Dirty Sexy Britain?
The well-known Polish journalist Konrad Niklewicz (of Gazeta Wyborcza) claims that Britain is ruled by SEX. One must admit, that such a statement goes against the popular perception of Great Britain.
“Sex, sex, more sex, a bit of sex at break time, and then more bang-bang” - this is the style of life of the younger British generation according to Mr Niklewicz. And where is the perversion proper? In Lambeth.
Could this be true? Could we have lived all this time without noticing this perverse and sex-obsessed nation as it is?
Mr Niklewicz’s conclusions are based on two observations:
1) the statistics for the number of teenage pregnancies. In Britain the figure is as high as 42 per 1000. And 75 for infamous Lambeth. (No mention of how it compares to other countries though).
2) “stories of unthinkable depravity”: a 14-year-old discovered as a prostitute, or a 15-year-old-girl pregnant with a child whose father is 13.
This example shows what concerns me about Polish journalism. Here the reporter draws his own sensationalist conclusions that may or may not be true. The data says only what it says: there are a larger number of teenage pregnancies than before. And that there are some extreme cases (like anywhere).
There are no opinion polls cited, or any other source, that would research the values and lifestyles of British youth, and their attitudes to sex. So why such conclusions?
Unfortunately such journalistic standards are not rare these days, even in the broadsheets.
[polldaddy poll=1405987]
Why do you think I moved to Poland, I was bloody exhausted!
Gazeta Wyborcza is a piece of trash. They have huge financial problems and
thats why they bring such tabloid stories…because Sex sells…in Poland ;)
Sex sells…in Poland – everywhere
“Poles come back from the UK, ’cause your children (or future children) can end up like that,” says Mr Niklewicz.
Fortunately, in our country only married people have sex (with their spouses. of course). Teenagers don’t dring alkohol, smoke or use drugs. Yes, we are setting the best example.
Go Poland!
:)
Take that, you French scumbags!!!
Think you’re the greatest lurvers of all time………..ha! I spit on your libido!
;)
The latest polls show: polish teenagers smoke and take drugs less, but
drink more.
Maybe children have got children, because later there’s a lot of problem with fertility? Or they just read about little princesses and princes from Medieval who were married in their 12-15. 18 y.o. girl was like todays 30ties = spinster? ;-)
Or they read in newspapers: “Who will work in the future for your pension?”
Or the newspapers cry also: “People are closer to fight the crisis”.
From the other hand fall of f.e. Roman Imperium was connected with total licentiousness and laxity. The Rome’s citizens just forgot about Horacian’s “golden mean” (I’m not talking about the daisy! :D ) = moderation/frugality/restraint.
Everything is good, just in right proportion.
This lady should go to Kitch Club… :)
Helder,
I agree and
I’ll tell you more:
I should go to “The Daub/Trash Club”! :D
I should know something about that, shouldn’t I? And I agree. We have SRE (sexual relationship education) regularly. Yesterday for example we were taught how to put condoms on. They gave as models of penis’. It was DISGUSTING. Anyway, we had these workshops yesterday. Someone asked her why they do the workshops and she said “because the numbers of teenage pregnancies and alcohol/drugs abuse amongst teenagers is rising very quickly. And she AGREES with the guy who wrote this. She said that Britain has the highest number of pregnancies in Europe and Britain is the most drinking nation. I wouldn’t say it’s everyone, but sometimes when I look at all these chavs… You can tell they lost their virginity a long time ago…
Strange, I always thought of British men as very refined and full of self control. With only the occasional spanking from an older woman every so often.
@teenagerinengland
I don’t know how old you are but if you find a penis disgusting (unless they showed you circumcised or otherwise mutilated one) then my diagnosis is that you’re a lesbian.
Zarazek – it would have been more appropriate to ask the kid about her/his age before throwing a lesbian barb – my 2 cents
Scatts: The French make love, the Brits make kids. It’s not the same. ;)
If it may be of help Americans have even more teenage pregnancies. IMHO it’s not surprising that two countries with the most puritan traditions top the list.
Wyborcza might have written about it once, but I see British newspapers writing about it all the time (Independent for example). There is something ironic in all of the fascination with sex in order to prevent sex. Victorians talked about it like crazy, even though in theory it didn’t exist (that is if one forgets that in the mid-1800s every other woman in London was a prostitute).
I think it’s an effect of people’s inability to talk about, let’s call it, healthy, good sex. Those who slept through the Sex Revolution talk about it as of something evil, and those who didn’t as of something as usual as brushing one’s teeth. While the emotional sphere is left out. It’s like teaching people about the number of fatal car accidents and how the airbags work instead of how to drive a car.
To be fair, Brits are nowhere as prudish as Americans, where many more people of both genders and all ages are ready to reject a book or a movie because it contains some sex scenes (that would be nearly all Polish films and books) or even only alludes to sex between the protagonists (likely all Polish films and books, even Janosik the Polish Robin Hood, not to mention anything by Mickiewicz, lol). It leads to some weird situation where people will read Vampire fiction where sex is abusive, but won’t read about consensual sex in a loving relationship, because they can’t stand affiliating something so ‘dirty’ with a positive hero.
In effect people view sex as something far from positive emotions. Teenagers either despise it (girls manifest their virginity as if a piece of skin was some kind of prize) or want to try it as a sign of maturity with about anyone who’s willing. But they’re not emotionally mature.
Not long ago in the Feminism in Poland (3) thread Jacek Wesołowski pointed out to the different reactions to female body in our cultures. It’s an effect of some 300 years of different representation of women in literature. Every Pole would be shocked with the number of rapes in English writings, but what’s interesting the books containing rapes are fine and proper for teenagers to read. They are seen as wise moral tales. While books containing normal sex are likened to porn, and people find them offensive.
I don’t think that either Brits or Americans will get rid of the problem only by teaching kids about the mechanics of intercourse and contraceptives without representing sex as something beautiful and desirable when accompanied by positive emotions.
What I always find fascinating though is that in both the UK and US the government and schools are blamed, plus pornography, bad company, lack of religious morals etc, but never the parents. It’s as if people wanted everyone else to take the responsibility for raising their kids.
@Zarazek
I’m not a lesbian you idiot. And I don’t find a penis disgusting, I find condoms disgusting. But, you’re probably too young to know.
I’m too young to know? I am old enough not to have to attend classes where they teach me how to put a condom on.
And why the hell did you call me an idiot? Cos I called you a lesbian? Well, if you considere these two equally offensive, then I’ve nothing else to add.
@Bob
Why do you think I should have asked her her age before? You can be a lesbian at any age. My other question is: why do you think calling someone a lesbian is a barb?
I’m going to count to three and then I’d like the penis, condom, lesbian debate to go away please! I’m not sure it helps anyone’s appreciation of Poland and things Polish.
Feel free to comment at length (scuse the pun) about Polish condoms – shapes, sizes, flavours, reliability, prices and so on. I’m actually quite interested by the recent trend of Durex to go beyond the simple rubber and spend loads of money advertising contraptions that are altogether more hi-tech. I’m sure we’re all interested in making sure we don’t miss out on new gadgets, especially good ones.
All contributions are welcome but not silly arguments. If we wanted such arguments we’d start posting things like “Dirty Sexy Britain”, or whatever.
Hmmmmmmm.
Sounds like something Ciocia Halina should take care of.
Boattown_guest : What Poland do you live in ? I know many, many Poles having sex out of wedlock, smoking hashish and grass, and these are not even teenagers, these are just some of the adults 28 to 40 year olds that I know. I can assure you that many millions of Poles are partying like rock stars.
Lousy journalism, no doubt about that. But let me cite and rephrase some of your sentences:
Here Pawel draws his own disturbing conclusions that may or may not be true. Facts say only what they say: there was a lousily written and not well researched article in one newspaper (albeit a big one). There are no opinion polls cited, or any other source, that would research the values and reliability of Polish press. So why a conclusion that anyone should be particularly concerned about Polish journalism?
;-)
stefonic: turn on your sense of humour :)
everybody: Spring is coming! :)
Niklewicz is only young.
teenagerinengland,
who is that mysterious “she” you are talking about?
SRE teacher I suppose?
I’ve just read the comments of british teenagers girls why they want have got children?
They said usually: “To have got sb to love”, “To have got sb who loves me”, “To have got sb to dress in cute dresses” (living baby doll?).
That’s all shows how very very very lonely the british teenager have to be!
After all they have got examples from their parents. In some families they are already 3rd generation their members are living thanks the social money and governement alimony for children.
[...] [Polandian] Dirty Sexy Britain? [...]
“Sex, sex, more sex, a bit of sex at break time, and then more bang-bang” – this is the style of life of the younger British generation according to Mr Niklewicz.
Essex ladies spring to my mind, hee hee!! Otherwise you have a point here I have to admit. Speaking of which, anyone seen ESRC’s data printed in an extra publication of the Economist (dry as crackers) on sexual practices in ol’ good Blighty? What do you reckon of the finds?
Two words have sprung to my mind: Vicky Pollard :) To the V to the P to the icky to the ollard. :)
so if England is so very bad, dirty & disgusting to you why is it so many Polish people migrate from their beloved Poland to settle in the UK?
If Poland was so god dam wonderful why not simply stay at home?
Does the UK force Polish people to move to the UK?
Anonymous, I see the ability to read – in your case – is limited to simple texts of The Sun. Congrats.
So the utopia that is Poland doesn’t have any social issues at all?
no alcohol issues
no drug issues
no pre-marital sex
no teenage pregnancy
no domestic abuse
Extracts from the sun?
No unfortunately not just observations from living & working in Warsaw for a number of years
But hey, isn’t so much easier to be critical of another country rather than look inwards & see the same problems within our own
Anonymous, do you understand what you read? Ever heard of irony?
What do you think is the topic of this post
a/ how sexually perverse Britons are
b/ massive social problems in the UK
c/ the quality of Polish journalism
d/ the number of teenage pregnancies
What you say is so lame I don’t even have anough energy to reply. Even if I were pointing to all the crap in the UK – why not? Because Poland is not perfect either? Because many people relocate to UK? What kind of argument is that? Oh and ultimage – “why don’t you Polish people stay at home” – how very British of you:) (for an American).
Oh get a life.
ouch touchy!!!
too much national pride he! he!
oh & got a life & proud of it! :)
Poland and England stop fighting! If you really want to hear what other countries think of you, I’ll start. I’m from The United States, and where else is better for stereotypes? Plus neither of your countries I can garuantee it have it as bad as mine. I can list 5 15 year olds I know right now that are pregnant and almost everyone in the grade in which the 13 year olds preside have lost their virginity. If you want drug problems well for example at a party which a classmate held EVERYONE their smoke weed and everyone I know has tried some sort of alcohol at least one time.
The USA has become to permissive and now is paying for it. Morals and values have all been but lost. We are so politically correct it is destroying us. Lets hope other don’t follow what we are doing.
???????
You’re right. Yet, not everywhere teenage pregnancies are on the rise…
“‘It exemplifies the point we have been making about broken Britain. It’s not being accusative, it’s about pointing out the complete collapse in some parts of society of any sense of what’s right and wrong.” from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1153844/Mother-underage-father-Alfie-court-letting-playing-truant.html
@ Pawel:
The mentioned story of the 13-year-old father innitiated many heated discussions most of which pointed to the growing decline of morals in the UK.
The truth and facts can be found in bad journalism too, you know.
—> anglopole
“The truth and facts can be found in bad journalism too, you know.”
good point
Cunning;)
Not quite though. “What concerns me…” introduces clearly my own opinion. Journalistic standards are there in their full glory for everyone to see o papers and tv everyday.
Plus to say that a phenomenon is not rare, is not the same as to say that it is everwhere and basically rules the world.