Lorina Kutan-Boghosian

Videographer

Photo Via Spin and Shake 

Drinking rituals are a large part of drinking culture; toasts, chugging, tequila with salt and lime, Jägerbombs, and the Blowjob shot. Consisting of equal parts Amaretto and Irish Cream with whipped cream on top, a Blowjob shot is served at women’s birthdays, girls’ night and bachelorette parties and executed by licking the cream, taking the shot with no hands and pretending to give oral pleasure to the drink. 

The Blowjob shot is a prime example of the alcohol industry targetting women do be the spectacle of sexual rituals. But why don’t men have equivalent drinking customs? Men who engage in sexualized, feminine, or submissive behaviours are more likely to be mocked or laughed at than cheered on in social settings, considering it would be quite unusual to see a straight man perform fellatio to a shot glass. To quote an article from Medium, “In a world hyper-obsessed with performing masculinity, it seems that just being thought of as effeminate or gay is still bad enough.” This demonstrates the persistent double standard: sexualized drinking rituals by women are accepted, expected, and even promoted. However, when men do the same, it becomes awkward or comical. Shots like the Flaming Dr. Pepper (Beer, Amaretto, and Rum) and the Irish Car Bomb (dropping a shot of Irish cream and Irish whisky into a glass of Irish stout) emphasize toughness, violence, and machismo, traits frequently associated with masculinity. On the other hand, women are often encouraged to buy pink, fruity, and sweet shots with suggestive names like Slippery Nipple or Wet Pussy, reinforcing the idea that their role in drinking culture is to be submissive and erotic.

Typically, Blowjob shots are “gifted” by bar staff or friends for a group to film and watch. According to PUNCH, a digital media brand dedicated to drinks and drinking culture, in the mid-1990s, fueled by the rising popularity of raunchy bachelorette parties, the Blowjob shot was sometimes taken from a man’s waistband. This form of collective entertainment encourages the participant to simulate a sexual act in front of an anticipating crowd. Once the shot is swallowed, the crowd reaches a climax and ascends into cheers and applauses. Furthermore, since the participant is most likely a couple of drinks in and already under the effects of alcohol, the ability to fully give consent becomes blurred due to the eager crowd and adrenaline. This form of accepted voyeurism can be deeply uncomfortable, considering the vulnerability of such an act. We’ve become desensitized to the overt forms of sexualization of women; lollipops, popsicles, and bananas are phallic foods we love to sexualize. In 1990, comedian George Carlin asked the the crowd, “Are you ever able to watch a woman eating a banana and not think of a blowjob?”A woman can’t get her daily dose of potassium without feeling weird while others watch. So what makes a Blowjob shot any different? Is this a subconscious behaviour or have women been force fed a certain narrative through media and porn? 

The Blowjob shot, along with many other sexualized drinks, came about in the 1980s with the popularity of peach liqueur for its affordability and sweetness; as a bottle of peach schnapps only cost about $5 according to PUNCH. The Silk Panties (vodka and peach schnapps) walked so that the Slippery Nipple or the Buttery Nipple (Irish cream and butterscotch schnapps), the Redheaded Slut (peach schnapps, Jägermeister, and cranberry juice), and the beloved Blowjob shot could run. Over the years, there have been many additions to this list of raunchy drinks. For example, the Dirty Little Virgin, Sex on the Beach, Pornstar Martini, Killer Pussy shot, Wet Pussy shot, and Juicy Pussy shot. Sure, sex sells, but why these names? According to The Mixer, a drinkspiration platform, 37% of men and 26% of women prefer fun and flirty names over classy, sophisticated names. Porn culture plays a significant role in the naming of these shots and cocktails.

According to Forbes, the arrival of the camcorder made it much cheaper to shoot and produce “amateur” porn. Before the 1980s, you would only find porn in adult magazines such as Playboy, founded in 1953, but according to Psychology Today, porn was still expensive and relatively hard to acquire. According to the same publication, in the digital age, porn has become almost universally accessible, affordable, and completely anonymous. Furthermore, porn culture has become so mainstream that the alcohol industry has been affected by its influence on names and drinking rituals. Through access to porn, participants indulging in the performance of the Blowjob shot still know what to do even if they lack hands-on experience. Thanks to the unlimited videos or images online, porn has established a certain rubric for women on how to give a proper blowjob.

The Blowjob shot is more than just a playful party ritual. As long as society continues to promote female sexuality as entertainment, rituals like the Blowjob shot will remain a staple of nightlife. However, recognizing this phenomenon allows us to question why such customs exist and who they truly serve.