Poll: The Harem Thread

[Paragon Fury]

So, its time for another revealing, nailbiting Escapist thread!

The topic this time?

HAREMS!

Specifically - if possible, would you have one?

This applies to both the guys AND girls too. If you could have a harem of your own - any size that you wished - or equivalent, such as a poly-amorous marriage - would you?

Some basic ground rules for the sake of being even and answering a few early questions:

- We'll assume, for the sake of simplicity, that all the members of said harem agree/want it, and therefore there wouldn't be any in-fighting
- You're not allowed to anything that resembles pimping/prostitution with them
- You're not allowed to use them as slaves
- You can have whatever arrangement you like; IE - working setups, whom you have sex with and when, etc.
- They're still autonomous human beings

So....would you?

For myself....well, I'd have a hard enough time having ONE woman be interested in me. If somehow the world suddenly went insane and TWO women were interested in me at the same time....I could maybe deal with it. Might be interesting.

 

[DefunctTheory]

Specifically - if possible, would you have one?

Well, the pornographic part of me is enthralled by the idea. I mean... who wouldn't want a large group of sexy [INSERT PREFERRED GENDER/S] around to service them in [INSERT SEXUAL/OTHER] ways?

But... realistically, I probably wouldn't. While I like the idea of sexy times with many women, in practice I'm not fond of emotion free sex. I'm also socially and emotionally incompetent, and I have a hard time keeping up with one woman. I seriously doubt I can do 2+.

But for the sake of discussion, lets say yes (In reality, no). If so...

- We'll assume, for the sake of simplicity, that all the members of said harem agree/want it, and therefore there wouldn't be any in-fighting

Of course.

- You're not allowed to anything that resembles pimping/prostitution with them

Why would one want to share their harem?

- You're not allowed to use them as slaves

Wouldn't dream of it.

- You can have whatever arrangement you like; IE - working setups, whom you have sex with and when, etc.

That seems like a lot of effort. Freeform non-scheduled sexy times or nothing.

- They're still autonomous human beings

Is it really a harem otherwise, or just a collection of really complicated fleshlights?

 

[TheIronRuler]

Whenever I think of harems I think of King Solomon's thousand wives and countless concubines, I imagine to myself a different partner, probably multiple, every night. At this point its the way you look at things - and I don't know if I could handle such a thing.

However King David's last days on the other hand, although quite uncomfortable, were made pretty less-painful by literally attaching young women to him instead of turning on the AC. Who wouldn't want to get warm in the winter alongside a snugly partner?

 

[axlryder]

yes, because that would mean I would at least have people to talk to T-T

Seriously though, I would do it only if the women were bisexual and potentially interested in my SO along with myself (and the numbers were very few, like one or two)

Because of the relationship that I'm currently in, I feel my partner would get way more out of it than I would. I know, bending the rules a little, but as long as we're granting wishes here.

 

[Casual Shinji]

Maybe for a day.

I don't think I could live a lifetime of having 4 to 5 women begging for my attention, both emotionally and physically. And no matter what I'd eventually start to favour one girl over the other and not see the point in having a harem anymore. Then I'd have to watch the rest of the girls either commit collective suicide, or kill me in a jealous rage.

 

[TakerFoxx]

No. God no. Harem shows might be shallowly entertaining and provide some nice fanservice, but the reality just sounds incredibly awkward, annoying, and exhausting.

 

[EternallyBored]

In my experience, 90% of anime harems seem to actually just be monogamous relationships where the main male dances around the one female character he is obviously interested in, while an assortment of female characters just like the main male character but have zero chance of ever getting with him. That doesn't sound fun to me.

In general, the harem idea is one that sounds nice but ultimately ends up being terrible in reality. A threesome relationship is something I've seen work on the long term, but you get any more people than that involved and you start running into issues of time and effort, it's difficult enough being truly intimate and loving with one person, anything more than 3 would just sounds like having no free time, and that's not even getting into the warped power dynamics if everyone is just in love with me and note each other.

Really, the only way I could see such a relationship actually working wouldn't so much be a harem, as that implies many people in love with the same person, I think it would only really work as everyone being in love with each other and me just being one member of the group. Eh, either way, I would still say no, one relationship eats up a ton of time, trying to manage multiple would leave me too little time for friends and family, I would have to make being in and managing relationships a full time job, and I enjoy my current work too much to sacrifice it just to get more sex.

 

[Sniper Team 4]

Nope. Even with all the rules you set in place--everyone is okay with it being the big one--that would STILL make me feel terrible. I'd feel guilty any time I flirted with any of them because I'd be worried that I'd be cheating on the others in some way.

I enjoy harem anime and manga, but I have never envied the main guy for his situation. Too often I find myself wondering what's going to happen to all the other girls when their hearts get broken. Of course, most harem stories dance around that issue, or never address it, by ending the story with, "We're still fighting over him, but we overcame whatever the big challenge was in this story," which is a cheap ending in my opinion.

 

[Gordon_4_v1legacy]

The deviant that I keep locked up in the basement of my mind would be all over this like gravy on roast, but I agree there's an element of sociopathy involved in a true harem situation. That said, if I could perhaps take each of them on a few dates without the whole thing going all School Days, that is more incestuous and murderous than Tuesday in Kings Landing, on me I could get behind that.

Either that or it would be like renting a Bentley to go racing over a frozen ice flow in Norway; an exhilarating diversion but cost of upkeep makes it untenable as a permanent thing.

 

[Terminal Blue]

Well, I have been in similar situations in the past, so theoretically yes.

However, I'm still unconvinced its completely sustainable long term to have more than two or three long term partners. Other people may be able to handle that, but I think there's a point where it just becomes exhausting (no, not physically exhausting, you pervs).

But I think we tend to overvalue the long term in relation to the short term anyway, so bring it on provided everyone is aware of the situation, has consented and isn't depending on one person to meet all their emotional and physical needs.

Also, since I just saw the child in the OPs picture, that's a big fuckoff bag of nope right there.

 

[Elfgore]

My dick and perverted mind is saying yes. My lazy and logical mind are saying no. Being able to pick between ten hot chicks to bang would be amazing, managing daily life with ten wives would be mentally exhausting and consume all my free time.

It's like the ultimate choice. Get a lotta some or enjoy free time?

 

[Zontar]

The part of me that drives the urge to set forth and multiply says yes.

On the other hand, one hot chick is hard enough to deal with, five or six with statistically 2 to 4 of them actively fighting for attention (often by physically pulling) would be hard. Though oddly enough the honeymoon phase would be the worst part of it, manage to get past that and then you're good.

 

[Shoggoth2588]

YES DAMMIT!

...Sorry, I would absolutely want a Harem if I could...you know, make it work without the women in it wanting to murder each other or me. Specifically, I would want a Rosario + Vampire or, Monster Musume style harem (ie: I want monster girls). Not sure what it is about that specific sub-genre but I would definitely rather have monster girls than humans...specifically if they were all like Arachne from Monster Musume...well...more sub-like...I wouldn't mind switching I guess...I need a cold shower, please excuse me.

 

[Fox12]

Whenever I think of harems I think of King Solomon's thousand wives and countless concubines, I imagine to myself a different partner, probably multiple, every night. At this point its the way you look at things - and I don't know if I could handle such a thing.

However King David's last days on the other hand, although quite uncomfortable, were made pretty less-painful by literally attaching young women to him instead of turning on the AC. Who wouldn't want to get warm in the winter alongside a snugly partner?

Those were my thoughts exactly. How do you even keep up with all your kids? And then Davids son rapes his sister, and his other son starts a rebellion. That's some messed up family drama that I could do without. Part of me finds the idea of having a trist with multiple partners exciting, but I imagine the appeal would ware off real fast.

 

[FalloutJack]

Well...if everything is above board...


Just nothing TOO weird, alright? Japan is responsible for some of the wrongest stuff in animation.

 

[Leg End]

Ohai NSA!

Specifically - if possible, would you have one?

Bah, why the fuck not?

- We'll assume, for the sake of simplicity, that all the members of said harem agree/want it, and therefore there wouldn't be any in-fighting

The latter half totally kills half the point of a harem. Don't you watch anime?

- You're not allowed to anything that resembles pimping/prostitution with them

Sure.

- You're not allowed to use them as slaves

Doesn't that partly tie into the above?

- You can have whatever arrangement you like; IE - working setups, whom you have sex with and when, etc.

Does that include keeping it random and fresh, and making the possible catgirls watch?

- They're still autonomous human beings.

I didn't know you're discriminatory against androids/cyborgs/catgirls/anything that isn't strictly human.

So....would you?

See the first answer and amend it with "You bet your ass" if I can make any amount I want be androids/cyborgs/catgirls/insertanythinghere and with them, create Outer Harem and fuck shit up across the world.

For myself....well, I'd have a hard enough time having ONE woman be interested in me. If somehow the world suddenly went insane and TWO women were interested in me at the same time....I could maybe deal with it. Might be interesting.

It'd be magic so no effort on your part needed. Just throne and bone.

Just nothing TOO simple, alright? Japan is responsible for some of the most awesome and boner inducing stuff in animation.

Fixed that for you.

 

[Wary Wolf]

For the purposes of video games, sure why not.

Real life. Please God no. As pretty much suggested, one woman in my life is emotionally draining enough. Not to mention the crap I'd get from my sister about it. Also I'd have to have seven girls otherwise I would have trouble figuring out a damn timetable each week. So tonight I'm with Sally, but on alternating Thursdays I'm with Jane and every third Sunday I'm with Louise unless she's on a late shift, in which case I'm with Sue? Logistical nightmare.

What job am I going to have to have to maintain them? Something with six figures I'm guessing. So screw your not pimping extra wives out. The bills are piling up and that shotgun is starting to look mighty tempting.

Also I need to get a vasectomy, because a kid or two from each girl? Again, I choose Mr. Shotgun to be my partner tonight.