Campus Case Study
Part 5: Survival of the Fittest.
Hard to believe but today marked one month into the fall semester, and one month since I’d met Nick Phillips. I was looking forward to celebrating the anniversary after class.
The weather had grown inexplicably hotter again, and when Nick hurried into my classroom he was clad in board shorts, a T-shirt, and sandals. He slid behind his desk and nodded at me in greeting.
Building on last week’s lecture concerning the nonverbal factors in communication between the sexes, today’s class dealt with Social Darwinism. This theory describes the idea that humans, like animals and plants, compete in a struggle for existence in which natural selection results in “survival of the fittest.” Most Social Darwinists propose arguments that justify imbalances of power between individuals, races, and nations because they consider some people more fit to survive than others. Some reformers used the principles of evolution to justify sexist and racist ideas that undercut their professed belief in equality. During the 1960s anthropologists interested in the influence of DNA on human behavior produced studies of the biological basis of aggression, territoriality, mate selection, and other behavior common to people and animals.
The process of Natural Selection enhances the adaptation of a population to its environment. Natural Selection thus tends to promote adaptation by maintaining favorable adaptations in a constant environment or improving adaptation in a direction appropriate to environmental changes. This can also be applied to society’s fundamental ideas about gender. Those members of society who thrive are thus imitated by others seeking similar status, wealth, and prosperity. This imitation leads to a replication of dominant behaviors in that gender which further reproduces the desirable actions. While men copied stereotypical macho behavior, women were pigeonholed with “feminine” traits. Any deviation from the norm was actively discouraged.
One of my over-arching questions for my work with Nick was directly related to these theories. What would happen if the “norms” were erased and deviations allowed to flourish? If all societal influence associated with acceptable gendered behaviors was eradicated, how would a twenty-one year old male choose to develop? Would he still cultivate an aggressive code of conduct and select a female for his mate? Or would he happily engage in sexual relations with any man or woman he found attractive, selecting those manners—both feminine and masculine—which best suited him? I looked forward to the surely fascinating answers I would hopefully receive at the conclusion of the semester.
After class, in my office, Nick opened his backpack and pulled out a bottle of water and a banana. “Do you mind?” he asked.
I shook my head. “Enjoy your snack.”
He twisted the cap off the water and drained half the bottle.
“Eating healthy?”
He shrugged. “I just had a craving for bananas this week.” He set the water bottle on the floor beside his chair.
“Monkeyboy,” I said.
Nick leveled his gaze at me.
“Monkeyboy,” I repeated.
He drew his feet up into the chair and began to hoot.
“Eat your banana, Monkeyboy.”
He chattered a bit as he peeled back the skin of his banana. He took a bite.
“There’s a good Monkeyboy.”
He polished off the banana and dropped the skin beside the chair. His arms hung limply over the sides of the chair.
“Monkeyboy, I want you to think of all those trips to the monkey cage at the zoo that you told me about last week. Can you picture all the apes in your mind? Nod your head if you can.”
He nodded.
“Are they wearing clothes?”
He shook his head.
“Are you wearing clothes?”
He nodded.
“Do apes wear clothes?”
He shook his head.
“Should you be wearing clothes?”
He shook his head again.
“What do you have to do?”
He chattered, then grabbed his T-shirt and pulled it off over his head. He tossed it aside. As he unzipped his shorts it became apparent he was wearing bicycle bib shorts under his clothes today. He pushed off the shorts, knocking his sandals off his feet. They landed with a clatter on the floor.
“That’s a good Monkeyboy! You wore your spandex. Excellent!” I opened my attaché. I had come prepared today; not having expected Nick to also have supplies.
I held out a banana to him. “Would you like a banana, Monkeyboy?”
“Ooo-ooo-ooo.”
“Come and get it.”
He hopped out of the chair, and with knees bent and arms dragging, loped around the side of my desk. I held out the banana and he took it. He unwrapped it.
“Monkeyboy, look at the banana. Remember its shape and size. It’s all about the banana, Monkeyboy. Look carefully at it. Study its firmness and form. Does the banana remind you of anything?”
Here was this tanned, blond, handsome college student—the potential object of so many girls’ or guys’ desires—stripped to the waist, wearing only spandex shorts, believing he was an ape. I had taken a healthy frat boy and created a belief in his mind that he was no longer a man. I wondered how far I could push the envelope.
Nick stared at the banana in his hand, contemplating its shape. He appeared confused.
“The banana will remind you of a penis, Monkeyboy. It looks like a penis to you. Each time you crave a banana you will think of penises. For your subconscious mind bananas will now equal penises. Each time you think of bananas, or eat bananas, you will consider penises as an object to be put in your mouth. Is that clear?”
He prattled a bit.
“You may eat your banana.”
He made quick work of it. Nick was an apt pupil.
And my experiment with him was progressing better than expected. It was feasible to re-shape reality in a man’s mind, thereby changing his behavior and—essentially—his personality. I had already taken Nick to a much more primitive behavior realm. In his trance he truly believed he was Monkeyboy. The post-hypnotic suggestions I had given him were having some effect on his external behavior. But for my research project to truly be a success I would have to affect real, quantitative behavioral changes in Nick Phillips.
Monkeyboy had finished the banana and crouched on the floor watching me. It was time to bring him out of this state. As much fun as it would be to manipulate his mind in his current primitive world, I had to concentrate on the goals of my research.
There was one more thing before we continued. In order to present any of the findings about my research I would need full documentation of Nick’s progress. I had considered video, but stills would be easier for any eventual presentation. I opened my attaché and removed my digital camera.
If Nick were to see the pictures I took of him, squatting, his knuckles dragging on the floor, he’d deny they were real. Which made the evidence that much more necessary.
I tucked the camera away and leaned against the desk. “Beach Bum.”
Nick’s entire body seemed to shift. He drooped from his squatting position, his legs extending out in front of him. He sat limply on the floor, much like a cast aside ragdoll.
“Stand, Nick.”
He got to his feet. There was an obvious bulge in his spandex shorts. Interesting.
“So far today, Nick, we’ve said that your craving for bananas will remind you of penises. Is that clear?”
“Yes.”
“Excellent. It’s all about the banana. Now, what have you been thinking of when you masturbate?”
“Guys strokin’.”
“Excellent. This week you will continue with that. You will also envision men kissing and embracing. Is that clear?”
“Yes.”
“I see you wore spandex under your clothes today. Have you been wearing it every day?”
“Yes. Under my clothes.”
“Have you been cycling?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Too busy.”
I sighed. “Nick, beginning today you will cycle everyday. You will enjoy the routine of changing out of your street clothes and into your spandex; deriving pleasure from the freedom this offers you. You like the cool tight spandex caressing your skin. You will dress in your cycling clothes and ride. Is that clear?”
“Yes.”
“Your desire to wear spandex is growing, Nick. Don’t resist it. Enjoy your spandex. Next week you will ride to class. Is that clear?”
“Yes.”
“Excellent. All of this cycling should put you in even better physical condition than you currently are.” I was admiring his toned arms and chest, his flat abs and sinewy legs. Nick was a prime specimen of college-age manhood. If survival was truly based on fitness, then he would do more than survive; he would thrive.
“It’s time to get dressed, Nick.”
I rounded the desk and picked up his discarded shorts and T-shirt. I handed them to him. He dressed quickly.
“Sit in the chair, Nick.”
He returned to his seat. I stooped to pick up his discarded banana peels and deposited them in the trash before sitting at my desk.
“Do you have any questions?”
“No.”
“Excellent. 1...2...3.”
Nick opened his eyes.
“I’ll see you in class on Wednesday,” I said.
“Is it time already?” Nick asked in surprise.
I nodded.
He peered at the clock above the office door. “I should get going! I’d like to ride a few miles before rehearsal.”
To be continued in Part 6...
Campus Case Study
Part 6: Infantilism.
Monday was quickly becoming my favorite day of the week. I enjoyed teaching my Psychology and Gender class, but more than that I was relishing watching how Nick’s conscious mind was reconciling the subtle changes in his character and adapting to make them his normative behavior.
I was jotting the reading assignment on the board when a sudden silence in the room caused me to turn. I caught my breath. Nick stood framed in the doorway. He wore black sneakers, his tanned legs leading up to bicycle shorts which were black on the sides with a wide neon green stripe running down his crotch. His spandex shirt was green on the chest, with black sleeves and back. His short blonde hair stuck out at odd angles from his head, windblown.
My thoughts were less than purely scientific as he turned and walked to his desk. A wide green stripe ran up the center of his ass; the only area of color against the black background, drawing all eyes to this center of attention. No wonder conversation had ceased in the room.
I forced my mind back to the task at hand. Today I was lecturing on the societal differences in the way we treat male and female infants, from the subtleties of pink and blue clothing to the toys and activities we choose to expose toddlers to. Modern society trains males and females from the time of birth for the roles that have been deemed acceptable. The question arises: how do we attempt to eliminate these social biases and what differences would evolve?
In my office after class Nick sprawled in the chair; I sat at my desk. I endeavored to ignore the eye-catching stripe down his crotch.
“How was your week, Nick?”
He flashed a smile. “Great! I auditioned last week and got cast in the fall musical.”
“Really. Congratulations. What show are you doing?”
“Hair.”
I straightened in my chair. “Isn’t there a nude scene in Hair? That’s quite a bold move.”
Nick shifted in his seat.
“You were aware there’s a nude scene?”
“Yeah.”
Nick did not display exhibitionist tendencies. In fact, all evidence had pointed to the contrary. “Are you comfortable with that?”
He frowned. “It’s a really great part...”
“I understand, Nick. Public nudity is a matter of confidence. Perhaps the college will modify the scene a bit?”
“The director wants to do something with the lighting.”
“There, you see? That should help—”
“How’s your research?” Nick asked, anxiously changing the subject.
“What did you think of today’s lecture?”
He shrugged. “I hadn’t really thought that just the colors of pink and blue stereotype babies.”
“Consider this: when you see a baby—any baby—don’t you comment depending on the color of the child’s clothes? Society as a whole will comment on a girl’s cuteness or beauty. Little boys are strong and handsome. Immediately those words become a conditioning factor in a child’s development.”
“But people don’t remember what it was like to be a baby.”
“Perhaps not,” I said. “But as we grow this conditioning becomes a part of us. What do you suppose would be different if we didn’t fuss over a baby boy’s strength? Would he still grow with the idea that men must be strong?”
“Probably not.”
“Beach Bum.”
Nick’s eyes closed, his face went slack; his body sank in the chair.
“Nick, you are relaxing more and more. You look very sexy today. Did you notice the class’ reaction to your entrance this morning?”
“Yes.”
“Did you like the attention?”
“Yes.”
A bulge was growing in his spandex shorts. I watched as his cock lengthened under the tight green material.
“Do you recall our talks about man evolving from apes?”
“Yes.”
“Good. Monkeyboy.”
Nick drew his legs up into the chair. His arms hung limp. His back curved. He jutted his jaw out. With each transformation Nick’s ape behavior was developing. A few more changes from man to ape and Nick would be able to convert in his conscious state. But that was not my ultimate objective.
“Have you been eating your bananas?”
“Ooo-ooo-ooo.”
“Good, Monkeyboy. Time is passing on the evolutionary scale. You’ll remember your roots though. It’s all about the banana. But now I want you to relax and breathe deeply. Let your entire body go limp.”
His feet pushed off the edge of the chair, landing with a dull thud on the floor. His legs spread open, his erect penis protruding under the taut spandex.
“Nick, it’s time to take you forward several generations of development. Apes begat apes. Then man was born. And man begat man. Each man is born innocent and full of wonder. The entire world is new to him. You are now at that time. You are a baby, Nick. Before you could walk, before you could talk, before you could stand or sit unassisted, you were pure. The past twenty-one years of your life have been erased, like a giant etch-a-sketch being shaken. Your slate is wiped clean. No one has attached a value judgment to any behaviors for you. You no longer have a clear picture of what delineates manhood. You are an infant. You must be fed, changed, and carried. You cannot speak yet. You are only able to gurgle like a baby. You will cry when you need something, and you will drink from a bottle and wet yourself. You will understand everything I say to you, but you will respond as a newborn baby. Is that clear?”
He burbled a reply.
I walked around the desk and unzipped the front of his spandex shirt, then tugged it off over his head. I lifted him under his arms from the chair, lowering him to the floor. I untied his sneakers and removed his socks.
I wavered for a moment. I hadn’t planned to strip him of his shorts today, but the Hair revelation introduced nudity to the research project.
I slid his bicycle shorts down his thighs.
This was my first glimpse of Nick’s penis. He had plenty to be proud of. In fact, he had reason to brag if he so chose.
I pulled the shorts completely off his legs. He lay on the floor naked.
I opened the small closet to the right of the office door and retrieved an adult-sized diaper. For research to be accurate, you have to be thorough. I was telling Nick’s subconscious mind that he was a baby. I wanted him to have the tactile experiences that went along with the age. I fastened the diaper around Nick.
From the mini-fridge beside my desk I got a bottle of milk.
“Nick, when I count to three you will be a baby. You will live, eat, bathe, breathe, think, and feel as a newborn baby. You will not be able to function as a grown man. Twenty-one years of experiences and accomplishments have dissolved in a single moment. You will see, hear and react to everything that happens as though it were the first time. Because for you it is now the first time. Is that clear?”
He gurgled.
“Each time I say Baby Boy you will return to your baby behavior. Only when I say Baby Boy. As before the trigger ‘Beach Bum’ will induce your suggestive state. Is that clear?”
He cooed.
“1...2...3.”
Nick Phillips opened his eyes.
“Baby Boy.”
He peered up at me curiously. His eyes darted around his surroundings.
I stood over him, watching the diaper-clad college boy with fascination.
His arms reached up to me, and his legs kicked the air. He gurgled a bit.
I knelt and propped his head in my lap. “Are you hungry, Baby Boy?”
He burbled.
I stuck the bottle in his mouth.
He began to suck.
“Nick, babies are very oral. In fact, some people never develop beyond the oral stage. Babies explore the world around them by putting things in their mouths. They very much enjoy sucking on things.” I stroked his hair as he gulped milk from the bottle.
“You’re a good baby boy. You enjoy milking your bottle. Sucking milk comes very natural to you. Like any other baby you are very oral. You explore by putting things in your mouth. This week you will find that you constantly want something in your mouth. You will look for things to put in your mouth this week.”
He sucked at the bottle happily, his arms and legs stretching, pushing at the air around him.
“Nick, this time growing up will be different for you. But there is one thing I want to impress upon you, even as a baby. You’re a very pretty boy. You have an attractive body and beautiful face. Your body is strong, and your mind is quick. You will become in touch with your emotions and balance your masculine traits with a healthy feminine side. Genders and sex will have no boundaries for you.”
I gently set his head down on the floor. He kicked at the air.
I crossed to my desk and pulled my digital camera from my attaché. I snapped several shots of Baby Boy Nick to add to my Monkeyboy Nick pictures from last week.
“Okay, Beach Bum.”
Nick’s arms and legs slumped to the floor.
“I want you to stand, Nick.”
He got to his feet. The beautiful blond frat boy stood before me in only a diaper. I snapped two more pictures.
I removed his diaper and snapped several more shots. This type of research would require “Before” and “After” pictures to demonstrate the differences.
“Get dressed, Nick.”
He methodically pulled on his shorts, shirt, socks, and sneakers.
“Sit in the chair.”
He did. I returned to my desk, stashing the empty bottle and the camera out of sight.
“This week, Nick, the baby in you will continue seeking out objects to suck on. You will find that you crave milk. You’ll drink a lot of it. And you’ll continue to enjoy eating your bananas. Is all of that clear?”
“Yes.”
“Excellent. You’ll also continue with your cycling. And I’ll see you back here on Monday. 1...2...3.”
Nick’s eyes slowly opened.
“I’ll be interested to hear your thought son the readings in class Wednesday.”
Nick nodded slowly. “I-it should be interesting.”
“So I’ll see you then.”
Nick stood and slung his backpack over his shoulder. “Thanks, Damian.”
“Thank you. I’ll see you next week.”
If Nick was aware that his rock hard dick was clearly outlined by the neon green bike shorts he didn’t let on. He strode out the office door.
I wondered how many people on campus would see him like that.