I voted for Jordin Sparks to win American Idol. Her voice is beautiful but it was her wholesomeness that won me over. As a mom of a 10-year-old girl, I'm glad I did. Sparks spoke up for purity last night at the Video Music Awards after the show's host Russell Brand (who I personally thought was funny) kept taking swipes at the Jonas Brothers and their purity rings. The teen hearthrobs have vowed to keep it in their pants until they are married. I'm not sure how long that will last, but since my daughter is a big fan, I'm all for it.
Sparks, 18, publicly has made the same vow and took offense to Brand's anti-virgin jokes. Before presenting an award, at American Idol winner told the audience, "I just have one thing to say about promise rings. It's not bad to wear a promise ring because not everybody – guy or girl – wants to be a slut." (source)
Since my daughter was watching the show with me, I applauded. I didn't clap because I think everyone who doesn't wait until marraige is a slut. I'd never talk about myself in that manner. I'm just always pleased when young girls have better role models to look up to than perhaps I would have been at that age. I am relieved to see that these kids who have every opportunity to go wrong are choosing to make the right choices and hopefully influencing our children to do the same.
If the Jo-Bros or even Jordin slips up, I'm won't jump on the inevitable media bandwagon and call for them to be burned at the stake. The fact that they had honorable intentions accounts for alot these days. Afterall, a couple channels over from Disney and Nickolodeon sex and excess are put on a pedestal and female role models are hard to come by.
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6 comments:
Well said. In today's society the last thing people should be putting down is virgins. Give me a break! If these kids want to wait, you think others would be all for it! With teenage pregnancy and STD's, etc. why would any one put down kids for waiting? That's what's wrong with Hollywood.
Thanks for commenting, Sue. I love this whole virginity movement. I'm going to definitely get my daughter a promise ring.
The main problem with these promise rings is that a lot of people see them as the answer to unwanted pregnancies and use them wholly in place of proper education about condoms and safe sex. They aren't; they shouldn't be treated that way. When they're coupled with religious indoctrination the end result is quite often pregnancy, infections, etc. If there was no religious connotation to the ring then I'd applaud their use and what they represent but otherwise I'm cynical that their widespread adoption is more about suppressing proper education in favour of theological ideology that ultimately harms far more than it helps.
Good point, Mark! Giving children the information they need to make good, safe decisions is so important. I think the ring is a good way to open up conversation between children and parents and creates a sense if responsibility for your own choices in life. I don't believe in just saying: here take this ring and don't do it. It's just not realistic.
Thanks for stopping by.
Nice post! I also applaud Jordin and the JB for taking a stand when it is so much easier to follow the crowd!
Thanks, Regina. These kids are doing a wonderful thing.
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