Sex in Second Life

When I first came to SL, I met a male avatar who had been around for a few days. When he was brand new, some nice lady gave him a free cock, which every guy in SL needs, and which he promptly wore. Unfortunately, he hadn't stayed with the Intro long enough to learn how to turn around and view his front, and he walked around for 3 days before he realized how in flagrante delicto he was. But he made a lot of friends.

This may seem funny, but it is central to the SL experience. In most media accounts of SL, the absence of sex is notable. It's all about the people, the art, land ownership and development, scripting, selling of goods, and the corporate presence. In reality, it's largely if not entirely about looks, clothes, and sex. Nothing makes this more obvious than the fact that you have to buy skin and obtain a bunch of equipment. And you need clothes, if only to call attention to your best features, and then take them off. The land is just a place where you dooz it.

Escorts

This can (but doesn't necessarily) lead to the subject of "escorts." Escorts seem ubiquitous in SL. Is escorting really a Second Life vocation, or simply a way for newbs to make some fast cash? And why are there so many paid companions in a place full of free sex? Engaging in an occupation such as this would once have been the best reason I could think of to keep my Second Life a total secret. That, however, was when I was a newb myself, and a judgmental parent to boot. I now have an open mind as to what we sexy cartoon characters can and should be up to. NOT THAT I HAVE EVER BEEN AN ESCORT. And neither my mommy nor my kids even know I’m on SL! LOL!

Who pays escorts?

- Newbs who need instruction

- Ppl who haven't got the time or patience to make friends

- Ppl who fall for a "damsel in distress" line

What do you need to be an escort?

- A shape

- A skin

- Some basic equipment that has endless embellishments

- A line of bullshit, including a plausible and solvable predicament

- A willingness to talk endlessly to relative strangers (A TRUE TALENT)

In any case, the SL sex trade seems a very healthy industry. I still don't understand it. But apparently there are avatars out there who can deliver an experience intense enough to be paid for it. Whatever one spends on being able to deliver is there to be sold and resold over and over again. And many of the dangers inherent in RL simply are not here. So maybe it’s not a bad career choice. :/

Romance

It also leads to the subject of unpaid sex. It’s reasonable to ask how you can fall in love with a cartoon, but you can. There is cybersex: some refer to it as riding poseballs. But once again, conversation is central to the experience. In this regard, I often regret not having enjoyed some experiences more. (You know who you are, sweetie.)

Many people see SL as merely a game. But the game, assisted by the pretty pictures and real interaction, can obtain a depth of experience unavailable in other games, or sometimes even in RL. Often, in the city, riding the bus or the “L” can involve overhearing other ppl’s sex lives recounted in cell phone conversations. Often dull and boring, this is real life sex, and it’s often being bragged about. Often ppl will talk about how they wish their partner were still around in the morning, but in truth, they’re glad they aren’t. After all, there are more important things to do in RL than make love.

In SL, except for the work of some builders and scripters, there really aren’t more important things to do. Once again, the life commitments and the dangers inherent in RL simply are not there. And the inability to spend the night together is a technical issue, not a matter of convenience.

In SL, getting to do it, the hard part in RL, is easy. The should-be-easy part (like laying together hugging all night) is hard. There is a lesson for RL here, and a reason why the best kisses and hugs remain the most popular things in SL. Concentrate on the good stuff. Let’s not forget, that boys will always be boys, and girls will always be girls. And really, though there’s no real difference, those deep down needs are important:

How to Sex a Dinosaur

Tyrannosaurus rex

Has enormous pecs

Whereas Tyrannosaurus regina

Has an enormous ...tiara

…Author unknown