Historically, exhibitionism has been a male-dominated pastime. The consensus of many mainstream mental health professionals was that the vast majority of women were just not aroused by displaying themselves as men were. A few dissenting opinions held that women had the interest as often as men, but either the activity was more dangerous for them, or they confined their acitivities to a small group of people who enjoyed watching.
Enter the internet age. Thousands of websites offer women “showing off” for pay. This hardly qualifies as true exhibitionism. But a large number of amateur sites have arisen, where it seems that the women participating actually do enjoy the activity. I suspect that a large number of “women” posting pictures of “themselves” are actually guys. However this explanation doesn’t hold true for the live video which is available. Now some experts are saying that women are at long last able to indulge themselves safely and anonymously via the net.
So, what say you, Lady Dopers? Are you completely uninterested in the idea of showing off? Latently interested, but never actually indulged? Doing so privately for S.O. and select others? Taking advantage of the net to strut your stuff? Or strutting your stuff in real life all along?
I would tend to think that most women are not interested at all in this type of activity, but I have found myself in the past to be completely way off base in matters regarding female (or at least female doper) sexuality, based on postings here.
This query is for informational purposes only. I am a physician, you know!
BTW, I should define the term here. By exhibitionism, I mean only the showing of one’s body for the arousal of the person showing. This could range from showing off for one’s spouse in the privacy of one’s home, to showing off in Yankee stadium, as long as the one doing the showing is doing so for their own gratification, and not to please someone else.
And I don’t mean pathological or compulsive exhibitionism, which is the need to show off in public.
Well, a trip down to your local dance club, or for that matter, a high school dance should convince you that many women enjoy showing off their bodies and derive a lot of pleasure from the act.
Personally, I enjoy the effect my body has on my husband, and I also enjoy the attention it occasionally elicits from other men–especially now that I am past 35 and the mother of 2 kids. I find it pleasurable to know I am attractive to some males. I would go as far as to say I enjoy the power. I won’t be wrapping myself around any poles and dancing, but I do sometimes like to dress in a sexy manner when I go out. My husband enjoys it, too, but that isn’t what you asked. So if that makes me an exhibitionist, well then I am.
I’ve had times when I was into wearing a clingy top that showed off cleavage with a leather miniskirt and high heels. As I think back on it, I realize that those times were only to seduce a particular man or excite my partner. I’ve never been interested in advertising to anyone I didn’t really want to sell to. It strikes me as dangerous or neurotic. But that’s just me.
Thanks for your responses. I should have foreseen that this rather difficult to quantify question would run into problems over current day dress and courting behaviors. Perhaps I could add the question: Is showing off in your personal repertoire of enjoyable practices? If so, in what way and how frequently?
I really enjoy taking it all off for my husband, it makes me feel very sexy. I enjoy seeing him get turned on, and that turns me on. I would not feel comfortable taking it off for anyone else though.
How often ? About once a week, I’d say, but I’ve never actually marked it on the calender,
I don’t mind (and even enjoy) showing off for my husband, but I have a very private attitude about my body when it comes to others. I don’t like to wear tight or revealing clothing. Of course, privacy only goes so far. I don’t mind stripping for a doctor, and I had no qualms about breastfeeding in front of friends, but that’s because I didn’t think of that in any way exhibitionist or sexual.
Actually, I went through an odd phase when I wore my hair up all the time and pretty much only let my boyfriend see it down, so I think I might be a closeted Seventh-Day Adventist or something.
I’ve always been an exhibitionist, but since moving to a small town, and what with kids and all, I’ve had to tone it down. Now with the internet and a webcam, I can feed the need to show off, get a little dose of excitement in my otherwise humdrum, average American life.
I get a thrill of showing off for men, to know that my antics excite them. I still do some in so-called “real life”, but it’s subtle, not something another person would realize I’m doing on purpose.
I’m sure there’s all kinds of not-so-flattering names that I could be called, but I really don’t care. Life’s too short, and I’m going to do what I enjoy, so long as it doesn’t harm others.
I’m not sure if this is what you had in mind, but I get off on being undressed when my partner is still fully dressed. I don’t know if it’s exhibitionism, but there’s something about it… it makes me feel vulnerable, in a very sexy way.
Many years ago, I lived in LA, in a large apartment complex. There was a nice-looking young gal who lived there, and she spent a lot of time at the pool, showing off. She wore the smallest swimsuits I had ever seen, and she really enjoyed teasing the guys. One day she decided to change into her swimsuit-at the poolside. She really seemed to like being nearly nude in front of a lot of people. Unfortunately, she had a steady boyfriend, as well-I never got to go out with her!
I “expose myself” (get my tits out, moon, show my flaps) to my SO as a silly way of putting an argument to bed. Sort of the equivalent of sticking one’s tongue out or saying “My arse!” - except I actually get my arse out. The SO (male) sometimes randomly gets his arse out at home as a way of saying “I feel/am silly”.
So it’s not for purposes of arousal, but as a sort of trump card.
I must say, I’ve always thought of this as more of a female thing. Even if you take it down a notch, to simple display of physical assets, it certainly seems more common among females than males; I’m having trouble thinking of many situations when its the opposite. Using the cliches on how both sexes demonstrate their sexual desirability, this would fit, as well; men tend to show off their wealth and power, women tend to show off their physical beauty (and before anyone jumps down my throat for this, take it with a grain of salt, but these are commonly held beliefs).
occ, what you say has truth in it, but the phenomenom I’m trying to focus on is the one of females showing off for their own sexual pleasure. It’s a fine distinction from dressing up and showing the wares to attract attention from the opposite (or even same) sex.
The SO and I have webcams that we use so we can see each other while chatting. Sometimes it gets rather steamy, and I get a big kick out of showing off for him. It makes me feel very sexy knowing he can see me and it is arousing for both of us.
Showing off gives me no sexual pleasure. I enjoy the feeling of running around naked as much as possible, but there’s no sexual element to it. I don’t dress provocatively, ever.
The only reason I’d even consider putting naked photos of myself on the internet is so that my porn-hunting husband would stumble across them one day and be mortified.
I’ll never do it, of course, because so many other sleazeballs would be seeing the pictures.
I bellydance for exercise and pleasure, but again there’s no sexual element to it. I don’t wear the freakish (to me) burlesque outfit that most people think of when picturing bellydancers. When I get good enough, I’ll dance in public with my troupe, but in our outfits you see the motion, not the skin.
