In continuing our conversation from class concerning women's purity, I found a short and sassy article from Jezebel entitled Purity Balls Still The Creepiest Shit Ever. The article critiques the purity ball trend that started in Colorado Springs. Specifically, the article recounts the episode of the Anderson Cooper show when the founder of the purity ball movement, Randy Wilson, and author of The Purity Myth, Jessica Valenti, were on. Wilson and Valenti have a friendly debate over the idea of purity. Wilson asserts that the purity balls are about being a pure, whole person, and they're about dads. I have to agree with the article; that is super creepy. A girl pledging her purity to her father simply does not sound right to me. Valenti begs the question of "why boys aren't signing pledges to keep their shrink wrapped genitalia unbefouled until they're wed." Ultimately, it sounds like Valenti was able to make valid points, but unable to make Wilson and his purity followers see reason.
I found this to be relevant not only to our class discussion, but also to some sections of our readings. In chapter 4, Women's Sexuality, the authors say that, "Sexuality is both instinctive and also learned from our families, our peers, sex education in school, media and popular culture, negotiations with partners, and listening to our own bodies" (pg. 173). Unfortunately, the girls who are forced to participate in purity balls and other purity rituals are being taught to suppress what their instincts and bodies may be telling them. In the first part of chapter four the authors also say, "sexuality can be a source of restriction and vulnerability for women as well as a source of power, affirmation, and self-definition" (pg. 173). Again, the girls who participate in the purity balls are socialized to believe that seeing themselves as a sexual being is innately wrong, rendering their sexuality as a source of restriction and vulnerability.
http://jezebel.com/5877931/purity-balls-still-the-creepiest-shit-ever
Caring or Manipulation
ReplyDeleteI agree with you about the girls being taught to suppress what their instincts and body is telling them. The most troubling to me about the whole thing is that these girls, some at a young age, are signing a contract for something that I don’t think they fully understand. “Over the course of our lives, sexuality may take different forms and take on different degrees of significance” (pg. 173).
I think Purity Balls are teaching girls at an early age that it is okay to surrender to a man their sexuality and body. Due to signing the contract the girls may also have a lot of stress put on them by trying to live up to expectations of a man and this is something that could carry on into their adulthood. I wonder if the dads who had their daughters to pledge ever though about how this would affect their relationship if that pledge was broken. It is one thing when men manipulate the sexuality of grown women but when it comes to them manipulating little girls I think that is really outrageous.
Barbara Magee