The news went viral — ‘Sweden will soon host the European sex championship.’ According to the story, Sweden officially recognized sex as a sport and planned to hold a tournament in which players will engage in daily sexual interactions lasting up to six hours to determine who is the best at it. The competition was supposed to begin on June 8 in Gothenburg. Mainstream media and social media were flooded with news related to this.
The twist in the tale came a few days later — the Swedish sports organization refuted the existence of any such event. This bizarre news turned out to be fake.
When this news went viral on social media, it received a mixed response. An Instagram user wrote, "According to me, that’s a really good step towards desensitizing the topic of sex among a lot of societies and in the minds of upcoming generations.” Another user quipped, “Finally something that can distract Indians from cricket.” Another posted, “I’m sure India will never keep this as sports because already its a lot of population.” (sic).
Sex championship news is fake. But what if this was real? Would people want to participate in it? If yes, how would it have worked out, and how would have individuals perceived it? There are so many views on this subject. India is the land of the Kama Sutra, yet sex topic is taboo in the country. From generation to generation, the definition of sex has changed a lot. Today, Gen Z doesn’t consider ‘making love’ a taboo, and they like to have an open discussion about it. When we asked a few Gen Z’s what would be their reaction if this sex competition happened in real life. “I think it can be good news. Although I have mixed feelings about it, if kids or teenagers watch it, then it might be a wrong influence on them. But on the bright side, it could make them understand that sex is normal and virginity is not something sacred to hold on to. Probably, it will lead to body positivity,” says 21-year-old Raj Saliya, a student.
If the competition was real, there could be a few benefits, like people understanding that there is no such thing as an ideal body as shown in porn. For a few, it is not different from pornographic videos. “Some might consider it porn, but it will be for people who are not able to understand the match. But for those who will conduct this championship, the ones who will be participating and the ones supporting it won’t see it as porn but as something that country considers as a sport,” opines Nandni Mandal, an artist manager.
While some are in favour of considering sex as a sport, others are not. For many individuals, sex is a private matter. And unlike the pornographic industry, there will be real people, no actors, no rehearsals, etc. “If common people are involved in it, then how can anyone be comfortable doing this in front of a camera and people? This is supposed to be intimate for almost everyone,” thinks Ritika Rawat, a digital marketing executive.
The subject of having sex differs from person to person. It is two people who are making love. The thoughts of other individuals watching and the camera recording you during a private moment can make any layman uncomfortable. As everyone knows, a coin has two sides, like this competition, which might have some advantages and disadvantages too. In pornographic videos, there is a loud reaction to everything. It is scripted, and sometimes viewers forget that in these videos there are professional actors. Individuals start to expect the same things in real life, which is not possible. Sometimes, the partner gets pressurised into fulfilling the expectations — perfect performance and body. But if this sex competition ever happens, individuals will come to know how reality is different from those videos. There will be real people involved with real emotions. This can be a reality check for many on most grounds and lead to feeling positive about one’s shortcoming and not so perfect bodies.
On the other hand, it is human nature to get turned on while watching the sex championship. We cannot predict reactions of the audience during the turn-on stage performances at the competition. A 24-year-old Gen Zer reveals, “I would choose sides and support the one I’m rooting for.” While another 23-year-old Gen Z mentions, “I will stop seeing it and would prefer to go home.”
Like everything else sex as sports will also have pros and cons. What matters is the perspective of the viewer.
