By producing the film, Grein and Brenner sought to dispel commonly held misconceptions about physical relationships in college. The surveys and studies on hooking up at college reveal that “the numbers are always much lower than students guess they will be,” Brenner said, “and we wanted to demonstrate that disparity.” Added Grein, “There is no norm.”
The film features first-years through seniors alone and in small groups candidly answering questions about hooking up at Amherst College. Topics ranged from what percentage of Amherst students hook up, the definition of a hookup, the benefits and drawbacks of hookups and how members of the LGBTQIA community experience the hookup culture at Amherst.
Initially, students’ responses seem varied. The percentage of Amherst students hooking up within a given year is estimated between the broad range of 30 and 80 percent, while the definition of a hookup ranges from just kissing horizontally to having sex. However, as the film continues, an overriding narrative develops. Hookups, as understood by this sampling of the student body, are enjoyable, purposely ambiguous and noncommittal. Those interviewed also recognized alcohol’s role within the hookup culture, the value of consent (whether implicitly or explicitly given) and the different standards men and women face regarding hookups.
The film’s subjects were frank, honest, sometimes humorous and reflected a generally educated and responsible attitude towards hooking up. Grein noted that this is ultimately where the strength of the film lies—that “student voices become the avenue for that message” of sexual safety and consent.
For example, in the film Josh Nathan ’10 posits, “Consent gets a bad rap because it feels like it interrupts something; it doesn’t interrupt anything. I mean, it’s an interruption to affirm something much more positive ... and it can be sexy.”
Students who viewed the documentary expressed appreciation for the issues it voiced. “I thought the documentary was a really good representation of an issue we don’t usually talk about on campus,” Rebecca Oyen ’09 said. “It was great that it was made by and with students at the College. It’s something that we usually take for granted, so it was nice to see people thinking actively about it.”
Stephanie Grossman ’10 agreed. “It was great to be able to get a real sense of what students at Amherst actually think about hookups and relationships. It also got a lot of people thinking about what goes on here, and hopefully from now on, whether or not more dating emerges on campus, at least we know that a lot of people share the same concerns.”
Colombina Valera ’10 appreciated the discussion led by Professor of Psychology Catherine Sanderson after the film. “Professor Sanderson seemed to muster a voice from the crowd—that everyone was saying they wanted a dating scene, but we’re not really doing anything about it. A handful of people are not willing to ask people out and that handful is able to suppress a whole dating scene.”
Valera added, “I was glad that they did it and a little surprised that people were so willing to talk about something that’s usually so private.”
In light of the success, Grein and Brenner are planning on having a second showing of the film on Friday, May 2, as well as adapting segments of the film to show to first-year students during Orientation.