The Morning After

Hot Summer Nights III

Sweet days of summer, the jasmine's in bloom
July is dressed up and playing her tune
When she comes home from a hard day's work
And you're waiting there, not a care in the world

She sees the smile waiting in the kitchen
Food cooking on a plate for two
She feels the arms reaching out to hold her
In the evening when the day is through

Hot Summer Nights II

Do you remember all the nights we spent in silence
Every single breath you took was mine
We can have it all again
Say that you'll be with me when the sun brings your heart to mine 

And I remember how you loved me
Time was all we had until the day we said goodbye
And I remember every moment
Of those endless summer nights

Face Time

Spare the Rod

In my world, there is a common saying: "Spare the rod and spoil the man." This reflects the belief that men need regular discipline at the hands of women if they are to flourish in their roles in life. Even in relatively modern societies here, men are expected to remain submissive and obedient to women — husbands to wives, fathers to daughters, brothers to sisters — and common wisdom is that the proper way to inculcate such behavior is through the crop, the belt, the whip, or even more severe punishments.

A Pleasurable Shower

There's nothing like a refreshing shower on a sweltering summer day, especially if you share it with a friend.

The Christmas Present

I don't want a lot for Christmas
There's just one thing I need
I don't care about the presents
Underneath the Christmas tree
I just want you for my own
More than you could ever know
Make my wish come true
All I want for Christmas is You.

Wishing everyone a Happy Holidays and your heart's desire.

Those Lazy Summer Days

We'd remember them now but for those crazy summer nights.

The Queen of Rock

Rough Women and Sex in Advertising

One of the most popular brands of denim and leather clothing for women in my world is Leigh, and their "Rough Women" advertising slogan has been in use for several decades. In fact, the phrase Rough Woman is as iconic in my world as Marlboro Man is in yours. While their older ads emphasized a rugged and individualistic woman against the elements, in their more recent years, their ads have become much more focused on sex. The first ad above is from a billboard, with enough hints of the fun stuff for women, yet safe enough for the averted eyes of sensitive men.

The ad below, meanwhile, has been running in the pages of women's lifestyle magazines.

At the Beach II

Update: Fixed some small errors that I had overlooked. Feb 1, 2009

Ecstasy

All She Wants For Christmas.....

The Sexual Politics of Advertising

In my world, the marketing of women's clothing tends to emphasize assertiveness and aggressiveness, dominance and power. On the other hand, men's apparel is usually sold with imagery suggesting submissiveness and temptation, implying that the worth of a man is in the eyes of women. This is most readily apparent in underwear advertising for men, who are almost exclusively portrayed as sexual objects, dressing themselves for the gratification and approval of women. Usually in fashion advertising on my world, both women and men are pictured together in positions symbolizing domination and submission, instead of merely presenting just women or men posing in their respective clothes. Some say that advertising agencies know what works, that on a subliminal level, appealing to the natural tendencies of the respective genders; others say that advertising itself, and mass media at large, are responsible for perpetuating antiquated and chauvinistic stereotypes that represent the forced subjugation of men.

In my world, the latter group are a very small and often-ridiculed minority in popular discourse.

Wet Kisses

At the Beach

As I mentioned before, in my world, we're not anywhere near as prudish as in yours. Women in my world often go about in a state that people from your world would call "topless" although this is not a term that is used here since it's a normal state of being. As can be expected, swimwear for women in most cultures here consists only of skimpy bikini bottoms.

In other more conservative places, you might see a bikini top, but women only wear that as a courtesy to their easily embarrassed male counterparts, and not out of their own sense of modesty.

It's also pretty common for women and men to engage in what people in your world would probably term "lewd and indecent acts" and this is becoming ever more common with the liberalizing of traditional sexual attitudes among young men. "This is the sort of disgusting thing that goes on in public nowadays!" scream conservative male critics. "There oughta be a law!"

But there isn't, and with the prevailing attitudes of the majority of women, there never will be.

Before or After, It's Always Time for More Advertising

Some cigarette companies in my world play on the image of the rugged individualism of cowgirls astride horses in the American West, while others just use a whole lot of sex to sell their wares.

You may be wonderin', would bare breasts be allowed on advertising billboards on my world? And I would tell you that yes, yes they are. We're not as prudish about bodies and body parts over here in my world, unlike in yours, and over here, full nudity of both women and men can be found on giant billboards plastered over city skylines and highway-sides. But more on that later.

As an aside, these ads are a nod to one of my favorite online authors, marknew742 who wrote two of my favorite stories, Tara's Lathe and Matt & Emma. His stories are novella-length, and he puts in a lot of effort into creating believable situations and characters. I don't share his love of hugely muscular women though, but it's easy to read past that and just enjoy the scenarios he creates of worlds where women become the stronger sex, physically and so much more.

Summer Fling

Sweet, sweet burn,
Of sun and summer wind.
And you my boy,
My new fun thing,
My summer fling.

The Bridle and the Stable Boy

Update: I'm no longer using the "Continue reading..." links since Blogger allows me to flag the whole blog as adults-only. June 3, 2008

So a cowgirl walks into a barn... naked....

One Fall Afternoon

Update: I'm no longer using the "Continue reading..." links since Blogger allows me to flag the whole blog as adults-only. June 3, 2008

Update: Reuploaded the third image in this series, which I didn't know had a broken link. March 12, 2008.

I guess if you were to ask me what my ideal date would be, it wouldn't be very far from this. A walk in Central Park on a crisp fall afternoon. We approach a lake and I playfully suggest she take me on a boat ride. She paddles us out to the middle of the lake, where she grins and hauls in the paddles, and we proceed to drift. We share stories and laugh, we talk about our mutual friends, the ones that set us up on this date. In a lull, she takes my hands. They feel so small in hers. She leans in and gazes at me with clear blue eyes of hers and I feel my breath slow and stop and I'm at a loss for words. She darts in quickly for a kiss, and, as our lips part, she smiles at me, her eyes twinkling, and I sit there, mouth slightly agape, and she leans in again for a longer, deeper kiss. The only sound is the lapping of ripples against the sides of our boat.

We stop for a warm cup of tea in a café somewhere, a quiet out-of-the-way place away from the big-city hustle-and-bustle. We walk some more, we window shop, we visit an art exhibit. I tell her I'm tired and so we lie down on a bed of autumn leaves. I press my small body against hers and her long arm encircles me. Our fingers touch lightly. She sings quietly to me, a popular ballad, but jokingly, and we laugh. I like the way her laughter hums on my body.

She walks me home in the early evening light, my hand in hers. Our plans didn't include dinner, she has someplace else to be. I start to feel slightly jealous. It's silly I know, on a first date, but I can't help it. We stop outside the door to my small apartment, she leans over to kiss me, as I stammer an invitation for her to come upstairs. I feel unsure, a little shocked at myself. I'm really not that kind of boy. She grins and picks me up lightly in her arms. I barely remember her carrying me inside.


Later, I lie on my bed, watching her, as she pulls on her jeans. "Call me?" I ask her. "Sorry I can't stay longer," she smiles. She easily straddles my small bed between her long legs, leans over, takes my face in one hand, and kisses me deeply. Then I hear her heavy footfalls cross my one-room apartment and the door open and shut, followed by the thuds of a woman's step as she strides down the landing. Exhausted, still breathless from the force of her last kiss, I fall asleep.