Threesome

Types

The people in a threesome may be of any gender and sexual orientation. Each participant may engage in any type of sex act with one or both of the others, such as vaginal, anal, oral, or manual sex. One or more of the participants may engage in autoerotic sexual activity, such as masturbation, possibly without physical contact with the other participants. It is a matter of subjective definition whether participation of a third person without physical contact constitutes a threesome and this sort of sexual activity might instead be interpreted as voyeurism or cuckolding or cuckqueaning. Troilism is a term that encompasses both threesomes and cuckoldry, although its usage across literature is inconsistent.

Threesomes are sometimes described using shorthand to refer to who was involved in the threesome e.g. MMF (male, male, female); FFM (female, female, male); MMM (male, male, male); FFF (female, female, female).

Sandwich is slang for a person performing both receptive and insertive anal and/or vaginal sex simultaneously during a threesome, being positioned between the two partners.

Academic research

The first major academic work to address threesomes specifically was published in 1988, called: Threesomes: Studies in Sex, Power, and Intimacy by Arno Karlen. In the work, drawing mainly from interview data, Karlen outlined how threesomes were often viewed as qualitatively different to other forms of group sex. Other notable findings include that threesomes were often viewed by women as a safe way to explore their sexuality; they often consisted of a couple joined by a third person; and that the third person was not necessarily viewed or treated equally. Karlen also suggested that the societal view of threesomes cast those who engaged in them as radically different to other members of society:

Research exploring rates of threesome engagement suggest that men have both higher levels of interest and participation in threesomes. One study soliciting responses to a sex survey via a British newspaper in 1987 found that 34% of 1,862 men, and 15% of 2,905 women had experience of a threesome. From a nationally representative sample in the US in 2017, 34.1% of men and 11.1% of women found a threesome to be at least somewhat appealing and 18% of men and 10% of women had engaged in one.

In art

Threesomes in various positions depicted in art:

File:Kylix - ceramic - 1.jpg|Three young men in an unusual position (Greek) File:A man enjoying an erotic dalliance with two boys, seated on Wellcome V0047309.jpg|A man and two male youths (Chinese) File:Miyagawa Chosun - Nanshoku 05.jpg|A man and two male youths (Japanese) File:KamaSutra37.jpg|Threesome involving double penetration File:KamaSutra43.jpg|Threesome involving two women and a man File:Peter Fendi - Der Gemeinsame Freund (1910).jpg|"Der Gemeinsame Freund" ("The Mutual Friend") attributed to Peter Fendi File:Wiki-gangbang.png|Seedfeeder's illustration of a threesome involving two men and a woman File:Wiki-FMF-threesome.png|Seedfeeder's illustration of a threesome involving two women and a man

In popular culture

Threesome scenes are featured in various films and TV series, including Summer Lovers (1982), Threesome (1994), Wild Things (1998), American Psycho (2000), Zoolander (2001), Y Tu Mamá También (2001), Ken Park (2002), The Dreamers (2003), Kiss Me Again (2006), Shortbus (2006), Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008), Shame (2011), 21 Jump Street (2012), On the Road (2012), Savages (2012), Spring Breakers (2012), Knock Knock (2015), Love (2015). Basic Instinct 2 (2006) was originally intended to include a threesome scene, but this was cut out.

References

Bibliography

References

1. Scoats, Ryan. (2019). "UNDERSTANDING THREESOMES: gender, sex, and consensual non-monogamy". ROUTLEDGE.
2. (April 2017). "Heterosexual Young Adults' Interest, Attitudes, and Experiences Related to Mixed-Gender, Multi-Person Sex". Archives of Sexual Behavior.
3. (February 2018). "'I don't mind watching him cum': Heterosexual men, threesomes, and the erosion of the one-time rule of homosexuality". Sexualities.
4. (1995). "Studies in Human Sexuality: A Selected Guide". [[Libraries Unlimited]].
5. LEHMILLER, JUSTIN J.. (2018). "TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT: The Science of Sexual Desire and How It Can Help You Improve Your Sex Life". ROBINSON.
6. (March 2009). "Common vs. Uncommon Sexual Acts: Evidence for the Sexual Double Standard". Sex Roles.
7. Ley, David J.. (2009). "Insatiable wives: women who stray and the men who love them". Rowman & Littlefield.
8. Karlen, Arno. (1988). "Threesomes: studies in sex, power, and intimacy". Beech Tree Books.
9. (2020-11-11). "Exploring Variations in North American Adults' Attitudes, Interest, Experience, and Outcomes Related to Mixed-Gender Threesomes: A Replication and Extension". Archives of Sexual Behavior.
10. (1987-01-01). "Male-female differences in sexual activity, enjoyment and fantasies". Personality and Individual Differences.
11. (2017-07-20). "Sexual diversity in the United States: Results from a nationally representative probability sample of adult women and men". PLOS ONE.
12. "American Psycho threesome scene".
13. "The 10 Most Memorable Threesome Scenes in Movies".
14. (30 March 2006). "Stone's lesbian scene cut from Basic Instinct 2".