Girls vs. Boys - First Sexual Images?

Let me ask a question. How many straight men reading this blog used male nudes as their first, let's say...masturbation helpers? I ask because I'm a straight woman who's first encounters with sexual imagery were all pretty much naked ladies; Playboy, Revenge of the Nerds, other random movies that showed boobage - you get the picture. What I'm beating around the bush about (pun intended) is that my first masturbation fantasies were pretty much just recounting the sexy naked women that I'd happened upon in movies, tv, and in random magazine I could get a hold of.

I'm pretty sure this is a common experience for women. How many lucky girls got to grow up in a household that facilitated a sneaky look at Playgirl? Maybe a few, but I'll bet if something was available for a sneaky look, it was more likely to be Playboy over a Playgirl. Let's be honest, though. When you're barely into pubescence, and you're desperately horny and curious, and Playboy's the only thing around, you're gonna check it out - and enjoy it...boy or girl. Now, I'm sure there are exceptions to this rule, but I'm guessing the first really sexually charged images (and if not first - then at least the most abundant) consumed by most people are images of women.

I think this point about our society should be considered more clearly in sexual and cultural research. It is an often overlooked, but probably important influence on gender relations, human sexual qualities, and our societal norms. Just contemplate a few questions. Firstly, what does it mean about the fluidity and complexity of human sexuality that same sex nudity can be a turn on during formative years, without shaking a preference toward the opposite sex? Looking at sexuality with this situation in mind may be a helpful perspective.

Secondly, what does it mean and what effects does it have that the majority of us, male and female, visually associate sexiness with female bodies - waaayyy more often than male bodies? What does it mean to women that we so strongly associate objects of desire with bodies so much like our own and so rarely with male bodies? How much does it affect the power structure of a sexual hetero relationship or a woman's feeling of ownership over her ability to desire when she so rarely sees examples of women as the desire-ee,and most often sees examples of women as the desired.

Just thought I'd give you some thoughts (and memories of sneaking looks at your dad's Playboys) to chew on for a Monday afternoon.