Gorean

Goreans are, all too often, nutters who have taken the works of a science fiction author way too seriously.[1] The term "Gorean" comes from the Chronicles of Gor series of novels by John Norman, set mostly (where else?) on the planet Gor. The basic setup of the universe is that a group of insectoid aliens decided to make a zoo full of humans where people lived "as nature intended" and incinerated with laser beams anyone who developed along paths they did not like. The society in the novels is a patriarchy in which women are enslaved and bought and sold as property (there are some male slaves as well, though they're rare). In fact, on the planet Gor, gravity itself seems to be sexist. Tarl Cabot, the Earth-born hero of the series, is described as having much greater strength on Gor, as his muscles developed to function under Earth's higher gravity. However, Earth women have no such experience and find themselves physically helpless before Gorean men.

We're so glad you came
Sexuality
Reach around the subject
v - t - e
No relation to followers of Al Gore or inhabitants of Korea, or the combination thereof.

Many Goreans simply use Norman's setting for the purposes of BDSM role-playing. However, vocal proponents of Gorean "philosophy" actually think the series is a good blueprint for society, which has led to the creation of Gorean sex cults. The Goreans justify the subjugation of women using a mixture of recycled eugenics (or dysgenics, to be more technically accurate) and Social Darwinism. In short, back when men were men and women were women, skull-cracking cavemen roamed the Earth who were better adapted for survival because of their superior combat skills and penchant for kidnapping women. This kept the riff-raff from reproducing until the advent of modernity, industrialization, and feminism.

A splinter group from the Goreans called the Kaotians, founded by Lee Thompson, was raided in May 2006.[2] In 2008, Thompson was sentenced to three years in prison for forcing his girlfriend to have sex with a number of other men.[3]

The Gorean opinion on how such a society could be brought about on Earth, given the absence of Gor's insect overlords[4] here, is unknown. And unasked for.

For an introduction to the world of Gor that won't make you hate humanity, Mystery Science Theater 3000's take on Outlaw (Episode 519), aka Outlaw of GorFile:Wikipedia's W.svg, is recommended.

See also

References
  1. And we know how well that works out.
  2. Police discover sex-slave cult, BBC. Possibly inspired by these events, UK crime series Wire in the Blood featured an episode with a very similar theme in September of that year.
  3. Sex cult leader in jail for forcing girlfriend into sex with others, Religion News Blog
  4. Priest-kings of, erm geocities
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