I’ve been anticipating The Cougar’s Sex Edition since it was announced. However, once I got my hands on a copy Wednesday, I was incredibly disappointed. I was hoping for a sex-positive discussion that educated and informed readers. Instead, I was faced with something resembling Cosmo magazine.
The cover story and online editorial promised me a “guide to understanding and embracing the terminology” that our generation uses to describe themselves. The feature only emphasized two terms, which doesn’t even begin to cover the enormous gamut of gender and sexual identities. I was saddened by the quotes chosen for the “What does sex mean to you?” section because they used words such as “painful” and “sinful” to describe sex. If you’re using those words to describe sex, you’re doing it wrong.
Those looking for actual information about sex will be disappointed. Stories scratch the surface of porn, kink and sex toys, but offer little substantial information. The controversy surrounding “Fifty Shades of Grey” is mentioned, but there is little explanation of what BDSM is or information about other kinks and fetishes. Porn is briefly discussed in the interview with Dr. Ngo, but there’s no advice regarding porn studios that treat their performers well or porn that’s great to watch with a partner.
The Cougar sold almost a third of its ad space to companies that sell adult products and services, and posted reviews of sex shops around Houston, yet neglected to mention some common sex toys or some tips for actually buying adult items. The videos posted online didn’t do a good job of explaining the toys found at the sex shop, calling perfectly normal sex toys “alien” or “weird.” Readers could have benefited from knowing which stores offer the best prices or that certain sex toys are made with potentially dangerous chemicals. In fact, one can completely avoid the awkwardness and high prices of adult items by simply buying them off of Amazon.com.
Although I appreciate effort put into the column and the high quality photography, this Sex Edition falls short in significant ways. The Cougar should seek to educate rather than treat the Sex Edition as a side piece.
Anjay Ajodha is a computer science senior in the Honors College and may be reached at [email protected].
