A common insult, or at least, I've always understood it to be an insult, is to describe a woman as a マグロ in bed. Being referred to as マグロ, which is "tuna" in English, implies that a woman just lies there, unmoving and unenthusiastic about the sex which she is a part of.
I came across this blog, and in a post about sex and flirting, the author states:
For me, with my western sensibilities and preconceptions, calling someone a ‘tuna’ in bed sounds like an insult, conjuring up images of cold dead fish, but in Japan that word has a very positive connotation. Tuna’s an expensive delicacy.
The author's case, in summary, is that in sex in Japan, one partner is always passive, the receiver of what the other person does. One who lies there and takes it is therefor a good thing.
I think this is a case of over-thinking the cultural implications, something that seems to plague so much of foreign analysis of Japan. As far as I've ever understood マグロ, when used by Japanese people, it is an insult, and not praise. These pages all seem to agree with me.
But it's always good to question one's assumptions. The author claims verification from her Japanese friends.
Am I right that it's always an insult, or is there anything to support what this blogger is saying about the use of the word?
(Note I am only asking about the definition of the word, not trying to open any discussion about passivity or other issues of sexual relations in Japan.)
