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The 'F-Word' You Shouldn't Say When It Comes To Sex
Foreplay is a myth...so to speak. What I mean is that foreplay and sex are synonymous. Sex doesn't have to be penile to vagina, that's just what we've come to recognize it as. Butt sex is sex. Oral sex is sex. Digital (finger) sex and so on. And honestly, this understanding seems to be lost upon many of us despite the language being clear. Yeah, I've peeped the way some of y'all (myself included) neglect to use protection during oral because of the weird way you compartmentalize it as an appetizer but that's not the way it works, especially as it pertains to STIs. So just imagine the mind fuck that comes with the idea that a titty fuck is, in fact, a fuck.Yet, it is. But so are all of those other things that you're accustomed to doing that lead up to your ideation of what sexual intercourse is.
Problem is, we've created so many able-bodied notions and language surrounding sex. This can make it seem difficult to conceptualize how sex can be and often is different things to different people.
Though it seems ironic to both suggest that sex is whatever we want it to be and that we should shift the language around it--just know two things can be true at once and this is one of those instances. And as someone who, at times, resists the ebbs and flows that come with cultural growth and what appears to be sensitivity. I've come to understand and even mention here, that labels and language have a way of either debilitating or boosting our sense of esteem.
The reality is, there are a plethora of disabilities that change the dynamics of sex for people, and in the privileged way that an able-bodied person might do, I hadn't considered these aspects and the way my language might impact others ... until I was speaking to a quadrapalegic. Or a woman suffering from vaginal dyspareunia. Or a fat person. Or a breast cancer survivor. Yeah, it wasn't until then that I was able to begin to reimagine a world where we expanded the way in which we view sex.
(Writer's Note: I've used the language "fat" with the understanding that it is the best language via The Fat Sex Therapist.)
The Language We Use To Define What Sex Is Problematic AF
You probably have never stopped to consider the sex life of one who is disabled either and though expected, it's far from inclusive and a precursor to prejudice. When no one considers it, nothing is ever challenged because assumptions are made. In this case, it is often simply assumed that disabled bodies transform into asexual beings; or, in the case of disabilities that can't be seen by the naked eye, they may be dismissed by partners as prudes or "bad" sex. Our inability to acknowledge through a small shift in language -- it shows up in healthcare, the (sex) education, the technological advances.
I've seen it firsthand as someone who identifies as a sex educator and works in the world of abortion care! Abortions are general surgical procedures, yet I've seen one too many disabled person(s) come in for a procedure only to be dismissed because our facilities don't account for the fact that disabled people like to "do the nasty" just like the next person because that's all it ever really is when it comes to prejudice. It's a big ole game of "when you assume you make an ass of you and I." Honestly, truly and that's word to Joanne the Scammer.
And generally speaking, the word "foreplay" can take the fun out of sex, making it another form of prioritizing goal-oriented sex.
The Potential Problem With Goal-Oriented Sex
Which not only speaks to my initial point of considering who it is that we're sleeping with and where they fall on the axis of privilege, but it also sucks the fun out of sex when you add all of these rules. Cause let me tell you, I'm grown as fuck and sometimes I'll take the peace of mind that comes with an old school dry humping and enthussiastic makeout session. But, it blows my mind when I hear adults putting age limits on what qualifies as good, worthy sex...which tends to especially happen when it comes to getting fingered (yet another lovely pastime).
Furthermore, it assumes heteronormity. And fails to acknowledge gay and lesbian sex as sex. As I mentioned early on. There's this weird thing we do where we don't count anal sex as sex, and not only this is by far one of the dangerous games of ignorance we can dare to play. Starting with the pressure placed on girls to remain virginal and thus they opt into anal sex, an act rarely discussed in sex education due to the biases that come with it. This then leaves both children, teens, and adults confused about the need to use protection because of the very intentional dissociation in the language.
And lesbians? They're by far the most creative when it comes to sex, from scissoring to tribbing, fisting, strapping and rimming. But the language we use would have you think they do everything but have sex when again...it's all sex.
But lastly, and I just recently discussed this as well! It's problematic because it centers sex around a goal. Goals are wonderful and we've grown accustomed to them. But it applies the wrong type of pressure--a pressure that makes sex either grossly performative (no one likes a try-hard) or totally disinteresting instead of simply enjoying one another. As long as you and your partner aren't a mismatch when it comes to the overall energy you share towards your pleasure principles, your sex shouldn't have any goal outside of feeling and sharing pleasure.
The Bottom Line Is Feeling Pleasure
Pleasure is by no means contingent upon any other goals you may have for sex outside of itself and consent. Pleasure isn't synonsymous with orgams, nor is it synonymous with penile to vaginal sex.
And if you think either of those things it may lowkey be why you're having an even more difficult time achieving an orgasm, outside of the pressure you're just plain old doing it wrong. Anatomically speaking, women are far more likely to orgams whent the clitoris is engaged. Now you tell me how a dick hitting your cervix has magically stimulated your clitoris? I didn't think so. But you know what does stimulate a clitoris? Just about every other type of fucking I mentioned in this article. Getting fingered certainly will do it.
I'm comparable to the Christian always shouting "the devil is a lie" in that I'm always and forever shouting that same thing about the patriarchy because baby, they got us confused about our own bodies to the point where we're dismissing the shit that really feels good to us. But I digress.
Bottom line is this: of all the F-words, this is the one we ought to let go of. Drop the foreplay and just fuck how you fuck.
Featured image by Shutterstock
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Motor City native, Atlanta living. Sagittarius. Writer. Sexpert. Into all things magical, mystical, and unknown. I'll try anything at least once but you knew that the moment I revealed that I was a Sag.
This article is sponsored by Hulu.
UnPrisonedhas returned for its highly anticipated second season, delving deeper into the complex dynamics of the Alexander family.
The series premiere comes a year after its debut season garnered rave reviews from fans and critics and earned record-breaking ratings for Hulu's Onyx Collective brand. UnPrisoned's success can be attributed to its raw, relatable themes and comedic appeal.
Inspired by creator Tracy McMillan's life, the show follows Paige (Kerry Washington), a therapist and single mother whose life takes an unexpected turn when her father, Edwin (Delroy Lindo) --who was released from prison-- moves in with her and her teenage son, Finn (Faly Rakotohavana).
Throughout UnPrisoned's first season, viewers witnessed how Edwin's incarceration deeply affected Paige's life and relationships. In the series, Paige unpacks her trauma through interactions with her inner child and her online followers. Meanwhile, Edwin is overcoming specific struggles with his own past that led to his life of crime, including a dysfunctional upbringing and his mother's arrest. As the Alexanders attempt to reconcile, new challenges arise.
This new season promises to further explore their unconventional family dynamic. Here are several compelling reasons why season two of UnPrisoned should be on everyone's watchlist.
The Alexander Family Life Is Still In Shambles
UnPrisoned's second season resumes where the series left off, with Paige grappling with the fallout from her troubled therapy practice and Edwin navigating life independently after moving out. Meanwhile, Finn faces his own challenges. The teenager is battling anxiety and seeking information about his father—a topic Paige avoids discussing.
The Alexander Family Are Attending Therapy To Resolve Their Underlying Issues
Amid the chaos in their lives, the Alexander family decides to mend their bond by confronting their past traumas. They seek professional help and attend therapy sessions with a “family radical healing coach,” played by John Stamos, a new cast member. This collective effort aims to unravel the complexities of their shared history and strengthen their relationships.
The process of unraveling each character's internal conflicts and their potential impact on future relationships may clash with Paige's textbook therapy approach. While Paige is used to being in the therapist's seat in both career and family, this forces her into the unfamiliar role of a patient during therapy sessions. This shift would compel her to look in the mirror and try a radically different approach.
The Alexander Family Learned A Big Lesson During A Therapy Session
In therapy, the Alexanders are tasked with addressing their individual traumas to salvage their remaining relationships. One of the family therapist’s eccentric suggestions was an exercise involving a family wrestling match. During this session, Paige faces tough questions about her refusal to share information about Finn's father.
While it's unclear whether this scene is reality or fantasy, the image of the family duking it out in the ring certainly makes for hilarious yet compelling television.
Paige Tries Dating Again Following Failed Relationships
Amid her life's chaos, Paige decides to step back into the dating field. However, her many attempts have left her with mixed results. The dating apps have turned out to be a fail, and an outing with her ex Mal (Marque Richardson), who is also her father's parole officer, doesn’t go quite as expected after he brings an unexpected guest – his new girlfriend.
The situation takes an awkward turn when Mal's new partner learns why the former couple split, partly due to Paige's self-sabotage.
UnPrisoned Is A Perfect Balance Of Comedy And Drama
As a dramedy, UnPrisoned takes a comedic approach to its heavy subjects. The show takes us on a ride with Paige's dating misadventures and navigating a friendship with her ex.
Other lighthearted moments include Edwin's attempts at CPR based on online videos and, of course, the antics of the Alexander family's unconventional new healing coach.
The second season of UnPrisoned is now available on Hulu.
UnPrisoned | Season 2 Trailer | Hulu
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Mariee Revere On Her History-Making Million-Dollar Sales And The Future Of MoonXCosmetics
If the name Mariee Revere sounds familiar, it's probably because you heard of her beauty and skincare brand, MoonXCosmetics, or you may have heard about her history-making achievement of making $1.8 million in less than eight minutes. But before starting her million-dollar brand, Mariee was just a teenager trying to cure her acne.
While she grew up in the skincare capital of the world, South Korea, Mariee didn't really experience breakouts until her senior year of high school. Like many people who get their first breakout, she didn't know what to do, and there weren't many products out there at that time. So she decided to experiment. What she didn't know was that what she came up with would ultimately be her ticket to success.
"When I graduated high school, I moved back to America, Georgia, and I ended up making, like, the oil, the Rose Galore oil, which is like the staple product of my brand. I don't know what made me make it, but I did, and it literally cleared my face up," she tells xoNecole in an exclusive interview.
"I end up selling it as a body oil first because, obviously, I'm 17, [and] don't have any background as an esthetician or anything like that. I just made a product that worked for me, but people bought it and was using it, and I reformulated it, and then it just stuck like with me."
While MoonXCosmetics is known for its facial products, it wants to expand to body care and home. It just released its new product, Moon-Gel body wash, and it's only up from there. As Mariee continues to grow the brand, it's more than likely that she will see more history-making moments. And so far she has.
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When asked if she feels pressure to obtain more of those milestones, she says yes and no. "I did $1.8 [million] again, and then I did $2 million but I feel like now, currently, I don't look at that as one of my goals anymore because [of] the headache and just everything that came with it, but I was thankful and blessed to have that milestone, but now I'm looking for more," she says.
"I want to say more reach than more like fast-paced sales. I do want that. Obviously, every girl wants that, but I do want to have a better overall reach for my brand because I did take two years off so I was able to learn, [and] study a lot of different things. See how things have changed from 2020 to now."
"I did $1.8 [million] again, and then I did $2 million but I feel like now, currently, I don't look at that as one of my goals anymore because [of] the headache and just everything that came with it, but I was thankful and blessed to have that milestone, but now I'm looking for more."
Another part of expanding for any company is hiring people. Finding the right person to help you can be a hassle, especially for business owners who are used to doing all the work themselves. Mariee can relate to this, and she touched on this topic in her documentaryThe Million Dollar Story. She recommends having someone be your "right-hand man" who you trust to handle the ins and outs of the company.
"I could say, definitely get, like a right-hand man to help you within the process because that really was what helped me. I never had a job. I literally was 18 now, being like, you know, the boss of over 30+ employees at one point in time, and I didn't know anything. I didn't know anything about no W-2s, no taxes, no clock in, clock out because all I [have] ever known was my brand," she explains.
"So I definitely partner with people who are very skewed and versed in those areas, and they helped me get through it. Even to this day, I still have my same person helping me with hiring, firing, [and] doing everything that I can right now because I'm still learning. But obviously people get jobs young, so they have way more experience than me, but still learning."
And though she is still learning, one thing she makes sure to stay on top of is being consistent. Consistency is what trips many people up when it comes to achieving goals, but Mariee says it's all about scheduling. Whether it's when to post on social media or email marketing, scheduling it out can make a world of difference. That same practice also works when planning out her future goals for the company.
"Right now, future goals would be to drop at least five more products before the end of the year. We always do outreach, where we do drives and all that, but definitely do way more this year, she says. "Then really dive into body [care], and then hopefully open up MoonXBody underneath MoonXCosmetics to let that branch out and be open and definitely get back consistent."
For more information, visit moonxco.com.
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