The Surprising History of Sex and Love

2002, History  -   33 Comments
Ratings: 7.43/10 from 42 users.

The Surprising History of Sex and LoveThis award-winning documentary is a look throughout history at the different and surprising attitudes to sex and love, presented by Terry Jones.

The programme traces the story of changing social and religious attitudes to sex through a broad swathe of history.

Starting with the place of sacred sex in the ancient world and ending with a discussion of the contemporary relationship between sex, marketing and prurience, the programme offers some kind of map of how we got from there to here, and indicates that changes in sexual attitudes are connected with issues of power and control.

Filmed in India, Egypt, Greece, Italy, France the USA and the UK, the programme includes much surprising material, some of which (such as the celebration of the wedding of Shiva and Parvati at Khajuraho, India) has never before been seen on television.

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33 Comments / User Reviews

  1. Best free dating sites

    Love is a very beautiful and in the joyful word you fell someone something that time you feel special for her and him, And also important part any relationship sex. love and sex both are enjoyed every couple.

    1. B. Wilson

      Could you please rewrite your above stream of nonsense, so those of us who communicate through grammatical sentences might have a f***ing clue what you are saying.

  2. Michelle

    Well done, Terry Jones.

  3. CeilingCat

    I never did get the Christian idea of worshiping some dowdy male deity. The image of a magnificent Goddess is far more alluring, to me...

    Each to their own, I suppose.

  4. Yusiley S

    I agree with the previous comments posted here, this documentary has a distorted view of what is love, and yes there is a HUGE difference between sex and love. I can't blame the creators though. The modern technologically advanced societies (United States, Great Britian, Japan, China, etc)... what the hell is the western world anyways? The Yanomani tribe is in Brazil and they're ideals aren't even close to that of Canada or United States, yet they're part of the western hemisphere or western part of the world... anyways the technologically advanced societies are misguided on what is love... true love.

    I think due to the misguide-ness and distortion of what is love, is the reason for the high levels of divorce in these technologically advanced societies. Think about it... does a year of dating really count as a rite to passage into married? Seriously, one year isn't enough to know a person. First get to know the person before signing up a life long deal. Not that I don't believe in arrange marriages... in fact I like those better because they rarely get separation... there is too much at stake for both members of the divorce. And speaking of divorces... I believe divorces ought to be used in the most extreme circumstances. In many of these technologically advanced societies, people are so easily divorced all because they want to stop playing the game of responsibilities. >_> If you can't handle simple responsibility than 1.) don't get married and 2.) definitely don't have any kids. Remove yourselves from the genetic pool and stop polluting our species evolution with your disguising, primitive, weak, retarded genes.

    As for the documentary, unless you slept through World History during your high school years, there is nothing new being presented here. Sort of a yawn. All these docs on sex is the same garbage... mostly from the point-of-view of a westerner. Totally miss out on the less technologically advanced societies... aka primitive tribal societies... view on what is love and sex.

    Again, this documentary has love in the title but doesn't really show the history or evolution on the modern concept of love. This doc was nothing more than an excuse to make a soft-core porn.

  5. Liebewitz

    Third comment

    Will the python give a mention to the Celtic -possibly anglo norman -Sheela na Gig -found in Ireland +Britain

  6. Liebewitz

    woops---grammatical error---not would have---but 'would have had'

  7. Liebewitz

    methinks Mr Jones was obsessed with the 'goat and devil? garden statue. So much so-that specialist Susan Deasy (who would have my attention)-could hardly 'get a word in'.

    Dats private schooling for ya!

  8. John Cury

    their grrrrreat!

  9. Guest

    The only legally permited position to fornicate in Washington DC is the "Missionnary" he mentioned! Is this part of the "Patriot Act" or it applies only to the politicians? That makes Bill guilty of a new accusation isn't it?

    No wonder 'bout the sad faces over there!
    And in Virgina, it is absolutly forbidden to feel a woman breast in any circumstance? I'll say, a bunch of outlaws that handle a few while breast feeding! How else could they do, really?

    Reminds me of the "One hundred orgasms a day" docu, huh?


  10. Platoson

    cornflakes are still tasteless (haha)

  11. Thien Warder

    interesting that the Egyptian believe are so similar to tantra in Hindu.

  12. Layla Phelps

    Illegal to kiss in public... weird law. Lol. And wow...just um wow. I like Cornflakes though. =( This is the strangest doc I've ever watched.

  13. KK

    Lol so loved part 4 where they point out Kellog's cornflakes was invented to keep people from having sex! I actually believe that: always thought it was tasteless and malnutricious stuff.

    1. Jack1952

      I love cornflakes!

    2. Guest

      How about raisin bran? lol

    3. Jack1952

      At my age bran is important!

  14. Guest

    I found this to be interesting. Again it shows how much the church has controlled the population on every subjects and made them an issue!
    Would like to see a doc on Sex and Love made in West Africa. That would be more the pulse of a raw human being. OR...a doc made by the young generation interviewing the young generation. I think a lot of taboos have been lifted.
    Good watching anyhow!

  15. Tipsy

    More like, "The Surprising History Of Sex and... No Wait, That's About It".

    Fairly entertaining views of sex and how things changed, but still heavily centered in western Europe. A lot the facts in here are fairly easy to come by.

  16. sindhi_chandio

    very nice and researchable documentary.... which will educate to society and will solve complication issues of sex and love...
    Ghulam Rasool Chandio
    Director Documentaries

  17. Rachelnico

    interesting, but nothing special.

  18. Tamsin Spargo

    Terry Jones really isn't someone you want to hear talking aout sex...I feel a bit sick now

  19. His Forever

    I didn't like it. Had no concept of "morality" at all in it. Very dissappointed.

    1. Guest really make me laugh. What did you expect from a video on Sex...morality in not in the video it is in the brain of people.
      You sound like a guy that wears a very tight belt, but i see that belt loosing up as you watch more and more videos. Have you been stuck somewhere? I like your avatar...a hand letting a butterfly dance in the wind!

    2. His Forever

      I'm not sure what I was expecting; perhaps a little more respect for Christians in general. It was an interesting subject, had it not been for all the Christian-bashing.

      My belt isn't so tight. If we didn't have kids so fast in our marriage . . . . They litterally come between you until the age of five, especially since we've only shared one bed the entire time.

      I like that butterfly picture too. I have several from an eco park near our house. I truly love butterflies, birds, and fish. I wish I could open a butterfly conservatory!

    3. Guest

      Sex and Love have existed way before christianity and it wasn't considered immoral just like eating is not immoral sex wasn't either. Both are feedings, one is for physical need and the other for spiritual need. Christianity has turned sex into something "godawful", like eating is turning into bulemia and anorexia.
      See you have children, so do i. This is your chance to allow individuality. My kids NEVER took a religious class in school, we moved a LOT and where ever there was a Moral class they attended (in Quebec, California), if the school did not have that option then they went to the library to read on what interested them.

    4. 0zyxcba1

      You say: "morality" (in quotes).
      Is that perhaps because you know not the meaning of the word?
      If not, enlighten us -- please.
      Thank you.

    5. His Forever

      I'm quite sure we'd disagree on anything said concerning "morality" in general. I'll pass, thanks.

      Peace to you.

    6. Guest

      Ah, the religious moral majority speaks. What's a matta' Charles, scared your Luke: 54. spaceship is going to fry you by having nefarious thoughts? (LOL) Variety is the spice of life. No?

    7. His Forever

      I don't know exactly what I was expecting with a documentary with this title. Curiosity killed the cat! But it was entirely 100% anti-Christian 100% pro-Pagan even when it didn't need to be. The Catholics were very unGodly prudish, trying to forbid marrage entirely, but the Apostle Paul was a true man of God with wisdom and intelligence and God-inspired knowledge. They tried to make him sound like a biggoted bafoon, of which he certainly was not.

  20. adilrye

    Very interesting, entertaining and funny. I've always wanted to see how our sexual attitudes developed over the past few thousand years.

    Fascinating, but a bit TOO fast and jumped from one era to another without much explanation

  21. Mario Silverio

    where is love in here? i did not see it in this doc or, maybe i missed the undefined meaning of love or sex...