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. 2023 Apr;52(3):1299-1315.
doi: 10.1007/s10508-022-02502-5. Epub 2022 Dec 16.

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

Debby Herbenick  1   2 , Lucia Guerra-Reyes  3   4 , Callie Patterson  3   4 , Jodi Wilson  3   4 , Yael R Rosenstock Gonzalez  3   4 , Eva Voorheis  4 , Maddy Whitcomb  4 , Rachel Kump  4 , Evan Theis  4 , Emily F Rothman  5 , Kimberly M Nelson  6 , Megan K Maas  7
Affiliations

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

Debby Herbenick et al. Arch Sex Behav. 2023 Apr.

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.

Keywords: Asphyxiation; Choking during sex; Manual strangulation; Meme analysis; Non-fatal strangulation.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Lapses in communication. Note: B translation: “Oh, Yes, Papi(Daddy) choke me harder.” “What?” “What?”
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
“Choke me daddy” and memes about its more sophisticated iterations
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Gendered dynamics and choking
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Memes positioning choking as dangerous or that referenced death or danger. Note: D may be translated as “Love, I think I squeezed your neck too hard while we made love, no? Love? Love? Looooove?”
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
Choking/strangulation as dangerous due to potential criminal charges
Fig. 6
Fig. 6
Choking as enhancing sex or orgasm or, alternatively, as not being sexy or as disrupting sex. Note: B can be translated as “Day 292 without sex.”
Fig. 7
Fig. 7
Memes that sexualized nonsexual objects/situations through choking/strangulation
Fig. 8
Fig. 8
Memes related to individual or interpersonal shame related to choking
Fig. 9
Fig. 9
Examples of memes showing choking as connected to romance
Fig. 10
Fig. 10
Examples of choking memes with religious references. Note: C can be translated as "When they choke you too much and instead of coming, you left/departed"; “Dead but happy”(text in image). D may be translated as “Your mom is praying for your wellbeing and you're in some guy's bed telling him to choke you”
Fig. 11
Fig. 11
Examples of choking memes related to instructions or information. Note: B may be translated as "It turns me on to be choked. But not too hard. So I can still breathe, you know? Hahahaha."
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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