Do Communists Have Better Sex?
Directed by Andre Meier (2006)
Film Review
Do Communists have Better Sex? is a comparison of sexual mores in East and West Germany prior to the fall of the Berlin Wall. Studies suggest that East German women found sex more satisfying. A 1980 study found that 50% of West German women were unable to achieve orgasm, in contrast to 15% of East German women. The filmmakers attribute this difference to three general factors: the greater economic independence of East German women, a more relaxed attitude towards sexuality that allowed people, rather than the media, to control their sexuality, and the availability of well written sexual manuals about women’s sexual needs.
The Role of Economic Independence
At the end of World War II, East Germany experienced a severe shortage of men as most returning soldiers settled in West Germany. This made it necessary for women to assume men’s roles in East German industry. In contrast West German women were pressured to leave their war jobs to free them up for men. Government, churches and the media bombarded them with the message their chief role in life was to make men happy.
Owing to the large number of war widows raising children, the East German government provided generous social programs, including free child care and cooperative laundries to enable them to work full time. This made them economically independent from men and significantly reduced the pressure for them to marry.
Role of Religion
In West Germany, the church’s preeminent influence made sex a taboo topic until the late sixties. This included sex education in schools, and teachers could be prosecuted for explaining where babies came from.
In East Germany, the Communist Party took the view that healthy sexual relationships were essential for people to develop fully as human beings. The East German government introduced sex education in schools in the 1950s, though they put more emphasis on TV programming that educated parents on dealing with teen sexuality. Consensual sex was legal from age 16 up.
Access to Birth Control
In East Germany oral contraceptives were free for all women 14 and over from the early sixties when they first became available. Abortion (prior to 12 weeks pregnancy) were legal and free from 1972 on. In West Germany, feminists had to fight long and hard to gain access to birth control pills in the late sixties and abortion in 1976.
Pornography and Sexploitation
While the East German government had strict laws against pornography, sex shows and sexploitation,* they were extremely tolerant of nudism at public beaches and campsites. In addition, they directly subsidized the publication of popular sex manuals to keep men up to date on women’s sexual needs.
In West Germany, nudism was illegal, while male-oriented pornography, peep shows and strip clubs proliferated with the 1975 repeal of their pornography law.
*Sexploitation is the commercial exploitation of sex, sexual attractiveness, or sexually explicit material.
The Most Revolutionary Act 
Interesting stuff! Funny how that dominant-subservient power dynamic pervades (or poisons?) all it touches. And a system totally based on that just feels really unhealthy to me. Thanks for posting this, and for all your fascinating pieces. – Linda
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What I find really scary is that the US government has become virtually indistinguishable from East Germany, what with universal surveillance of the civilian population, the brutal treatment of whistleblowers, indefinite detention, and arbitrary police violence and extrajudicial assassinaiton.
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The Communists (also with a highly female population) could avoid the strong, ongoing Christianity-based effort to limit equal rights for women. This promoted equality in bed which is essential for satisfaction, a point not included above.
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Excellent point, Don. I guess capitalists have an economic incentive to suppress equal rights for women. When women enjoy full economic equality, the society loses the benefit of all their free labor.
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I know nothing about sex in E Germany but was intrigued by 6 story high brothels near train station In Frankfurt .The 6ft tall Leather clad Ladies standing in there BR doorway with back wall covered with wipes and dog collars certainly startled this Canadian lad .
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That’s interesting. The filmmakers make out that the East German government discouraged prostitution, as well as pornography.
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Well DrB. Tubularsock has thought about a lot of things but a Communist’s sexual satisfaction has not been one of them. But Tubularsock does believe that the Communist Manifesto is a “turn-on” to some.
Tubularsock prefers The Selected Works of Mao Tse-tung because it has more positions than the Kama Sutra.
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I thought it only had the far left position?
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I’ve always found Leonard Cohen more inspiring than either Marx or Mao:
“I wish the women would hurry up and take over. It’s going to happen, so let’s get it over with. Then we can finally recognize that women really are the minds, and the force that holds everything together, and men really are gossips and artists. Then we could get about our childish work and they could keep the world going. I really am for the matriarchy.”
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“Role of Religion” All you need to know! “It’s for urinating, not for enjoyment! You’ll go to hell!”
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And also an uncontrolled baby production facility at male pleasure, such babies being born with original sin because it is after all a dirty act.
Religion: Believing in something you know isn’t true.
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“Religion: Believing in something you know isn’t true.”
Agreed! Deep down inside they know it isn’t true and are scared to death, at least the ones who truly believe they believe. The rest are just used car salesmen, charlatans, like the hierophant in Rome and his protest-ant counterparts.
Original sin, by the way, has to do with “the fall of man,” and “the fall of man,” contrary to the common notion, has nothing to do with the sexual act. “The fall of man” occurred, supposedly, because of man’s rebelliousness with God, one on one/in person, and not because Adam and Eve got it on!
Or at least this is the “official” theological story. It’s all manipulation. As with all religion, it’s where “the law” and mind-controlling governments began, or at least that is my opinion.
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Reblogged this on Puppet Master's Slave Market and commented:
Cuba Libre
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having grown up in East Germany, I find this a very interesting and resonating article,
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Thanks for stopping by, TD, and sharing your perspective.
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