Masters of Sex is a TV show about William Masters and Virginia Johnson, a doctor and a former nightclub singer who revolutionized the way we understand the mechanics of sex. I happen to be a person with a lot of first-hand experience with the mechanics of sex (please feel free to verify that via Google, although I'd caution you not to do so at work). These are my takeaways from watching the first six episodes.
1. Masters and Johnson were the people who divided human sexual response into the four stages of excitement, plateau, orgasm, and refractory period. Decades later, this narrative arc is nearly ubiquitous in adult films and our discussions and concepts of heterosexual sex in western culture. Why do we insist on framing sex as a task to be accomplished? Unless you are a sex worker at work, of course. Then that makes sense.
2. If the experiences of Dr. Ethan Haas are to be believed, oral sex was practically unheard of for many Americans in the mid-20th century. Dear USA, You're welcome. xoxo, The adult film industry.
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3. Lizzy Caplan and Michael Sheen are a lot more attractive than people they are playing.
4. Scientists have an intense set of protocols for protecting the identities of people taking part in medical studies. Good to know.
5. Cute: Male rabbits flirt by swatting at other rabbits with their paws.
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6. Also, ovulation in female rabbits (the thing where they release an egg which can combine with semen to result in bunnies) is triggered by penetration.
7. The Masters and Johnson Institute ran a program in the 70s to convert homosexuals into heterosexuals. I got that one from Google.
8. William H. Masters III (Dr. Masters's son) has been arrested for indecent exposure on more than one occasion. I learned this while verifying that the elder Masters was actually a sleepwalker in real life.
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9. Blooming flowers are an effective metaphor for female arousal.
10. Sigmund Freud thought there was something wrong with adult females who only orgasm from clitoral stimulation. In case you missed it: he was completely wrong about that.
You may have noticed the scarcity of scientific facts in this list of things I learned from watching a show about people who studied sex. This is because there are not many scientific facts in the show so far. Also, it would not be a complete shock if they were just looking for a compelling story with plenty of excuses to show nude people writhing around. If so, well done. At the end of the day this show -- much like pornography -- is meant as entertainment, not education. Get your facts somewhere else.
Stoya, an adult performer and writer, is on Twitter @Stoya.
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