'Malaga Girl' has been one of the most talked about videos over the past couple of weeks. For those who haven't heard of it, in the two and a half minute clip you see a British woman performing a sexual act on twenty three different men. It has trended on Twitter, with articles and comments all centred on the woman. Whether you agree with the many Twitter users branding her a s**t or the few and far between that view it as her choice to behave in that way, the question is why is no one focusing on the men either willing or seemingly forced to get their bits out in public? The video only shows one man of those approached that says, no. Actually, he does not literally state this but the gesture he makes implies it. So is the world of sexual activity and pressure of promiscuity just as stressful for men?
We often stigmatised, men for being the more sexually liberated gender, able to sleep with however many women they wish without ridicule. As the comments on this video have confirmed, people are still more willing to jump to conclusions about a womans sexual behaviour than a mans. But this does not necessarily mean that such public shows of sexual promiscuity is something easily or willingly done by men. At least half of the twenty three in this case are not really given a choice, with the person behind the camera shouting, "GET IT OUT!".
An article written by psychologists on Sexual Coercion Awareness, found that 70% of college students both girls and boys had been sexually coerced. Over half of those had been pressured by a friend, acquaintance or partner, the majority while under the influence of alcohol. However there is always an assumption that all men are 'laddy' types boasting about their conquests. In fact I was surprised by how many male friends of mine, when asked about their sexual experiences refused to discuss it. Out of those I spoke to on the subject the majority were relatively unwilling to boast about their conquests. Those than I could get any information from admitted that they had often felt pressured into some kind of sexual act from those around them, especially when drunk.
Clearly as a society, we need to get over solely judging women's sexual behaviour. Whatever you think about women like 'Malaga Girl', it is surely more shocking that so many men are expected to want to whip it out, without even the promise of €3 bottle of Cava (this was the apparent prize for 'MG' after completing her task). Nobody appears to bat an eyelid or question the apparent coercion of the men. Education, as with a lot of important issues, is the way forward in decreasing the rates of people catching STIs, putting themselves in danger through sexual behaviours or to lower the amount of people sleeping around and not thinking about the consequences. However this cannot be learnt until everyone accepts that men and women both worry about pressures and ridicule when it comes to sexual behaviour.