NYC's Museum of Sex

Last week in New York City, I had an amazing time exploring, shopping and sightseeing. But one of the highlights of my trip was checking out (pun intended!) the Museum of Sex.

I know anything with 'sex' in the name doesn't sound like a vacation destination (especially one that's not rated R and is found on 5th avenue), but believe me, this museum is a must-see if you're interested in science, history, or simply learning about sexuality.

Current exhibits at MoSex include F*CK ART, Universe of Desire and The Sex Lives of Animals, as well as the excellent Permanent Collection.

F*CK ART is a joint project between the museum and 20 select street artists, to "push the boundaries of our relationship to sexuality in public space". I found the idea intriguing, because sexuality remains incredibly taboo in our society. I thought Miss Van's art was especially incredible.

 Intimate photos sent as MMS's on Blackberries

 
Universe of Desire explores how sexuality and technology are intertwined. This exhibit held my attention the longest, probably because I came of age when social media began to grow popular. PIC?

The Sex Life of Animals is a ground-breaking exhibit that shows the public just how similar our sexual interests and behaviours are to those of animals. This exhibit proves that multiple genders, prostitution, sex for pleasure and homosexuality are completely natural, because they are found in species other than our own.

Vibrators from the 1800s

The Permanent Collection includes French pin-up post cards, vintage photos, fetish gear and RealDolls (which you're welcome to touch). The Victorian vibrators are my favourite part of the collection, because I'm fascinated by the history of Psychiatry, which is more connected to vibrators than you'd expect!

 Condom Lollipops! So cute.

The museum also has a store, which is the New York destination for books about sexuality, erotic art, penis-shaped pasta, fuzzy hand-cuffs or a designer vibrator.

For more information, visit the museum's website.

Have you ever visited MoSex? What do you think of this museum?

Press tickets were provided free of charge. All opinions expressed here are entirely my own and remain unaffected by MoSex's generosity.

"What does he [the pope] know of childbirth? Has he labored again and again?"

Remember that time I wrote about the pope's war on women?

Back in 1937, Florence O'Donnell Maher felt the same way. This regular American woman spoke out in the form of a poem, writing, "What does he [the pope] know of childbirth? Has he labored again and again?" and "Mothers and fathers might feed one or two/but try to feed ten on one pound of stew.".


[Via Jezebel]

Review: Salacious Magazine

Salacious is a "radically sex-positive thought-provoking super-hot porn" magazine.

Porn is usually thought to be anything but thought-provoking, let alone empowering or inspiring, but Salacious is all three, and then some. A feminist, queer publication, Salacious offers fare to titilate people of all genders and sexualities.

Issue #2's topic is Voyeurism-- the deliciously exciting scenario of watching or being watched. Page after page of comics, photos and stories promise hours of enjoyment and a multitude of kinky ideas to explore. I'm rather partial to the story "Deeper" by Corey T. + am convinced you'll love some (if not all) of what this magazine has to offer, too.

Tempted? Click here to order the current issue, pre-order the next issue or find out if a store near you carries Salacious.

Related links:
Salacious Magazine on Twitter | Becca on Twitter | Becca's NSFW sex blog

TiLT 2.5.2011

It's Thursday... You know what it's time for!

Things that made me smile this week...

♥ Rereading a favourite book. It's like spending time with an old friend.

♥ Cherry soda. So good!

♥ "Hell's bells, Trudy!!!!" Makes me giggle every time!

♥ Being called adorable pet names, like "dear" and "boo" makes me melt.

♥ Shimon Moore's hair. I fucking love it. So much. (You're welcome, Kamen ;)

♥ Writing filthy stories.

♥ Finding out you have more time than you thought you did + finding creative ways to fill it.

♥ Holly Black's The Posion Eaters. Holly is a brilliant storyteller, her characters are vibrant + you'll never want to put the book down. Reading the entire book in less than two days made my week. I'm certain you'll love it too!

♥ early to bed's blog. No explanation required ;) Just click!

What's on your list, m'dear?

Darren Criss in a Tux, "men will fuck anything"?! + Toronto Events: Confetti 20.5.2011

Darren Criss in GQ.

Confetti time!! (:

Seth Godin asks: What's the point of popular?

The beautiful, brave and very talented burlesque dancer Kitty Liquor is on tumblr. Go follow her!

These photos are getting me really excited about my upcoming trip to Florida.

Simply because he's adorable... Darren Criss modeling men's wedding fashion.

Good For Her is having a spring cleaning sale, which you can take advantage of in-store (in Toronto) or online. Enough said ;)

Also in Toronto... two springtime events that sound awesome: Montgomery's Inn Farmers Market + Artisans At the Distillery.

Durham Region's Roller Derby Revival.

And the thought I'll leave you with tonight? A quote from comic Rob Delaney, via The Daily Femme:

"My guy friends and I have a much broader palate when it comes to women’s bodies than Maxim or Cosmopolitan would lead you to believe. And I’m not putting this forth to sound noble; what I’m saying is absolutely a variation on ‘Guys’ll fuck anything.’ But I’d like to expand that and say, ‘Guys’ll fuck anything, and they’ll enjoy it. AND they’ll fuck it again. AND they’ll even be nice to it and tell it it’s beautiful and take it to dinner and listen to its dreams and fuck it exclusively and brag about how happy they are to be doing it to their other guy friends who reject the notion (as vehemently as any Women’s Studies major at Wesleyan) that women should fit into some unforgiving, unvarying Barbie mold."

Sex Education: "Another Attack On Religious Freedom"?!

An individual bent on controlling the entire world cares about 'religious freedom' all of a sudden.

"I cannot remain silent about another attack on religious freedom [by] sexual education," the Pope announced in his annual address to foreign diplomats.

He complained that sex ed courses "reflect an anthropology opposed to faith and to right reason".

Catholicism is not inherently bad. However, the concept of "(Catholic) faith and all that is right" going hand-in-hand encapsulates everything that is wrong with Catholicism.   A person can have faith without subscribing to the pope's ideals. A person can be decent, compassionate and good without being Catholic. And a person, Catholic or not, has the right to contraception and the responsibility to know how his or her body functions.

Furthermore, the Pope's understanding of "religious freedom" is completely off the mark. He wants all people to be free to observe their religion... if that religion is Catholocism. The Pope also implies that all people should have freedom (it's in the phrase "religious freedom", afterall)... but that freedom is incredibly limited.

What to take away from this: Everything we learn from both religion and formal schooling must be taken with a grain of salt, then used to formulate our own philosophy. We must have the freedom to do so.