By: Susan Krauss Whitbourne, Ph.D., Psychology Today
Thursday, July 05, 2012
The year 2012 may be remembered less for apocalyptic endings (we hope) than for the apparent explosion of women’s sexuality in pop media. “Magic Mike” is becoming the runaway hit movie of the summer, and the book Fifty Shades of Grey is shaping up to rival Harry Potter at the top of all-time best seller lists. Social critics proclaim their surprise at this burst of female libido into popular consciousness. Despite what you may be led to believe, though, the truth is that women and men just aren’t that different when it comes to basic sex drives.
Women are flocking to Magic Mike as do bachelorettes to a Chippendale party. However, this isn't the first movie to appeal to women's lustier tastes. Though the story line may be lighter than its 1997 predecessor, The Full Monty both movies share a fascination with the male body in motion. The Full Monty did exceptionally well in the box office itself, becoming the top grossing film in the UK until the release of Titanic later in the year. Novels with female protagonists demanding that their sexual needs be fulfilled are not new either. We only have to think back to 1928’s Lady Chatterly’s Lover, written by D.H. Lawrence (and banned in its entirety until 1960), to realize that female sexuality has been the driving force behind the success of plenty of literature, from the so-called "bodice rippers" to Erica Jong's 1973 Fear of Flying, which introduced the unforgettable phrase "Zipless F---" into popular parlance.
To read the entire news release, see the Psychology Today website at http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/fulfillment-any-age/201207/6-myths-about-female-sexuality-and-why-theyre-myths.
