Ever notice how we seek to sensationalize human vices? Media has made the mainstreaming of a chosen excessive vice the new pink.
The prevailing mantra in pop culture is that sex sells, abstinence doesn't. If the opposite were true, successive bombshells from Marilyn Monroe to Madonna would not become pop culture icons. Judy Garland is dead.
Sex isn't the only one. Take your pick. Poker? Any reputable sports channel carries a poker match for your enjoyment now. Gambling NFL style? The allure of football is, of course, part glitz and part covering the spread. 'Find your niche' is a mantra for entrepreneurs. I would submit that we now niche our vices for our viewing pleasures.
First, a quick description of what I mean by vices. In Christian thought, they are also known as the Seven Deadly Sins: pride, gluttony, greed, lust, anger, envy, and sloth. On the opposite end we have virtues: humility, mercy, chastity, patience temperance, fortitude or courage, and love of God, neighbour and enemy. The greatest minds in history have all discussed this topic in different forms throughout the ages.
For our purposes here, I'll take a looser interpretation. A vice is something we are addicted to. If you're not sure you have a vice, ask yourself, “Am I eating my dark chocolate with my vegetables?” If you are, you may have a slight problem. Indeed, moderation is key to a fully healthy lifestyle.
Let us ponder sex once more. Specifically, we'll consider porn as the latest vice in vogue. Jenna Jameson once said, "Get with the 90s," regarding the resistance by some about the mainstreaming of porn - and no, you may not ask how I came up with this quote.
Her words got me thinking about the Ancient Romans, of all people.
Let me take you back a bit to set the stage - or amphitheater. In the only Classical History course I took in University, an obscure Roman quote stayed with me: "Quod licet lovi, non licet bovi." (What Gods may do what cattle may not). Loosely translated, only aristocratic Romans were accorded the right to free love and orgies. The masses had no right to such immoral activity.
The story of Messalina ("One of the most notorious aristocratic sluts in history," (as author Jon Solomon put it) further illustrates this point. Messalina once challenged Rome's most decorated prostitute Scylla to an all-night sex competition. Scylla, realizing the depravity of her actions, stopped around 25 lovers, while Messalina, free of such self-imposed moral constraints, forged ahead well into the morning.
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