Erotic movies are ostensibly forbidden and therefore more intriguing to the teenager. Entrance is easy, and the experience entertaining to say the least. Although some material can be upsetting, the eroticism rarely is. These movies are less attractive to girls than to boys simply because they're made by men, for men. Men are portrayed as infinitely potent and women as receptacles entranced by the proficiency of the penis. Heroines savor the taste of semen as they would a cheese fondue. When adolescents attend pornographic films, the result is an immediate arousal. Intercourse or masturbation is more likely in the hours which follow. Perverse scenes aren't imitated unless the tendency already exists. Repeated exposure to erotic movies dulls the appetite and lessens the effect.
Pornographic films are also an adjunct to sex therapy.
Inhibited adults view scenes of masturbation, homosexuality,
and coitus in technicolor. This facilitates communication
and aids in the exploration and acceptance of erotic needs,
Fantasies inspired by the films may be used to promote or
intensify an orgasm. Adolescents who sneak into adult movies
partake of the same process.
Males have traditionally been easily aroused at the sight
of a nude woman. Yet only a minority of women are excited
when they see a naked man. A number report mild revulsion
on viewing a penis, which reflects a longstanding inhibition
of their sexual response. However, women are changing. Dr.
Seymour Fisher states that: "...not only are many women
highly aroused by visual stimuli (some women reach a level
of arousal that few men attain) but also that the main differences
between the two sexes are small and almost nonexist
ent in the most recent samples studied. ... I would suggest
that the small differences which now are detected will disappear
as soon as it is more socially acceptable for women to be
‘turned on' by visual sexual stimuli, and also to admit it
freely."
Still, many girls touch a penis as if they could catch poison
ivy. Even at the varsity swim meet they avoid glancing below
the waist. The less constricted describe the penis as small or
large but never as impressive or handsome. Yet the girl who
can delight in the sight of the male organ will enjoy her
mate's, thus adding to the pleasure of both. How can a parent
facilitate this? A mother can aid the adolescent girl by demonstrating
active appreciation. She can glowingly appraise a
graceful Greek youth, sans fig leaf, at the museum of ancient
history, or an eloquent etching from The Joy of Sex. The purchase
of a painting, certain posters, or even a subscription to
Playgirl can carry the message.
When the second golden age is over, the erotic adolescent
has the knowledge and the expertise. He's comfortable with
his own sexuality. He knows what he is, what he wants, and
in good measure how to get it.
LATE ADOLESCENCE
As the late teen contemplates further school or vocational
aspirations, the character of his relationships changes. Trial
and error is no longer necessary. The hectic pace slows and
values are reassessed. Mutual interests, satisfaction, and
cooperation come to mean more than the partner's worth in
the flesh market. Selfishness yields to loyalty and sharing.
These changes are possible only because the youth's identity
has crystallized. His path is clear and his goals defined. A
commitment can be made and intimacy is at hand.
Very few adolescents make a lasting commitment at the
age of seventeen, and intimacy is a process that evolves at
least into the early twenties. A number never progress
beyond mid-adolescence, but continue to form self-serving
liaisons as adults. They choose a partner for status, as a window
display, or for security. Through marriage they may gain
a servant, a bank account, or a mechanical aid to masturbation.
To the sexually astute older adolescent, parents are no
longer the givers of allowance or takers of privileges. They're
separate people with distinct erotic needs and interests. The
mature erotic adolescent expects parents to be sexually
active, and encourages their eroticism.