New York's Skidmore College has been buzzing since 300 copies of a flyer called "The Racy Reader," encouraging masturbation as "a great way to relieve some of the stress that comes with classes, finals, and the never ending homework," were posted in bathrooms on campus. The Your-Body-Is-A-Wonderland Edition of "The Racy Reader" was the brainchild of Skidmore's Center for Sex and Gender Relations, an advocacy program with trained students on staff.
The fliers – advising students to "spend time thinking about what really gets you going, and spend your day thinking about situations that get you turned on" – were also posted in dorms, classroom buildings, and the library, setting off conflicting opinions. Some students were rubbed the wrong way by the onanistic encouragement, while others were like, whatever. Junior Warren Bianchi said, "I think it's generally harmless, especially if it's in the bathroom," while fellow Junior Evan Gorman stated, "I think it's better to have a discussion to make topics like that less taboo and bring them out into the open." Senior Brian Connor had a "why bother?" reaction to the how-to guides: "To put out a flier on masturbation is pretty redundant," he said.
Skidmore is a pretty progressive liberal arts college, so it's not like it's a shocking turn of events, but it does have some creepy undertones in its suggestion of mood-setting, advising self-gratifiers to light massage candles, play some music, buy some lingerie, everything short of strewing rose petals at your feet. A college spokesperson indicated that the fliers were intended to target singles around Valentine's Day, and would be taken down soon. In the meantime, you can check them out here.
