By Emily Thiessen
We’ve come a long way since the days of culturally prescribed celibacy, heterosexuality, and discretion, and now, here we are — at the pinnacle of the butt revolution. They’re everywhere I go. Kim Kardashian’s ass is telling me I’m not good enough; fitness enthusiasts are flexing their buns onto my news feed; I can’t get a damn coffee without standing beside people who look like they’ve been squatting since they came out of the womb. Butts are trending more than ever — so is this causing a rise in anal sex?
In 2010, The Journal of Sexual Medicine published a survey reporting that 40 per cent of women aged 20–24 have tried anal sex, up 16 per cent since 1992. Twenty per cent of women in their 20s and 30s have had anal sex in the past year, one-third of whom have had it in the past month. So, there’s not only more people trying it, anal sex is also more than just a one-time-only sort of deal. When did everyone suddenly start using the back door? Are people just becoming more comfortable with their confessions? Did Sir-Mix-A-Lot really succeed in getting his point across? I surveyed a couple of my friends and realized anal is more prominent than I thought (names have been altered to cloak my associates).
I wasn’t surprised by the enthusiasm of some of my guy friends, considering the majority of them claim to be ass men. “Anal is the tightest thing ever. It almost ruins the vagina,” says Tom, who is a firm advocate of anal. “It’s the best by far. Definitely the stuff dreams are made of.”
Joey — though willing — isn’t as elated. “I would try anal, but I’m not really seeking it out. Maybe if I got bored or if the girl really wanted to.” So is that it? Are people becoming bored with the vagina?
“They say the butt is the new vagina,” says Rachelle, who had tried anal for the first time a couple weeks ago. “Oddly, I enjoyed it. I backed up and it didn’t hurt as much as I thought it would. Overall, I no longer view it as an exit way.”
Living in a highly sexualized society, we’re becoming more open about topics that used to be shunned as ‘unholy thoughts.’ Porn also plays a major part in changing our expectations in the bedroom, or altering our preferences; watching porn conditions our minds to be more open to sexual exploration and makes it all look more accessible than it really is. Soon enough, we desire the kinkier visuals we’ve been exposed to, rather than the standard missionary position.
Watching any new music video fuels my disdain for my near-concave behind; I see J-Lo and Iggy flaunting asses the size of my torso. This initiates three minutes of squats powered by spite, only for me to collapse onto the floor and contemplate how I got there. The rise of anal sex may be a product of our porn-crazed, liberal, sexualized society, but dat ass, tho.
