Prev | Current Page 317 | Next

Ellis, Havelock, 1859-1939

"Sexual Selection In Man"


Many women confess that they are revolted by the sight of even a
husband's complete nudity, though they have no indifference for
sexual embraces. I think that the stupid bungle of Nature in
making the generative organs serve as means of relieving the
bladder has much to do with this revulsion. But some women of
erotic temperament find pleasure in looking at the penis of a
husband or lover, in handling it, and kissing it. Prostitutes do
this in the way of business; some chaste, passionate wives act
thus voluntarily. This is scarcely morbid, as the mammalia of
most species smell and lick each others' genitals. Probably
primitive man did the same."
Brantome (_Vie des Dames Galantes_, Discours II) has some remarks
to much the same effect concerning the difference between men,
some of whom take no pleasure in seeing the private parts of
their wives or mistresses, while others admire them and delight
to kiss them.
I must add that, however natural or legitimate the attraction of
the sexual parts may be to either sex, the question of their
purely aesthetic beauty remains unaffected.
Remy de Gourmont, in a discussion of the aesthetic element in
sexual beauty, considers that the invisibility of the sexual
organs is the decisive fact in rendering women more beautiful
than men.


Pages:
305 306 307 308 309 310 311 312 313 314 315 316 317 318 319 320 321 322 323 324 325 326 327 328 329