Jim Jones Criticizes Sexual Problems in Jonestown (4/78)

Jim Jones leads a community forum in Jonestown in mid-April 1978 during what he describes at different times as a “crisis,” a potential “bloodbath,” and a time of “war” (the latter assertion made several times). Despite the dire nature of the descriptions, the conversation is casual and less confrontational than it is during tapes known to have been recorded during White Nights. Also belying the gravity of the words is that he makes only one reference to death, and it is offhand – “All I want is the final translation out of this miserable thing called life” – in the middle of a larger point he wants to make.

There have been several events in recent days which occupy Jones’ mind. Most recently was a tour of Jonestown by a contingent from the Soviet Union and/or members of the American press. Jones is unhappy with the conditions of some areas of the community, especially the livestock areas, which was “swarming with flies” and had “muddy and murky” water. The day was saved because the visitors could also see local Guyanese lined up for free medical services, but nevertheless, some Russians were “not impressed” with what they saw at the piggery. While there was a breakdown in communications before the tour so individual committees may not have received assignments to clean up the place, the fact remains, it is everyone’s responsibility to make sure the community displays well.

But the bulk of this tape is about sex. Sex is at the root of the problems, not only in Jonestown but for revolutionary movements in general. If women appreciated how much pregnancy, childbirth and motherhood diverted them from the cause, they wouldn’t be likely to yield to a man’s advances; and if men had to bear the consequences of having sex, they would be less likely to make those advances.

Jones takes the opportunity to talk about his own sexual abilities. On the subject of organizational responsibility – and asking others to recognize their part in that – he complains he has shouldered the load by himself for 28 years. “I resent it because, you know, if a fuck was all that a person needed, I could maintain this organization by goin’ down … four hours and I’d have most of the people fucked that needed fucked.” He returns to the claim a few minutes later: “I could take care of people who needed to feel good about themselves, I could take care of thirty in a night.” Both times he refers to this prowess, however, he adds that people need more than that: “But that’s not what people need. They need talk, they need counsel, they need help, they need someone to hear them, to feel, to listen.”

Unfortunately, according to him, he is the only one who has this prowess. He criticizes some of the men as “two-minute wonders” – a reference to a White Night about a week before, in which a man confessed that he lasted about two minutes with his girlfriend before climax – as well as the woman who yield to this type of love-making. “You dumb bitches that go for two or three minutes, you’re sadistic, ‘cause you don’t even get warmed up and you’re the ones that’s gonna get the pregnancy.” With the encouragement of his wife Marceline, Jones suggests that women get their satisfaction instead with “a sugar cane, go down and get some sugar cane and cut it, and then make it sweet on top of it. And you can move it much faster than two minutes, I’m sure.” “Right,” Marceline adds. “Or a banana.”

Even worse for those who think they are getting something out of these “quick fuck” relationships, Jones says, they don’t even have a good sex drive, a point he reiterates several times: “You haven’t got any sex drive, and I keep repeatin’ it. You’ve got no sex drive.… You haven’t got any. You haven’t got a sex drive, and I’ve still got one, but I do not allow it, and it’s a strong one.”