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Savage Love

Dan gets real with a reader who wants to know what his problem with meth is.

by Dan Savage

I have an awesome relationship with an awesome guy. He loves me and takes care of me. I’m GGG and he’s vanilla. I only draw the line at poop, animals, and children. But he’s never asked me for anything other than vanilla sex, which is why I don’t know what to do right now. I went downstairs late the other night, and he was sitting on the couch masturbating while stroking the cat, which was sitting on his chest. The cat was sitting on him, Dan, while he was yanking himself. I don’t know if he saw me. I went right back upstairs and went to bed. In the morning, he acted like nothing happened. Now I don’t know what to do. Confront him? Get him help? Get rid of the cat?

 —  Can’t Analyze This

Pets want to be petted, and some pets are pushy about getting their pet on. Bearing that in mind, CAT, I want you to pick the two likeliest scenarios out of these four options:

A. Your boyfriend is attracted to your cat.

B. Your awesome boyfriend — unlike so many other boyfriends — is capable of doing two things at once.

C. Your boyfriend fantasizes about fucking the Almond Roca out of your cat’s ass.

D. Your awesome boyfriend needed to rub one out and he was considerate enough to slip out of bed and go downstairs — so as not to wake you (he’s awesome like that) — and there he was, lying back on the couch, concentrating on the task at hand, when the cat jumped up on his chest.

Now, you were there, CAT, and I wasn’t, which means you’re in a much better position to judge. But I think B and D are the likeliest scenarios: your boyfriend was having a wank when the cat jumped on him, for a few moments he divided his attentions between stroking the cat and stroking himself — those moments you were unlucky enough to witness — and at some point he pushed the cat off his chest and turned back to the task at hand.

But, again, you were there, CAT, I wasn’t. So did it look like your boyfriend was masturbating about the cat, with the cat, or at the cat? Or did it look like your boyfriend was masturbating in the immediate vicinity of the cat? These are questions that only you can answer.

And here’s a question that only your boyfriend can answer, CAT, and I think you should put it to him: “I came down the other night and you were beating off with the cat sitting on your chest — what was that about?”

And here’s the answer you’re likely to get: “I was jerking it and the cat jumped up on me and I petted her for a minute mid-wank — but I didn’t want to lose my hard-on and have to start all over, so the part of my brain that regulates higher boner function instructed my right hand to go into erection-maintenance mode. But I wasn’t perving on the cat, honey, I swear.”

Your awesome boyfriend will say that even if he was perving on the cat, CAT. But if he has the decency and good sense to lie to you about it, you should have the decency and good sense to pretend to believe him.

 

I’m a twenty-five-year-old straight male who’s into big-dick porn. I’m not into the dicks per se, Dan. It’s the domination and dirty-talk aspects of big-dick porn that turn me on, i.e., hearing a woman say things like “That’s huge!” “Stop!” “You’re too big for me!” I’m not too bad off down there, but I want more. Significantly more. Do you have any recommendations on enlargement techniques? Pumps, pills, whatever? I have a partner who is sub and very GGG. I would really like to be able to play these fantasies out, but I know nothing of the feasibility.

— An Enlarging Problem

There’s nothing you can do to make your dick bigger. Pills only waste your money, pumps only bruise your dick. (Yes, a pump can make your dick look a little bigger, temporarily, but your temporarily bigger dick will also be a whole lot softer, AEP, and what’s the use of that?) Your only options for safely exploring your big-dick fantasies are strap-ons (“Not Just for Dykes Anymore”) and “cock extenders,” i.e., hollow dildos that a guy can wear on his dick. You’ll find a nice selection of cock extenders here.

Finally, AEP, I trust that you stop when your girlfriend — or any woman — says, “Stop!” unless you and your partner have pre-agreed to a safe word that (1) isn’t “stop” but means “stop” and (2) allows her scream, “Stop!” to her heart’s content.

 

I agree with almost everything you say, Dan, but I have one complaint: you have made several comments over the years bashing meth users! I know, I know — meth has a bad reputation. But people used to say that smoking pot caused insanity! Don’t believe the hype! Being a meth addict is not good, but occasional use never hurt anyone. I only do it maybe five times a year, and unlike what you see in anti-meth ads, I’m not crazy, I don’t have holes in my skin, and I’m not a junkie. Instead, I’m a straight-A female student from a wealthy suburban family. You know when I really like to get some meth? Around finals, so that I have lots of extra time to study. Stop bashing meth, Dan!

— Occasional Meth User

Your pot analogy is a big fail, OMU: different drugs have different risks, to say nothing of different chemical compositions and psychotropic effects. That anti-drug crusaders overstated the dangers of marijuana to advance their anti-hippie, pro-incarceration, or blatantly racist political agendas does not prove that meth is safe. Meth, unlike pot, is highly addictive. While there’s no such thing as a fatal dose of pot, there is such a thing as a fatal dose of meth. And while abusing pot — and pot can be abused — makes a person lethargic and lardy, abusing meth makes a person crazy and dead.

But hey, why should you take my word about meth, college girl? What do I know about meth? It’s not like I’ve ever used meth, right?

“Most meth addicts started out feeling like meth was the perfect fix to a ‘problem’ like needing extra time to study,” says gay porn star Trenton Ducati. “I started out using meth ‘occasionally,’ too. Pretty much all meth users start out that way. And it’s not novel to think your life is in control, and that you’ve got it all together — everybody who gets addicted to meth thinks that.”

Trenton says that people who use meth — even occasionally — are the worst judges of whether they have a meth problem.

“Meth wound up taking me places that I’m sure OMU doesn’t want to go,” says Trenton. “There is just no way to use meth safely. Even if she is not willing to listen to those who’ve come before her — and it sounds like she’s not — she could at least refrain from promoting a drug that has ruined so many lives.” (Gay-porn fans — particularly fans of behind-the-scenes pics of porn shoots — can follow Trenton Ducati on Twitter: @TrentonDucati.)

And maybe you didn’t learn the word “sophistry” when you were cramming for the SATs, OMU, but you might want to look it up. It’s never too late to expand the ol’ vocabulary — or to put down the meth pipe.

CONFIDENTIAL TO LGBT KIDS WITH CONSERVATIVE CHRISTIAN PARENTS: Matthew Vines is your new best friend. Watch his video about what the Bible does and doesn’t say about being gay and send the link to your mother and father: https://tinyurl.com/matthewvines.

Find the Savage Lovecast (my weekly podcast) every Tuesday at thestranger.com/savage.

[email protected]

@fakedansavage on Twitter

Commentarium (27 Comments)

Apr 04 12 - 12:46am
protected species

Dear meth-head,

So the opposite of "crazy", "holes in skin", and "junkie" is "straight-A student", "female", "wealthy," "suburban" and "family-oriented".

You smug, elitist shit-head.

Demographics is no protection against disaster - and it's kind of offensive to people less fortunate than yourself, don't you think, to imagine that scholastic high-performers who live on Ferris Bueller's street are somehow immune from reality?

Surprisingly, growing up shielded from most of the genuinely tough parts of life is no guarantee of resilience - it just means you've not yet been seriously tested (although it looks like you're determined to do that with your little crystal friends there). With relatively undeveloped tough-shit-handling skills, however, you're arguably more likely to fail, not less.

Reality doesn't give a flying fuck about your academic transcript, princess. You have no force field; you are nothing special.

That slide into the junkie life does happen to people like you, you'd better believe it. Open your eyes, get a little humility, and grow up. You may find this useful for other good things in life, as well as avoiding addiction, alienation from all you love, and a pathetic early death.

But hey, your call. You seem to know best.

Apr 04 12 - 3:53am
Ange

This.

Apr 04 12 - 11:21am
nan

I was a female straight-A-student meth addict from a well-off suburban family. I managed to maintain a 4.0 at a prestigious university and go on to a great career. And you know what? I was still sick, addicted, and miserable. Being a high-functioning addict is not the same as being okay. Now, maybe this gal is that rare person who can do an addictive drug in a non-addictive way--it is possible, I have seen it although very rarely. Some people (damn them!) seem to lack the "addict" switch and can do a line every so often without then wanting another . . . and another . . . and another. That said, the delusion that being smart, pretty, functional, and employed means you're not at risk is a serious danger. I never lost a job due to drugs, I got into a top-notch grad program, never ended up on the street, my health is great (because I quit a long time ago--it was terrible when I was using. I'm just lucky I quit young enough that my body had a chance to recover). None of those external markers of success mean that addiction isn't devastating. Sometimes it's just harder to see and acknowledge if you're not rolling around in the gutter covered in scabs and ranting about the space aliens.

Apr 05 12 - 2:25am
kateldg

1. I agree with this
2. I grew up in the neighborhood where Ferris Bueller's day off was filmed (went to a girl scout party and swam in that pool) and a lot of the kids that are still in that toxic environment are ending up exactly like OMU... its the straight up truth

Apr 05 12 - 9:42pm
SW

This. I would recommend that this girl watch Requiem for a Dream.

Apr 10 12 - 7:12pm
yeah

(the emotional effect caused by that movie) > (any bs marketing campaign)

Apr 04 12 - 4:23am
mmm

The meth user is delusional if she thinks meth is analogous to weed. I'm not a marijuana advocate, but even I know that weed's been proven to not be physically addicting - unlike meth.

Apr 04 12 - 2:03pm
GeeBee

Actually weed is physically addicting. Only mildly however, because it takes a very long time to clear naturally from your system, so you don't suffer "cold turkey" when you stop. However there is a drug that can counteract the effects of THC, and when that is administered to a user a few days after marijuana use, boom! all the symptoms of withdrawal normally associated with the so-called "hard" drugs. My own experience of using the dreaded weed is of getting very down and depressed when I didn't have any, and all smiley happy when I did. In retrospect, at the time in my life I used it, I would have been better staying away from it, but I could say that about a number of things, including booze, depressing literature, and a certain heartless redhead.
Meth on the other hand is just a shitty shitty drug. No-one in their right minds can think it's any good.

Apr 04 12 - 7:11am
djc

Any drug can be addictive and almost any drug can be used sensibly. Trotting out some horror stories doesn't contradict this.

Apr 04 12 - 10:00am
dave1976

This is a horrible logic. Obviously any drug can be addictive; but just about everything can be addictive (who hasn't seen "My Strange Addiction"). But there's a massively huge gap between psychological addiction, and the physical addiction that accompanies drugs like meth, heroin, and alcohol for that matter. Plus, as DS pointed out, you can od on meth. That's never gonna happen on weed.

Also, there's all the other horrible side effects/risks: the environmental impact, the fact that people who use meth are at a much greater risk for stds, meth mouth, meth psychosis, etc.

Apr 04 12 - 12:02pm
Gah

I've only done meth once and didn't much care for it. I continued to recreationally use cocaine because it was easier to do at the club. Spent five years using on special occasions and for really badass partying. No addiction, no troubles--just a slightly lighter wallet.

Apr 04 12 - 9:21am
moops

Also, think of the environment! Pot production doesn't involve toxic exploding labs.

Apr 06 12 - 12:08am
P

Actually, pot production is fucking up the environment, contrary to popular belief. Diesel "spills," fertilizers polluting the streams, water consumption during the dry seasons taking away from salmon habitat, huge energy consumption, etc, etc.

https://treesfoundation.org/publications/article-476

Apr 04 12 - 9:53am
Ugh

Meth user, you're an a-hole, and much like Liv Tyler's character in Empire Records, if you get straight As by doing drugs, that's cheating.

Apr 04 12 - 1:23pm
..::bEEp::..

No it's not. If an artist's muse is an hallucinogenic compound, it's not cheating either. It's strange, and possibly very dangerous, but not cheating.

Apr 05 12 - 10:38pm
L.D.

I'm sorry. How does an artist "cheat"?

Apr 04 12 - 10:46am
Midwest Guy

I live in the midwest. I know several people who have gone down the rabbit hole of meth. The vast majority never make it back. In particular, my bother in laws father (50+, family guy, owned a sizeable construction business) fell into the trap. He is alive, but has lost everything. Meth is my biggest fear as a parent. I've seen too many people just experimenting a little. With Pot and alcohol, you can climb back out of that hole. With Meth, it appears that you get sucked very far into a bad situation before you ever realize that you are out of control. OMU appears to be falling into that trap.

Apr 04 12 - 10:55am
moops

But it's ok to manufacture and sell meth if you have cancer, right?

Apr 04 12 - 12:48pm
Kate G

I don't know if anyone else watched the link Dan posted about the gay debate, but as much as I enjoyed it, I can't help but think that his argument about Romans 1:26-27 excludes bisexual individuals, which is always difficult as they are often marginalized even within the queer community.

Apr 04 12 - 1:51pm
JCB

CAT's letter cracked me up, if only because I've experienced equally weird and awkward situations with my own cats. Cats, being natural predators, are attracted to rapid, erratically moving objects because of their similarity to mice and birds - hence their fascination with random pieces of fluff, laser pointers, NASCAR, and yes, people wanking. I've had to kick my cat out of the room while using my vibrator because of her tendency to bat at the movements under the cover. I've also had to kick my other cat out while having sex because he likes to perch at the end of the bed and watch the proceedings with a somber, quizzical expression (kind of a mood-killer). Your boyfriend doesn't sound weird, just a bit more patient with your cat than most.

So in short, I'd bet on the cat being the perv, not your boyfriend.

Apr 04 12 - 2:01pm
JCB

I forgot to also point out that cats do what they want and you couldn't force one to sit on your chest for more than a second or two. So the chances it just jumped up there while he was already wanking are high. Personally it would kill the buzz for me and I'd push it away, but he's probably just more GGG than me.

Apr 04 12 - 2:09pm
GeeBee

Look, if I am rubbing one out and the cat gets close, I sure as hell am not going to let my spare hand stray far from the little furry bastard. You never know with those damn critters when they are going to get the urge to pounce.

Apr 04 12 - 5:53pm
DBN

OMU, look up the word hubris in the dictionary and then take a look in the mirror.

Apr 05 12 - 10:06am
AlexT

I think that LW2 should watch the world's best anti-drug campaign, the movie "Requiem for a Dream". That movie makes you want to shun Advil, much less hard drugs.

Apr 05 12 - 9:46pm
SW

Ass to ass!

Apr 16 12 - 1:30am
Danny

So about that comment on Matthew Vines at the end of the article ... Matthew's arguments are very flawed. Make sure you get both sides of the story. More details here: https://stasisonline.wordpress.com/2012/04/10/homosexual-marriage/

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