WEEKLY WHINE

Interaction: Categorising horizontality

Myers: Good evening, and welcome back to Warwickshire for another edition of Interaction, the programme that gives you license to feel like you're making a difference in the world, or possibly a sum. This week our issue is deciding how to categorise sex. A recent study in the United States identified how people spend their time, including categories such as work, child rearing, sleep, personal care, and leisure. Sex was categorised as personal care rather than leisure, but is that right? Is sex needed to maintain one's health and sanity, or is it fun? That's what we'll talk about today, but before that, we'll go straight to the Interaction IQ, the Initial Question. Today it's a facsimile from Carla in Salerno, Italy. She asks why we don't simply classify sex in its own category. Our panel will tackle that now, beginning in Lansing, MI, USA with the president of the Lansing Erotic Club, Mr Rick Newberry.

Newberry: I would classify sex separately. This would enable us to maintain subcategories on location, type, and orientation of sex.

Myers: In Tokyo, Japan, the author of Sexual Behaviour in Tokyo: A Comprehensive Study, Mr Toshio Sakurai.

Sakurai: Well, if you're doing it right, it should be both leisure and personal care.

Myers: From Mexico City, Mexico, the vice president of the Mexico City Affection Association, Ms Juliana Salazar.

Salazar: It's personal care, obviously. I mean, after a few hours without sex, I feel as though I've gone without shaving my legs.

Myers: And with me here in our Warwickshire studios, a postdoc in modern anthropology at Isle of Wight City College, Ms Jess Oldberry.

Oldberry: The problem with establishing an entire category for sex is that not everyone has it. Conversely, most people work, most people sleep, most people take care of themselves, and most people have fun.

Myers: And I'm Debbie Myers. I would consider sex a subset of leisure, except for one guy I was dating a few years ago. With him, it was more like work. Anyway, let's move on to the issue of the purpose of sex. Enjoyment? Procreation? Physical health? Mental health? Rick?

Newberry: Me? I'm the purpose of sex?

Myers: No, what's your opinion?

Newberry: Oh. I thought you were identifying me as a possible purpose of sex. I mean, I'm flattered, but I don't think I'd go that far.

Myers: So what would you consider the purpose of sex?

Newberry: It depends on the circumstance. For instance, this morning when my wife and I had it, it was to give us something to do before the alarm clock went off.

Myers: Juliana, what do you think the purpose of sex is?

Salazar: Well, among other things, it allows a constructive way to vent your frustrations.

Myers: Jess?

Oldberry: For a large portion of the population, sex is actually used to justify a relationship. Even if all other indications are warning signs, if the sex is successful, the relationship will still continue for some time.

Myers: And Toshio?

Sakurai: For many Japanese, the purpose of sex is to kill time until the next subway train comes.

Myers: Okay then. With that we'll move on to our viewer questions. Keep in mind that you have a variety of ways to get in touch with us here at Interaction, including telephone, telegraph, E-mail, snail mail, facsimile, and hockey puck. We'll start with Chris in Christchurch, New Zealand. Chris, are you there?

Chris in Christchurch: Yes. Hi.

Myers: Hi Chris. What is your question?

Chris in Christchurch: How come a lot of TV shows bleep out the word masturbation?

Myers: Because they're chicken. Now, how about a relevant question. This is from Leslie in Hot Springs, AR, USA. In her E-mail, she asks why it matters which category we classify sex into. Jess, would you care to address this issue?

Oldberry: Umm... I don't know. Why me in particular?

Myers: You are the scholar on today's programme. Perhaps you can tell us the anthropological ramifications of the category into which sex is classified.

Oldberry: Well, I don't think there are any. I think whichever category it is, we'll always make sure to separate it into its own subcategory, so we'll still be able to track the amount of time spent on sex.

Myers: Very well. Rick, does it matter which category we put sex in?

Newberry: Absolutely. If, for example, we place sex into personal care, that means porn shops the world over will have to get to know their countries' respective health care plans.

Myers: Well, that's something new to consider. Now let's move on to another question. Trish in Worcester, MA, USA, are you there?

Trish in Worcester: It's pronounced Wuster.

Myers: Okay, just for that, you forfeit your question. Mia in Bern, Switzerland, are you there?

Mia in Bern: Am I on?

Myers: Yes. What is your question?

Mia in Bern: Oh wow! I'm on! Hi! Long time watcher, first time caller.

Myers: Good for you. Let's hear your question.

Mia in Bern: Oh, yeah. Right. Um... I can't remember. Oh, wait. It was about... umm... oh yeah. I go to orgies every Tuesday and Thursday, so I was wondering how you would classify those.

Myers: Um... okay. That's certainly a different question. Rick?

Newberry: Hmm. That's a good question. Well, the Lansing Erotic Club organises five orgies a week around the city. One of them is a costume orgy, with a different theme every week. This week the theme was sexy cartoon characters. I was surprised to see two women who were dressed as Velma from Scooby-Doo. But, well, one thing you learn in this business is not to question the turnons of others.

[Pause.]

Myers: Umm... what relevance does this have?

Newberry: Well, you see, an orgy of this type is clearly leisure, because it's fun to dress up like that.

Myers: I see. Toshio, would you agree?

Sakurai: We don't really have orgies of that sort in Japan.

Myers: Not even "come as your favourite sexy anime character"?

Sakurai: Hold it. I take exception to this. You imply that Japanese people are anime obsessed, sex crazed perverts. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Myers: I made no implication of the kind. It was merely a question.

Sakurai: Well, I still refuse to answer it, except to say that it's clearly Kiyone Makabi.

Salazar: I have a question.

Myers: Your job is to answer questions. That's why we have you on the show today.

Salazar: I know, but I really want to ask this question.

Myers: That's too bad. We are in fact going to have one more question, but it's a facsimile from Richie in Jacksonville, FL, USA. He asks whether sex should count differently for prostitutes than for others.

Salazar: Wow. That's precisely what I was going to ask.

Myers: Would you care to field this question, Juliana?

Salazar: But I was just going to ask it! I can't answer my own question!

Myers: Fine. Jess?

Oldberry: Yes.

Myers: Would you care to address this issue?

Oldberry: No no, I meant yes in response to that issue.

Myers: Okay.

Newberry: May I jump in here?

Myers: Fine.

Newberry: I was wondering about a case wherein a prostitute engages in activities expecting payment when the activities are completed but then never receives the payment. How does that count?

Oldberry: It should still count as work, and the customer's time should count as being a stupid jerkface.

Myers: Well, with that we're going to have to put a stop to this week's edition of Interaction. Thanks go to Ms Jess Oldberry, Ms Juliana Salazar, Mr Toshio Sakurai, and Mr Rick Newberry for being with us this week. Next week we'll be discussing SpaceShipOne's attempt to win the X Prize for the first pair of crewed trips into space from Los Angeles, CA, USA. We'll be joined by two science authors, a science fiction author, and the inventor of the three way switch. Until then, good night.

Oldberry: Toshio, you like Kiyone? Why?

Sakurai: I'm just that kind of person.