Purity Balls (NYT article)

[gustava]

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/21/us/pu ... odayspaper

[debrand]

In doing research for her book “Making Chastity Sexy: The Rhetoric of Evangelical Abstinence Campaigns,†Christine J. Gardner, a professor at Wheaton College, intentionally excluded purity balls.

“They are not a hoax,†Dr. Gardner said in an interview, “but I wouldn’t call them a trend. Purity balls seem quirky and even creepy to the feminist outsider, but maybe it’s time to find a new scapegoat for our fears over sexual and religious conservatism

What a nice little, backhanded slap to feminists. I'd say to here that there is reason enough to be troubled by the purity movement but thanks for making reasonable doubts sound like the person is overly emotional. She has got the rhetoric of conservatives down in that one sentence.

[ExCatholic]

Glad to hear they aren't too widespread. They're a bit like the DARE program, aren't they? Kids don't care about what the adults are telling them not to do - they just want to hang out with their friends. I'd be surprised to find a non-hardcore-fundie girl who actually took the purity nonsense seriously.

[ExCatholic]

What a nice little, backhanded slap to feminists. I'd say to here that there is reason enough to be troubled by the purity movement but thanks for making reasonable doubts sound like the person is overly emotional. She has got the rhetoric of conservatives down in that one sentence.

Ok I thought I was being overly sensitive. Nice to know you saw that too.

[Deleted03]

What a nice little, backhanded slap to feminists. I'd say to here that there is reason enough to be troubled by the purity movement but thanks for making reasonable doubts sound like the person is overly emotional. She has got the rhetoric of conservatives down in that one sentence.

Yeah parents controlling their children teen and adult sex is not creepy at all. It's not a step backward. It's just normal (or should be at least!). Blah.

[Glass Cowcatcher]

Yeah parents controlling their children teen and adult sex is not creepy at all. It's not a step backward. It's just normal (or should be at least!). Blah.

It's not that... if a trend (yes, it's a trend) that specifically objectifies women isn't enough to be a scapegoat, what is?

[SisiL78]

I'm honestly surprised that the Duggars didn't go to a Purity Ball with some of their girls and have it filmed. I can only think that they didn't do it because it involved dancing or at least implied it.

As someone who grew up with no real dad (even before the divorce he was totally un-involved) I would have loved to have a dad who wanted to go to things and spend time with me. And I think that's why these girls participate, they probably don't get much time with their Dads and if going to purity based events is what is offered they'll take it (plus I'm sure the new dress and fanciness of the whole thing has got to be a draw too).

I think the balls are part of the more widespread trend of purity pledges and rings. THey were non-existant when I was a teen but now it seems like every other kid out there has taken one. But, as a previous poster mentioned, its like those D.A.R.E pledges we all took. Lots of the kids who did it then went and smoked pot. They did what they were told to do in so far as taking the pledge, but not altering behavior.

I think a far more constructive thing would be for Dads to spend time with their kids all their lives and have reasonable talks with them about sex. There's nothing wrong with saying to your kid "I want you to feel comfortable talking to me about sex. I'd rather you not have sex until you're older and hopefully married because while it is a great thing there can also be a lot of negative consequences". Or something like that. By making it so taboo and mysterious I think they are basically throwing their kids into unprotected sexual encounters for which they will feel guilt and remorse and which may lead to other self destructive behavior.