#ChokeMeDaddy: A Content Analysis of Memes Related to Choking/Strangulation During Sex

Abstract

Recent research indicates that some young people initially learn about sexual choking through Internet memes. Thus, a qualitative content analysis was performed on 316 visual and textual memes collected from various social media websites and online searches to assess salient categories related to choking during sex. We identified nine main categories: communication, gendered dynamics, choking as dangerous, choking as sexy, sexualization of the nonsexual, shame and worry, romance/rough sex juxtaposition, choking and religious references, instructional/informational. Given that memes, through their humor, can make difficult topics more palatable and minimize potential harm in the phenomenon they depict, more concerted, synergistic effort that integrates media literacy into sexuality education programming on the potential risks that may ensue for those engaging in sexual choking is warranted. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10508-022-02502-5.

Our Hero and That Kind of Woman: Imaginaries of Sexuality, Masculinity and Femininity in the Discussion of the Rape Allegation against Cristiano Ronaldo in Portugal

“…Furthermore, mainstream newspapers' opinion pages tend to be associated with the voices of the powerful and dominant discourses (e.g., Wahl-Jorgensen 2004). This study of memes, which is particularly relevant when examining public perceptions, has exposed how humor can be mobilized to construct and sustain gender stereotypes, ideologies and imaginaries of sexuality (e.g., Herbenick et al 2023;Lomotey 2020). This type of material is therefore well suited to examine the imaginaries that fueled the discussion of the rape allegation against Ronaldo: which gender norms and notions of sexuality, masculinity, femininity, morality and respectability were mobilized to sustain opinions or, in the case of memes, to seek the humor effect?…”

Rough Sex: Aktueller Diskussions- und Forschungsstand

“…2 ). Eine qualitative Inhaltsanalyse von N = 316 englisch- und spanischsprachigen Choking-Memes zeigte unter anderem, dass in der Regel Frauen beim Choking in der passiven Rolle gezeigt werden, gleichzeitig aber auch nicht selten als diejenigen, die Choking beim Heterosex einfordern („Choke me, daddy“) und genießen (Herbenick et al 2022e ).…”

“…Beispielsweise hat allein die Sexualforscherin Debby Herbenick von der Indiana University Bloomington (USA) von 2021 bis 2023 rund zwanzig Veröffentlichungen zu harten Sexpraktiken und insbesondere zu Würgen beim Sex vorgelegt (z. B. Herbenick et al 2021 , 2022a , 2022b , 2022c , 2022d , 2022e ). Ein erster Sammelband ist verfügbar, der harten Sex speziell aus strafrechtlicher Perspektive beleuchtet (Bows und Herring 2022 ) und auch einen Forschungsüberblick enthält (Gallagher et al 2022 ).…”

Research in brief: How prevalent is rough sex? Results from a national online sample of adults in Germany

“…In recent years, and across multiple countries, rough sex has become of public and academic interest 1,2 . Rough sexual practices such as spanking, slapping, or choking during intercourse are very visible in the media—for instance, in pornography, 3 Internet memes, 4 erotic novels, 5 and sexual advice literature 6 . At the same time, rough sex seems to be quite popular at least among younger people from the Global North, with lifetime prevalence rates of up to 79% among undergraduate students in the United States 7 …”