Levi Stein Carol Faulkner HST 222: History of Am. Sexuality 23 September 20 2 Flas!

"ress an# $i%torian Sexual Culture Helen Lefko&ti' Horo&it'( one of t!e %ontributin) aut!ors of The Flash Press: Sporting Male Weeklies in 1840s New York( sai# in !er re%ent le%ture at *yr# Library on September 20 t!at &!en !istorians !ear t!e term $i%torian Culture( many +ten# to re%all a represse# so%iety., T!e -t! %entury is &i#ely re)ar#e# as pru#ent an# sub.u)ate# by !ars! moral prin%iples. At t!e same time( %ities like /e& 0ork an# "!ila#elp!ia flouris!e# &it! prostitution. 1stablis!ments like T!e 2a)#alen So%iety &ere )ro&n to suppress &!at many %onsi#ere# a +)ro&in) so%ial #isor#er, 34eis 256. Ho&ever( &eekly papers like t!e Whip, t!e Rake, t!e Flash, an# t!e Li ertine, promote# an opposite )oal: en%oura)in) youn) men to embra%e t!eir #ominant sexual free#om. 2ale sportin) %ulture emer)e# from t!e intense )ro&t! of %ommer%ial leisure in t!e early to mi# 500s. To %ouple t!is )ro&t!( a #ramati% population spike rattle# /e& 0ork City an# brou)!t an influx of a youn)er &orkin)7%lass mi)rant )roup. T!e men in t!is )roup &oul# &ork ri)orously #urin) t!e #ay( but look for&ar# to !avin) fun in t!e %ity8s vibrant ni)!tlife. 9n lieu of t!e $i%torian %ultural stan#ar#s of reli)ion( morals( an# et!i%s( men &oul# seek to a%:uire money( sex( an# po&er. ;!ile male sexual pro&ess &as embra%e#( female sexuality remaine# represse#. 9f a &oman &as #eeme# to !ave en)a)e# in premarital sex( s!e &as( in essen%e( +fallen, an# s!unne# from so%iety. Sin%e it &as male sexual privile)e t!at %reate# t!e %ate)ory of un%!aste &omen( +it is %lear t!e !ypo%risy about moral stan#ar#s for men flouris!e# &i#ely,

3Flas! "ress -6. T!e &eekly sportin) publi%ations serve# not only as a )ui#e to t!e /e& 0ork8s illi%it ni)!t life( but promote# sportin) events like boxin)( #o)fi)!tin)( an# %o%kfi)!tin). T!e papers( featurin) #istin%t %artoonis! mast!ea#s( also #is%usse# t!e latest plays an# t!eatre pro#u%tions. T!e real feature( !o&ever( &as t!e revie&s about brot!els an# prostitutes t!at fre:uente# /e& 0ork so%iety. T!e $i%torian sexual re)ime %reate# a #istin%tion about men as t!e a%tive a)ents( &!o expen#e# ener)y( &!ile &omen &ere se#entary( storin) an# %onservin) ener)y. 2en represente# t!e fallen an# lustful %reatures( often takin) a#vanta)e of t!e fra)ility of &omen. T!e flas! papers reinfor%e# male !eterosexuality t!rou)! a politi%al %ontra#i%tion referre# to as +libertine republi%anism, 3<26. A libertine is suppose# to be!ave &it!out moral stan#ar#s( &!ile republi%anism promotes an or#ere#( stru%ture# so%iety. Several of t!e &eekly papers %alle# for brot!el re)ulation an# looke# to mol# t!e fa%t t!at li%entious &omen &ere not lost souls. A%%or#in) to Horro&ti'( t!e prostitute is t!e perfe%t partner be%ause no responsibility is re:uire#. T!e )oal of moral reformers &as to %lean up t!e mess an# =%ome up to t!eir #uties in t!e )reat &ork of re)eneratin) a fallen &orl#, 3;AS26. ;!ile prostitution !el# an important role in so%iety an# )arnere# many #ifferent vie&s( one of t!e most intri)uin) an# unspeakable atro%ities &as %ollo:uially kno&n as t!e solitary vi%e( or masturbation. 2asturbation &as universally vie&e# as #etrimental to !uman !ealt! an# it &as believe# it %oul# %ause mental illnesses. 2asturbation !a# lon) been vie&e# as an immoral a%t as it &as %onsi#ere# to be unnatural. T!is i#ea stu%k t!rou)!out t!e $i%torian sexual re)ime. T!e Flash paper su))este# su%! #rasti% re%ommen#ations as fin#in) a mistress if sexual ur)es to pleasure oneself be%ame too over&!elmin). 9n t!e arti%le( The Solitar! "i#e( from t!e Flash, &riters %apitali'e on t!e inor#inate fear of masturbation.

T!e intro#u%tion senten%e of t!e arti%le tou%!es on t!e +misery an# #eteriviation, of t!e +beastial en.oyment, 3Flas! "ress >36. 9t seems o## t!at &it! t!e %all to embra%e male !eterosexuality t!at masturbation &as stri%tly off limits. T!e irrational paranoia probably stemme# from a previous 5t! %entury treatise %alle# The $eino%s Sin o& Sel&'Poll%tion, &!i%! spoke off about an %n(anne) (anhoo) i& sel&'pleas%re o##%rre)* The arti#le #ontin%es with )ra(ati# o%t#ries, stating that i& (en who (ast%r ate) e#o(e parents, the! wo%l) ear +pale, poor, an) si#kl! #hil)ren, -1.4/* This hea0il! s%pports the "i#torian )el%sion o& (ast%r ation1 whether the a%thors an) (ost rea)ers agree) is )e ata le* The arti#le &eels like a strong narrati0e against the atro#ities o& (ast%r ation an) #alls &or (en to &in) alternati0es like (arr!ing a pro(is#%o%s wi&e or engaging in o##asional se2 with prostit%tes* So(e #o%l) arg%e that "i#torian se2%al prin#iples e( ra#e) (ale heterose2%alit! an) the #on&ines o& (ast%r ation #o%l) lie within these o%n)aries* The a%thor o& the arti#le e0en )is(isses the s%ggestion that (en sho%l) (arr! 0er! !o%ng as it wo%l) (ake e har(&%l to the pop%lation* 3nstea), those who (ast%r ate sho%l) ha0e an insight to +the )rea)&%l #onse4%en#e, whi#h the! (%st in#%r -1.4/* An interestin) arti%le from T!e Whip is entitle# +2akin) Love in t!e Streets., 9t8s interestin) to note !o& terms !ave taken on a #ifferent meetin). 9n t!e prefa%e( t!e aut!ors of The Flash Press note t!at bot! females an# males took part in t!is viva%ious publi% #isplay. A male &oul# stroll by a &oman on t!e street t!at !as +)iven up &alkin) at ni)!t, an# instea# &an#ers +abroa# in t!e mornin), 3 <?6. T!e aut!ors #es%ribe t!e spe%ta%le in #etail( an# t!en note at t!e en# t!at t!ey #on8t &ant to furt!er +enli)!ten youn) rea#ers, 3 <<6. T!is seems %ontra#i%tory as t!e publis!in) t!emselves &ere a sour%e of e#u%atin) yout!( minors( teena)ers( mi##le7%lass( an# &!omever else mana)e# to buy one on t!e streets. 5lso with wo(en engaging in these intera#tions with (en, it see(s as tho%gh the! to%ting their se2%al prowess or &lirting*

The p%rpose was to see who ha) &allen an) who was #haste* 3t6s highl! likel! that wo(en (a! ha0e &lirte) a#k e0en i& the! were not prostit%tes* 7& #o%rse the intera#tion is p%t &orth ! (en an) reiterates the i)ea that the! ha) (ost o& the se2%al power* T!e &lash papers were not witho%t a##o(pan!ing legal tro% le* Man! o& the weeklies #a(e %n)er hea0! &ire &or their o s#ene stories* While (ost o& the o s#ene papers )isappeare) a&ter the )e#a)e, rep%tations o& the writers were not tarnishe)* Man! went on to ha0e s%##ess&%l #areers* The weeklies ha) an i(portant role in the newl! e2pose) %n)ergro%n) worl) an) see(e) to in&l%en#e &or etter or &or worse*

;orks Cite# Co!en( "atri%ia Cline.( Timot!y @. Ailfoyle( an# Helen Lefko&it'. Horo&it'. The Flash Press: Sporting Male Weeklies in 1840s New York. C!i%a)o: Bniversity of C!i%a)o( 2005. "rint. Arimke( Sara!. =T!ou)!ts on 2iss S. 2. ArimkeCs CDuties of ;oman(C= 5)0o#ate o& Moral Re&or( 3 5356: n. pa). Wo(en an) So#ial Mo0e(ent. ;eb. 23 Sept. 20 2. E!ttp:FFasp<ne&.alexan#erstreet.%omF&as2F&as2.ob.e%t.#etails.aspxG #orpi#H 000<>2 3>I.