Two readers, Muriel M. M. and Lauren D., sent in this advertisement for the Oslo Gay Festival.
Three thoughts:
First, notice how the narrative reproduces the idea of the goal-oriented sentient sperm. (We’ve got a fun post on that idea here, and here’s another good one.) Remember, sperm do not have goals; they do not have ideas; they do not think. It’s just chemistry.
Second, I think it’s interesting how this video associates anal sex with gay men. How do gay men have sex? Well, they must copy straight people as closely as possible. Therefore, they must put the penis in an opening “down there.” Ah ha! I bet they all have anal sex all the time! I’m sure some gay men do have anal sex, but some surely don’t, and lots of straight couples do! I bet a lot of lesbian couples find a way to do it, too. I’m just sayin’.
Third, for what it’s worth: It also occurred to me that, in that this commercial celebrates the infertile sex act, we’ve come a long way from the Christian ethic against wasting your seed.
Comments 11
Elena — January 17, 2009
Well, we don't know if it's a larynx instead of the intestinal tract, so whatever :D
Also funny: sperm is what carries the X or Y chromosome that decides the sex of the baby, but whenever spermatozoa are depicted as homunculi with white clothes and a tail (such as this classic clip), all of them are represented as men, with no exceptions.
Fernando — January 17, 2009
Really, just because it possibly depicted anal sex, does not mean it is saying that every gay dude has anal sex. They can't possibly represent every imaginable situation in 1 minute and still manage to create an entertaining ad. They have to go with one specific situation that the audience will manage to read and understand what it is about.
Also, c'mon, give it a break. The sperms behavior in the ad is for comic effect, not for some sort of ideological statement or whatever.
Dubi — January 17, 2009
So you're saying nowhere in human culture may we anthropomorphize anything, because foxes aren't really clever and crows can't actually talk, nor do they even like cheese? that sounds like an odd thing to latch on to for criticism.
Anonymous — January 17, 2009
"I bet a lot of lesbian couples find a way to do it, too."
Oh lesbians, and their tricky, mysterious, non-sex "sex"...
Phrone — January 18, 2009
Once again, gay = male.
mordicai — January 19, 2009
I remember seeing this when it first came out-- very charming. Anyhow-- um, it spoofs the very points you bring up? I mean, the entire joke of the thing is subverting those expectations?
OP Minded — January 19, 2009
Christian ethic of not wasting your seed? That ethic is MUCH more firmly rooted in Darwinian biology than it is in any religious ethic.
Further, it is funny that you claim it is a "Christian" ethic when anyone with a knowledge of the bible would know that the story of Onan is in the Book of Genisis, a part of the Torah, and not a part of the New Testament.
Anonymous — January 20, 2009
It's part of the Torah, which is the Old Testament, therefore part of the Bible, therefore part of the Christain ethic.
acoconut — January 20, 2009
"I bet a lot of lesbian couples find a way to do it, too. "
this statement was obnoxious and sounded pretty ignorant. read it to yourself again. and see above comment about our OHSOMYSTERIOUSWTFSECKS.
ulises — June 14, 2009
someone missed the joke.
Nick — December 8, 2009
I totally interpreted this as a 'gay' sperm getting lost in the 'confusing maze' of the female reproductive system, but reading your comment totally twigged me to what it was going for.
I was also a bit disappointed at the depiction of unprotected sex (presuming a casual encounter), not just because it is dangerous, but also because a most likely underfunded national sexual health body is going to be trying to get their message across at this event.