"I've always felt that sexuality is a really slippery thing. In this day and age, it tends to get categorized and labeled, and I think labels are for food. Canned food"

Michael Stipe's quote addresses the fluidity of human sexuality and reviews the modern-day impulse to classify and identify it. When he explains sexuality as a "actually slippery thing", he acknowledges its dynamic and often indefinable nature. This perspective suggests that sexuality can differ extensively in between people and may not fit neatly into predefined classifications. By using the adjective "slippery", Stipe suggests that attempting to pin down sexuality with rigid meanings may be both useless and restricting.

Stipe's recommendation to "this day and age" can be seen as a critique of contemporary culture's propensity to compartmentalize sexual identities. Over the last few years, there has actually been a societal push toward recognizing and comprehending numerous sexual orientations and identities, which has actually led to the creation of many labels. While this can promote visibility and understanding, Stipe seems to argue that overemphasis on categorization could inadvertently constrain personal understanding and expression. By saying that "labels are for food. Canned food", he humorously underscores his belief that labels are too simple for an idea as complex and nuanced as sexuality. Food, particularly canned food, is a concrete, simple commodity that can be quickly specified, categorized, and comprehended-- unlike sexuality, which is more abstract and subjective.

This metaphor also recommends that labeling may render something as rich and varied as human sexuality into something more lifeless and inert, like canned food. Labels may decrease the richness and variety of individual experiences by restricting them to predetermined classifications. Stipe's statement encourages us to appreciate the inherent complexity and variability of sexuality without attempting to oversimplify it. In doing so, it invites a more open-minded and accepting method, where people feel free to reveal themselves without the restrictions of labels attempting to specify their whole sexual identity.