Many people 
think that there is something very interesting about twins. Two people that (if identical) look very much alike, sometimes display similar behaviors and are often said to share a very strong connection. As twins, we receive much attention for looking alike. We understand that it can be interesting when encountering identical twins. Comments, stares, and conversations are therefore common, which we are quite used to whenever we are together. What is becoming rather obvious and irritating about being a twin, however, is the fact that twins (especially so twin women) are highly sexualized. This sexualization, we believe, is rooted in media depictions of twins, as well as the common belief that men often want to engage in sex with two women at the same time. It appears to be a major victory for men to engage in sex with sisters, friends, and foremost identical twin women.
The sexualized notion of twins is mentioned in this quote from the “BroBible”: “The best things in life come in twos: Gloves, skis, soup and a sandwich, back-to-back championships, b**bs, and, of course, twins. A pair of foxy sisters born on the same day is nature’s way of blessing mankind with double vision, minus the beer goggles. Need proof? Ask Hugh Hefner a few years back when he was banging that annoying Playmate twosome. In honor of this genetic miracle, we’re counting down the 30 hottest sets of twins that need to be on every Bro’s radar”.
Many of us can agree on the notion that twins are often given “extra” sexualized attention in the media. For example, Hugh Hefner’s Playmate ex-girlfriends Karissa and Kristina, and the Playmate twins Natalie and Jennifer Campbell receive this “extra” attention based on the fact that they are identical Playmate twins. Some women do utilize being twins because the sexualized stereotypes are lucrative. However, the sexualization of twins in media sometimes becomes a nuisance for twins that are not interested in partaking in the sexualization of themselves as twins (or any type, for that matter).
This sexualization appear to represent identical twins much more than fraternal twins, even when it is two fraternal twin women. The sexualization of twins is troublesome to us because it suggests that identical female twins are not viewed as individuals, but rather as a pair or a twosome. It also creates the notion that identical twins are somehow more sexual than other women, or interested in having sex with the same partner. At the same time it endorses a creepy sexual or sensual bond between twins that borders on incestuous. These stereotypes are often transferred onto the twin pair by the person holding the stereotypical beliefs, which can lead to awkward and much too invasive or personal comments or discussions.
When it comes to the representation of twins in media, there do appear to be differences between how male and female sets of twins are depicted. Female twins appear much more likely to be sexualized and depicted in sexy manners. Remember the Asian twin sisters in Austin Powers: Goldmember? The twins are wearing tiny school uniforms and are even named “Fook Mi” and “Fook Yo.” Compare this depiction to the Winklevoss twins in The Social Network (which was actually one person playing both roles). These twins are good looking (but not sexualized), smart, successful, and classy.
The sexualization of twin-hood sometimes even applies to fraternal twins that are a female-male pair. The fraternal twin couple in Eurotrip, Jenny and Jamie, get drunk on a night out and make out with each other. The twin brother and sister Jaime and Cersei from Game of Thrones have a secret incestuous relationship, which results in them having children together.
The belief in the sexualized nature of twins translates into real life experiences for us. When we do something together, we are sometimes referred to as “double trouble,” and we often hear “you’re twins, that’s so hot.” We have often been asked private questions about our love lives: many men ask if we ever date the same men, have ever slept with the same men (sometimes people ask if we have done this at the same time, as if that would be sexy). When we tell them, “No we do not sleep with the same men, or together, do you sleep with your siblings?” people respond (fairly disgusted) “of course not.” There you go, so why would we? For us, the sexualized nature and representation of twins in media and in movies appears to have real life consequences simply because we are twins.
