SEXPOSED!
By Rubert Fitchet
The annual SEXPO has given South Africans another dose of the quirky adult entertainment people have come to expect with recent shows in Johannesburg and Durban. The focus of this ‘Health, Sexuality and Lifestyle Expo’ is not merely on titillating the masses but primarily provides patrons with an entertaining environment in which to learn about sex. The aims of the exhibition, as stated on the SEXPO, website are “to educate, inform, entertain and celebrate sexuality in a fun and exciting atmosphere”. Attractions like Pricasso (the artist who uses his penis as a paintbrush), the 3D erotic gallery and the giant Gold Member ride are make it clear how SEXPO has gained its notoriety. However, questions are raised as to whether these kinds of materials and performances should be displayed in the public domain, as the sexual nature of the exhibition may be construed as vulgar and inappropriate. In light of the ignorance in South Africa regarding sexual health, SEXPO provides seminars on STDs and other safe sex practices. Not only does SEXPO cater for the health-conscious, but it also holds seminars which help to “unleash one’s sexual powers” which can be attended by those who are a tad more adventurous. So, is the SEXPO really just harmless fun with a free penis keyring, or a case of too much information? (more…)
Share on FacebookDisney: Is it all Hakuna Matata?
By Palesa Kgasane
For many of us, Disney is associated with the years of childhood. The family favourites, which typically depict stories of good triumphing over evil with a tidy “happily ever after”-ending, are usually remembered fondly and seen as wholesome models to influence and inspire children. Even parents seemed to enjoy some of the humour, which may have been directed at a more mature audience. Upon closer inspection however, the classic Disney movies have been found to contain ideologies that are often unrealistic, overly romanticised, elitist and sexist. Subliminal ‘sexual’ messages have been spotted by some in The Lion King and The Little Mermaid, and it has been alleged that Dumbo, a firm childhood favourite, is full of racial stereotyping. In The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Frollo sings of a sexual fantasy about Esmeralda – his ‘burning desire’ which is ‘turning him to sin’. Other critics, however, insist on Disney Classics as good clean children’s fun, containing fundamental moral lessons. Did it all go down the rabbit-hole for Disney, or is this just a senseless witch hunt? Activate sought views from both sides of the fan spectrum. (more…)
Share on FacebookPushing My Agenda
Youth: Apathy, Whiteness and Juju
By Benjamin Fogel
In the news feeding frenzy on the latest Julius Malema scandal, the collective imagination of our media yet again fails to address the real issues lurking behind his shadow. Firstly, I am frankly unmoved by the figure of Juju, who seems more have built his public personality on the collective “swart gevaar” fantasies of white bourgeois South Africans. Secondly, there is not all that much evidence of his supposed popularity among poor black youth that the media constantly refer to. Even the recent riots at Luthuli House attracted less than 1,000 people (many of whom are rumoured to have been paid). I would also hazard a guess that many who attend Julius’s rallies either attend because they are offered food or t-shirts or just want to see him say crazy shit. Too often, the liberal media bases much of its coverage on the assumption that an angry black demagogue naturally has thousands of mindless poor black youth following his every word. If I have to read another article decrying the nebulous influences of Juju’s populism and the investor panic emanating from the irrational black youth, I might have to join that great vortex of racism, reaction and stupidity known as the online comment section. (more…)
Share on FacebookThe (white) elephant in the room?
By Joel Pearson
The end of apartheid did not bring with it an immediate and decisive end to white privilege. Despite the rise of a new democratic order and a constitution premised on the equality of all people, white people in this country continue to benefit from and be shaped by the legacy of an unjust system that oppressed the non-white majority. (more…)
Share on Facebook‘X’ marks the uncertain
By Alexa Sedgwick
Australia has introduced a third ‘gender’ on their passports: that of ‘X’. Instead of being formally categorised as ‘male’ or ‘female’, transgender and intersex individuals now have the opportunity to choose how they would like to be represented on their passports. Transgender individuals, who identify with the opposite sex and reject their own biological make-up, may now choose to be classified as ‘male’ or ‘female’ on their passports without having had sex-change surgery, as long as their decision is supported by a doctor. The ‘X’ option is reserved for intersex individuals who are not entirely male or female biologically. The government’s decision to implement these changes was in the hope to remove discrimination against such individuals. Australian Senator Louis Pratt, whose male partner was born female, said that it is an important recognition of human rights. “There are people who are genetically ambiguous and were probably arbitrarily assigned as one sex or the other at birth,” he said. Is Australia indeed taking a leap towards social equality, or are they just confusing ‘sex’ with ‘gender’? Activate sought your views. (more…)
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