According to Instapundit, there may be a sex tape between former Presidential candidate John Edwards and his lover Rielle Hunter.

Firstly, ewwww.

But it got me wondering about the rise of the sex tape. I mean, why do people feel a need to tape sex?

I mean, I understand why some minor celebrities tape some unsuspecting hookup so they can release it and then tell the world how shocked they are that the tape got stolen from their underwear drawer so they’ve signed a deal to profit from it since it’s coming out anyway. And by the way, they now have reality show offers from Spike and VH1.

But I’m talking about the sex tape that nobody’s selling. Or better yet, the sex tape that would destroy lives if it ever did come out. I wonder if the rise of the sex tape has something to do with the impermanence of affection.

When you hook up, all you have is that one night. And the only way to maybe hold onto a ghost of the pleasure is to video it and rewatch it? I don’t know. I’m guessing.

Is there a narcissism involved as well? I wonder when people watch their own tapes do they look at the other people or themselves?

In watching such things are they filling the eye with as much sense as possible to make up for the hole in their soul that yearns for love?