"Abstinence has given me a second chance"? At what? I don't understand. Someone please explain that one to me?

I look up to my older brother purely based on the amount of sex he's had. ...If I found out all his wild sex stories were complete fabrications I just...wouldn't love him anymore.

Well, the "I value my virginity" on a man is something...I guess...

Uh, that guy in the top one- in the middle? What, is he like 40 or something? I don't think abstinence is exactly a "choice" for him. The only way he's going to be "hurting anyone with empty promises, is if he makes an empty promise to stay away and comes back. Also- just to say, I knew a couple girls in "not me not now" commercials, that uh, were not so much practicing said philosophy.

MissRobyn:

Oh, yes, because of course we all know that the only thing of importance in a relationship is what you look like.

(For the record, he looks to me like a slightly overweight 20ish fellow, but just the same, I would like to express my strong disapproval of the "fat bitch probably couldn't get a man anyway" school of personal attack.)

The person who says "Because I value my virginity" baffles me. The T-shirt he's wearing conflicts with the traditional clothes of 17th century Massachusetts, which he seems to fit better than 21st century New Mexico.

$50 says half those people f*** someone in the next 12 months. And 1 of them gets warts.

MissRobyn, my sentiments exactly. Regardless of any superficial tendencies I may have in this instance, featuring a kid who's mommy uses either a bowl or a Flowbie (sp?) is probably not the best way to make their case.

The slutty wart girl! A friend (and fellow New Mexican) tipped me off to this campaign, which included TV ads. That's where we first spotted the "Because I don't want warts!" girl! As funny as it is in print it's even better ON TV! She's so earnest about it, and it is SO clear that the rest of her sentence is: "I don't want warts...but you probably do, don't you, you dirty whore?" Hehe. YAY New Mexico. Of course, it did prompt to to start the Slutty Wart Girls Club...

Right. Because people who don't have sex never have any regrets. Goodness knows it's impossible to regret not having sex. And how on earth does having sex = making empty promises?

It's the kid on the far right that I find odd--he looks like he's 12. How can you know what you're deciding when you haven't even been through puberty yet?

The "second chance" guy baffles me, as well. I think it has to do with the fact that something about the way he's holding himself says "mugshot" to me, which is just... so confusing.

"I don't want warts" girl is the most manipulative, though. Can't you just picture some pre-pubescent girls being like, "Me neither! I can never have sex!" but not yet having the nerve to actually ask what that means, and growing up with this false connection between sex and warts "down there." And thus, a fearful virgin is born, purity rings and all.

(Not to say it can't happen, of course, but this ad makes it sound like it happens every time.)

Zed-

Call me shallow- but that dude could make empty promises to me from here until eternity, and with that hair cut he still wouldn't be getting any. Also, I think the empty promise is supposed to be in regards to satisfying any woman in any way. He knows it would be a dirty lie, and thus refrains from bothering.

Zed-

Call me shallow- but that dude could make empty promises to me from here until eternity, and with that hair cut he still wouldn't be getting any. Also, I think the empty promise is supposed to be in regards to satisfying any woman in any way. He knows it would be a dirty lie, and thus refrains from bothering.

The one I find the saddest is "Because I don't want to have any regrets." If I wanted to live my life that way, maybe I could. But if I did that, I don't think I'd have much to proud of, either. I don't mean this just sexually - in all aspect of life, a crippling fear of regrets will keep you from, well, living.

Come to think of it, I know I've made promises that I've been unable to keep. But I'm not sorry I made those promises. By the logic of this ad, one can't really promise anything, ever.

I'm also wondering about the "second chance thing." And if it's normal for brothers to tell their younger sisters about their sex lives.

Someone can correct me if I have bad information here ...

I went to a dorm meeting on safe sex while I was in college (less than 10 years ago). They had a statistic that still sticks with me. Of sexually active college students, 66% have genital warts. Scary.

I want to do a spinoff ad:

"Because I'm a Republican."

"Because I promised Daddy."

"Because I can't get laid."

As far as the guy in the middle is concerned: 20ish. I don't really want to live in a world where all models look modelish (lord knows I don't), so that isn't really my problem with the ad, but I have to admit that the combination of the haircut and the facial expression lead me to believe that he probably needs a good lay a hell of a more than he needs to take another abstinence pledge.

Cheers,

TH

Dave: That's off by two orders of magnitude for the general population (general infection rate is about 0.5%, IIRC), though I've never seen college-specific stats).

I'm ashamed to know this, but the second chance guy is essentially saying that he's been a little man whore, but abstinence gives him a second chance at being a "good boy". It's akin to what some church groups call "second virginity" for girls; you can atone for having lots of dirty ho-bag sex if you become celibate and wait for that oh-so-special someone who will be the one for ever and ever...

and I second the general creepiness of this. Especially the empty promises guy because I wonder if it has to do with pregnancy -- if I have sex with you, I promise to raise the resulting child. But I can't do that, so I won't. Because, y'know, all sexual encounters end in pregnancy, unless you use contracep--

oh wait, those aren't allowed. I forgot. So we deny kids contraception that way, if they're dirty enough to have sex, they WILL get pregnant. That's what you get you dirty little bastards.

*sigh*

American-style abstinence goes too far when it does this.

These people are going to at least try oral sex within the next year. We as human beings have to mate to survive. Chasity has been dead for awhile. These posters are propaganda plain and simple. I do no condone people who practice abstinence, but I hate that the right-wing zealots are trying to indoctrinate me to avoid a natural occurnce in all animals: Sex

:(

this whole thread (pictures included) does not bode well for those who do choose virginity (for whatever reason) and/or who are asexual.

Not wanting sex is not a bad thing, people. You want it? Great, go ahead. Don't want to? Good for you as well. Why judge choices?

Tiara, I'm saving myself for Ms. Right--years ago, I even belonged to a listserv called Celibate Life for those who were temporarily or permanently celibate--but even I find these kinds of posters offensive. Why? Because you won't see government-funded posters with messages like these:

"Sexual activity is my choice..."

"...because it feels fantastic."

"...because it has helped me and my lover become so close."

"...because I don't want to have any regrets."

You're right: Abstinence and sexual activity are choices. The problem is that the former is a government-funded choice backed by an anti-reproductive rights regime that seeks to use the power of the state to punish people in every possible life-destroying way for having sex, while sexual activity is what most folks are actually doing.

Cheers,

TH

Am I the only one who finds it vaguely creepy, by the way, that all three people on the first poster are white and all three people on the second poster are people of color?

Cheers,

TH

(Latino, to be precise.)

Warts? I thought MASTURBATING gave one warts. And hairy palms. And if you're abstaining, well....

Sheesh, these abstinence folks really have to get their facts straight.

heh.

Warts? I thought MASTURBATING gave one warts. And hairy palms. And if you're abstaining, well....

Sheesh, these abstinence folks really have to get their facts straight.

heh.

They're Latino? The middle woman looks Asian to me, more Thai or Filipina than Chinese or Japanese; the man on the right looks entirely Caucasian to me; the man on the left does look Hispanic now that I try seeing it, but I didn't notice it the first time.

As it turns out, she also doesn't kiss on the first date because she doesn't want cooties. She's a very safety oriented girl.

Alon, they're White/Hispanic mix, Pueblo and Hispanic, respectively.

MissRobyn & JaneMinty:

I agree completely. Why did they pick such ugly people for their ads? Those two women are hideous. Tho one in the top ad could use some plastic surgery, and a bit of liposuction wouldn't kill the one in the bottom ad. I'm sure remaining a virgin is no problem at all for those two beasts.

Raging Moderate:
You're not really on Feministing.com talking about how women need plastic surgery/liposuction, right?

funambulator:

It's satirical, to make a point.

I have seen these, but right now the state of New Mexico has these great ones within driving distance of UNM and all Albuquerque High Schools, tho I do not know about the rest of the state. They have this Abstinece colum and the Sexually Active colum. Below those they say something like "healthy/STI's" or "healthy/pregnant."

and as for the ethnic debate, the second one is hispanic, pueblo, hispanic. Seems rather funny that they seperated it by majority/minority.

I do not know about the other 20 of the sovigern nations in the state, but I do know that the Navajo Nation and the Zuni Pueblo are ravaged by the clap and other bacterial, easily cured STD's. I have yet to hear of the genital warts epidemic ravaging any of the nations, or any part of the state for that matter.

ah, Warts.