Reaction to University Class on Sibling Consanguinamory

I blogged about a course being offered at University of Missouri and some of the reaction to it. It looks like a fascinating course that will “examine the deployment of erotic desire, love, and sympathy as political, economic, and textual strategies, and analyze the gender dynamics involved in such deployment” when it comes to siblings. Everything from experimentation & exploration to lifelong romances have existed between siblings throughout history, and this had made it into literature. It makes sense for institutions of higher learning to deal with these subjects.

There continues to be reaction to the offering of this course.

At stevedeace.com, Rebekah Maxwell wrote This Week’s Sign The Apocalypse Is Upon Us...

Last weekend, as you sent your beloved young adult back to college for the term, you’re thinking, “Man, life is getting more expensive. What with 5% less in my paycheck (thanks, guv’ment), and costs of college skyrocketing, I really hope Suzie gets the most out of this year, because I just don’t know how many more mortgages I can put on our house. But then again, she’s learning. She’ll get a good job. It’s a good investment.”

You ask if you can bring her sofa to her dorm on Wednesday.

“Sorry, Dad. I’ve got my sibling incest class that day.”

“Ok, how about….wait. What?!”

Yes, our friends at Campusreform.org uncovered this gem of postmodernism.

As I wrote before, there are higher odds that young adult has somehow been involved in consanguineous experimentation or sex with a sibling than that she'll be in the class. Playing doctor, "show me yours, I'll show you mine," curiosity, being walked in on and not stopping, horseplay, party games, a stolen moment of raging hormones... those things all happen.

Maxwell goes on to bemoan universities not being reduced to conservative theological seminaries before almost getting it, ironically...

 

Therefore, there is no objective reason to keep the traditional taboos at bay. They don’t really harm you. The only reason people are ashamed/disgusted by committing incest is because that’s what we, as overbearing, closed-minded, patriarchal society, have conditioned them to be.  Brother-lovers are just creating a new type of normal, doing what makes them feel happy.

It is not a new type of normal. That is one of the points of the course, and why the prejudiced are afraid of the course. Maxwell never does explain what exactly is wrong with consanguinamory.

At collegeinsurrection.com...

At a time when students are pinching every penny, and institutions of higher education are strapped for cash, it is apparent that incestuous relationships, especially between progressives and academic bureaucrats, is neither healthy or profitable.

Some people want to keep closet doors locked tight and deny reality.

A discussion came up at forums.allkpop.com started by toradora101 but last I checked, there wasn't much to see there. The topic was discussed at democraticunderground.com, where it got more intelligent consideration...

Kurska...

And you know to be honest, if a brother and a sister whatever combination of siblings want to f--- and they are both of age how is that anyone elses business? Yes it is gross, but no one is making YOU do it.


Never understood why people feel the desire to dictate the love lives of other adults. Obviously there are real genetic reasons for two sibilings not reproduce, but all sex doesn't need to result in reproduction.

napoleon_in_rags...

And generally, I know from frank people I have talked with that brother sister intimacy happens, it happens quite a bit more than people would like to think. An informed society studies the world based on what IS going on, not what think SHOULD be going on.

Kudos to the prof for offering a provocative class.

DissidentVoice...

...when I was in Developmental Psych, based on the biology of siblings as they grow up together. Especially if they're very close in age, don't have a lot of contact with others and aren't socialised yet to know about societal taboos. Biology kicks in, and involuntarily one notices the other.

Literature/film is full of explicit and implicit references to sibling incest.

Let's start with the Bible. Abraham and Sarah were half-brother/sister. Many of these far-right types howling about this class should read the book of Genesis again.

Josephine Hart's novel (and accompanying movie with Jeremy Irons and Juliette Binoche), Damage, had implicit references to a sexual relationship between Anna (Binoche's character) and her brother.

The V.C. Andrews novel (and film), Flowers In The Attic, covers this very topic.

Even in Star Wars it shows up. Alan Dean Foster's novel, Splinter Of The Mind's Eye (which was to have been the sequel to the original film if it hadn't done as well as it did), describes romantic feelings between Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia, though they don't act on them. Of course, Luke and Leia are later revealed to be the twin children of Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader.

To study this topic in academia/humanities/science is not an endorsement.

A poll was placed at sodahead.com by American☆Atheist.

The more discussion, the better. More universities should have courses like this.