Creepy as hell


I think it will give me nightmares: it’s a video put out by the Patriarchy Counsel to promote abstinence with Purity Bear. It stars a vaguely insipid looking teenager who’s invited into the house after a date by an attractive young woman, and then…a teddy bear rises over his shoulder to warn him in a flat, affectless voice to go home. And then it cuts to some time later, the girl is in a bridal dress, and the same dopey guy is talking about how he’s glad to have waited.

I saw the bear and heard the voice and thought immediately of Frank, the demon bunny in Donnie Darko. This is not a creature to take sex advice from, was my thought. A jet engine should have fallen out of the sky in the first part to crush geeky guy, and save the poor girl from an awful fate.

Comments

  1. Brownian says

    I’ll save you all the painful acting and terrible writing:

    “Man, chicks is evil. Wait ’til her dad passes her over to you like the keys to your first car.”

  2. Sastra says

    I’m curious — do they actually market a “Purity Bear” doll for the Christian teens to use as a reminder? If so, I suspect that carrying a teddy bear on your dates would be effective for encouraging abstinence, especially if (as the video suggests) you’re dating someone who isn’t already a member of your cult.

    I’m also curious as to why these wicked, sinful teenagers are being allowed to go on a “date” in the first place. Have they not heard of courtship? They should be sitting on a porch swing while in the company of mom, dad, and a quiverfull of little brothers and sisters, carefully refraining from so much as holding hands. Shocking.

  3. says

    a teddy bear rises over his shoulder to warn him in a flat, affectless voice to go home.

    “You have 20 seconds to comply.”

    the girl is in a bridal dress, and the same dopey guy is talking about how he’s glad to have waited.

    Yeah, he waited all of five seconds before marrying in his teens. That always works out, right? Yeesh.
    Killed By Fish

  4. 'Tis Himself, OM. says

    A jet engine should have fallen out of the sky in the first part to crush geeky guy, and save the poor girl from an awful fate.

    It would have been better if the jet engine had fallen on the folks responsible for this bit of anti-sex propaganda.

  5. hyoid says

    Wow,that cross! From this side of delusion it seems soooo evil and sick. Before 1997, the picture would have evoked joy, relief, satisfaction and hope. Now? Not so much.

  6. otranreg says

    They should have looked at the horror genre for music ideas — when the bear appears from behind the guy’s back (a horror cliche on its own), there should be something like screeching violins from the famous Psycho scene or string section played in reverse.

    ‘Cleanse the temptress, purity in death!’

    And look at how he clenches and unclenches his fist — the next second it’s gonna land on the girl’s throat. Or perhaps it’s just uncomfortable without the big 10-inch kitchen knife in it.

  7. says

    I liked it when Purity Bear said, “Look at me. I’m cuddly.” Hmm. What does Purity Bear do on his nights off, huh? (I do not want to see the video of that!)

  8. Ichthyic says

    I kept seeing Purity Bear as the cousin of Pedo Bear…

    the two standing next to each other, Pedo bear drawn with devil horns on his head, and Purity bear with a little halo…

    *shudder*

  9. Ichthyic says

    over on Rebecca’s site, someone was full of win:

    Somebody please change the ending of this to a clip of the boy fucking the bear.

    The audio should still be “now this feels right.”

    ROFLMAO!

  10. Dr. Audley Z. Darkheart, liar and scoundrel says

    It’s kind of funny– organizations like Planned Parenthood don’t resort to infantilizing teens to get the pro-safe sex message across.

    But that’s religion for you. Fucking creepy.

  11. jacobfromlost says

    Just get married for the weekend, then get divorced on Monday.

    I wonder why Christians don’t protest divorce as much as they protest abortion and sex?

    Why don’t we see Newt Gingrich out there decrying the evils of divorce? WHY GOD WHY?

  12. says

    I liked it when Purity Bear said, “Look at me. I’m cuddly.” Hmm. What does Purity Bear do on his nights off, huh? (I do not want to see the video of that!)

    Well, lets see, just off the top of my head, having nosed around some strange places now and then, there is:

    Dancing Bear – A stripper that dresses in the bear head, for all girls parties, and.. well, isn’t exactly celibate.

    Like.. Horny Pandy, or something like that – Someone in a panda suit. I have no idea if its a women, or a guy, since the “penis” used in the 1-2 I have seen of that one where both strap-ons…

    And, I am fairly sure I have seen a teddy bear in one with a strap on, way back when, so… yeah, one does wonder what the abstinence bear does on his time off, and why he might not want some “human” muscling in on his territory. ;) lol

  13. ikesolem says

    Ever wonder why religions are so sex-obsessed?

    For the same reasons that advertisers are – sex operates at the basic pheromone level. This is modified in social species via learned behavior (courtship rituals, competition for mates, etc.). As such, it is a trigger that can be used to manipulate people.

    Religious organizations and advertising companies share the same tactic – hit the sex button. The only difference is that religion also attempts to hit the shame and guilt button at the same time, while advertisers simply want you to associate sexual gratification with their product.

    http://blog.seattlepi.com/thebigblog/2011/05/23/religious-people-plagued-with-guilt-over-sex-study-says/

    This accounts for the vaguely orgiastic-orgasmic nature of religious gatherings across a broad spectrum of religions. Such events provide sexual release for people whose normal sexuality has been channeled into really weird, creepy areas. Plagued by guilt, they turn back to religion for relief from their induced emotional distress – as intended. Deception, manipulation and control – that’s the goal.

  14. TX_secular says

    Maybe Purity Bear is a form of operant conditioning. If every time the boy thinks about sex that creepy bear pops into his head he will never be able or willing to have sex.

  15. jacobfromlost says

    ” The only difference is that religion also attempts to hit the shame and guilt button at the same time, while advertisers simply want you to associate sexual gratification with their product.”

    Advertising also uses shame and guilt, but not ONLY in regards to sex. They try to make you feel fat, stupid, ugly, cheap, alone, etc., and the solution to changing these feelings (that they just gave you) is buying their products.

    If you just buy our products, you’ll be as beautiful, smart, rich, successful as the people in our commercials…and never be alone again. (Unlike now, you lonely, ugly, fat, bald, stupid, cheap, weak loser. BUY NOW! ALL PHONE LINES ARE OPEN!)

  16. Ichthyic says

    Maybe Purity Bear is a form of operant conditioning. If every time the boy thinks about sex that creepy bear pops into his head he will never be able or willing to have sex.

    …except with the bear.

    see youtube clip posted upthread. It’s the same guy, only 10 years in the future.

  17. laurentweppe says

    Purity Bear is as creepy as Pedobear

    Can’t you all see the conspiracy?
    Purity Bear is Pedobear, disguised as a choir boy: he wants kids to never engage in anything sexual among themselves so he can keep them all to himself!

  18. Denephew Ogvorbis, OM says

    The part missing is when the boy goes home and has sex with his teddy bear.

    But can Abstinence Bear give enthusiastic consent?

    Sex isn’t right unless it’s condoned condemned by the church.

    Changed for added cynicism.

    I wonder why Christians don’t protest divorce as much as they protest abortion and sex?

    Because men can get divorces?

    =========

    Thank you so very much, PZ, for reminding me of this from my adolescence:

    When I was in high school in Maryland, one of the local fundy churches gave out white teddy bears to all the pubescent girls and young unmarried women. They were supposed to take the bear everywhere with them for one month. Yes, even to high school. They were told that keeping the bear pure (and white) was far easier than keeping themselves pure (and able to wear white). So did a stain on the bear mean the girl got kicked out of the church? Or that she was fair game?

  19. ambassadorfromverdammt says

    Pedobear’s cousin Ephebobear. It’s not clear if the bear is trying to get the boy alone, or get rid of the boy so it can make it with the girl. Maybe the bear doesn’t care which.

  20. Lycanthrope says

    Cripes, the teenagers are pretty flat and affectless too. Are these seriously the best actors they could find?

    …Actually, they probably were the best actors they could find who were willing to do this stupid spot.

  21. Ichthyic says

    Did anyone notice the sign on the door to the “house”?

    It says:

    “Please use front entrance.”

    hmm….

    at first I thought: “Aha! not so subtle poke at sodomy!”

    then I thought: “No, these kids are smart enough to make subtle pokes at anything (pun intended)”

    Then I realized:

    It’s not a house even, it’s the back door to their MegaChurch.

  22. Ichthyic says

    They were supposed to take the bear everywhere with them for one month. Yes, even to high school. They were told that keeping the bear pure (and white) was far easier than keeping themselves pure (and able to wear white).

    I would have taken the bear and burned it completely to ash.

    then given them back a little baggie full of ashes and said:

    “Now THAT’S pure.”

  23. Ichthyic says

    Purity Bear is Pedobear

    too obvious.

    I’m sticking with the idea that there is an entire population of these bears, all working in conspiracy to corrupt our youth!

  24. Denephew Ogvorbis, OM says

    I would have taken the bear and burned it completely to ash.

    then given them back a little baggie full of ashes and said:

    “Now THAT’S pure.”

    No way would these girls and young women have done that. The were total brainwashees.

    I’m sticking with the idea that there is an entire population of these bears, all working in conspiracy to corrupt our youth!

    Beerbear, Weedbear, Cokebear, Rainbow Brite Bear, Whiskey Bear, Analbear, Purity Bear, Oralbear . . . . The possibilities are limited only by the unlimited possibilities of teenage creativity.

  25. hipopotamo says

    Man, I feel so violated now. Feels like no amount of out-of-wedlock sex will free my mind from this creepy video…

    Well, I better start trying…

  26. stonyground says

    Isn’t the problem here that these people are trying to apply the social mores of the bronze age to the twenty-first century? We have reliable contraception and ways of proving paternity, we don’t treat our women like effing slaves.

    This kind of stuff is so sad and desperate and that at least is encouraging. the more sad and desperate they get, the more own goals* they score.

    *Not sure if the term ‘own goal’ is known in the US as it applies to soccer, or football as known in South America and Europe. Basically it means that a defender has tryed to defend but inadvertantly kicked the ball into his own net and scored a goal for the other side.

  27. Jerry Alexandratos says

    For the few people who don’t know, abstinence only education does NOT work, thus deserving all of the mocking. Teen pregnancy and disease rates are higher in states that require abstinence-only sex ed than in states that teach biology (reality). See one of the latest discussions at
    http://www.slate.com/blogs/xx_factor/2011/12/01/researchers_find_that_abstinence_only_sex_education_does_not_in_fact_promote_abstinence.html
    with links to a large research study. The sad but funny part is that my top 5 search links run from 2006 through 2011, with one from 2009 stating that study was the “final nail in the coffin” for abstinence only sex-ed. Naturally, delusional religious / social conservatives are still fighting for it tooth-and-nail long after it has been proven a total failure compared to real sex education.

  28. says

    Isn’t the problem here that these people are trying to apply the social mores of the bronze age to the twenty-first century?

    Monogamy was not a more of the bronze age

  29. sceptinurse says

    I went to the “Day of Purity” site and out of curiosity clicked on the box for t-shirts and wrist bands (I wanted to see what atrocities those might be). It was blocked as an unsafe site.

  30. Aquaria says

    Who said these kids were going to make out, anyway? I had guy friends in high school and we’d visit each other with no parents around. And no sex at all.

    What filthy pervert minds these christards have.

  31. Nepenthe says

    The creepiest bit to me (and granted there’s quite a competition for that honor) is when, uh, Purity Bear says “This decision could define the rest of your life“. (Emphasis where it would be if there were any affect or inflection in this ad.)

    Because all of us who didn’t save it for marriage? Lives totally defined by our teenage dalliances. Not a day goes by when I’m not completely defined by what I was doing in my parent’s basement nigh on a decade ago. Amirite?

  32. Azkyroth says

    For the few people who don’t know, abstinence only education does NOT work, thus deserving all of the mocking. Teen pregnancy and disease rates are higher in states that require abstinence-only sex ed

    What do you mean it doesn’t work? Sounds to me like it’s doing exactly what it was always meant to do.

  33. yellowsubmarine says

    Someone remind me again why having sex for the first time defines the rest of your life?

  34. Randomfactor says

    Someone remind me again why having sex for the first time defines the rest of your life?

    Because after you do, you’ll spend the rest of your life trying to do it again…

  35. Denephew Ogvorbis, OM says

    Someone remind me again why having sex for the first time defines the rest of your life?

    Because if you have sex before you are married, your brideprice gets discounted and you end up with a husband who is not as rich and your father loses face in the community.

  36. Denephew Ogvorbis, OM says

    Oh, and your husband will not be sure if any children are actually his since he knows that if you let him possess you before marriage, you may have let others possess you, too.

  37. carlie says

    I got to meet Esteleth! *bounces up and down*

    I have now met many Pharyngulites, and I have to say that never once have I met one who is not a simply wonderful person. Evil horde, pish posh.

  38. says

    “This decision could define the rest of your life“.

    I’m reminded of a Audio Play of Doctor Who with the Second Doctor where because he decided to talk to a small child. Because he did this and encouraged the kid to go home rather than playing on the beech alone (the kid had wandered away without telling his parents) he accidentally caused the kid to get hit by an ice-cream truck.

    Any decision defines the rest of your life.

  39. Tsu Dho Nimh says

    And notice it’s the “evil little thing (TM)” Lilith/Jezebel/Eve woman doing the tempting of the innocent young man.

    Because it’s always the woman’s fault if an innocent Christian boy goes astray.

  40. says

    Maybe Purity Bear is a form of operant conditioning. If every time the boy thinks about sex that creepy bear pops into his head he will never be able or willing to have sex.

    That sounds likely. Could you get it up while thinking about this bass-voiced bear saying “Look at me, I’m cuddly”?

    I’m getting an unpleasantly vivid image of this. Bear standing under soft light, rubbing his big paws through his fur, going “Come stroke my cuddly fur, baby. You know you want to.” Maybe wearing leather slacks and some Barry White playing in the background. “Oh, my toe pads are so sore. Will you rub some lotion on them?”

    I have to stop here or I’ll end up doing a whole “erotic” story like this.

  41. Randomfactor says

    It’s not a house even, it’s the back door to their MegaChurch.

    That spot was filmed at the church building because she’s the daughter of the preacher.

    “You were right–stealing your mom’s wedding dress and your dad’s preaching suit and doing it right under the crucifix in the chapel is WAY better than making out in my room…”

  42. lizdamnit says

    @Tsu Dho Nimh #56 – You noticed that too, eh? I was scandalized by her saucy hand twitch at :22…what a harlot!!

    Seriously, if I had the money I’d charter a plane with a banner after that says “Sex isn’t the end of the world! In fact, it can be quite fun! Just play safe!”

    Provided our lovebirds above use proper protection (which, of course, doesn’t seem to exist in this fantasy world) what’s the worst that can happen? Really, I’d love to sit these folks down and try to get a logical a to b to c on what’s so damn scary about sex. I’m still boggled by the raging lust for ownership here(of minds, bodies, drives) Gah.

  43. Duckbilled Platypus says

    Randomfactor says:

    Someone remind me again why having sex for the first time defines the rest of your life?

    Because after you do, you’ll spend the rest of your life trying to do it again…

    Which is different from before you do it, when you spend most of your time trying to do it in the first place*.

    * Not a location reference.

  44. Ichthyic says

    Isn’t the problem here that these people are trying to apply the social mores of the bronze age to the twenty-first century?

    actually, no.

    The “social mores” these people are espousing didn’t even exist in the bronze age.

    these people are making up their own ideology, and pretending it fixes something that was never broken.

    it’s pure insanity.

    It’s just like the people who long for the “good old days of the 50s”, and evidently have totally erased their memories of things like McCarthyism.

    the “good old 50s” was a myth. It never happened. All that happened was that there was more money flowing around, temporarily, as a side effect of all the unchecked industry created during WWII.

    I wonder if, in another 20 years, will will hear about the “good ‘ol 90s, where everything was better…”, and it will likewise be an entire plethora of made up bullshit.

  45. Dr. Audley Z. Darkheart, liar and scoundrel says

    Ichthyic:

    “Please use front entrance.”

    hmm….

    at first I thought: “Aha! not so subtle poke at sodomy!”

    then I thought: “No, these kids are [not] smart enough to make subtle pokes at anything (pun intended)”

    Then I realized:

    It’s not a house even, it’s the back door to their MegaChurch.

    I remember reading somewhere* (The Purity Myth, maybe?) that kids who take a “purity pledge” or wear “purity rings” or whateverthefuck are every bit as likely as any other teenager to engage in sexual behavior, but they’re less likely to have vaginal sex. “Technical virgins”, in other words.

    So, maybe you’re right, assuming that the vid makers are at least a little bit savvy. Which is a bit of a stretch.

    *So take this with a grain of salt.

  46. Denephew Ogvorbis, OM says

    kids who take a “purity pledge” or wear “purity rings” or whateverthefuck are every bit as likely as any other teenager to engage in sexual behavior, but they’re less likely to have vaginal sex. “Technical virgins”, in other words.

    And it was referred to, in a similar vein to “Santorum”, as “Saddlebacking.”

  47. lizdamnit says

    Icythic, Oh yeah. My friends and I are already starting those late-century myths, to further confound our eventual offspring :) But I like to think we’ll be wiser than the fake-50s fetishists.

  48. Ichthyic says

    I have to stop here or I’ll end up doing a whole “erotic” story like this.

    O.o

    too late.

    :p

  49. Dr. Audley Z. Darkheart, liar and scoundrel says

    Oggie:

    “Saddlebacking.”

    I’ve heard of “bare backing”, but “saddlebacking” is a new one to me. It’s, ah, awfully descriptive.

  50. Denephew Ogvorbis, OM says

    I’ve heard of “bare backing”, but “saddlebacking” is a new one to me. It’s, ah, awfully descriptive.

    That’s one I learned from Kids. Well, I learned about the word from Kids.

  51. Dr. Audley Z. Darkheart, liar and scoundrel says

    Oggie:

    A church that was, in the late 90s and early 00s, really big on Purity Balls for Dad and little girls.

    And THAT’S creepy as shit, too. It’s so creeptastic that I don’t even know where to start…

    1) Going on a date with Dad? Creepy.
    2) Women as property to be passed from one family to another? Creepy.
    3) Teaching little girls (“purity balls” are aimed a preteens) that sex makes them worthless? Creepy.

    Fuck that noise.

  52. Ichthyic says

    And it comes from The Saddleback Church of southern California.

    *sigh* right by where I grew up.

    no wonder I wanted to get the fuck out of there when I was a teen.

    but wait… Saddleback church… saddlebacking…. could it be that in fact this is where the term originated?

    that would be wonderful irony, if not unexpected.

  53. says

    The thing I don’t get about the sexophobes is that they want everyone else to have a crap sex life. When you’re 16 you aren’t likely to be a brilliant sensual lover, as skill requires experience. What’s the betting that sexually most of the middle aged prudes don’t know their arse from their elbow when it comes to actually having great mindblowing, floorshaking scare the neighbours sex? They don’t know how to fuck and they don’t want anyone else to know either in case it makes them look bad.

  54. Denephew Ogvorbis, OM says

    but wait… Saddleback church… saddlebacking…. could it be that in fact this is where the term originated?

    That is the most likely origin of the pseudoword.

    They don’t know how to fuck and they don’t want anyone else to know either in case it makes them look bad.

    That may be a part of it, but don’t leave out the whole “any woman who actually enjoys any part of sex and doesn’t just lie there submitting to here lord and master will lose all self-control, start cheating on her owner, and stop being a great mom” thing. There really are people who still buy into the Victorian idea that women should not enjoy sex because if they do, they will become harlots. So if a man really knows how to please his woman (through practice), she will discover how great sex really is and start looking for more. Keeping them ignorant keeps the women where they belong.

    Or am getting way too cynical?

  55. screechymonkey says

    The abstinence lobby’s “logic” is particularly funny when it comes to the HPV vaccine:

    “If we give teenagers the HPV vaccine, it’ll lead to bad things.”
    Why?
    “Because then they’ll think it’s ok to have sex.”
    And that would be bad because?
    “Because they might get HPV!”

  56. Dr. Audley Z. Darkheart, liar and scoundrel says

    andrewbrown:

    What’s the betting that sexually most of the middle aged prudes don’t know their arse from their elbow when it comes to actually having great mindblowing, floorshaking scare the neighbours sex? They don’t know how to fuck and they don’t want anyone else to know either in case it makes them look bad.

    Sex isn’t supposed to be fun, dontchaknow. It’s sinful if you enjoy it. Sex is supposed to make babies and that’s it!!1!

  57. says

    @73

    All that and more.

    As has been noted above they can’t even see the misogyny, so deeply ingrained is it into their belief system. They cannot see that what they are doing is punishing women for tempting men into wanting to have sex with them.

    I’m not an American so forgive me if I’m off base here, I always find cheerleaders the ultimate expression of this dichotomy, the ultimate cognitive dissonance role model. They dress sexy and dance around for the entertainment of primarily men, but they’re regarded as wholesome “good” girls, and the message is that every girl wants to be one (even Buffy!).

    It’s something I can’t wrap my little brain around, but I’ve always thought that it goes some way to explaining the strange attitude of some Americans towards sex.

  58. says

    @75

    That’s where the fundie Catholic (Santorum) overlaps with the fundie Protestants (Fischer, Dobson et al.)

    Sex is supposed to be a duty not a pleasure and if it’s fun you’re doing it wrong!!!

  59. Nerd of Redhead, Dances OM Trolls says

    Ah yes, the old bury your head in the sand so you don’t see facts. In the old days, your daughter starts her period, and you sell her off to the highest bidder. Chances of her being a virgin, very high odds.

    Have folks getting married at median ages of 28 (males) and 26 (females), chances of either being virgins, just about zero. It’s like the old masturbation statistics. 95% admit it, and the other 5% lie about it.

  60. Ichthyic says

    Nowhere near as cool as Hector The Safety Cat!

    freaky.

    what was with all the slow mo in the middle?

    and..

    Hector Cat, not too thin, not to fat?

    what the hell kinda verse is that?

    LOL

  61. Naked Bunny with a Whip says

    Leave it to the abstinence crowd to turn a wedding into the start of a sex video.

  62. DLC says

    Purity Bear ? does it look anything like Pedo Bear?

    Does Purity Bear think it’s okay so long as there’s no vaginal penetration ? So… gay or lesbian sex is okay ? Anal or Oral is fine ?

  63. Aquaria says

    There really are people who still buy into the Victorian idea that women should not enjoy sex because if they do, they will become harlots. So if a man really knows how to please his woman (through practice), she will discover how great sex really is and start looking for more. Keeping them ignorant keeps the women where they belong.

    Which is ironic at least as far as Queen Victoria goes, because that was one randy lady, who commented to her journal about how well the future Prince Albert filled out his cashmere pants, enough to note that the wore nothing beneath them.

    Victoria also made it abundantly clear in her journal and in letters to her eldest daughter that she definitely enjoyed sex; it was pregnancy and birthing that she hated, even thought she had nine children with Albert.

  64. Denephew Ogvorbis, OM says

    Aquaria:

    Sorry. I partialed on that one. The Victorian upper class were as oversexed and randy, and as willing to prey on the vulnerable (child prostitution flourished in London at the time, and household servants were, in some households, expected to have a very broad definition of service) as today’s upper class. The poor were expected to have no morals at all, to be oversexed, undereducated, irreligious, and hopelessly libidinous. The middle class, though, were as uptight about sex as one can imagine. And one cogent explanation I have run across is that it was a way of differentiating themselves from the lower classes.

    Yes, I am generalizing to a horrific degree. However, I think the basics are sound. Victorian England was a nation of contradictions and the term ‘Victorian’, when referring to attitudes, tends to refer to the uptight asexuallity which the middle class was supposed to practice in order to differentiate themselves from the unwashed masses. I did not mean to imply that the Victorian attitude towards sex was that of the Empress herself, or even of all of the England at the time. I engaged in some unconscionable shorthand and I apologize.

  65. Ichthyic says

    Nowhere near as cool as Hector The Safety Cat!

    that’s what happens when you hire hippies to do public safety commercials.

    I can’t stop watching it.

    They must have been on acid.

  66. aladegorrion says

    I’m not even sure what pedobear looks like and didn’t watch the video and that’s STILL the first thing I thought of. Maybe they should read the internet a bit more. But that would probably be evil and dangerous and all that.

    Also, Hector the Safety Cat is far out… what on earth happens at the end? He loses the balloon because he ran in the road and was bad and “so sad”? I wish all safety commercials were that wild.

  67. salahhesali says

    I had a boyfriend like this once. He just couldn’t get it up unless in public worship places with me wearing a pretty white dress. We had loads of sex in churches but in the end it felt a little too much. I wonder if he had a creepy imaginary bear to not let him fuck in a bed, too.

  68. says

    The other video hs a uave sophisitcated young man inviting an innocent young girl into his bachelor’s lair. No purity bear this time. Just Daddy with a shotgun

  69. concernedjoe says

    I had a full immersion of RC propaganda and their other teachings, dicta, and attempts at mind and body control from my first day of school not that far from WWII to when I emancipated myself from that crap in my teens.

    Let me give you my observations/conclusions on the sex thing (unscientific granted – but are honest perceptions and experiences based on the truth as I view it):

    Too many nuns were not at peace – even as a small child you sensed a frustration and anger. You sensed this in a way about many woman AND MEN of the time but regarding nuns it was palpable.

    Quick to anger, quick to physically lash out, quick to subtly and not so subtly ridicule helpless children, too gleeful in punishing, etc. Outside of school and nuns the adults in your life would not tolerate such behaviors inflicted on you. Oh also the nuns did discriminate – “lower class” children felt the stick more – it was safer for them – not that these kids were any more “bad” than others – just that consciously or sub-c they knew they could control the parents better or had less to lose if they pissed one off. We as children felt this.

    Scientifically speaking (ad hoc’ly and not formally I grant) they dispersed on a spectrum – the mean for their behavior was skewed negative in our minds just enough for us as children to feel something is not “normal” – “not right” – palpably.

    Their war on sex was relentless. Not only did their vow of chastity apply to all in their collective mind but worse their strange rules about bodies also. Your own body .. not to be touched except as necessary for hygiene and also NOT to be seen by self even!! Mirrors and naked bodies – bad bad bad.

    Here is the dichotomy: they actually did a fairly good job in science classes. Girls and boys after 4th grade were separated – so we were not in mixed company (other than nuns). The nuns went over biological things related to sex PROPERLY (for our grade level). This includes STDs (not many to discuss at the time) and PROTECTION too – before any sex ed courses were formal – I think the Wars and military ed on subject influenced some of the curriculum!! Then after biology lessons the switch would go back on. Back to the whole perverted fairytale version of bodies and sex – all based on RC doctrine AND their nun rules.

    Here is my punchline: we boys got the highest level of anti-sex propaganda and coercion every day of our formative years. We got it from experts in the negative. The world too was about as sterile as you could get it too. Adults were as sexless as they could pretend to be. We believed in Hell too. But I swear 90% of us from early age on had sex with self (definitely), with our friends (don’t underestimate the power of needs and curiosity in basically hetro children), and as we got older any girl (and there were girls – from every “family class”) who wanted the excitement and pleasures we wanted. This was before the formal height of the 60’s sexual revolution too.

    I lost my hetro-virginity real early teens. I was always careful. Some experiences not really good – some fantastic. I would NOT NOT have had any such experiences! I am grateful for all! Of course they helped define me – but I think as a more sane and responsible person. I learned that sex was not a thing I needed to nor should let dictate to me how I related to people. It was a pleasure to be enjoyed and shared – that is all.

    In their negativity I think the religion-ists take sex to the forefront of relationships – it becomes too defining – too controlling. That to me is pathologically bad.

  70. says

    The producers of that video managed to cram a lot cognitive dissonance into a very short amount of time.

    “Destroy the flower,” and the idea of kissing a girl without making her “dirty,” are used as metaphors for the loss of virginity.

    If it’s so dirty and so destructive (that poor delicate flower!) why and how does it suddenly become clean, holy and non-destructive after the marriage ceremony?

    First sex is dirty and awful and sinful. And later sex is elevated to a holy ritual.

  71. Ichthyic says

    British hippy PSA film-makers were evidently on an entirely different page of blotting paper.

    yeah, that was pretty tame and sane compared to Hector.

    I doubt there was any acid involved with Charley.

  72. pacal says

    Another example of the comodification of womens sexuality, by Patriarchs. It is abundantly clear that the “purity” stuff, despite the use of guys staying “pure” as a smoke screen, is about controling women and comodifying women. Basically a guy gets “access” to a women’s naughty bits if he is willing to pay a price, marriage, and meanwhile the women must guard her naughty bits so that she is highly valued and not damaged goods. She is “pure” and thus a highly valued commodity that should be “sold” to the highest bider(sarcasm).

  73. ButchKitties says

    I tried to leave a comment on the video pointing out that societies that put high premiums on virginity tend to have higher rates of violence against women, but they aren’t making it through moderation. Other opposing comments have been let through so the channel owner can post rebuttals. Hmm….

  74. Anri says

    Wouldn’t it be more timely to have a Pinkie Pie head emerge and intone her famous “ForrrEVVVer!” ?

    Just sayin’…

  75. Celeste says

    The bear popped up and I burst out laughing. That was the funniest damn thing I’ve seen all morning.

  76. says

    It’s not so much the teddy bear appearing, but the voice that goes with it. Or in fact the voice that in no way fits the teddyness.

    I love how it took all of 7 seconds to get her to the church for the wedding because it was actually just through the front door.

    Yeah dude, you really waited.