No, Australia First, and the like minded people present their information in a completely rational and matter-of-fact way, making their ignorant messages of hate appear justified and correct.

Aryan Nations, an American white supremacist group has utilized the internet and produced a website of extreme prejudice. The anti-Semitic and racist group talks of a New World Order run by the Jews, who are ‘in-fact’, taking over the world.

The site has a dedicated page full of pictures of various world leaders (all white) with Jewish officials, apparently verifying their claims of a NWO. These pictures, as convincing as they may be to some, are in fact taken completely out of context. These are people of extreme importance and influence who meet with many ethnically diverse people everyday as part of their work. None of these photographs are dated and could have been taken at anytime in the last decade. Aryan Nations is a disgusting and intolerant website with links to like-minded sites. After following one of the links myself, I came across a survey that ‘can’: "construct an instrument that would yield an estimate of fascist receptivity at the personality level". This intrigued me and after completing it I received an average of 2.1, effectively making me a ‘liberal airhead’. Those two examples are alarmingly some of the softer content contained on the website which gives you activist tips.

Those are examples of extreme e-Extremists, with radical views and with little censorship concern. The Australia First party however, is slightly more tactful and politically correct in their execution of the task. This group is still no better than that of Aryan Nations. Australia First has links to all sorts of erroneous claims such as Housing Crisis Directly linked To (Asian) Immigration. A link is also made available to their eight core policies which include ‘abolish multiculturalism’ and ‘reduce and limit immigration’.

These websites exist in a landscape where the laws are vague and censors are impossible to put in place. This is the perfect platform for anybody to express their views with little public backlash. The information contained on these sites are presented in a creative way, making the hatred appear justified. This information is available to hundreds of millions of people around the world. For an impressionable mind this information can be extremely convincing and ultimately operate as a recruitment tool for a cause of intolerance and hate.

Buy a jar of culture jam

The effect culture jamming has on Western culture can, to me at least, only be viewed as positive. Each day we are bombarded with advertisements. Billboards while driving, posters on street poles, television ads and now it’s even standard to see product placement in our favourite TV shows and movies. Remember Tom Hanks’ film Castaway? That was one 2 and a bit hour ad for FedEx. A story about a dedicated employee doing everything he can to survive and in the end delivering the package to the customer. We have come to accept this and move along with daily life, mostly ignoring or not noticing the ever present hold that the power brokers have on our landscape.

I am not saying that we are passive to the effects of mainstream media. We interpret their messages and make assumptions of our own. But, there are those who take a more active stance and are far more critical of the powerbrokers than most. These people fight for moral virtues held by the community that the mainstream seems to flout. They are called ‘culture jammers’. One of the most prominent culture jammers is Kalle Lasn, the founder of Adbusters Magazine. He scribed a manifesto (found at bottom of post) outlining the goal of the jammers. The anti-capitalist and anti-consumerism movement gives the public a much needed break from the corporations that rule our lives.

This legitimate form of non-violent protest has proved effective in changing organisational policy. Nike is my favourite example. After it was released that Nike was using child labour to make their products, the culture jammers took it on and made a stand. The use of sweatshop labour does not fit in well with Western values. Nike received, and still is today, much criticism for their work practices. Billboards were changed and advertisements were converted to subvertisements. The culture jammers retain the original image and then transform it to something less propagandistic and more damning.

After all the criticism the resulting PR campaign began to emphasise the efforts they are putting into changing their work practices, such as fair pay, fair hours etc. This was a great success for the jammers. Though they were not fully responsible for the policy change they did, however, provide platforms in which to inform the consumer about the origins of their favourite sneaker.

What culture jamming does is makes us stop for a second and understand that the powerbrokers only tell you the things you want to hear. You won’t hear them talk about the cheap 10 year old child in Vietnam making your shoe. Or the genetically modified, tortured chicken used by the Colonel at KFC. No! These little facts are conveniently left out when they plug the product to you, everywhere you go. Culture jammers are essential to critically comment on consumer society. We should not condemn them, but instead praise them for taking on Goliath.

Culture Jammers Manifesto

We will take on the
archetypal mind polluters
and beat them at their
own game.

We will uncool their
billion-dollar brands
with uncommercials
on TV, subvertisements
in magazines and anti-ads
right next to theirs in
the urban landscape.

We will seize control of
the roles and functions
that corporations play
in our lives and set new
agendas in their industries.

We will jam the pop-culture
marketeers and bring their
image factory to a sudden,
shuddering halt.

On the rubble of the old
culture, we will build a new
one with a non-commercial
heart and soul.

A blog concerning blogs.

The blogging phenomenon has given the ability for anyone to voice their opinions and view to a massive audience. Anyone with access to the internet is able to express themselves at an unprecedented level. Never, in the history of civilisation can one access the countless blogs available on the internet. But why have they become so important within our society? What is it that is so appealing to the masses? Freedom of expression is so highly regarded within the Western world and a blog is the most accessible platform in which a user can inform the reader through an alternative information source, away from that of mainstream control.

The rise of blogculture has been quite fast. Ten years ago the average person would most likely not know of what a blog is. Today, however the world has changed dramatically. Terrorism, war and politics are recurring themes in many blogs. They have become the perfect platform to access reliable and important information that the mainstream media may wish to sugar coat or completely disregard. The information contained in blogs may be that of personal opinion, but its alternative perspective can change you point of view on any topic.

If you did a blog search on the present Iraq war you would get an infinite amount of pages to choose from. After just doing a quick search then I found two blogs that contained information unlikely to find its way to the pages of the Herald Sun. The first blog told the touching personal story of two men’s 3 month attempt to travel from Iraq to Sweden to find a safe home. Only speaking Arabic, the two men travelled to Cambodia and Vietnam. They briefly considered the possibility of travelling to Sweden through Indonesia, but heard many Iraq refugees that took that path simply vanished. Demoralised and broke they were forced back to war-torn Iraq at a Vietnamese airport. The second blog discussed a study that an estimated 1 million Iraqis have died since the US-led invasion in 2003.

To me I feel that blogging has become an essential aspect in gaining reliable information. To rely on the sensationalistic, ethno-centric and bias mainstream media is unsettling. Blogs are not only used by extremists, radicals and conservatives, but a diverse range of people from the global community. Anybody can turn their whisper into a roar, and in exceptional circumstances can gain celebrity (PerezHilton).