There are other forms of media that we have not discussed. Because sexuality pervades our lives, it also pervades our art and our media. Today sex-advice columns run in many newspapers and magazines across the country. There are also thousands of “900 number” telephone lines offering sexual services of various kinds across the country. People call the number and pay a certain amount per minute (or use their credit cards for a flat fee) and can talk either to other people who have called in on a party line or to professionals who will discuss sex or play the part of the caller’s sexual fantasy. These phone lines cater to men and women (though more commonly to men) and to heterosexuals and homosexuals. Even cell phones are now capable of receiving pornographic images and video clips (see the accompanying Sex in Real Life, “Portable Pornography”).
We have discussed the power of the Internet throughout this text, but we mention it here once again because the Internet allows for completely unregulated interaction be-
SEX in Real Life