Fantasy, Desire, and Sexual Scripts

Desire and Sexual Scripts play large roles when talking about any sexual behavior.
Sexual Scripts were first introduced by Gagnon and Simon in 1973, but Michael Wiederman explains,

"Social scripting theory points to the fact that much of sexual behavior seems to follow a script. Similar to scripts that stage actors use to guide their behavior, social scripts instruct members of a society as to appropriate behavior and the meanings to attach to certain behaviors." (1)

It could be argued that, in everyday life, having sex in public or in front of others is not a part of the normal sexual script. However, in my personal opinion, I believe that on college campuses, public sexual relations have found a home in sexual scripts. To take the analogy of the stage further, if actors on one stage deem it acceptable to stab someone during their performance, and there are no objections raised by the audience, what is to stop other other actors from doing the same after realizing they will not be met with much resistance? The same can be said for these scripts applied to sex. If an action is deemed "okay" once, others will soon catch on, and the act will be repeated.

Another contributor, as mentioned earlier, is desire.
As Curtis pointed out in her article that was cited in my last entry, desire seems to be intensified when it seems dangerous or unconventional. Michael Kimmel explores this further, stating that fantasy is what stimulates desire, and erotic excitement is greater when, "fantasy outcome is uncertain - when it includes an element of risk, danger, mystery, or transgression." (2)

Nothing seems more uncertain than not knowing whether or not you will be caught having sex in a public bathroom. People appear to be driven by these experiences that make it seem "dangerous" to engage in acts in front of others, and in public spaces. Especially if what I assumed about sexual scripts on college campuses is not true, a public fantasy would seem even more risky, heightening desire.


(1)Michael Wiederman, "The Gendered Nature of Sexual Scripts." The Family Journal, Vol. 13, No. 4, 496-502. Sage Publications, 2005

(2)Kimmel, Michael, ed. The Sexual Self : The Construction of Sexual Scripts. New York: Vanderbilt UP, 2007. 63-65.