Threesome
A sexual interaction between three people where at least one engages in physical sexual behaviour with both others.
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A threesome is a sexual encounter involving three people, where at least one participant has physical sexual contact with both of the others. Although the term usually describes a single sexual event, it has also been used for long-term domestic arrangements like polyamory or a ménage à trois. As a form of group sex, threesomes often happen in private settings—spontaneously among friends, during casual sex, or at hookups. They can also occur at events that permit sexual activity, such as swingers gatherings, orgies, or sex parties.
Threesomes are a common sexual fantasy and appear frequently in pornography. Participants can be of any gender or sexual orientation, and they may engage in any type of sex act—vaginal, anal, oral, or manual—with one or both partners. Some participants might only engage in autoerotic activity like masturbation, without physical contact.
Whether this counts as a threesome is subjective; it could be seen as voyeurism, cuckolding, or cuckqueaning. The term "troilism" covers both threesomes and cuckoldry, though its meaning varies in different texts. Threesomes are often described with shorthand like MMF (male, male, female), FFM (female, female, male), MMM, or FFF. "Sandwich" is slang for someone positioned between two partners, simultaneously performing both receptive and insertive anal or vaginal sex.
Academic research
The first major academic study on threesomes was published in 1988: Threesomes: Studies in Sex, Power, and Intimacy by Arno Karlen. Based mainly on interviews, it found that threesomes were often seen as different from other group sex. Women sometimes viewed them as a safe way to explore sexuality. They often involved a couple plus a third person, who was not always treated equally.
Karlen noted a societal tendency to view threesome participants as alien, similar to swingers or homosexuals. Research shows men are more interested in and more likely to have threesomes. A 1987 British newspaper survey found that 34% of 1,862 men and 15% of 2,905 women had experienced one. A 2017 US national sample found 34.1% of men and 11.1% of women found the idea at least somewhat appealing, while 18% of men and 10% of women had actually engaged in one.
In popular culture
Threesomes appear in art and popular culture. Films and TV shows featuring them include 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), and Love (2015). Basic Instinct 2 (2006) originally planned a threesome scene, but it was cut.
Quick Facts
- First major academic work
- Arno Karlen's 1988 'Threesomes: Studies in Sex
- Power
- and Intimacy'
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
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.
Reader's Guide
Threesomes are a form of group sex that typically occurs in private settings, such as spontaneous sexual activity among three friends or in the context of casual sex or a hook up. A threesome may occur in specific contexts or environments that allow for sex, such as swingers events, orgies, or sex parties. Threesomes are a common element of sexual fantasy, and are widely depicted in pornography.
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.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Threesome (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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