Good luck on the book! Looking forward to it.

Cant wait till it comes out. Its about time someone covered this topic that seems to be re-rearing its head. It needs to be smacked down - like a bobbing clown!

That picture reminds me of the God eyes from The Great Gatsby. I guess that makes feminism the valley of the ashes. Jessica, why must you sabotage America's dream by writing your decadent slut manuals and running people over with cars?

Good luck with the new book. I just finished Full Frontal Feminism and loved it!

Those eyes are the epitome of the confusion in the whole abstinence-only-until-marriage thing: sexy but mean, alluring yet repulsing, pop culture but not modern....

And why are they female (or so I assume from all of the makeup)? I thought they thought God was a manly man?

I didn't know you were working on a book about that subject, can't wait till it comes out!!!

Anyway, loving the Evil Eyes of Abstinence here...Maybe it'll give you some ideas for the cover of your book.

My ransom? May I ask who kidnapped me? Because sin is a concept, not a person. And it's great how they basically have to scare the shit out of you (or better yet, their followers) or shame you into following their beliefs.

Another Feminsting book? You're like the Stephen King of feminist theorists.

If you are taking any suggestions, the myth of sexual purity would make a great pop-up book.

awesome!! they're giving away free vibrators??

re: the website given at the bottom of laser eyes.

Yeah, I thought that, but it turned out to be some abstinence site. And it isn't even "Well, you can't have sex with anyone else until marriage, but you can have sex alone every single night you want!". Bah.

I cannot stop laughing at this picture. It is so horrible, weird, wrong, bizarre, total mixed message.

Those eyes are making me WANT to have sex.

Somehow, I don't think they thought their brilliant plan through.

"a book on the myth of sexual purity and how it harms young women."

Jessica
I'm wondering if you have any sources of when sexual "purity" may be thought to historically have been valid (even if its wrong - like when certain diseases were going around, etc) and if you debunk those historical myths too. I mean i guess i'll have to wait but if there's good reading now and more good reading later when you're done writing....?

Anything would be appreciated! People always like to use the "but you used to have to be sexually pure because of diseases" excuse (and apparently you still do b/c of aids etc).

I have to wonder: are these people consciously making allusions to The Handmaid's Tale, or is it just reflexive?

wow, those eyes look a lot like the eyes on the ladies on vibrator packaging. Coincidence?

I love the idea for your new book. I hope you include what sexuality means for Black and Latina women as well. I'm not an expert on the subject by any means, but I remember learning about how early European imperialists in Africa thought the women were over-sexed because of their body shape. And it doesn't seem that sexual purity is an issue for Black women today. Our society doesn't seem to expect it of them. I could be totally wrong about that, but it just doesn't seem that way.
In my Hispanic cultures class that I took a couple years ago, my professor said that Anglos may perceive Hispanics as being sexy in their mannerisms, because they have a shorter personal space distance and a walking style where there's more movement in the hips. I'm no anthropologist, but that might contribute to this sexy mama image that Americans seem to have of Latinas.

Pamela -- My reaction was similar. I mean, I'm pretty sure I've seen pictures exactly like that in escort service ads?

Misspelled, I thought the exact same thing. They remind me of the eyes of T.J. Ecklebert in The Great Gatsby.

I have to drive by that sign every time I visit my mom. As an atheist and a feminist (in Arkansas!) it always makes me laugh and cringe at the same time. There are several other signs with similar creepy messages within 100 miles on the same highway. The cumulative effect actually feels a little threatening sometimes.

Makes me wish I'd taken a picture of the creepy-ass abstinence billboard I encountered in rural south-central Ohio.

It featured two impossibly blond, blue-eyed youths smiling vapidly (though the text of the billboard called it "happy"). The text informs us that they are smiling vapidly because they know that god's way is to have no sex until marriage.

Though that particular vapid grin looks to me more like they just got done making an exception. The overall effect is very Hanson/Children of the Corn.

God, I wish I had a dollar (or a pro-Roe SCOTUS justice, or...) for every photo I've taken of whack-job doomsaying signs in east Tennessee. But the best, albeit far from creepiest, was one I spotted during a cross-country road trip on an enormous billboard outside Amarillo, Texas: "THE #1 CHRISTIAN PORN SITE," with the website -- www.xxxchurch.com or www.xxxchrist.com, I can't remember which -- listed at the bottom. Unfortunately the site just rails against porn. And here I was hoping for some hot nun action.

That bottom one made me think of that "Ceiling cat is watching you masturbate" LOLCat.

Those eyes immediately made me think of The Handmaid's Tale!

And why on eart did they use female eyes that look so made up, waxed, and artificially manipulated that they look like they were taken from some video game vixen? That is suppose to encourage abstinence???

I know tons of great Christians but I have also met those who see "Him" (with a capital H...so wierd!) as the end all be all. They have no idea that they are tearing peoples lives apart in the actions of so called "saving" people. Being a lady of indigenous heritage (Ojibway) I am very saddened by the effects of this. It has stripped away the lives of so many indigenous, native, and aboriginal people worldwide. There are still efforts to strip peoples spiritual and religous practices away from them through missionaries.

I also find it interesting that the Lord Jesus Christ portion is above the abstinence part. Her eyes do look like that off of a ladies sex toy package, haha!

*jessica~good luck with the new book*

I know tons of great Christians but I have also met those who see "Him" (with a capital H...so wierd!) as the end all be all. They have no idea that they are tearing peoples lives apart in the actions of so called "saving" people. Being a lady of indigenous heritage (Ojibway) I am very saddened by the effects of this. It has stripped away the lives of so many indigenous, native, and aboriginal people worldwide. There are still efforts to strip peoples spiritual and religous practices away from them through missionaries.

I also find it interesting that the Lord Jesus Christ portion is above the abstinence part. Her eyes do look like they are off of a ladies sex toy package, haha!

*jessica~good luck with the new book*

That's why I won't support places like the Salvation Army, Ojibwayangel. Awhile ago, I got one of their newsletters in the mail (addressed to a previous resident) and read something on the back that basically asked for more money so that they could try to convert the "heathens" (not their exact word but close enough) around the world! I refuse to give money to an organization that does that.

waxghost~funny you mention the Salvation Army. I did a temp job there once. It was awful! There were a couple other temps there and we despised that place for numerous reasons such as their discrimination against the GLBTQ community. I would try to talk about my spiritual path and way I choose to live and many would reply back with "Him," being the only way to live. I was attempting to be open and listen to their story but there was no openess on many of the people who worked there. They claimed that their way was the only way. I stood my ground in a peaceful and compassionate way to them despite my personal spiritual path not being the "way" in their eyes.

Why does the sign have the address for freevibe.com? The way it is next to the group's name makes it look like a co-sponsor of the project, when in reality it is a government-funded website about drug use..

I also despise that "Christ is the only way" message that some Christians force down people's throats. I'm Serbian Orthodox which is generally considered very conservative. However, I have never heard my Priest once say anything about others going to hell for the way they live. It's generally more, love your family, love each other, money isn't everything, dont get caught up in the matrialistic world stuff.

Meanwhile, my husband was raised Lutheran and his dad is a Pastor and I have gone to his church on occasion and have actually heard pastor's accuse muslim's of worshipping false idols and pagan gods. It was interesting because I had just made my husband read "Lamb" (which is an excellent book by christopher Moore) and we were discussing how in the book Jesus learns through visiting Hindu, Buddist and Mystics. WE also were discussing that it seems ridiculous that other people would be "damned" just because they were born in an area where Christianity isn't the dominant religion and how different interpretations have changed even Christiantiy over time.

The next day we went to his church and the pastor started yelling about evolution and then said "And I'm sick of hearing this, their god is our god by a different name stuff"
we just kinda looked at each other and left

I also despise that "Christ is the only way" message that some Christians force down people's throats. I'm Serbian Orthodox which is generally considered very conservative. However, I have never heard my Priest once say anything about others going to hell for the way they live. It's generally more, love your family, love each other, money isn't everything, dont get caught up in the matrialistic world stuff.

Meanwhile, my husband was raised Lutheran and his dad is a Pastor and I have gone to his church on occasion and have actually heard pastor's accuse muslim's of worshipping false idols and pagan gods. It was interesting because I had just made my husband read "Lamb" (which is an excellent book by christopher Moore) and we were discussing how in the book Jesus learns through visiting Hindu, Buddist and Mystics. WE also were discussing that it seems ridiculous that other people would be "damned" just because they were born in an area where Christianity isn't the dominant religion and how different interpretations have changed even Christiantiy over time.

The next day we went to his church and the pastor started yelling about evolution and then said "And I'm sick of hearing this, their god is our god by a different name stuff"
we just kinda looked at each other and left

I also despise that "Christ is the only way" message that some Christians force down people's throats. I'm Serbian Orthodox which is generally considered very conservative. However, I have never heard my Priest once say anything about others going to hell for the way they live. It's generally more, love your family, love each other, money isn't everything, dont get caught up in the matrialistic world stuff.

Meanwhile, my husband was raised Lutheran and his dad is a Pastor and I have gone to his church on occasion and have actually heard pastor's accuse muslim's of worshipping false idols and pagan gods. It was interesting because I had just made my husband read "Lamb" (which is an excellent book by christopher Moore) and we were discussing how in the book Jesus learns through visiting Hindu, Buddist and Mystics. WE also were discussing that it seems ridiculous that other people would be "damned" just because they were born in an area where Christianity isn't the dominant religion and how different interpretations have changed even Christiantiy over time.

The next day we went to his church and the pastor started yelling about evolution and then said "And I'm sick of hearing this, their god is our god by a different name stuff"
we just kinda looked at each other and left

That makes me sad about the Salvation Army. A friend of mine who was stuck in New Orleans during Katrina told me that the Salvation Army helped people out much more than any other group. They provided hot meals, and hot washclothes, etc to use to sanitize yourself before you eat (good idea given what was in that water). There were a bunch of other awesome things, but I forgot.

But yeah, I guess I wouldn't be having sex if I felt like I was being watched by eyes like that.....yech.

Jay I thought that was weird too...I actually used to make edits to the Freevibe site at one point (because they were hosted by an employer? can't remember) and they never struck me as nutty. The tone was always pretty neutral. I can't imagine they actually endorse these groups.

What perverted eyes those are, watching me at all times...tisk tisk.

Good luck to your next book. I look forward to reading it. On a similar note, when is "He's a stud, she's a slut..." going to be released?

Oh wow. First of all, I hate how this threatening message is coupled with church, something that is supposed to be accepting and loving (but is very obviously not). Secondly, what kind of threatening eyes are these? They are seductive and sexy, obviously a woman's eyes made up to be aesthetically pleasing in a sexual way, and therefore completely contradictory of the message itself...but then again, sex sells, so why not?

I'm exciting that you're writing another book. I finished Full Frontal Feminism recently, and really enjoyed it. I just hope that your next book will be a little more academic and serious, for example not have as much cussing in it. I realize your first book was meant to be all "homegirl"-like as a way to convince young girls to identify with feminism. But I am really serious about young people developing a healthy sexuality and would love to see a more academic book from you.