“Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex (But Were Afraid to Ask)” is a 1972 American comedy anthology film written, directed, and starring Woody Allen. The film is a loose adaptation — more like a parody — of Dr. David Reuben’s best-selling sex manual of the same name, transforming clinical questions into a series of absurd, satirical sketches. Allen takes aim at sexual taboos, cultural anxieties, and societal hypocrisy, using his signature neurotic humor and slapstick sensibilities.
The film is divided into seven comedic vignettes, each framed as a question drawn from Reuben’s book. While there’s no overarching plot, a thematic link runs through the sketches — human sexuality, viewed through a lens of awkwardness, repression, and farce. The film begins with…
- “Do Aphrodisiacs Work?”
Set in a stylized medieval court, Woody Allen plays a court jester who tries to seduce the Queen (Lynn Redgrave) with the help of a magical aphrodisiac. He sneaks into the Queen’s bedchamber, but the plan unravels in classic Allen fashion — awkwardly and unsuccessfully. The segment parodies historical romances and farcical costume dramas, complete with a talking potion and an executioner.
- “What is Sodomy?”
Gene Wilder stars in one of the film’s most famous (and bizarre) segments. He plays Dr. Ross, a respected physician whose patient, a shepherd, confesses he’s in love with a sheep named Daisy. At first skeptical, Dr. Ross is soon drawn into an irrational obsession with the animal. The segment is played with deadpan seriousness, making its absurdity all the more surreal and unsettling. Wilder’s performance adds an oddly tragic pathos to the story of bestial attraction.
- “Why Do Some Women Have Trouble Reaching Orgasm?”
This segment parodies Italian art cinema, especially the films of Fellini and Antonioni. Louise Lasser plays Gina, a woman who seems emotionally detached and sexually unfulfilled. Her neurotic husband tries in vain to arouse her, only to discover that she can only achieve orgasm in public places. The tone is introspective and moody, but Allen gleefully undermines its seriousness with over-the-top stylization.
- “Are Transvestites Homosexuals?”
In a sitcom-style sketch, Woody Allen plays a buttoned-up married man who secretly enjoys wearing women’s clothing. During a dinner with his in-laws, his secret is accidentally exposed. This vignette explores identity, repression, and social embarrassment, blending farce with moments of empathetic insight.
- “What Are Sex Perverts?”
Styled like a 1950s black-and-white TV game show called What’s My Perversion?, contestants try to guess a man’s peculiar sexual fetish. One contestant is revealed to enjoy being humiliated by being whipped and covered in salad dressing while praying. The final segment features a Catholic priest as the “pervert,” satirizing both media sensationalism and moral rigidity.
- “Are the Findings of Doctors and Clinics Who Do Sexual Research and Experiments Accurate?”
This vignette is set in a mad scientist’s laboratory, where Dr. Bernardo (John Carradine), a Frankenstein-like figure, conducts disturbing sexual experiments. The protagonist (Allen) stumbles upon the lab and discovers a monstrous, uncontrollable giant breast — a literal manifestation of sexual fear. It chases people through the countryside like a creature from a 1950s B-horror movie. The segment is a parody of science fiction and sexual panic.
- “What Happens During Ejaculation?”
Perhaps the most elaborate and inventive segment, it envisions a man’s body as a control room during a sexual encounter. Tony Randall plays the mission control operator; Burt Reynolds is the suave commander; Woody Allen plays a nervous sperm awaiting his cue. The sequence cuts between “inner” and “outer” worlds, with commands like “Activate visual cortex!” and “Prepare left breast!” mimicking a NASA launch. It ends with the sperm bravely diving into the unknown, possibly to their doom.
The film balances broad comedy, satire, and social commentary, exploring repression, taboo, and the absurdities of human sexuality. Woody Allen uses pastiches of various genres — medieval epic, Italian neorealism, sci-fi horror, sitcom, and quiz show — to emphasize the cultural baggage we bring to sexual expression.
While some sketches have aged well due to their surreal inventiveness, others are viewed more critically today regarding their treatment of gender, queerness, and sexual identity.
The film was a commercial success and became one of Allen’s early hits, cementing his reputation as a cerebral yet slapstick comedian. While not universally acclaimed, its creativity and boundary-pushing humor gained it a cult following.
The Other Cinema 