Some Other Questions about Sex Week at Yale

Last week I came across a string of articles about Sex Week at Yale, an event which, according to the official website is “an interdisciplinary sex education program designed to pique students’ interest through creative, interactive, and exciting programming.” Most of the articles fell into one of three camps. There was straight reportage on the happenings at Sex Week. Then there were the pieces written by presumably older journalists shocked at the sexual explicitness of events and wondering “what has the world come to” when this kind of thing happens at Yale. Finally there were a few pieces, like this one from the Times tech blog, that offered just a bit of analysis, usually rounded out with a cute joke about how the author wishes they had sex week back when they were in college.

There were a few questions, though, that I didn’t read anywhere that I’m still wondering about.

1. Why is there so much coverage of an event that is similar to events that have happened around the country at colleges and universities large and small? Why is this only news when it happens at Yale?

2. How come none of the coverage I sifted through noted that events like these were actually started ten or fifteen years ago by queer student organizations? Again, how come this is news when it’s rich straight kids doing it?

3. Can’t the people organizing these events do any better than porn? They trot out the same old porn producers and directors who say the same old thing, only more desperately now as their business models are crumbling beneath their feet. I’m not against porn per se, but can’t we at least all agree that mainstream porn represents the least interesting parts of human sexuality. And it’s mainstream porn that comes to Yale by the sounds of it.

Last month I attended a two day conference that was full of fascinating and innovating sex educators showcasing their work. It was barely noticed by the mainstream media. I’ll have to suggest to the organizers that next time they hold the conference at an Ivy League school, and invite more mainstream pornographers.

**UPDATE** According to this piece in AVN, ABC's Nightline is going to air a "debate" about pornography held during sex week featuring Ron Jeremey, Monique Alexander, XXXChurch.com "pastor" Craig Gross and former producer turned anti-porn crusader Donny Pauling (and inexplicably moderated by Martin Bashir). I can barely think of five people who would offer a more superficial consideration of pornography than this group. Sigh.