Sex as language should not surprise anyone

Filmmaker John Cameron Mitchell explains why his sexually explicit film Shortbus is not porn:

Daring director uses sex as language

"I would define porn - and I think most people would – as something that is made to arouse. That is its primary purpose and other things are unimportant," Mitchell told CTV.ca before its North American premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival.

"In our case, sex is used as a language to find out more about our characters, their emotions, their background, to make thematic points," he said.

It amazes me that "sex as language" even has to be explained. What else would it be?

According to the article, the S/M, sex and masturbation scenes in the film are not simulated, and the cast developed much of the story through improvisational workshops.

One reason we have embraced the internet as a medium for sex is that it fully supports sexuality as a powerful form of communication. If you've ever had a sexual relationship online, you realize just how entwined sex and language really are – and if you don't speak the same verbal language, well, you've got this built-in one to fall back on.

(photo of Lindsay Beamish, cast member)