i promised kitten_head i'd point and laugh.

[cimorene]

for the first time in like three years, someone has showed up in the better living through orgasm campaign headquarters to complain that he doesn't get it. 

so is this all supposed to just be a joke, or do i sense some more serious undertones to this? I notice a lot of rainbow-colored icons...so maybe this somehow refers to homosexuality?

i didn't think it was possible to not get something like "better living through orgasm".  the phrase could hardly be clearer.  i replied that there was nothing about it that wasn't self-explanatory, which... pretty much gives the whole meaning... and got back,

...that's your answer? Was my initial question rude or something, because I don't believe it was.

no, honey, it wasn't rude, it was just dumb.  i found a few ways to rephrase "it means what it says it means and nothing else and that's what it means".  but i hope he doesn't come back again, because i'm running out of ways to express that particular thought...

ETA: he's back. So you don't believe that "better living" is vague at all? You could mean it in a superficial way..."orgasms make you feel good." Or in a health-conscious way..."Orgasms can improve health." That's why I asked...you say it's a "campaign," and normally campaigns have a point.

um.

ETA2: and we have the most spectacular case of missing the point yet in the comments to this very entry.

I've spent years involved in areas of women's studies, women's health, fertility awareness, sexual liberation, etc and I also found your statement to be vague. I wondered if it was a catchphrase to bring awareness to a more meaningful campaign. If that's all there is to it then it's a shame, a waste, ignorant and yes, stupid. I'm disappointed at the shallow reality behind what could have been a great introduction to something meaningful. I suppose I should not be so shocked at your indignant reaction to this person's question. It seemed awfully valid to me. Are you so surrounded by yes-people that not a single person has brought this to your attention before now? I'm sad to think it.

woooow. okay. i gave up and used a lot of words, some of them multi-syllabic. and then i saw same person again on the "campaign" post--she felt the need to express her disappointment twice. Subject: Lost interest quicklyThis really caught my attention and at first I was applauding the banners but was soon disappointed to notice there was nothing under the surface. and i figured that since i had already clarified my position as far as possible, it was time to say what i really wanted to. i know! pixellated images are always so two-dimensional. i used to have a real problem with that, but once i got over it i got a lot more enjoyment out of the internet.

Comments

[thelionforreal.livejournal.com]

BETTER LIVING THROUGH ORGASM.

I need to get my icon back.

And I don't remember taking my banner down, but yet, it's not there.

[cimness.livejournal.com]

well, maybe it got lost in the changeover from rightthisway to waxjism.org? they broke then and i posted in my journal and communities to tell people but... you know. maybe you missed it!

[fayemeadows.livejournal.com]

AHAHAHAHAHA.

Asshat.

[cimness.livejournal.com]

yes... and he keeps getting... asshattier.

[schonste.livejournal.com]

I'm embarrassed for that boy.

[cimness.livejournal.com]

me too. every time i rephrased it again i got more embarrassed. i feel like even the mere act of explaining it is like saying "you're stupid"!

[schonste.livejournal.com]

Maybe he thinks you're some obscure Finnish politician who wants to make sure that no house goes without orgasmic release?

[schonste.livejournal.com]

Though--christ. Reading his responses is starting to irritate me. Did he completely miss you mildly mocking him in your retort so as he thinks that all you can do is "repeat what he said", wtf.

[cimness.livejournal.com]

i don't know--i think THAT would probably qualify for his little friend's definition of "more" that should be "behind" the campaign. it might please him.

[syredronning.livejournal.com]

Maybe he should learn how to jerk off to understand the meaning...my my :)

[cimness.livejournal.com]

i don't think he'd be satisfied. he wants MORE! anything with the words "better living" should lead ultimately to sweeping social change, sort of like emotions and the dark side of the force.

Count me as the second time

[ursawarrior.livejournal.com]

I've spent years involved in areas of women's studies, women's health, fertility awareness, sexual liberation, etc and I also found your statement to be vague. I wondered if it was a catchphrase to bring awareness to a more meaningful campaign. If that's all there is to it then it's a shame, a waste, ignorant and yes, stupid. I'm disappointed at the shallow reality behind what could have been a great introduction to something meaningful. I suppose I should not be so shocked at your indignant reaction to this person's question. It seemed awfully valid to me. Are you so surrounded by yes-people that not a single person has brought this to your attention before now? I'm sad to think it.

Re: Count me as the second time

[perhael.livejournal.com]

sometimes, orgasms are not about women's health or sexual liberation. sometimes, they are -gasp!- about fun.

Re: Count me as the second time

[ursawarrior.livejournal.com]

Yes of course but then why the "better living" part of the banners? Shouldn't they just say, "Fun through Orgasm," "Pro-Orgasm," or "Orgasms Just For Fun," if that's the only point? "Better Living" implies more yet this campaign does not deliver any further purpose.

Re: Count me as the second time

[schonste.livejournal.com]

And yet, sometimes it just takes a little fun to live better. It's not as deep as you're trying to make it.

Re: Count me as the second time

[ursawarrior.livejournal.com]

*shrugs* I'm pretty much finished saying anything I had to say. I hope at least now that some people understand why a person like myself would be wondering what further meaning is behind the banners. At first glance it seems that there is more which was exciting to me, finding out there was nothing else was a let down. There's nothing wrong with making a big deal out of orgasm for fun's sake as long as you are clear and patient with people wondering the point.

Re: Count me as the second time

[cimness.livejournal.com]

the words "better living" are actually perfectly germane since orgasms can lead to living in an improved manner, ie "better living". they imply no more than that. fun by itself could, in fact, and most likely would lead to better living, even if orgasms were capable of producing no other positive effects (but they're not).

[louiselux.livejournal.com]

Crumbs. This is missing the point on a grand scale.

[cimness.livejournal.com]

and a kind of... long-winded one.

[guinevere33.livejournal.com]

Oh. my. god. What is WRONG with these people? baaaaabyanimals doesn't get bugged by PETA folks wondering what the deeper meaning of cute animal photos is.

[cimness.livejournal.com]

HAHAHAHAHHA.

but you know, maybe they SHOULD.

[guinevere33.livejournal.com]

Random note here, while I've got your attention. I think the background image for iconsensual is still linked to the image in my Pomona College webspace. Thus, it's going to become broken very soon if we don't move the link. But I don't think I have permissions to change the community style - I'm a mod, not a maintainer. If you don't have somewhere to host the background image, I just got a new Photobucket account and uploaded it here:
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b219/jmh02001/LiveJournal%20images/wallofsex.jpg

[cimness.livejournal.com]

hmmmm, i think i moved it to waxjism.org. but i'll check and fix it if not.

[aeslis]

Um. Duh, people. Wtf? "Better living" is a good phrase because it can imply many things. Health, enjoyment, self-awareness, confidence.. Why does it have to be a SPECIFIC topic? Why is there a problem with toting the idea, so anyone can draw from it what they will?

Do they want a better definition of the word 'love'? I mean, that's pretty vague, dude. How about 'like'? Since 'better living' is so insufficient to them, let's make everything super descriptive to the last detail, yo, and everything MUST have a point that is insanely obvious, just in case Forrest Gump comes by.

[cimness.livejournal.com]

and don't forget how they want a meaningful public awareness campaign. i guess if we were really trying to drive home the point that orgasms can, in a cool way, lead to improvement of life, we'd be missing a big part of the audience with the current concise phrase--all the ones as dumb as them. to reach the perpetually-confused we'd definitely need some brochures or something. i'm just cringing at the idea of explaining all those incredibly simple concepts again.

wow, man, this little thing has given new meaning to the term "self-explanatory" in my mind.