Well, I’m still sick, and at the moment my cough is more productive than I am, so instead of a full post let’s take another trip down memory lane with this important document from the early years of second wave feminism. In this 1972 pamphlet, the radical feminist collective known as the “Marvel Comics Group” spelled out their five-point program for feminist revolution.
As you can see, it consisted of:
- Smooching
- Accessorizing your protest ensemble with a kicky scarf
- Late-night typing
- Making young men jealous by dating older pilots, or policemen, or mailmen. (I’m not completely sure what job that guy’s got.)
- Making young women jealous by dating Carl Sagan
See the awesome blog Sequential Crush for more on this comic-book guide to the romantic side of Women’s Lib.
Also the word “balls” seems poorly chosen. It couldn’t just be a “purity dance?”
lowquacks, hi, how ya doing? Great to see you on site again. How’s Lavvy?
katz – “purity balls” always makes me smirk. What do they do, wash ’em in disinfectant?
I dunno, calling them “balls” seems quite appropriate given that the whole thing is really for the dads rather than the kids.
@Kittehs
Unfortunately, Lavvy’s kidneys failed nearly completely about a fortnight ago. He probably had a few months left in him, but he was confused and incontinent and just stayed in one cardboard box looking miserable. We had the vet visit to give him a needle so he could die with a little dignity and knowing all of his family were there and loved him.
Haven’t been around the site much – it’s entertaining as ever, by the looks of it, just got tired of reading about sexist dickheads. Not very positive, and if you didn’t keep up with the comment section fun the site could just be a little depressing to browse despite David’s best efforts to add a bit of fun to “look at this awful thing this awful person said”. Being back at uni gives me much more reason to procrastinate, though!
@CassandraSays
Ew.
@lowquacks, I’m so sorry about Lavvy. You absolutely did the kindest thing, though I know that’s little comfort when you’re grieving.
@cassandrakitty, purity balls – I just can’t express how creepy those sound.
@titianblue
Thanks for the wellwishes!
Flicking over to look at this from another tab, I misread “purity balls” just after the word “kitty” as being “purry balls”. Which is far nicer, don’t you think? We all love/are/diligently little fluffy purry balls here at Man Boobz, don’t we?
You know, if you ask fundie Christians about it, they’ll tell you that of course it’s important for boys to remain “pure” before marriage too, but there’s nothing remotely parallel to the “purity ball” for their sons. Anyone care to imagine what excuses they’d come up with if you challenged them on it?
I think the excuse is that boys are primitive beasts that have to be kept in check so the girls are the sexual gatekeepers and must remain vigilant at all times. The usual sexist (against both sexes) rape culture crap.
They probably tell boys that girls’ vaginas are full of old tape, a vast accumulation of spit, and chewing gum, if the the ugly lessons they impart in schools have anything to say about it.
lowquacks – I’m so sorry about Lavvy. There’s nothing else to do but let them go home, quickly, when kidney failure sets in. Hugs if you want them.
Love it. 😀 “Purry balls” sounds like kitties curled up together.
OT but best muffin-top ever.
So sorry to hear about Lavvy, lowquacks. He was lucky to have you (and vice-versa, of course).
I wish my kitties would snuggle like that. Unfortunately, they don’t like each other. 🙁
Our kitties love each other. Unfortunately they hate all other animals, as boyfriend likes to remind me whenever I start sighing after a puppy.
Obvs the relative value of virginity is a big part of this, but I think it’s also strongly tied to the overall mythos about the role of women. Dances, pretty dresses, shiny jewelry, etc are all Stuff That Girls Like and, more generally, Stuff That Girls Like is (seen as) shallow/materialistic and/or bestowed on them by men.
So I think the idea is that there’s a ball and shit because it’s what every little girl dreams of, but there’s no need to do such a thing for the boys because boys aren’t supposed to like that stuff, and anyway boys don’t need a simulated romantic experience with the opposite sex to do something meaningful or important.
RE: Bina
They probably tell boys that girls’ vaginas are full of old tape, a vast accumulation of spit, and chewing gum, if the the ugly lessons they impart in schools have anything to say about it.
Heh. For mine, it was a paper heart being systematically torn to shreds. (Note: at the time, it was either during my Raping Year or just after it, so I totally bought it. So THAT’S why I felt so shitty!)
RE: Kittehs
“Purry balls” sounds like kitties curled up together.
Purry balls makes me think of something. Uh. Very different. Especially since my husband tends to make his own weird purring sounds when he’s pleased.
😯
What IS it with our husbands? Louis does that too! He actually purrs.
It makes you wonder how messed up girls get, when they’re told to sever their awareness of their body, rely totally on other people’s judgment, and wait around for their fairy tale to come true. Their sexuality has to go into suspended animation for a dozen or so years. Then, on their wedding night, suddenly their libido is supposed to blossom and everything work just right. How can that not be overwhelming and frightening and, ultimately, disappointing?
I suspect a lot of girls raised with abstinence-only either end up rebelling (because once their vaginas go into the markdown bin, what do they have to lose?) or they become angry, judgmental, and terrified of anything outside their comfort zone.
Yes, and if the boys have been “pure” as well, they’re supposed to suddenly know all about what to do and how to take the lead. I doubt that means they’re supposed to be making it pleasurable for both, though … it’s too easy to imagine how unpleasant (at least) it would be, if neither of them has a clue about sexuality, arousal or anything else relevant.
Too true…it would require a lot of patience, tenderness, and respect to get over that initial fear/awkwardness. It’s too bad they don’t teach those skills in sex ed class. Instead they’re too busy comparing female sexuality to used linty tape and leftover pizza. Maybe it’s not that they’re afraid to make sex sound remotely pleasurable, lest the students get any ideas – maybe they genuinely don’t know that there’s more to sex than dull pro forma coupling. (Or they know, but why should the kids have pleasures that were denied to the adults?)
BTW, that is too adorable that Louis purrs when he’s pleased. There’s something very disarming about that. 😀
Hey, check it out: The newest viral Amazon item is the vagina toaster.
You’ll all be happy to find that several reviewers have already pointed out that it is, in fact, a vulva toaster.
It is sweet that he purrs, isn’t it! He even sported a tail, once, as an experiment, after I’d been joking about it. He won’t do it again, but it was a hoot watching him play around while he had it. He said it was very strange feeling one’s spine extended like that. I did a memorial picture of it:
http://vignettesacrosstheveil.wordpress.com/2013/03/17/the-tale-of-the-tail/
and Louis wrote about it at the end of this entry:
http://vignettesacrosstheveil.wordpress.com/2013/03/15/serious-and-silly-very-silly/
RE: Kittehs
I think it’s fairly common; I make a weird Marge Simpson rumble noise. He just… hums or whatever. Not quite purring, but…
Louis’s sound was like a vibration – made me think of a cello, in a way; not so much the actual sound as the depth and a sense of wood (stop it! That’s not what I’m talking about). But he must be closer to total assimilation by the Furrinati, ‘cos now it’s much more like a really truly purr.
Whenever I read about purity balls I wonder what the girls’ mothers think, and I imagine the conversation with her husband goes like this:
Woman: I could really use some help around here from you. We have six kids!
Man: Knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.
Woman: No, I mean, I can’t get everything done and I’m exhausted.
Man: Okay, first you start a load of laundry, and while that’s going, you can go into the kitchen and make my breakfast, and then…
Woman: What?
Man: I’m helping you with your problem getting organized.
Woman: Sighs.
Man: Actually there’s one thing I could do. I’d like to spend more time with our oldest daughter and oversee her spiritual growth as she becomes a young woman.
Woman: Fine. Whatever.
Katz, my favorite review of that toaster: