Carnal Reason

But does this mean that, as an aging person, you’re no longer capable of feeling the lust that you felt as an 18-year old? Not at all! You’re attracted just as strongly as you ever were to 18-year olds! The problem is that everybody your own age seems repulsive.
Dave Barry, Sex after 40

On a typical day I get at least 30 pieces of spam email. Several of them have some variant spelling of Viagra or Cialis in the subject line. The steadiness of the deluge leads me to conclude that someone is responding to these ads. Who is consuming this stuff, and why?

The Viagra ads on television generally depict a handsome couple in their fifties. They’re both in shape, and she must have been quite a babe back in the day. There are maybe ten or twelve couples like this in the United States; they cannot support an industry.

Detectives on television are always trying to establish means and motive. I will stipulate that Viagra can restore the means. What restores the motive? Nothing short of massive hormone replacement therapy, so I infer that old people are not the ones keeping Viagra afloat.

I suspect that Viagra is widely used in some way not recommended by the manufacturer, by someone other than its official target demographic. I am too unhip to know what is actually going on, but am curious. Please fill me in if you know.

Damn, I feel old.

Posted on May 4th, 2005 by pwyll
Filed under: General