Archives par mot-clé : Collective exhibitionism

Gérard Bonnet : hands off my sexuality

Collective pornographic exhibitionism has today taken the place of the individual exhibitionism of yesteryear and offers a new kind of challenge. We are actually witnessing an invasion of images inspired by X-rated films reaching more and more children and adolescents : while their passage to adulthood presupposes an imaginary elaboration wherein modesty holds a crucial place, these exhibitions risk short-circuiting the courses of desire. The author shows how this confrontation has in a few years become a new test of initiation for youngsters, the main one as far as sexual matters are concerned. He highlights the difficulties this leads to and draws from his knowledge of exhibitionism some guides for the most helpless. Rather than taking refuge in total suppression, which would only intensify the phenomenon, he suggests we take stock of our collective responsibility and reconsider our conception of sexuality in light of human creativity.