La Jouissance, translated directly, means “the pleasure.” It is pronounced “zhwee-sonce,” with an even emphasis on both syllables.
Jouissance is more than just pleasure though. Do not confuse it with ‘plaisir’, the other French word for pleasure, which is a “controlled state that happens within cultural norms.”
The nuance of the word connotes an intense, hedonistic pleasure in the tradition of Bacchanalian-style abandon or excess. It is pleasure from stimulation so great it is nearly too much to bear. “It may be very largely felt as suffering. It is pleasure and pain together, a feeling of being at the edge. It can indicate a breaking of boundaries, a connection beyond the self.”
Conventional wisdom says we must manage jouissance, that we must practice restraint and order so that we are not overwhelmed by waves of emotion.
I say to hell with that.
My pen name, La Jou, ties in a little wordplay. Jouet is the French word for toy. Le jeu, pronounced nearly the same, literally translates to “the game.” The verb form of La Jou, jouer, is the verb meaning “to play.”
Voulez-vous jouez avec moi?
