Back then, one-third of the globe fell ill. Lockdowns were all too familiar to prevent spreading the virus. There were few treatment options available. The world was reeling. But things slowly improved for them – as for us. Then came the glitzy parties. The Jazz Age. Bathtub Gin. Flappers. Newfound sexual freedom. Petting parties became a thing. (Different than say the key parties of today; they were fairly tame, as things didn’t go much further than kissing.) So could we be in for a new wave of sexual freedom and progression? Now that vaxxies are the new selfies and the world is reopening it begs the question, will we all go wild with desire? Have Gatsby-like parties and drink and dance into the wee hours and hook up hedonistically?
“Now that vaxxies are the new selfies and the world is reopening it begs the question, will we all go wild with desire? Have Gatsby-like parties and drink and dance into the wee hours and hook up hedonistically?”
If social media trends are any indication, we’re in for a new dawn of sexual decadence. ‘Vaxed and waxed’ is trending as we prep our immune systems and our lady parts to be reintroduced into society. ‘Shot girl summer’ is also taking off, and we are hoping Megan Thee Stallion has something to say about it. The inspiration for the original ‘hot girl summer’ meme and one of the women responsible for WAP – the perfect anthem for our vaginas – we can only hope she pens some tunes to guide our post-pandemic sex soundtrack. With touching having been limited to people in our bubbles for more than a year, won’t we want to party like it’s the roaring 20s and seek out exciting physical contact again? We could certainly benefit from more mood-boosting touch activities – hugs, kissing, touching, and sex. The skin hunger is real!
Human touch isn’t easy to replace — although the pandemic has created opportunities for us to try. “Interest in cybersex is soaring,” according to experience designer Angelina Aleksandrovich. She told Reuters in an interview, “Because of COVID a lot of people understood how we can use technology and virtual reality in exciting and expanded ways.” Her Raspberry Dream Labs create cybersex experiences for people who want intimacy, but are location challenged. Now that VR is no longer restricted to gamers, it is being used gloriously in dating. You’re able to see and feel a human form without actually touching it. But still, it feels like society is buzzing in anticipation for real human contact. And sex is big business. In fact market research experts anticipate the global market for sexual wellness products is expected to reach $39 billion, by 2024. That was the projection in 2019! Interest in sexual wellness throughout the pandemic has soared with searches for 'sexual wellness’ products up 120% and sex toy sales skyrocketing over the past year.
But back to the original question, what will our sex lives look like post pandemic? Will there be a roaring 20s repeat? What we learned after the Spanish Flu is that pleasure pursuits following a mass devastation are absolute reality. But how far will we take it is the question? During the bubonic plague, people had orgies at graveyards to snub their noses at death and loss. Are we that jaded from what we’ve been through? Pandemics take a huge toll on people. But they also make you think and re-evaluate certain areas of your life. For example: eating better and exercise are on the rise. Many find themselves closer to their families than ever before. Quarantine has made a lot of people take stock in their relationships. Maybe romance will make a comeback, too. Paying attention to the little things, really listening to what your partner has to say. Maybe we took these things for granted before but will now appreciate the holding hands and hugs and kisses. And maybe some of us will go buck wild and unleash a year’s worth of sexual energy into the world.
Two final thoughts as we stand on the precipice of what the 20s will be for our generation. Whatever camp you fall in – even if it’s a little of both – practice safe sex. And in the slightly altered words of the iconic Marie Antoinette, LET THEM HAVE SEX.
