Bad Science: A Review of The Sex Myth By Brooke Magnanti

The Sex Myth begins with an anecdote. Dr Brooke Magnanti (aka Belle de Jour) describes a phase in her childhood when she and her friends were in competition to discover the ‘truth’ about the naked body of the opposite sex. The girls were particularly inventive, and would look under cubicle doors in the boys’ toilets, [...]

A Spot Of Bother – A Critique of a Sex Research Critique

According to Dr Petra Boynton, academic and ‘sexologist’, a recent study about the elusive g-spot (in women) is rubbish. This rubbish research has been reported in the media as truth. So she has critiqued the media reporting, based on her own knowledge of sex research and how it gets communicated to the public. So far so [...]

Feminism Is Creepy (and full of contradictions)

‘I’m a creep, I’m a weirdo, what the hell am I doing here? I don’t belong here.’ What is the worst thing you can call a man? According to feminism, it seems the worst thing you can call a man is a ‘woman’ or a ‘girl’. Most feminist writing on masculinity focuses on ‘misogyny’. If [...]

Why Feminism Is Wrong About Patriarchy by Typhon Blue

Typhon blue, who sometimes comments here at QRGHQ, is, according to her profile on her own blog: ‘a Canadian in her thirties. She writes about the state of decay in the relationship between the genders in our culture with a focus on men’s vulnerability and women’s agency. She is also currently working on a sci-fi [...]

A Big Fan Of Pansies – QRG Gets The Madame Arcati Treatment

I am utterly honoured to have been interviewed by the inimitable Madame Arcati this week. Not unlike me, she is a bit of a trouble-maker, a character and a lover of the literary arts. Arcati asked me about my recent ‘outing’ by Paul Burston and Julie Bindel, a voodoo spell they arranged for me, and my interest [...]

QRG LIVES! A Links Round – Up

The last week or so has not been brilliant for QRG Towers. There is a chance you may have read some pretty nasty things about me online. At one point I considered the possibility that I might have to shut up shop altogether. So I am very relieved and delighted to announce that… QRG LIVES! [...]

Metrosexy Hegemony

I have critiqued the feminist concept of hegemonic masculinity before. The idea that there is a ‘masculine ideal’ that some men achieve and exploit, and others are oppressed by does not work for me. Also if there is a ‘hegemonic masculinity’ why is there not a ‘hegemonic femininity’. The concept relies on the idea that patriarchy exists, [...]

In Defence Of… Masochism

Full disclosure: I am a full-blown, perverse, emotional and sometimes physical masochist. To be honest, I – and  Freud - think masochism is actually an aspect of all of our psyches and sexualities. Maybe to a greater or lesser degree depending on the person, but on some level or another we can all relate to the [...]

Best Sex Writing 2012: A Review

Being lectured by Susie Bright about sex is not my idea of fun. So maybe choosing to read a book, about sex, introduced and curated by the American sex positive ‘sexpert’ and activist was a mistake. But non, je ne regrette rien, and this is why. The collection of 24 essays, with forewords by Susie [...]

Real Men Get Raped

http://www.queerty.com/in-your-face-ad-addresses-issue-of-male-rape-and-sexual-abuse-20120208/ On seeing this promo poster for a rape survivors campaign, my initial reaction was: Fag UP! But that seems to be my reaction to everything to do with masculinity these days. So I thought I’d put this one to you, dear QRG readers, and ask you what you think of the ‘real men get raped’ [...]