I was flicking through my Freeview channels the other evening and nothing caught my eye. I decided to switch on the NowTV box and see what I could find on catch-up. I searched on All4 for Naked Attraction (one of my 'guilty pleasures') and found 24 episodes! (some of which I'd already seen). However, this wasn't the first thing I watched... I noticed under 'More Like This' a number of programmes / shorts about swinging / alternative lifestyles. Needless to say I watched them all!!
What I watched:
Young Swingers
Six shorts about 5 minutes long. Various types of young swingers (masked) in their 20s and 30 give honest interviews about their swinging lives, before and after a night out. Interesting perspectives. Very London-centric.
Sex Party Secrets (47 mins)
Documentary on the background and build-up to a few big sex parties in London, Dorset and Ibiza. Again several interviews with swingers but a more varied age group. Seems to omit/conceal the fact that single men can go swinging (probably because they're not allowed at these parties). Very much focussing on the posh, elitist and expensive end of swinging. The venues did look impressive to be fair. Again, interesting discussion on jealousy, open relationships etc. Interesting viewing.
Threesome Dating (Shorts)
Comparatively vanilla after watching Sex Party Secrets, but still fun. Kind of like a short, casual version of First Dates for various combinations of threesomes. The MF-F ones got on well, the single ladies were younger. There was a FF-M group and the young guy couldn't get over his luck meeting a couple of two older ladies. An FM-M (female and gay friend meeting bi-guy) was a bit more cagey. An all-male meeting got a bit emotional and didn't go anywhere. No all-female threesome.
How to Pull
Five desperate shorts on pulling in the vanilla world. Laughable in a cringey way.
Oh Shit! I'm 30 (Six shorts)
A attractive young woman turns 30, goes into 'quarter-life crisis' (!) mode. Episodes on having children, aging, work and more.
Not strictly about swinging but there is an episode where she attends Skirt Club to explore her bi-curiousness. She feels uncomfortable going past kissing with the ladies.
Of course, I followed this with four episodes of Naked Attraction! You never can tell with this show, who is going to be chosen and why. Also, it's difficult to predict how they will get on during the date (some actually formed a relationship). Always a good laugh (and can be informative too!)
So all you naughty people... has anyone else seen the above shows? Any thoughts? Any other interesting 'lifestyle' related shows on the box?!
On a more serious note, what do people think of swinging's portrayal in the media? The vibe I got was that it is slowly emerging into the mainstream from the underground, although still misunderstood in mainstream British society.
Whether this is good or bad is hard to say. I guess more awareness leads to greater acceptance. (There is a part of me that enjoys the slightly rebellious element of doing something beyond the mainstream!) Anyway, enough from me...let's read from the rest of you
What I watched:
Young Swingers
Six shorts about 5 minutes long. Various types of young swingers (masked) in their 20s and 30 give honest interviews about their swinging lives, before and after a night out. Interesting perspectives. Very London-centric.
Sex Party Secrets (47 mins)
Documentary on the background and build-up to a few big sex parties in London, Dorset and Ibiza. Again several interviews with swingers but a more varied age group. Seems to omit/conceal the fact that single men can go swinging (probably because they're not allowed at these parties). Very much focussing on the posh, elitist and expensive end of swinging. The venues did look impressive to be fair. Again, interesting discussion on jealousy, open relationships etc. Interesting viewing.
Threesome Dating (Shorts)
Comparatively vanilla after watching Sex Party Secrets, but still fun. Kind of like a short, casual version of First Dates for various combinations of threesomes. The MF-F ones got on well, the single ladies were younger. There was a FF-M group and the young guy couldn't get over his luck meeting a couple of two older ladies. An FM-M (female and gay friend meeting bi-guy) was a bit more cagey. An all-male meeting got a bit emotional and didn't go anywhere. No all-female threesome.
How to Pull
Five desperate shorts on pulling in the vanilla world. Laughable in a cringey way.
Oh Shit! I'm 30 (Six shorts)
A attractive young woman turns 30, goes into 'quarter-life crisis' (!) mode. Episodes on having children, aging, work and more.
Not strictly about swinging but there is an episode where she attends Skirt Club to explore her bi-curiousness. She feels uncomfortable going past kissing with the ladies.
Of course, I followed this with four episodes of Naked Attraction! You never can tell with this show, who is going to be chosen and why. Also, it's difficult to predict how they will get on during the date (some actually formed a relationship). Always a good laugh (and can be informative too!)
So all you naughty people... has anyone else seen the above shows? Any thoughts? Any other interesting 'lifestyle' related shows on the box?!
On a more serious note, what do people think of swinging's portrayal in the media? The vibe I got was that it is slowly emerging into the mainstream from the underground, although still misunderstood in mainstream British society.
Whether this is good or bad is hard to say. I guess more awareness leads to greater acceptance. (There is a part of me that enjoys the slightly rebellious element of doing something beyond the mainstream!) Anyway, enough from me...let's read from the rest of you