Petting Parties by :Syeda Campbell

History of petting parties

History of sex in the U.S is very interesting. According to Professor Crystal Moore, sex has been swinging on a pendulum between conservative and liberal for many decades, but what does that really mean? Well, that means that despite any views it has everybody is talking about SEX. So many things have changed from the conservative late 1800’s to liberal times in the early 1900’s. Sexual liberalism was huge during the 1920-40’s and everybody was jumping on this new way of life. [i]

                Sex was new and fresh again to the people in the 1920-40’s. Women roles in society started to gradually change and they started to become more independent. Several Major changes occurred in America, such like increasing immigration forms of sexuality, people from other countries started to expose their sexual liberalism to Americans, and the economy changed because of Pink Collar jobs. Women were now being targeted in the economy. [ii]

National public culture started and changed the minds of the youth. This movement told young people how to date and what actually should consist of dating. Women should dress a certain way, men should take women out on dates, and most importantly to show your male date as a women that you appreciated the date. You would pet him. Petting was extremely popular during this era. Some of it was very innocent, meaning the couple would only make out with each other, but sometimes it could be very sexual with the couple going to “second base”. Cars were a need during this time. A man had real social status if he had a car. With a car a young men could pick up his date and take her around town. This also almost guaranteed petting at the end of the date because there was some kind of privacy for the couple.

                Dating was new and totally different from courting. It was done privately and it wasn't done for love. Marriage did come from dating, but it wasn't rushed during this time because young people wanted to hold on to their youth for as long as they could.

                The new culture movement of dating started a culture of petting parties. These parties consisted of young people making out and touching each other in a room of other peers. Flappers were introduced in this time as well. [iii]Petting parties became the past time in colleges in the 20’s. Many women reported kissing many men during their college years. Hookups weren't talked about out loud, but that does not mean that it wasn’t happening. Remember that this is the 20-40’s so this was during our grandparent’s time. I may never look at my Grandparents the same just saying. Petting parties were beginning to change to be more erotic.

            Sex parties grew over time and were called key parties in the 70’s. A show called “ That 70’S Show”  had an episode of parents of the main character going to a swingers party by accident which was called a key party. The show gave it a comedic spin, but this was the culture in the 70’s. Men threw their keys into bowls and women would pick them out, whomever key the women took, was the one she would hook up with that night. Today key parties still exist, but are better known as lock and key parties. [iv]

                Over time sex parties grew to be more and more erotic. It started off as a group of young adults kissing each other in a small room, to underground clubs where people have full out orgies. So what does this mean for us? Well if the pendulum keeps swinging form liberal to conservative like Professor Moore say’s then maybe we are going back to conservative very soon. So until then enjoy as much sexual liberation as you can!!!

 

---

[i] Moore, Crystal . "Beyond Reproduction." Lecture, Class from UNCC, , May 15, 2014.

[ii] Moore, Crystal . "Beyond Reproduction." Lecture, Class from UNCC, , May 15, 2014.

[iii] parker, Mrs. "Running Wild: College students in the 1920's." . http://www.flapperjane.com/September%2004/running_wild.htm (accessed April 28, 2014).

[iv] Miller, Jen. "I did it for science." Key Parties. http://www.nerve.com/love-sex/i-did-it-for-science/i-did-it-for-science-key-party (accessed April 29, 2014).