The Bowdoin Orient

I promise that I only meant to hate-read Fifty Shades of Grey. To be clear: I left the book in my bathroom and mostly flipped through to the sex scenes. There are nine or ten of them, depending. But why should I criticize the unofficial summer read of the Class of 2016?

All of us remember that scene in Annie Hall when Woody Allen asks a loving elderly couple how they keep their relationship fresh. "We use a large, vibrating egg," they respond loudly. To this, Dr. Kinsey would probably smile politely and take his cryptic notes.

I think a lot of people would agree that Dan Savage is a modern Kinsey of sorts: He's a contested public figure drawing conclusions about sex and love by listening to people's personal stories.

As the real Doctor Kinsey is deceased (June 23, 1894 - August 25, 1956), we're on our own in seeking the answers to love's persistent questions. I was very pleased (and frankly a little surprised) to receive a few questions in my mailbox before break sent students off in search of tans that are now slowly fading.

It feels like a given for our generation: we're entitled to explore and discuss sex as we please. Although it's easy to forget why we do so, it remains valuable to remind ourselves of what we stand to gain by sharing our experiences in bed and in love. After all, not talking about sex—refusing to acknowledge it—is probably the oldest form of sexual repression. Silence keeps us feeling alone and in the dark, whereas responding to the variety of sexual experiences and identities that surround us is reassuring (maybe others have the same questions we do) and liberating (if they did, maybe we can too).