THUBSDAY.APBIL17,2003
MUSIC
6 • THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
LIFESTYLE
THURSDAY, APRIL 17,2003
Messages of sex no longer shocking
What ever happened to the Sexual Revolution?
COMMENTARY
In the '60s and '70s, young men and women everywhere tore the nation apart by daring to demand the freedom to express their sexuality however they wanted.
Patrick Ross pross@kansan.com
In a society still wallowing in the Cold War era, where "containing" Communism was America's democratic responsibility many young people felt smothered by the idea of another kind of containment that polarized gender roles and worked diligently to make every American a die-hard patriot.
The Sexual Revolution of the '60s and 70s was intertwined with the Civil Rights Movement, Women's Liberation, Queer Liberation (just Gay Liberation then) and a strong and vocal movement against the war in Vietnam.
Now, we find ourselves embroiled in another war that many people do not agree with, women are still objectified and objectify themselves, affirmative action seems to be in serious danger, and queer rights are tolerated at best, rather than accepted.
So, where is that revolutionary spirit that regarded sex as a weapon and a freedom when today's youth still struggle to be heard?
Beth Bailey, author of Sex in the Heartland which chronicles the events of the Sexual Revolution in Lawrence and at the University of Kansas, points out that the
In a society still wallowing in the Cold War, many young people felt smothered by a containment that polarized gender roles and worked to make every American a diehard patriot.
so-called revolution was made possible by several factors:a cure for venereal disease, the advent of the Pill and a move by the University administration to restrict the lives of students less.
Sex was made safe by the first two and more acceptable, even unintentionally, by the third.
Students frolicked naked by the Campanile, women demanded control of their vaginas and the Lawrence Gay Liberation Front formed to make sexual activity OK between two members of the same sex. Sex
was everywhere. Sex was powerful. Horrified adults watched as the very fabric of the country's morals seemed to be dissolving around them.
So what's changed? Nothing, really. We've just become more used to the messages of sex; our morals have changed.
"There are many ways to formulate the problem our culture has created for itself, but one of the simplest is to say that we have lost the capacity for embarrassment," said Gilbert Meilaender, a professor of theology at Valparaiso University.
Our society has become so inundated with sex at every turn,in magazines, movies, television and advertising, that we have stopped seeing it as shocking and just started accepting the imagery as normal.
Certainly the days of naked "love-ins" on campus have dried up, but it's hard to imagine that in the 1920s dancing too close together with a guy could ruin a girl's "good name" and bring disciplinary action from the student's peers.
Even though sex has become commonplace, it has also become dangerous. The onset of AIDS and other serious venereal diseases for which there are no cures has made sex the enemy once more, something to be feared or shunned.
But the meaning behind sex and its use to those who understand it has not changed, we just have to be more careful.
Sex was a tool for the revolutionaries
three or four decades ago, and it can still be a tool today, not as a weapon but as a lens through which we can examine our society and decide what is or is not acceptable in the big picture of how America should be.
Becoming comfortable with your sexuality and becoming comfortable with yourself as a sexual creature are the first steps to being able to effect positive change.
Whether you prefer to wait until marriage or you enjoy sex whenever you can get it, whether you sleep with women or men, our sexuality is an integral part of who we are.
We've grown up and can build on the primitive idea that sex can only be used to "piss off the grown-ups."
But one positive realization the young warriors of the Sexual Revolution had, on purpose or quite by accident, was once you stop repressing yourself, it becomes that much easier to stop oppressing other people and an honest understanding begins to form.
So, whatever cause you identify with, whatever notion you think everyone should understand, whatever you think should be done to make the world a better place, start with understanding yourself.
Explore your intellect, explore your creativity and explore your sexuality. Own the fact that you are a sexual being and don't ever look back. Sex shall set us free.
Ross is a Topeka freshman in journalism
Quiche delicious idea for an Easter brunch
Easter is this Sunday, and it is a perfect time to celebrate the love of family and friends by getting together and commencing the holiday with some delicious Easter eats.
Events such as Easter are days to feast, and to feast is to live. Even though many do not celebrate such a holiday, it is important to believe that all holidays celebrate the love for one's self and the love of others.
Holidays commence traditions and values that implicate faith, plus it rewards us with a celebration of food.
The tastes of holiday treats like a slice of honey-baked ham makes life worth living for.
Pamper yourself with good food this Easter Sunday, Christian or not. Life is too fast to miss out on any favorite indulgences.
Serve with fresh squeezed orange juice, fresh fruit, a honey baked ham and you're good to go.
Spinach & Bacon Quiche
An Easter favorite, quiche, is a delicious brunch idea for any kind of gathering.
Ingredients:
8 Slices of Bacon
1 frozen pie shell, thawed and pre-baked 3/4 cup of shredded Swiss cheese
1 bunch of spinach washed, dried & chopped
3 large eggs
1 cup of whipping cream
2 shallots minced
Salt and pepper to taste Directions:
Christina DiGiacomo
cdgiacomo@kansan.com
EAT THIS
Events such as Easter are days to feast, and to feast is to live.
2. Thaw pie shell and bake as directed according to packaged directions.
3. Heat skillet or pan over medium high heat, add bacon and cook until
6. Pour into cooked pie shell and bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until brown on top. Check by inserting a knife into the quiche, and when it comes out clean, it is finished.
5. Whisk eggs and cream into a large bowl. Add cheese.Add spinach mixture and bacon to the egg mixture and fold together.Season with salt and pepper.
4. Add shallots to the same skillet or pan and cook for 2 minutes, then add spinach until wilted. Set mixture aside.
bacon, crumble and set aside.
DiGiacomo is a Apple Valley, Minn., senior in communication studies. She studied at Dante Alighieri cooking school in Florence, Italy.
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Somewhat crispy. Drain off fat. Cool