(idea submitted by practically everybody)
Among many communities, the topic of sex and sexuality is taboo, subject to hushed tones and upturned noses. But, in the world of Jewish Young Adults, sex is so frequently the default topic of conversation that any outside observer would assume that JYAs are nothing more than a bunch of self-deprecating nymphomaniacs.
The origin of this obsession is probably found in the JYAs youth. Today nearly all JYAs have been subject to some form of Jewish Youth Group or Jewish Summer Camp. It is in these highly cramped quarters that Jewish adolescents find themselves first experimenting with basic forms of sexual expression including kissing (making out) or petting (feeling up/down). This newly discovered and popular shared hobby results in endless conversation with peers about the gray area between First Base and Second Base. JYA “Lisa” recalls, “I remember this girl at camp said a hand up the shirt was third base. Maybe it is in Bloomfield Hills cause they’re all a bunch of prude losers, but in San Diego that’s only second.”
Another possible explanation is the impact of religion. Unlike WASPs, who have embraced their faith’s shame about the body in general and the sex act in particular, and who politely behave as if they are built like Ken dolls, Jews deem sex a Mitzvah, and physical attraction between potential mates is a recognized necessity. Also, unlike Catholics whose sex talk is always accompanied by a sense of shame more befitting the confessional, JYAs talk about sex publicly, loudly, and without apology. An anonymous JYA was heard on the E subway line in Manhattan telling a friend about a conjugal encounter with someone by the name of “Nip-biter Mike.” Despite the uncomfortable looks exchanged between Jewish Elders in the vicinity, the story of Michael’s anatomical inadequacies and strange preferences continued all the way from the Upper West Side to the Village.
One last explanation is cultural. JYAs have a tendency to want to be in everybody’s business and know all the most intimate details about the lives of others. This blatant nosiness means JYAs delve into the most intimate details of their friends, and of their random acquaintances, and the most intimate details are usually about sex. Because of this, JYAs will often know the age a friend first experienced orgasm long before knowing how many siblings they have.
It is important to note that the fact that JYAs talk about sex all the time does not necessarily mean that they are actually having sex all the time. Particularly among male JYAs, the relationship is often inverted, where the more sex talk actually means less participation in the act itself.
the E doesn’t go to the upper west side, they must have meant the C. (-;