Ménage à 3 IV: It's All Coming to a Head

[Eldan]

Is the Kinsey scale something that's more or less SFW to google? I'm a bit afraid to.

[Gez]

Is the Kinsey scale something that's more or less SFW to google? I'm a bit afraid to.

Pretty safe.

[Traab]

Honestly, that scale strikes me as a useless thing, Probably brought about by a homophobe who wanted to figure out,"Just how gay ARE you?"

[Olinser]

Not exactly, she prefers men over women, but wont just reject sex with a woman out of hand.

If you have sex with both men and women, by definition, you are bisexual. That's what they were getting at.

[Pink]

Honestly, that scale strikes me as a useless thing, Probably brought about by a homophobe who wanted to figure out,"Just how gay ARE you?"

Considering that Kinsey was bisexual, I don't think that was the intention of his scale. Rather he was basically the first person to approach sex as a study, and like many scientists tried to create quantifiable findings.

[Guancyto]

Honestly, that scale strikes me as a useless thing, Probably brought about by a homophobe who wanted to figure out,"Just how gay ARE you?"

Not only was Kinsey a bisexual, but the Kinsey Reports are some of the first modern scientific studies into the field of sexuality. They're the source of the old, inaccurate notion that one in ten men is gay. He asserted and codified the ideas that 'homosexual' and 'heterosexual' were insufficient to encompass the range of human sexuality.

Whether or not the scale is actually useful is a very different matter, but Alfred Kinsey was basically about as far from what you said as it's possible to be and still be human.

[Kato]

I'll have to agree I can't quite see how this is something a homophobe might do... Then again, without any proper knowledge on the subject, I'd say the Kinsey scale is a good basis for a person's sexual preference. I mean, just as a general idea.

[Weimann]

At least in this case, they are talking to each other. That's a good thing.

[Traab]

Ok so the homophobe thing was off, its just. . . it seems so unneeded. Its nothing more than an attempt to quantify how gay you are. "On a scale of 1 to 10 Mr. Smith, how much would you say you love wieners?" "Hmmm, not counting my own? I would say. . . a 2? I mean, I wont run away screaming if I see someone elses, but I would really rather not have to."

How hard is it to just say, "Ok, some like innies, some like outies, and others like both." Its like making up a chart to decide how blue the sky is. Its not really something that needs to be pinpointed. Its either blue or its not.

[Gez]

Its like making up a chart to decide how blue the sky is. Its not really something that needs to be pinpointed. Its either blue or its not.

Man, are you in for a shock!

[SaintRidley]

Ok so the homophobe thing was off, its just. . . it seems so unneeded. Its nothing more than an attempt to quantify how gay you are. "On a scale of 1 to 10 Mr. Smith, how much would you say you love wieners?" "Hmmm, not counting my own? I would say. . . a 2? I mean, I wont run away screaming if I see someone elses, but I would really rather not have to."

How hard is it to just say, "Ok, some like innies, some like outies, and others like both." Its like making up a chart to decide how blue the sky is. Its not really something that needs to be pinpointed. Its either blue or its not.

Well, the idea was in part to legitimate the idea that people could be gay and normal at the same time. Kinsey was the first researcher to treat homosexuality without judgment, as something other than an aberration that needed to be treated. The scale was basically there to point out that you don't have very many people at all who are purely homosexual or purely heterosexual.

Also, your sky example isn't so good, since the shade of the sky does change slightly. Also, colorblind people for whom the sky is a different color - the sky isn't blue or not-blue, but different kinds of blue or even not-blue depending on a number of factors including the viewer. Conducting a survey to plot perceptions of the sky's blueness would reveal some very interesting things, really.

[Traab]

Man, are you in for a shock!

Yeah yeah, I know, but I hope you get my point right? It just seems silly to me. "On a scale from 1 to 6, how gay are you?"

[Weimann]

Yeah yeah, I know, but I hope you get my point right? It just seems silly to me. "On a scale from 1 to 6, how gay are you?"

No, I think it's actually relevant.

The actual fact of the matter is that not everyone is 100% straight or gay, or even 50% of each. There are more complex states, and by pointing this out, people who don't fit into the extreme points may feel more at ease.

I mean, sure, I can see where you're coming from. The actual number is of course rather arbitrary and only makes sense in context. You can't somehow measure the gayness in a person in an objective fashion. But I don't see why it'd be redundant just because it's not entirely accurate. If it helps someone's identity to be able to say "I'm about a 2-3 on the Kinsey scale", that sounds pretty good to me.

Edit: And if it doesn't help you, then you can always express your identity in some other way. Either way, it doesn't hurt to have the option.

[Wraith]

If you have sex with both men and women, by definition, you are bisexual. That's what they were getting at.

I was paraphrasing for comedic effect, but this is pretty much what I was getting at.

If nothing else, it highlights some strange logic in the Ma3 universe. Apparently a woman who has sex with another woman is neither a lesbian or bisexual. God only knows which hole we peg Senna into.

....InYOURenndo!

[Pink]

I was paraphrasing for comedic effect, but this is pretty much what I was getting at.

If nothing else, it highlights some strange logic in the Ma3 universe. Apparently a woman who has sex with another woman is neither a lesbian or bisexual. God only knows which hole we peg Senna into.

....InYOURenndo!

It's actually not that strange and certainly happens a fair bit in our own society, if you think about it from reversed genders. Without getting to far into details, there are certain sexual activities that men will engage in with other men and still consider themselves straight, for such silly logic as 'Balls weren't touching', or that receiving a service is different than providing it.

[Wraith]

Honestly, if anything I'd have said that it's probably the girls who have more.... let's say 'freedom' in that respect. Certainly by American/British standards at least - Kisses, for example, are always seen as more 'innocent' between girls but are almost taboo between guys.

But then, I guess what we're talking about here isn't what you'd call 'innocent'.

Still, good points, and as has been pointed out - gay, straight and bi are all just (in?)convinient labels for arbitrary points along a spectrum. Peggy can be whatever she wants, I don't think any one of us born in the internet age would begrudge her a bit of fun in any flavour

[Coidzor]

Honestly, that scale strikes me as a useless thing, Probably brought about by a homophobe who wanted to figure out,"Just how gay ARE you?"

Considering Homophobes basically go by the one drop rule as applied to sexuality...

[The Succubus]

Yeah yeah, I know, but I hope you get my point right? It just seems silly to me. "On a scale from 1 to 6, how gay are you?"

I'd probably peg myself as a 2 on the Kinsey scale. I have a strong preference for women but I wouldn't be adverse to making out with a very feminine guy either. =)

Absolutes are boring.

Coming back on topic though, it seems as though Didi is developing a crush on Peggy... Also spent a very instructive five minutes finding out what "scissoring" was on wikipedia, or tribadism to give it its proper name. Pro tip - don't do this from a work computer. =p

[Kato]

I'd probably peg myself as a 2 on the Kinsey scale. I have a strong preference for women but I wouldn't be adverse to making out with a very feminine guy either. =)

Absolutes are boring.

Coming back on topic though, it seems as though Didi is developing a crush on Peggy... Also spent a very instructive five minutes finding out what "scissoring" was on wikipedia, or tribadism to give it its proper name. Pro tip - don't do this from a work computer. =p

Meh, I guess I'm more of a 1.5. I'm not horrified by the idea of kissing a guy but I don't get any enjoyment out of it either.


I don't think it's a crush really, just some basic attraction...
And gladly I don't need to look up what scissoring or tribadism means, I don't think googling it at work would be a good idea... though, wikipedia is probably safe enough. The name can be misleading, though.

[Cikomyr]

I'm having way too much enjoyment out of today's comic for my own good

[Guancyto]

The funny thing about the Kinsey scale is where people put themselves. "Women are a billion times more awesoem but other guys are kind of okay too if they look a lot like women?" is a 1, while "I would not enjoy making out with another man but also wouldn't run screaming and washing my mouth out" is a 0.

It's fine to be heterosexual, really! No shame in it, it's a long and cherished tradition!

And yeah, probably not something to have in your search history at work.

[Brother Oni]

The funny thing about the Kinsey scale is where people put themselves. "Women are a billion times more awesoem but other guys are kind of okay too if they look a lot like women?" is a 1, while "I would not enjoy making out with another man but also wouldn't run screaming and washing my mouth out" is a 0.

So I wonder where the raging homophobes go on the scale? -1?

I'd personally class myself as a 0-1 on the Scale - I have no problems with homosexuality (unless I'm trying to get into your pants or you're trying to get into mine, it doesn't matter what bits you prefer), but watching male-male stuff physically turns my stomach (even just heavy kissing) and female-female stuff doesn't really do it for me (aside from the "Oh hey, boobs!" factor).

[Weimann]

Ehehehe. Yeah okay, that's really cute.

[The Glyphstone]

DiDi used Thigh Crush!

It's super effective!

[Radar]

So I wonder where the raging homophobes go on the scale? -1?

Most likely all over the scale. The scale measures physical attraction - not personal opinions or self-image. It's probably not a good idea to get into details and I don't have any relevant statistical, psychological or social study anyway.

[datalaughing]

DiDi used Thigh Crush!

It's super effective!

Well, yeah, I mean, have you seen her thighs?

[Vinyadan]

Uh, guys, I know this question may look odd, but why do you read this comic? I tried reading it some time ago, but I found more reasons in it for leaving it alone than going on with it.

[Weimann]

Well, I can only speak for myself, but:

¤ It's sexy. Duh. Kind of a guilty pleasure, I suppose.
¤ Despite everything, it does have an attitude towards sex that I think is commendable. It describes it as natural and unproblematic, and doesn't make a big deal out of it. Of course, sometimes it goes a bit too far in that regard, but hey, never said it was perfect.
¤ The art style is cute and competent.
¤ The writing is actually decent.
¤ It updates like clockwork. Really, I've yet to see it fail to meet schedule once. That's of course a moot point if it doesn't have other qualities, but it's does add to something you already like.

[Olinser]

Uh, guys, I know this question may look odd, but why do you read this comic? I tried reading it some time ago, but I found more reasons in it for leaving it alone than going on with it.

It's funny.

'Nough said.

[Avilan the Grey]

Well, yeah, I mean, have you seen her thighs?

*Dreamy voice* yesss...?