A history of swinging on TV

[JustAskJulie 2,588]

Quote

Originally posted by naughty A

anyone else catch tonight's episode of CSI (Vegas)

 

cliffhanger featuring a probable swinger couple picking up other swinger couples and murdering them...

 

tune in next week for the conclusion... as the chief suspects turned up dead too.

 

This sounds familiar like they did a story like this before, I'm thinking it was on the CSI Miami show. Yep, I'm pretty sure it was. Here's the link to the topic that it came up in.

 

Is swinging deadly?

[Elusive BiFem 70]

I saw it and it sure didn't paint a pretty picture of swinging...

[bimrdcpl 15]

We didn't catch that one, but did anyone see the one from the show Nip Tuck? We saw the previews for it and reminded each other every night for a week to watch it. But when it came to Tuesday night, we both passed out from exhaustion.

[JustAskJulie 2,588]

If you missed this last summer they are now re-airing the first season of Nip/Tuck. The episode that we were talking about in this thread is the "Cliff Montegna" which will probably air the last week of April (based on one episode a week).

[Brit_Pair 59]

It aired here in the UK about four weeks ago. My reactions to it were pretty much in line with those above. At least the folks at the party weren't wearing Tom Cruise masks a la Eyes Wide Shut!

[Mich149 16]

Does anyone know if the first season of Nip/Tuck was also the last? I really liked that show and would be bummed if it didn't come back.

[JustAskJulie 2,588]

No they are bringing it back this summer. I think season 2 starts in June.

[Brit_Pair 59]

Thank God! The first season just finished airing here, and in an age where television is dominated by craft shows, cooking shows, talent shows, buying house shows and reality t.v. (almost all of which are utter sh*t, IMHO), season 2 is badly needed.

 

Unfortunately, it looks like it will be 2005 before Dr's McNamara and Troy return to these shores.

 

Tell me what you don't like about your t.v. shows.

Pretty well f*cking everything!!!!!

[JustAskJulie 2,588]

lmao. I have been amazed at how few really good shows have come out in the last year or so. That one had me hooked instantly. Another good one , IMO, to see is Las Vegas, if they bring it your way.

[poster_guy03 15]

Anyone catch the new show on FX cable channel? Its Nip n Tuck (about a plastic surgery group practice). Wed. night's episode featured a visit to a swingers party. Any comments or observations?

[NealnAnji 29]

A day or two ago we happened to notice a list of new reality shows being advertised on ABC network. The last one in the list drew our attention since it was titled "Wife Swapping". The three young female TV announcers were giggling supposedly amused by the title. It could be that these young gals, married or single, are into swinging.

 

Did anyone here notice the new reality show that presumably will show real-life episodes of married couples swinging, having fun and swapping mates for erotic fun and real life sex? We do not believe that there will be explicit scenes showing couples engaged in intercourse. Just the implied sexual action could be quite exciting.

 

If the show is indeed what we think it is about, does it mean that the lifestyle is on the way to getting acceptability by the general public and straight couples? What a change in societal attitudes that would be!

 

Comments?

[pairbond 19]

NealnAnji said:

If the show is indeed what we think it is about, does it mean that the lifestyle is on the way to getting acceptability by the general public and straight couples? What a change in societal attitudes that would be!

 

Don't hold your breath, NealnAnji. A society like ours in which the majority of people are opposed to same-sex marriage and view it as a "threat to the sanctity of marriage" is unlikely any time soon to see swinging as socially acceptable.

 

We are such a weird society! Apparently it's OK to let kids and teenagers see movies in which people blow each other's blood, guts & brains all over the place, but two consenting adults making love is considered "pornographic." Talk about misplaced priorities! Can you even IMAGINE how our society would view FOUR (or more) people switching partners and having sex together?

 

We have no intentions of "coming out of the closet" with relatives and straight friends and coworkers about our swinging. It might be used against me some day if I ever decide to run for President!

[poster_guy03 15]

I suspect this show is not about sex.

 

ABC's plans: ABC moving ahead with plans to bring British 'Wife Swap' show to U.S. - Reality TV World

[JustAskJulie 2,588]

That show has been mentioned here a few times as it's been in the works (and on the upcoming list of reality shows) for at least a year.

 

As Poster Guy pointed out it is based on the UK show which isn't about sex but rather just about putting a woman with a different family. Of course, who knows what might happen depending on the people involved.

[Denver2some 15]

I'm an avid CSI and Law & Order fan (in all its permutations) ... and I have noticed a new trend on these shows. Lately, sometimes the victim of the crime was investigating their sexuality by attending swing clubs or private parties, or posting profiles on adult and swingers sites.

 

I think the trend *does* show that swinging is more talked about in vanilla society these days. But it may still be viewed by by the general public as dangerous ... after all, these characters ended up DEAD.

 

It makes me wonder if the writers and network execs are trying to say, "See what happened to these people because they were adventurous?" Hmmm ....

[chickadiva 15]

Julie and poster_guy are right, it's just a "teaser" name with "Wife Swap". The moms will just run the other household and I really doubt *any* hanky-panky will be implied. Come on, it's ABC! LOL...aren't they a Disney company?!

 

However, on the same thought, did any of you see Nip/Tuck on FX last season? It had a few episodes with lifestyle themes, and although they didn't kill off the characters involved there was some implication of "unsavory" issues and character flaws. But the house party episode was certainly, um, titillating!

[4forfun 15]

We are from the UK and emigrated here last year and I used to watch this show, but sorry to disappoint you folks the only thing exciting on there is when they are interviewed later about their experience and say what lazy gits they are or how good the other partner is. One incident the couple separated as the wife realized that there are men out there that actually help out

 

But there was a documentary I saw here in Canada end of last year about swinging in Quebec and how it is becoming more popular. Most of it was about on-premise clubs and it was quite interesting

 

Mrs.Fun

[Brit_Pair 59]

I only hope for your sakes that your version is an improvement on ours . . .

[JustAskJulie 2,588]

Looks like CSI is going to broach swinging again if I got the right idea from the previews of this week's episode. Might be worth checking out.

 

The title of the episode is "Swap Meet". According to tivo the synopsis is:

The team investigates a group of swingers in a gated community when one of them is found murdered after attending one of the group's parties.

[LikeMinds321 1,527]

Was their last swinging show about a swing club where a woman was murdered in the bathroom? The scene I saw (as I was walking through the living room taking a glance at the TV) was these really neat glass doors to a restroom that are fogged over when closed, but become clear when opened.

 

I didn't watch the show but those doors were soooo cool!

 

I'll try to watch the next one. If it's tomorrow night when West Wing is on, WW wins.

[JustAskJulie 2,588]

I don't remember that. I don't remember one with a swing club, but I can recall at least 2 other episodes that dealt with the concepts of swinging...

 

One was the spin-off episode for CSI:Miami, where there was a swinger party (one that you probably wouldn't have known was a swinger party had they not told you) and then some people went missing... and ended up in FL.

 

The other one was a case where a couple was using swinging to attract couples and then take rob them, and in one case ended up killing them.

[windsor4fun2 128]

That was just at a night club. customers had sex in the washrooms but it wasn't a swingers club.

[Hellboy 15]

Okay, if there is one show on TV I watch, its CSI. Well, tonight, the episode involving a case of murder and an in-home swinger party. And for the most part, the 'swingers' were portrayed as magnificent physical specimens with big black holes in their souls. And the moral of the story was how the lifestyle effected a 15 yo daughter of one of the swingers. Needless to say, it did not reflect favorably on the lifestyle. And being that I am in the process of trying to discover if my wife might be open to it and she does in fact love the show, she saw what I am interested in doing in a bad light. After great sex last night after a frank and open discussion about a great number of things, that was a real downer when she said as the closing credits ran "That's sick"

 

I don't want to read too much into what she said, not knowing specifically if she meant the older guy nailing the 15 yo girl or the lifestyle in general. It was not the right time to ask.

 

Before, you say anything, I know just flat out asking "Would swinging interest you?" would save me time and trouble.......but.......

 

Anyhow, just throwing the topic out there. How does that make you fell to see something like that or hear about something like that. The lifestyle portrayed in an unfavorable light in the media/entertainment?

[DBL D 120]

Well...what they talked about was ALL of the cliches, etc.--from "Rules" that can't be broken; Like "No means No!" to things like "Our marriage was just about finished....but swinging saved it!" and "Get a few people together and have a couple drinks....you'd be surprised at what might happen!" all said enthusiastically by the "Swingers". Now, I like CSI and so does Fem D (probably more than I) but....I've always been analytical by nature and love to pick apart those kids of shows. I've always been amazed when they actually portray something in the correct light which in my humble opinion (there-I've actually spelled it out for ya) they didn't! CBS didn't even come close to doing a good job with this one. Leave it to CBS to "surprise" us with something.

 

Male D

[NakedInSeattle 158]

So what did you expect? A story about swingers and no "moral lesson"? The positive spin is that they didn't have swinging as the motive for murder. The fact that a guy was doing a 15-year old was the sin.

 

OBTW, they were all beautiful and rich wern't they? We got the beautiful part down .....lol.

[fun_pairTX 26]

Since when has TV or any other branch of the media been straightforward in representing anything but life on "Leave it to Beaver". I have several buds that are screenwriters for both TV and Movies and they all agree that people must be embellished and caricatured to a point or the INDUSTRY writes them off as too boring and having no appeal.

[Spoomonkey 418]

Ironically, my unit is portraying an episode of CSI today for the company Halloween celebration... And there has long been a joke that my wife and I are swingers (not sure how it started, but it is kind of funny, since we are - and I really don't think they suspect that they are correct).

 

When we saw the previews for last night's episode (which we didn't watch) we were just a little stunned. Of course, we laughed about it and just kind of shook our heads.

 

We figured it would definitely show the "darker side" of the lifestyle.

[SnGinPA 15]

That show gives new meaning to the term "Neighborhood Association".

 

Oh well, look on the bright side...as popular as CSI is, I'm sure swinging is gonna be the topic of many conversations today. Who knows, maybe the show planted some "swing seeds" in some minds.

[EvilMJ 65]

Yeah, I started to watch the show too...but I had to put little evil to bed and after all the reading and singing the show was pretty much over.

 

But i have to agree when watching the first part of the show I looked at my husband and we both started to laugh.....Where the hell are all these perfect and beautiful people....!!! Wow....it was like a barbie and ken convention... Not a blemish or hair out of place amongst them...I gotta get me an invite to that party.

[EricSacto2 19]

I've never been to a swing party and was surprised by all the combinations of partners the CSI investigators found from the condoms. Is it usual to be with three or four partners in one night?

[hotsummers 15]

WE watched the show also with a similar opinion. However, there were some positive points. At least it didn't show toothless swingers in a trailer park! They were all intelligent, attractive and apparently having a good time. They also showed that the malice was not part of a swinger's jealousy or a spouse being "forced" to participate. On a more negative note, the show loosely followed a typical misconception that swinging and pedophilia are somehow linked. In other words, you'd better hide your children if a swinger is coming over. At least they made the “child” older and near the age of consent.

 

Most people can not understand how couples could be so indifferent to what would be tantamount to a sexual “affair” with a neighbor. When most relationships can not survive a fling, swingers seem impervious to normal jealousy. I feel that many people envy this ability as much as they cannot understand it. I also believe that the vast majority of people WOULD have sex with others if they thought that they could “get away with it.” Not only do swingers “get away with it,” they are actually are allowed to enjoy it!! LOL This is something that the average repressed couple cannot understand, therefore they must vilify it in order to accept it. TV just follows the "norm" to sell to a larger audience.

[DBL D 120]

I don't want to come across as saying that "No shouldn't mean no" and all that. My problem has been with the way they use cliches and sound bites to portray a lifestyle that encompasses so much more than that.

 

I guess I shouldn't be so hard on CBS. I mean, it wasn't supposed to be a documentary.

[Erotifunguy 15]

Hey all! Erotifunguy here! CSI is one of my favorite shows! Awesome!

 

CSI has been playing with the swinging lifestyle and sexual kinkiness elements in their plots, I think, primarily because it (the original show) takes place in Vegas and there is a common perception of that city as being "party and debauchery central!" Understandable. Right Vegas people?

Also, sex (and murder) definitely sells on television! RATINGS! Thus, the lifestyle, and other sexual variants will be portrayed again and again and again! We must get used to this! (Unfortunately TV writing tends not to explore too much past stereotypes of groups in hour-long dramas).

 

CSI has been the one show that has, at least, been willing to look at different sub-cultures. (And yes, we in the swing world are a sub-culture with our own rules, rituals, and lingo). The sexual sub-cultures have been explored on numerous occasions on all of the CSI shows.....

 

* There was the one with the hot couple that swapped and robbed the other couple. The initial meeting/seduction scene was hot!

* There was one were there was a fetish club with an "orgy" taking place in a swimming pool/dance floor filled with bubbles in which someone is murdered amidst the confusion! (episode: "Slaves of Love")

* There was the sex in the nightclub were, I think, one was killed by the other in a random sex encounter! (Be careful out there!)

* And I believe there was one with a madame/mistress who was advisor on a case were a female victim died during play with latex molding! (Anyone ever try that one?) That was memorable for the super hot mistress making an offer to the head CSI guy! (I imagine him taking her up on the offer! I would!) (episode: "Lady Heather's Box")

* There was even one with some sex-crazed "little people" at a convention having sexual rendezvous all over the place at their gathering! Right on!

 

These shows haven't been too bad. Some have been pretty entertaining and raunchy! I will continue to watch and enjoy! It's only TV people...if people don't like it, switch off! Or, speaking as a screenwriter.......write a REAL swinging CSI episode and submit it to them! You can! Any takers?

 

We could come up with some cool stories if we all put our minds to it! Don't ya think? (Maybe too much for CBS, though!) I think that a swinger soap opera would be an awesome show to watch!

 

P.S. - I have been thinking about recently, before this post, of starting a thread as to what you all think is the best swinging movie ever made! Let me know if we should go ahead with that one or what! Think about it!

[mrs good times 73]

Don't forget the episode where they were all dressed up like animals at a convention and had lots of furry sex.

 

FunPair, Mr. GT was wondering about the technics used too by the guy that admitted having sex with three of the women at the party. If you get any tips please pass them on.

 

My favorite part was when he opened the dishwasher

[Dave_kat 227]

We saw one the other day where a couple was using "swinging" to get other couples into their room where they forced one partner to kill the other one. Probably a bad one though

[IndyGirl2004 18]

I enjoyed the dishwasher thing, too! All the toys and the comments about cleanliness being next to Godliness. The descriptions by the couple of their party...it was a mixer...they were a very friendly group. lol I enjoyed that. The condom thing was a bit gross though.

 

Unfortunately, they did resort to the Barbie and Ken thing as well as the darker side of sex and swinging.

[fun_pairTX 26]

If you think that CBS or any other major network is going to do a "real" profile of "real" swingers you are sadly mistaken. Television is fantasyland. Stereotypes and cliche's rule there. How much interest and what kind of Neilsen's would they get if they showed a room full of middle aged swingers bumpin beer bellies?

[Erotifunguy 15]

I saw a documentary on swingers a few years ago on, I think it was HBO. It was well done, was compassionate, and was understanding of the lifestyle. It showed the pros (sexual openness, fulfillment, friendship) and the downsides (jealousy, marital strain on couples). It really got into the minds of the swingers profiled.

 

I think that a dramatic show done like that would be successful if the writers involved real swingers in the development of plot lines and characters, and the real nature of the lifestyle was portrayed. Not just pretty people being kinky, but real people being sexual.

 

Yes, Hollywood and TV are fantasy made visual. But entertainment can become more realistic and meaningful if done with that emphasis in mind. I think that there will be a realistic portrayal relatively soon (the vanilla public is fascinated with the sub-culture). Maybe one of us should write such a script! I am an independent screenwriter/filmmaker here in the Midwest. It can be done! Anyone willing to help with such a project or even star in it?!

 

The only way to really change Hollywood is to take it over and do your own projects! Then we'll get the real lifestyle shown!

 

[JustAskJulie 2,588]

The only way you see swingers being portrayed in a remotely real light is if actual swingers are involved. As far as the looks issue (Ken and Barbies) there are groups like that so you can't discount that and when you combine that with the making of a television show of course they are going to go after the pretty people... that's what TV is all about.

 

I really didn't have a lot of problems with the show overall though, yes it was a bit cliche, but other than the pretty people can you really say the actual swinging issues were all that off-track? Take away the actual crimes which had nothing to do with swinging and boil it down and what you have is really not all that far from the truth.

 

Hellboy, have you had a chance to talk to your wife yet? I'd like to know what it was she saw that was sick. Was it the swapping itself or the taking advantage of a young girl?

 

There is no group of perfect people who stick to their rules no matter what. What this show displayed was just that, that despite all the rules you make and keep, when it comes down to it if ONE person breaks those rules it affects the whole group. In this case, ONE person broke the rules.

 

Another thing to consider, is for those of you who have kids and assume they don't know. I would have to wonder if you are right in that assumption.

 

I find it interesting that regardless of who puts together a project that displays this lifestyle, people within it will always find fault with how it is displayed. What it really comes down to is that not all swingers are the same. There are Barbies and Kens and there are very unattractive people, there are rich swingers and there are trailer poor people. There are those who have it together and swing together because it's something they both want and it works for them, and then there are just as many who are doing it for all the wrong reasons. You can't have the good without the bad and you can't show the good without the bad.

[flkeyscouple 20]

Old thread, but full of good info. Based on what a few people said about the HBO series 'Six Feet Under' I added all five seasons to my netflix queue.

 

Is this series still on HBO? I don't watch much TV and HBO even less than network.

 

I've watched all of the CSI episodes that are discussed in this thread. Some are kinder to swinging than others, but none seemed real negative.

 

Good discussions - even if they are years old!!

 

Sarah

[FloridaFlirt 15]

Did anyone see the episode of UGLY BETTY two weeks ago? There was a scene where Amanda (one of the characters) was going to her parents' home in the middle of the day to confront them on an issue.

 

When she got there, her parents were coming down the stairs in matching robes and holding wine glasses. Amanda launches into a speech about how her parents kept secrets from her? "Secrets? We have no secrets dear!"

 

And then, right on cue, down walks another couple, matching robes and wine glasses in tow, saying "Where are you? We're getting lonely!" The parents, immediately realizing the awkward situation, scrambled to explain that "these are our 'internet friends'. We were playing tennis when the lawn sprinklers went off and everyone's clothes got wet, so we put them in the dryer...."

 

I.just.lost. it.

[JustAskJulie 2,588]

Portlandia Episode "Motorcycle"