NY Press, I Call "Bullshit"
From a NY Press article on the resurgence of "swinging":
But in an era where at least one partner will have an affair in approximately 80 percent of all marriages, rigid monogamy is as outdated as homophobia.
That just doesn't pass the smell test.
80%?
No attribution either.
(Elsewhere, the article mentions an online survey of 1,092 swingers — self-selected and extremely unrepresentative of the general population's sexual attitudes.)
That sentence has other ridiculous aspects — no specifics as to what "an affair" is, the moral equivalence between sexual exclusivity and anti-gay hatred — but the "approximately 80%" stat seems like something that a "lifestyle" advocate just threw out there.
(via Karol)
I think 80% is too high, but if my experiential barometer is in any way accurate, I think 50% isn't "too high," at least over say the first 10 years of a relationship. I do remember seeing a study at some point where they talked about something in the mid-50s. I wish I could find it again, though.
I think the repressive nature of sex in the US explains why this is so common. If you can't talk about it, you just do stupid things.
Posted by: petrilli on July 5, 2006 1:26 PM | permalink50% is the number I usually hear. Even the Boondocks cartoon got it right. Speaking of Boondocks, it is amazing how much stuff I've learned from the comic and cartoon that seemed to slip through the mainstream media.
Posted by: Od-ll on July 5, 2006 1:41 PM | permalinkI think it's a funny thing, with political comics. A lot of the same people who loathe sound-byte politicians and rapid-fire news media seem to love the short (and necessarily incomplete) messages provided by four-panel comics.
Posted by: Joe Grossberg on July 5, 2006 2:17 PM | permalinkAre ya kidding? Americans can't talk about sex? Then why do I know so much about Paris Hilton's sex life? There's plenty of talking about sex. And, Europe talks about sex plenty and also has a high cheating rate.
And commenter #2, you deserve to be misinformed if Boondocks is your equivalent of education.
Posted by: Karol on July 5, 2006 4:37 PM | permalinkI dunno; the uproar over Janet Jackson's nipple leads me to believe that we've still got a long way to go.
Posted by: Joe Grossberg on July 5, 2006 5:35 PM | permalinkJoe, we have a friend from Teaneck who is a semi-tongue-in-cheek proponent of polygamy. I must refer him to this post (and consequently this article) - he'll use this as ammunition the next time we're all "discussing" the issue.
Posted by: max on July 5, 2006 6:24 PM | permalinkThere's a difference between talking about sex in the media and having it taught to us correctly. The public education system sucks as far as informing the youth the *right* info about sex.
Posted by: Daffy on July 5, 2006 6:57 PM | permalinkagreed on all counts, and BTW did you notice their new EIC is former Source editor Adario Strange?
Posted by: jay smooth on July 5, 2006 9:02 PM | permalinkjay:
No I did not; Source alumns are into some interesting shit. I worked with the XXL crew for their first issue (I was a SLAM intern); I really liked Reggie Dennis and James Bernard. They were really cool to a kid who was well-meaning, but didn't know what the hell he was doing. Minyah Oh was dope to me too. They even gave me one of the first three shout-outs in their premiere issue.
Posted by: Joe Grossberg on July 5, 2006 10:19 PM | permalink"And commenter #2, you deserve to be misinformed if Boondocks is your equivalent of education."
Wow, an attack from Karol for no reason.
How was I misinformed? The bits I've picked up from Boondocks are generally not important, but they've been true. And yes, I do double check facts I care about.
Boondocks my equivalent of education? Sounds like you are lacking one.
Posted by: Od-ll on July 6, 2006 1:17 AM | permalinkI think Boondocks is racist and retarded. Draw your own conclusions.
Posted by: Karol on July 11, 2006 3:50 PM | permalinkNo more comments! Either someone has violated Godwin's Law, I'm tired of the discussion or, most likely, the ten-week window has closed. You can, however, contact me through email.