voyeurism

In the US, there's a sort of shame surrounding voyeurism. Peeping toms are creepy for invading the private (sex) lives of others. Yet there's absolutely no shame in (heterosexual) displays of affection in public.

When I was working in the photo lab last semester, an older friend told me about voyeurism in Japan. Not only are there tv shows that serve only to titillate (which is not so different from reality tv shows here, but those are focused more on relationship drama than solely sex) but apparently men will go to parks where young couples have sex, in public, and sometimes even touch the girls during copulation. There also are vending machines that sell used panties. How strange, especially in a culture without any display of affection between couples and where laughing is considered obscene! Perhaps, though, it is not so strange after all.