first response?
ICK!
I had very mixed feelings about it. I can see where many fathers would have the very best of intentions. Having said that, however (and I'm not proud to admit this thought crossed my mind), I found a lot of the pics in the Time photo essay to be somewhat unsettling. :-\
I suspect the fire and brimstone crowd are behind it all. :-\
I suspect the fire and brimstone crowd are behind it all. :-\
I often wonder how these girls react to sex when they finally do get married.
I suspect the fire and brimstone crowd are behind it all. :-\
and where are the boys? Are boys not worthy of their fathers protection?
There is something about the whole thing that makes me feel a little sick in the stomach.
A modern chastitiy belt; the key given from one owner to the next - all symbolically of course. :P
OK, I first read this as "Purty Balls".
Boy, was I wrong.
Hell of a point, Jess, exactly. If no one keeps track of boys in their family + community and urges them to keep it in their pants, HELLOOOOO...
You wanna take your what, and put it where?!?!?!?!?
(http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj31/nature_freak_4_ever920/images111.jpg)
and I'm supposed to like it?!?!?!?!
(http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd21/davey428/Face.jpg)
I often wonder how these girls react to sex when they finally do get married.
I dont know, Its hard to knock a parent for looking out for the well being of their daughter, but something about this approach, just doesn't look right to me.
An excerpt from the above linked article:
"When Kylie was 13, her parents took her on a hike in Lake Tahoe, Calif. "We discussed what it means to be a teenager in today's world," she says. They gave her a charm for her bracelet--a lock in the shape of a heart. Her father has the key. On my wedding day, he'll give it to my husband," she explains. "It's a symbol of my father giving up the covering of my heart, protecting me, since it means my husband is now the protector. He becomes like the shield to my heart, to love me as I'm supposed to be loved."
A modern chastitiy belt; the key given from one owner to the next - all symbolically of course. :P
No, it doesn't look right. The whole thing just reeks of a reactionary throwback or desire to return to the time when a woman was "the weaker vessel"
Just for the record, I have never ever ever been a weaker vessel! LOL
"damn, you got some right purty balls!"
Fathers across the U.S.A. are promising to protect their daughters' virtue until marriage.
Typical double standard. The boys don't need protecting because to screw around is a "rite of passage" and how they become men. However, if a girl does the same thing, she's 'soiled' and therefor not a 'good girl'.
An excerpt from the above linked article:
"When Kylie was 13, her parents took her on a hike in Lake Tahoe, Calif. "We discussed what it means to be a teenager in today's world," she says. They gave her a charm for her bracelet--a lock in the shape of a heart. Her father has the key. On my wedding day, he'll give it to my husband," she explains. "It's a symbol of my father giving up the covering of my heart, protecting me, since it means my husband is now the protector. He becomes like the shield to my heart, to love me as I'm supposed to be loved."
A modern chastitiy belt; the key given from one owner to the next - all symbolically of course. :P
If the father's are protecting the girls, then who are the boys going to screw around with? ???
Oh, yeah! ;D
I was thinking the same thing Kerry, whether it was as much about the parents reputation, that was being protected.
And, I think the thing that makes me nauseaus is that in that picture, the girls seem to be no more than little children, who seem far too young to be having their "purity" discussed or put on display. Makes you wonder what is going on in their childish, naeive minds and how they are interpreting it all.
UGH!!!....why cant they let children be children.
:laugh: I just like the name Purity Balls. :laugh:
:laugh: I just like the name Purity Balls. :laugh:
I suspect the fire and brimstone crowd are behind it all. :-\
You can take that to the bank! The event in the photos took place in Colorado Springs, CO, which is a hotbed center of the right-wing socio-religious conservative movement. I think Focus on the Family has its headquarters there, or one of those groups anyway.
A father-and-daughter bonding opportunity seems like a lovely idea, but his whole business of guarding the daughter's virtue and purity--purity!--the language of it!--just seems so retro and melodramatic and Romantic--and not Romantic in a good way. :(
Yeah, that sounded like an interesting topic to me! That's why I came to this thread! :laugh:
And then I got here and saw....
Which sounds more than just a little creepy.
And then I read...
If the father's are protecting the girls, then who are the boys going to screw around with? ???
Oh, yeah! ;D
But then,
It kind a makes the girl sound like property - like she doesn't have a brain or a will of her own.
whore, pig, trained seal; what difference does it make? sexism is sexism....no matter who says it. and I have found as I said there is plenty of it in all parties and religions. (Hatred of women seems to be the only thing the world can agree on)
Wow, now you know I love you more than the koala in the eucalyptus tree outside my window, Jess, but that sure is a mighty sweeping statement. :o
Speaking as a gay man, who has suffered persecution directly as a result of my sexuality, I can think of at least one other group of universally hated and reviled people to add to you existing list of one. :'(
:laugh: I just like the name Purity Balls. :laugh:
whore, pig, trained seal; what difference does it make? sexism is sexism....no matter who says it. and I have found as I said there is plenty of it in all parties and religions. (Hatred of women seems to be the only thing the world can agree on)
Well, it's not only sexist and involves ridiculous gender based double standards, it's also completely homophobic (this may seem too obvious to even bring up).
But, this assumes that the all the girls will grow up with the desire to date/ marry men. And, obviously the whole gay marriage issue throws a wrench into the "wait until marriage" idea for gay girls. (Again this seems too obvious to even bring up).
I can imagine scenarios like the "purity ball" culture probably force lots of teenage lesbian girls deep into some kind of closet where they end up going along with conventions and behaviors that have nothing to do with their own desires or personality (and only have anything to do with parental expectations).
And, what if a straight girl grows up and wants to remain independent? Why force anyone into marriage? Things like this make it seem like an artificial institution forced on kids by their parents (society, etc.), at least with in "purity ball" society.
Preaching to the choir, darlin' :-*.
Seems like it would make a good drag name, doesn't it?
Well, it's not only sexist and involves ridiculous gender based double standards, it's also completely homophobic (this may seem too obvious to even bring up).
But, this assumes that the all the girls will grow up with the desire to date/ marry men. And, obviously the whole gay marriage issue throws a wrench into the "wait until marriage" idea for gay girls. (Again this seems too obvious to even bring up).
Seems like it would make a good drag name, doesn't it?
And then I read...
If the father's are protecting the girls, then who are the boys going to screw around with? ???
Oh, yeah! ;D
I grew up when the double standard was still the norm, and that's one thing I never could figure out. But here's another question:
If there's something that's not harmful for you (in this concept, sex outside of marriage for men) but is harmful and/or wrong for someone else (i.e., sex outside of marriage for women), then how can it be all right for you to convince that other person to engage in it with you? If you have no problem keeping alcohol on an occasional social level, for example, how can it be all right for you to talk an alcoholic into having a few drinks with you?
In other words, if sex outside of marriage is so wrong or harmful for women, how can anything other than same-sex contacts outside of marriage be okay for men? Somehow, I don't think the daddies in those pictures had thought of that.
I have no way of knowing, but I'm guessing they give their sons the same advice? ???
Talking about double standards......
I remember when our son was 15......we got a knock at the door, there stood a bloke about our age, who asked if Paul was our son.....we said yes.....He said, "your son has been having sex with my daughter". We were shocked, and told him we would talk to our son.
When we did discuss it with Paul, he told us that SHE had seduced HIM. She was a year older than he was.
I remember afterwards, my hubby said.....I didn't know whether to kick him up the arse, or pat him on the head.......
Yes, double standards, indeed.
When I was 9, a family from the country moved into our quiet, seaside, Sydney suburb. They had one daughter, Barbara, who was my age.
I was a very young 9 year old, whereas Barbara was 9 going on 42.
At every opportunity, Barbara would endeavour to get us alone, where she would quickly undress and insist that I do the same. This was the 50s, television was brand new, and I wouldn't hit puberty for another 4 years. At age 9, I wasn't even experiencing sexual thought for boys, let alone girls*. The love of my life was my beloved German Shepherd dog, Toots.
Barbara systematically terrorised and brutalised me. I was terrified of her. And though there were other kids in the street with whom we played, somehow Barbara always managed to get us alone.
When, after many months of such abuse, I finally took a stand by avoiding all contact with her (I would literally run in the other direction whenever I saw her in the street), she spread the word that I had initiated the contact with her. I know, because two long-standing friends came and told me, and in so doing, advised me that they didn't believe her and that I was still their friend (they were both girls).
Now I look back, I can see that poor Barbara was probably being abused at the time, I suspect by her father, and was acting out with me.
I have since raised this with male friend, always advising how traumatic it was for me at the time. Universally, there have been two very predictable responses. My gay male friends usually bluntly tell me to "Get over it!" with no sympathy whatsoever. And my straight male friends invariable exclaim gleefully, "Wow, you got lucky!"
* And still haven't - for girls, that is.
this is exactly why I get so angry when judges give female teachers that molest boys light sentences or no sentence at all. They act like there is no way a male could feel violated or hurt.
>:( >:(
in the eleventh grade a girl put a pic of herself in his locker...she was in her underwear. >:(
Now I look back, I can see that poor Barbara was probably being abused at the time, I suspect by her father, and was acting out with me.
girls today are very aggressive and prey upon boys . . . and if they don't get their way with the boys, they boast and lie about getting them anyway!
Well, what's good for the gander . . .
It's been going on in the other direction for — how many years? Decades? Centuries?? I mean, personally I'm sorry for you and your son, but the fact is that present circumstances hardly even begin to make up for the fact that men & boys have forever gotten the proverbial "free ride".
::) :P
Well, what's good for the gander . . .
It's been going on in the other direction for — how many years? Decades? Centuries?? I mean, personally I'm sorry for you and your son, but the fact is that present circumstances hardly even begin to make up for the fact that men & boys have forever gotten the proverbial "free ride".
::) :P