Lovin' Touchin' Squeezin'

Sex and our attitudes about it are funny things. Think about it: The "Earth's largest adult superstore" is setting up shop in Portland, yet the daily newspaper edits out references to oral sex in its coverage of the presidency. It was into this conflicted landscape that we sent reporters, a week before Valentine's Day, to discover what makes people tick in this town when it comes to matters of the heart. We expected them to come back bearing more XXX than I LUV U. They returned with a layered and surprisingly candid look at how Portlanders deal with lust, love and romance. Most of those we polled seem eager to create lasting relationships and willing to undertake some hard work to make them happen. These kinds of concerns have birthed (so to speak) a whole industry based on giving sexual advice, and two of our articles focus on that topic. For those looking for short cuts, we've also included our picks for the best songs to get it on to. Our better sense tells us that there's much more to this game than cheesy K-Tel romance tunes, but, hey, if it works, go for it. For when all else fails, we've included a literary review. Yes, there's a porn mag out there made just for you. Enjoy. THERAPY: Sex of the Gods INTERVIEWS : Penny | Brent & Jason | David | Shannon | sts | Gary | Brady and Julie | Susan & Chris | Diana & Wendy | Mollie MUSIC: Easy Does It LITERATURE: The Score on Smut ADVICE: Looking for Miss Lonely Hearts PRODUCTS: Shine-Ola - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Willamette Week | originally published February 10, 1999