Sex: A Great Way To Score

On the first female English author to earn her living by her pen, Aphra Behn, who hauled the shit back to her jealous male counterparts in the literary circle, back in the 1670s and 1680s, was the hot subject during last Friday's lecture. The lecturer who revived her was M. This time round, her hair wasn't kinky like N's curls (read previous entry on Othello's Night). It was no-nonsense: Pulled taut from her soft, plump face, into a mysterious chignon-like style, or no style, to which the french women might disapprove of.

Behn served as a double agent in Antwerp for Charles II, was imprisoned for debts and was often criticised for the sexually explicit themes that often appeared in her works. Most notably, The Rover. Why? Is the female body shameful, or is a female shameless just for articulating her internal organs on paper, besides the obvious C word? Vulva, Clitoris, Vagina or Labia. Cunt is passe, along with that classic Hokkien expletive.

Most people are usually more inarticulate than usual when it comes to describing the female sexual organ. You know there is more to it.

M might had made Behn smiled that day.

M: "I've marked so many exam papers, and nobody talks about sex. For an Aphra Behn's question I mean."

Many with a deer-caught-in-headlights expression.

M: "And I'm puzzled. I often ask myself, Where is the sex part? Yes, they talked about Behn's feminist perspective and how she tried to enlighten the old fogeys, etc, etc, but sex is always found in Behn's works. It's a tip by the way."

Oohs and yippees abounded the room.

M: "The point is guys, you need to acknowledge the sex part, whether you like it or not."

M paused then continued ...

M: "Okay, let's do this together. Say SEX. Together please. And I know some of you are saying it for the first time."

Roaring laughter that seemed to echo: How absurd!/That's me .../So what if it's my first time saying it!

M, in sing-song fashion, eyes widened, mouth opened before hissing for emphasis ...

M: "Okay, now, (melodiously) SEX!"

Everybody said Sex.

M looked pleased and suddenly, everybody relaxed a bit. Friendlier faces.

Sex, a great noun, an ice-breaker in the classroom, and a great way to score for the paper. The word did it, not an orgy.


Apt add: Eve Ensler's 'The Vagina Monologues' will be staged at the Drama Centre Theatre from 1 to 12 October. Visit www.sistic.com.sg for details.