Help me expand my horizons?

May 30, 2009 7:21 PM

Please help me expand my knowledge of sexual practices. NSFW, obviously.

I'm interested in finding out a lot more about all kinds of sexual practices. I'm interested in more of an intellectual way, rather than a I-want-to-try kind of way. I am emphatically NOT looking for porn sites. I don't want to look at pictures, I want to read about what is involved in each practice, preferably from a drier, more clinical viewpoint. I'm looking for something closer to the Kinsey Report than the "letters from the reader's wives" section of a pornographic magazine.

The sort of site I'd ideally use is something akin to Wikipedia, in the sense that I could look up "bondage", for example, and then be presented with several other similar/related practices. I'm interested in finding out what is done during (for example) bondage. Then there would be links to other, related practices.

I can be contacted via [e-mail].

posted by anonymous to society & culture (19 comments total)

I don't mean to be obtuse, but how does wikipedia not satisfy this need? The page on Bondage (BDSM) seems to be linked to the gills with references and details that spiral off in all kinds of directions.
posted by hermitosis at 7:28 PM on May 30

Read Savage Love! http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/SavageLove?oid=1601566#thisweek
posted by NoraReed at 7:28 PM on May 30

You need to read The Guide To Getting It On.
posted by TurkishGolds at 7:34 PM on May 30 [2 favorites]

Have you tried googling "sex wiki"?
first few results and I got this gem.
posted by alona at 7:34 PM on May 30

alternately, this is much better than the previous link I posted. also came up when I googled sex wiki.
posted by alona at 7:35 PM on May 30

This doesn't get into specifics, but I think this fetish map by Katharine Gates is great at showing the universe of sexual behaviors and how they relate.
posted by kimdog at 7:39 PM on May 30 [6 favorites]

alona, no offense, but both of those links are the complete opposite of what anonymous is looking for.
posted by nitsuj at 7:47 PM on May 30

nitsuj: "alona, no offense, but both of those links are the complete opposite of what anonymous is looking for."

Really? The OP seems to be asking for in "finding out what is done during (for example) bondage" and the articles there seem to do just that; for example, the OP's example.
posted by WCityMike at 9:11 PM on May 30

If you don't find the answer to your specific question on the SFSI website, you can actually just call their hotline to get more specifics.

I also think the Guide to Getting it On is a pretty good reference, even if the audience they're attempting to address isn't exactly you.

Perhaps publications of various Sexuality Studies programs would be of interest as well.
posted by serazin at 11:19 PM on May 30

Wipipedia is a project that aims to become an encyclopaedia of fetish, kink and other alternative sexual practices.
posted by skylar at 2:37 AM on May 31

A million years ago, there were some excellent and informative FAQs connected with some of the alt.sex groups -- I seem to recall the bondage one being filled with helpful tips that were fascinating (for me, as someone intellectually but not really sexually interested in the scene) -- but I imagine they've all moved to wikis now. Ah well.
posted by Casuistry at 3:50 AM on May 31

Really? The OP seems to be asking for in "finding out what is done during (for example) bondage" and the articles there seem to do just that...

Yeah, but if you look at the whole list of articles, there....isn't much of a list. And the site lets people post things like this.

It looks more like Urban Dictionary, where anyone can post anything they want as a joke, than it is a site where people are trying to actually impart useful information.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:34 AM on May 31

Sexuality.org has a lot of articles on various sex practices and sexuality. Sometimes finding specific info can be difficult, but they have a search option that works fairly well.
posted by Polychrome at 6:34 AM on May 31

Your local bookstore is filled with just what you are looking for. On many issues books are far better than sites. This is probably one of them.
posted by caddis at 7:34 AM on May 31

I'd definitely recommend books over websites. I'd start with SM 101 (Jay Wiseman) and Screw the Roses, Give Me the Thorns. These are the two standards in the BDSM world. If you want bondage-specific, look for something by Midori.
posted by desjardins at 8:20 AM on May 31

Speaking from personal experience, I like the Honey Spot Game. Your partner places a spot of honey somewhere on his or her body. You, blindfolded, attempt to find it with your tongue. Rinse. Repeat.

Pretty good times, I must say.
posted by elder18 at 2:14 PM on May 31

Wikipedia is still your friend: List of Sexology Topics.
posted by cmchap at 3:37 PM on June 1

I'm looking for something closer to the Kinsey Report

Search for "Gloria Brame" - I'd link, but I'm at work. I don't know if her work is up to academic standards, but it is way more sciency and theoretical than a "how do I tie him up" manual.
posted by desjardins at 5:48 PM on June 1

Also, Cleo Dubois has a website with an educational tone rather than porn-y. Plus she's super cool in person. Caution - her website has videos that auto-play.

Also also, there's Akasha's Web, which has some fiction but also some educational stuff geared towards female dominants/tops and male submissives/bottoms. Finally, there's Elise Sutton, who is a little controversial because (IIRC) she's a female supremacist.
posted by desjardins at 5:51 PM on June 1