The fruits of abstinence

Can you stand any more Twilight discussion?

We’ve already talked about how substituting “bloodlust” for actual lust is perhaps a bit creepy. But there’s another dimension to Twilight’s “squeaky-clean” take on sex (explained in this article ): fetishizing abstinence is itself problematic.

Firstly, where does this steamy chastity lead a teenager?

Perhaps some of this bitter disappointment stems from book four’s departure into adult territory, where Bella becomes a traditional—and boring—teenaged mom. The removal of the couple’s sexual tension reveals two tepid, unenlightened people. Neither character has much to offer outside the initial high school romance storyline: Bella doesn’t have any interesting hobbies, nor is she particularly engaged in the world around her. Her only activity outside her relationship with Edward seems to be cooking dinner for her father. Edward hangs out with his family, but the bulk of his 24 hours a day of wakefulness seems to go to either saving Bella from danger or watching her when she sleeps—you know, that age-old savior/stalker duality. Romantic!

Secondly, there’s this:

The Twilight books conflate Bella losing her virginity with the loss of other things, including her sense of self and her very life.

In other words: girls, you are your “virtue” — nothing more nothing less.

Well, as messages for teen girls go, it’s traditional at least…

And now, to scare the sh** out of you

One in four New Yorkers has herpes. This includes 49% of black New Yorkers (!) and 36% of female New Yorkers.

Yikes.

Put a condom on it, boys and girls, unless you are absolutely positively 100% sure your partner is clean.  Or, play solitaire.

And this is a good time to admit:  The Mormon virgin-till-marriage route has its drawbacks, but it’s not without potential benefits too.

Guest post: “Do it for England”

This is a guest post from a reader named Sartre

Mormons come from a conflicted subculture when it comes to sex. Young women, and to a lesser extent, young men, are counseled, with good reason, to abstain, but in a less than positive fashion, “no no no.” Yet pre-Manisfesto, Mormons enjoyed anything but a Victorian mindset toward sex. So we’re a paradox. We come from a culture of polygamists, yet now form the most modern day Victorians.

What does that mean? It might be we do a good job keeping marriage counselors busy with our messed up relationships, but that’s not the point. What’s the philosophy of sex according real life Mormons?

Do Mormon men get what it takes to romance our women? Are our women interested enough in that aspect of relationships to make it hot and wild? Or do our women prefer the Victorian attitude, “yes love making sucks, but do it for England, darling”?