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Cretin Hop: Coverage Of European Swingers Event Misses With One Key Phrase
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Cretin Hop: Coverage Of European Swingers Event Misses With One Key Phrase Today marks the wrap-up of what looks to have been a wonderful party on the island of Crete: A “Swing Break Take Over” hosted by SDC Travel, a unit of Swingers Date Club. The takeover itself looks to have been a blast: A six-day takeover based in a place SDC’s site describes as “the crossroads of Africa, Asia and Europe!” Fair’s fair: Based on the roster of activities, it’s unlikely the region’s culture and history were at the forefront of event planning. Featured pictures were of the resort. It’s a pretty, sun-drenched resort, but it’s still a resort: The site didn’t mention any of Crete’s beaches or lagoons. If excursions were planned to the 17th Century town of Rethymnon, the Manousakis Winery, or even the Spinalonga leper colony, attendees must have been told of ‘em upon arriving. What were attendees doing instead? Tuesday April 28 featured Easter Dream (“Ladies Bunnies, Gents Smoking” – and I have to wonder whether that last was a mistranslation). Wednesday offered Studio 69, with appropriate 1970s attire requested (for the uninitiated, ‘70s attire usually consists of a lot of polyester and rayon. Basically, if you can clean it by squeegeeing it, it’s 70s wear). And so on, and so on: The themes were pretty standard for swing events: A white clothing night, a Greek toga night. Y’know, "grab a couple of hotel bed sheets and go" events. (Don’t feel bad for the hotel’s potential loss of sheets: Fees for the all-inclusive event ranged between 1,000 and 1,500 euros, or around $1,100 to $1,700.) All well and good: I imagine some attendees had a lovely time, others might be disappointed, and the sunburn industry picked up a few more . In short, a typical Mediterranean vacation. Here’s what’s not so good: A well-meaning but uninformed article on the event titled “Crete Sways to the Rhythm of Swinging,” which appeared on the Greek Reporter website. Can’t fault writer Ioanna Zikakou for describing swingers as “couples who exchange partners.” The event appears to be couples only, despite the fact that single swingers of all variety play in the lifestyle. And Zikakou gives this a nod by later describing swinging as “a non-monogamous behavior in which both singles and partners in a committed relationship engage in sexual activities with others as a recreational or social activity.” But the neutral term of exchanging partners is later undone when Zikakou later uses the term “wife swapping.” This term is a relic – one which, unlike arrowheads and other artifacts, fully deserved burial in an undisclosed grave. There’s also a bit of muddy water where Zikakou lumps swinging in with sex tourism – the latter being a catchall phrase that encompasses brothel tours and other potentially exploitive activities. Sure, going to a swingers event could fall under the term sex tourism, but it’s a loaded term… and a little sensitivity to that would have been nice. I can take or leave Zikakou’s later phrase, “The phenomenon of swinging, or at least its wider discussion and practice, is regarded by some as arising from the free attitude to sexual activity after the 1960s sexual revolution.” In America, modern swinging traces its origins to the Air Force during World War II. That said, one could make an argument that it arose in Europe during the liberating times of the 1960s. Overall, though, Zikakou offers a non-judgmental look at the event, including the occasional tidbit such as “they also demanded that the hotel sets up mattresses in several areas such as the nightclub.” Twisting the night away on a Posturpedic? Heh. That’s a detail I’d like to see to confirm (I suspect, or at least hope, the mattresses were off to the side), but it makes for an amusing story. Stop in, read, and offer comments at my "swinging as seen in the media" blog, "Confessions of a Lifestyle Man" humorlife, which is also the home of the monthly virtual symposium. New post: The Virtual Symposium Returns Lets Pick A Topic |
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I'm still laughing at the post title! It's a very human thing to do- visit a place inhabited from the most ancient of times with a rich and varied history and spend that visit wallowing in sensuality- just like many of those ancient vanished cultures did. You have to get your priorities straight! This was a really fun read! Become a member now and get a free tote bag.
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Something horribly subservient... you mean "Ward, weren't you a little rough on The Beaver last night?" Heh... but you know that Suzy homemaker was probably swinging merrily along in suburban wonderland during the Eisenhower years... And what? No comment on the April 28 party theme of Lady Bunnies? Stop in, read, and offer comments at my "swinging as seen in the media" blog, "Confessions of a Lifestyle Man" humorlife, which is also the home of the monthly virtual symposium. New post: The Virtual Symposium Returns Lets Pick A Topic
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I'm still laughing at the post title! It's a very human thing to do- visit a place inhabited from the most ancient of times with a rich and varied history and spend that visit wallowing in sensuality- just like many of those ancient vanished cultures did. You have to get your priorities straight! This was a really fun read! Personally, I'm just as happy that the event didn't offer a visit to the leper colony... there are some things that shouldn't be allowed to fall off during a swinging vacation... Stop in, read, and offer comments at my "swinging as seen in the media" blog, "Confessions of a Lifestyle Man" humorlife, which is also the home of the monthly virtual symposium. New post: The Virtual Symposium Returns Lets Pick A Topic
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Αφήστε τον καλό χρονικό ρόλο! Stop in, read, and offer comments at my "swinging as seen in the media" blog, "Confessions of a Lifestyle Man" humorlife, which is also the home of the monthly virtual symposium. New post: The Virtual Symposium Returns Lets Pick A Topic
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Once again, if reporters were swingers.... Looks like the article was based on little bits and pieces of information an outsider would gather from rumors and get the rest from internet. Very similar to gossip rags. Orgies in Greece date back to ancient times. Pottery design that shows sexual preferences in those times , dated back to 6th century BC. Visit my blog It's a Mad, Mad, Mad World of NaughtyInSO, leave a comment, become a watcher. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ LIVE AND LET LIVE Be happy! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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Once again, if reporters were swingers.... Looks like the article was based on little bits and pieces of information an outsider would gather from rumors and get the rest from internet. Very similar to gossip rags. Orgies in Greece date back to ancient times. Pottery design that shows sexual preferences in those times , dated back to 6th century BC. Now, let's get back to "if reporters were swingers..." Stop in, read, and offer comments at my "swinging as seen in the media" blog, "Confessions of a Lifestyle Man" humorlife, which is also the home of the monthly virtual symposium. New post: The Virtual Symposium Returns Lets Pick A Topic
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*laughing* And what was the kidnapping of Helen of Troy, but an early documented example of sex tourism? Now, let's get back to "if reporters were swingers..." Visit my blog It's a Mad, Mad, Mad World of NaughtyInSO, leave a comment, become a watcher. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ LIVE AND LET LIVE Be happy! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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I'll have to check out that footage... were you at least warned in advance that the crews would be there? Stop in, read, and offer comments at my "swinging as seen in the media" blog, "Confessions of a Lifestyle Man" humorlife, which is also the home of the monthly virtual symposium. New post: The Virtual Symposium Returns Lets Pick A Topic
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Not. Cool. Not the film crew's fault: The organizers should have alerted you. Stop in, read, and offer comments at my "swinging as seen in the media" blog, "Confessions of a Lifestyle Man" humorlife, which is also the home of the monthly virtual symposium. New post: The Virtual Symposium Returns Lets Pick A Topic
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Thank you! Yeah, it's a term that needs to go for several reasons... Personally, think anyone who is approached to swap spouses should offer to trade 'em for baseball cards.... Stop in, read, and offer comments at my "swinging as seen in the media" blog, "Confessions of a Lifestyle Man" humorlife, which is also the home of the monthly virtual symposium. New post: The Virtual Symposium Returns Lets Pick A Topic
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"Smoking" probably means a tuxedo or formal attire; for some reason that's the term we use in Greece.
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"Smoking" probably means a tuxedo or formal attire; for some reason that's the term we use in Greece. could it? Stop in, read, and offer comments at my "swinging as seen in the media" blog, "Confessions of a Lifestyle Man" humorlife, which is also the home of the monthly virtual symposium. New post: The Virtual Symposium Returns Lets Pick A Topic
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Awesome stories..HG hugs V Become a blog watcher sweet_vm
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Awesome stories..HG hugs V Stop in, read, and offer comments at my "swinging as seen in the media" blog, "Confessions of a Lifestyle Man" humorlife, which is also the home of the monthly virtual symposium. New post: The Virtual Symposium Returns Lets Pick A Topic
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Why would they have in such a touristy place? I would be distracted by the history, and culture of the island. I'd rather attend one of these in a place where ALL the focus would be on the sex. Stop in, read, and offer comments at my "swinging as seen in the media" blog, "Confessions of a Lifestyle Man" humorlife, which is also the home of the monthly virtual symposium. New post: The Virtual Symposium Returns Lets Pick A Topic
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You may be in for a rude shock: "Sex tourism" often refers to people (usually men) being flown in to countries where the laws are lenient and the cops corrupt for unsavory practices. Not familiar personally with Hedo, Hedo 2, or any of the other swinger resorts, and many of the accounts I've read have been skimpy on the details. Oddly enough, professional travel writers have NOT covered these venues in detail... so folks, there's an opening! My suggestion? Make a post, not about sex tourism, but about swinger resorts... ask three or four questions, and solicit comments. I sure as hell will read it! Stop in, read, and offer comments at my "swinging as seen in the media" blog, "Confessions of a Lifestyle Man" humorlife, which is also the home of the monthly virtual symposium. New post: The Virtual Symposium Returns Lets Pick A Topic
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Glad you're enjoying it! Stop in, read, and offer comments at my "swinging as seen in the media" blog, "Confessions of a Lifestyle Man" humorlife, which is also the home of the monthly virtual symposium. New post: The Virtual Symposium Returns Lets Pick A Topic
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