Berlin holds an orgy but no one has sex at the the Love Parade

Staunton, D. (2000, July 2). Berlin holds an orgy but no one has sex at the the Love Parade. The Observer, p. 25 (London, England).

OVERVIEW

When they threw a party for Berlin DJ, Dr. Motte, in July 1989, 150 people came. Each year it has grown, until it became known as the Love Parade, the biggest dance party in the world. "It has become Berlin’s biggest tourist attraction, a drug-fuelled celebration of hedonism that fills the city centre with one-and-a-half million half-naked young people and a throbbing techno beat…Berlin police say the city’s drug dealers prepare for the event months in advance and the factories making ecstasy and amphetamines across the border in Poland have been working overtime…"

In the mid-1990s, DJ Motte "outraged Germany’s Jews by suggesting that a half century after the Holocaust, they should ‘put on a new record and stop whining’. He apologised two years later and has kept clear of political issues ever since."

Although the rave-style event seems to be all about sex, a professor who heads the Institute for Sexual Research in Frankfurt see changes in the Love Parade over the years. Revelers today seem to be more exhibitionist with a declining interest in others. In fact he sees the Parade more about loneliness than sex or love. According to Professor Volkmar Sigusch:

When people show themselves off like this at the Love Parade it has a primarily self-regarding character. It is meant to satisfy the person himself. It is not love or even sex between two people that is in the foreground but self love.

The Love Parade is a curious construction. The old sexuality experienced by previous generations was hysterical when it took place in public. What had been repressed broke out equally powerfully. The new sexuality follows a perverse mode.

Sociologists studying the Parade find that, despite the dancing, "drugs, music, and naked flesh, very few ravers end up having sex." Sigusch believes " ‘this reflects a worldwide trend among young people who are losing interest in sex altogether.’ "

A large number of people can now admit they simply don’t enjoy sex. Just like there are people who never watch television, never read a book, never travel. We must learn to understand this.

Not all young revelers are happy with the Love Parade. "Some dance music fans are staging their own alternative party in Berlin—called appropriately enough, the F--- Parade. Still Motte’s Parade is a success, not only in Berlin, but in Vienna and in Leeds, England. His plans are global:

My vision is to establish a Love Parade day throughout the world and to let as many people dance that the morphogenetic field around the earth will be so full that world peace will reign through dancing.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION AND DISCUSSION

1. How do you see the Love Parade? What legitimate longings of young hearts does it attempt to fill?
2. Do you think the motives of those who promoted the celebration in the early years were different from their motives today?
3. What would explain the difference in the spirit of those who celebrated in the early years and those who attend now?
4. What are the aspects of postmodernism that promote virtual reality, temporary communities, exhibitionism, escapism, and ecstatic experiences?
5. How do you understand the large events or "scenes" of young people today?
6. How would you deal with your teenage children if they wanted to attend such an event?

IMPLICATIONS

1. All of us have strong drives toward thrills, adventure, attention, and belonging. All seek relief from boredom and stress.
2. It is easy to be seduced by crowds, hype, musical beats and chemical highs. We may not notice that we are being exploited by promoters.
3. Young people today are attracted to extreme sports, risks, and thrills. The Love Parade can be seen as an Xtreme Event.
4. Without real adventure, highs, community, and role models, we may be attracted to the most ephemeral answers to our needs and desires.