It has been brought to my attention quite a different type of networking from the one I rambled about before ;-)
Apparently, Erotic Networking is hot (in more than one aspect) in New York. And it has created some new job descriptions: female social entrepreneurs and erotic event planners.
One Leg Up,Cake ,Flirt NYC and Skin NYC are the promoters of erotic events that frame the gatherings as political acts rooted in a postfeminist interest in women's sexual empowerment.
And being women in charge of the events (men must ask permission to engage in anything sexual), any similarities with Eyes Wide Shut or Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice are just coincidences.
And obtaining membership (for One Leg Up, for instance) can be really hard. You’ll have to write an erotic essay and send a photo to be given the pass phrase to the sex party.
Cliff has an account of a girl’s experiences at these erotic networking events.
And check Chris "ON GENDER POLITICS & ROLE REVERSALS: Networking For Sex with the Empowered Female Class & My First Lesbian Relationship........
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Couldn't agree more, Carlos. I just find interesting how people make up sophisticated names (erotic networking, etc.) and have the most farfetched explanations for their behaviour. They just must be really lonely and alienated.
Posted by: Claudia on January 28, 2004 09:54 AMi'm no prude, far from it, but to give you another new yorker's perspective on this, i have to say sex in this city has become disgusting. i have friends into this scene who sometimes have 5 partners in a week. is that sexy, or just nasty?! i certainly wouldn't want to sleep with anyone who's been around that much.
worse still, i think sex clubs and other networking outlets just further reduce sexuality into another commodity, another way to conspicuously consume in this society. "Join the club, pay the cover charge, get laid." but one thing's certain, it's a commodity custom-made for this city, where the average person is too overworked to have time to cultivate genuine human relationships. how's that's empowering?! i find it depressing.
haha, sorry for the rant, claudia.
Posted by: carlos on January 28, 2004 02:28 AM