OK, OK, this has gone too far!

[lunadelcorvo]

Saw this gem courtesy of the Planned Parenthood newsletter, but the article is from Feministing.

The Ex-Masturbator Campaign: Shaming idle hands since 2009

(quoted from the article) "You know...sometimes a picture really is worth a thousand words. (Not to mention an infinite number of jokes.)

Apparently the Passion for Christ Movement has a bunch of these "ex" shirts, and this is just the latest."

The author of the article quotes from another article on the campaign associated with the shirts, noting that the "shame" which these idiots associate with masturbation comes from just these sorts of tactics, like those in this article referring to "an illegal orgasm," apparently a common term among Passion for Christ members. He quotes that article:

Two things I've come to know about masturbation is this:

1. It brings shame, and...
2. It is addictive

Most people who have engaged in masturbation know that the culmination of this sexual act ends in shame. I don't have to share with you the thousands of emails of the admittance of this shame because you know all too well since you have experienced it yourself. Curled up in a fetal position, crying, because your bed is even more empty and you're lonelier than you did before you violated yourself.

What I find particularly tragic about this is that, let's face it, no one is *really* going to stop fiddling below the belt for life. (Heaven help us if they do, because they're all gonna go postal one day!) What they ARE going to do is take on, willingly, cheerfully, a boatload of guilt, shame, and psychological ass-f*cking over utterly harmless, purely natural and healthy behavior. This is psychological repression on a deeply inherent level, and it is toxic, and fer fucks sake, shouldn't we know better by now?

Once again, I am forced to ask if some of these people have noticed that it isn't 1600 anymore?

Comments

[doctoreon.livejournal.com]

I saw that site before. I was torn between laughing and your reaction.

[susannahclark.livejournal.com]

This is one of the most idiotic things I've ever seen - I mean, it just piles a load of guilt and shame on countless teenage kids for a start, taking something that is natural and making it seem sordid... that's what I have the problem with, I think... the fact that these people in their *rather weird* sweatshirts are actually taking something (sex) which is sane and natural and a part of who we are... and making lots of it seem dirty and sordid... they seem to be demeaning sexuality rather than affirming it.

I know they'll say "Oh sex must be all pure, and only in bed with your life partner, making babies"... but I just think this whole ideology they're advertising is harsh and unbalanced. I mean, if they were trying to help and encourage some people with an obsession to find more balance in their lives (because I think most people accept masturbation linked to porn can get obsessive) then that would be different.

But to demonise self-pleasure itself seems to me to be just ideological, because, really, it's just a part of the whole of who we are, and staying in relationship with our own sexuality, and maybe de-stressing.

And in case anyone reading thinks I'm just defending my own (supposed) malpractice, because of my gender issues I haven't even gone there in over two years - and even before that I must have had one of the lowest sex drives in Europe. I'm a hugs and holding kind. But I sure as heck like feeling sensual, because it's just nice - and I think many people like that even more, and why shouldn't they?

I think the people in the picture have 'got religion' and their religion then becomes a channel that may incite shame and self-hatred where people should feel unashamed of who they are and how they feel, and shouldn't hate themselves just because they like feeling sexually relaxed and turned on sometimes.

[raven-moon.livejournal.com]

I agree with almost all of your assessment here. I don't know that masturbation + porn is significantly more (or less) 'obsessive,' and certainly not any more than any other behavior. I think addiction is not about the object of the addiction, it's a trait of the individual. Someone who tends to develop addictive behavior will do so regardless of the behavior in question. It may be porn, it may be alcohol, it may be gambling, heck, it may be LJ!

I have an ambivalent stance on porn - I think there are issues of objectification and much of it lacks... a certain grace that I think is often missing in our concept of sensuality/sexuality, but I don't have a serious dislike of it, nor do I think it should be censored.

However, I don't think that porn can realistically be blamed for the uses people make of it, or the relationships they develop with it, any more than alcohol can be blamed for those who develop unhealthy relationships to it. Many people use alcohol safely, responsibly, and without addiction, and the same is true of porn. (safe use of porn? You know what I mean! LOL)

But yes, demonizing natural sexuality is a whole world of wrong, and is guaranteed to create a seriously messed up bunch of adults. I would be interested to see how this plays out in the next decade or so, and track those who really go in for this movement, and see what the statistics are on things like spousal abuse, domestic violence, sex-related offenses, and so on as these teens mature, and the emotional and psychological baggage of this tripe begins to make itself known....

[susannahclark.livejournal.com]

I take your point that addiction is a personality trait, and you can get addictive about almost anything. You could get addictive over collecting puppy pictures, but that wouldn't make puppy pictures wrong.

[raven-moon.livejournal.com]

Puppy pictures?! ROTFL! Just so, but what a funny example on the heels of discussing porn.... the poor puppies! Won't someone think of the puppies....? *giggle*

Sorry, that just struck me funny.... o_O

[qasr-e-shirin.livejournal.com]

All of those shirts are retarded, even ones with slightly less stupid messages like "ex-alcoholic" and "ex-porn addict." Why would anyone want to advertise that kind of thing? It's like they're trying to revive The Scarlet Letter.

[raven-moon.livejournal.com]

On a volunteer basis, no less! LOL The shirts are totally laughable, sadly the ideology behind it is laughable but also really damaging...

"You mean you haven't had an orgasm in how long?"

[cernowain.livejournal.com]

"Masterbation: the most fun you can have on your own."

Fundies know how power sex and sexuality is, and that's why they go after it, because its quite a power trip to be able to control people's sexuality.

I'm afraid the poor kids who where these t-shirts are going to be very vulnerable to predators. I mean, if you know a person hasn't had an orgasm in weeks, you know they are ready to pop!

Yes, the t-shirts are funny and scary at the same time.

bb,

Cern

Re: "You mean you haven't had an orgasm in how long?"

[raven-moon.livejournal.com]

Oh, I totally get the power<->sex connection - I'm a Foucault fan, after all. It *still* amazes me that people will embrace it so happily, so willingly.... I suppose it shouldn't - something about hope springing eternal or somesuch! LOL

a purpose of control behind the madness

[lucretiasheart.livejournal.com]

Religions (at least the big 3 desert ones- meh!) seek to control sexuality, because when people are keyed up and have all that NEED-- the religion can then channel it to its own purpose. Desperate people make better puppets/slaves/slavering masses ready to fight whomever you point to as "the enemy."

Re: a purpose of control behind the madness

[raven-moon.livejournal.com]

Absolutely - as I commented above, I totally get the sex/power interface. (See icon! LOL!) It's no surprise at all from the perspective of the power structure. For some reason, it still manages to surprise me how easily, happily, blindly, and willingly people let themselves be rendered as objects of knowledge. Resistance to discourse? Man, they are singing about the frakkin' discourse!

I don't know WHY I keep seeming to expect independent thought, judgement, logic.... Heh. Who knew I was an optimist after all? /sarcasm

Re: a purpose of control behind the madness

[lucretiasheart.livejournal.com]

ROFL!!

Yeah, I know. It's takes a certain level of tenacious self-confidence and resilience to social discomfort to choose to question authority and peers, though. That's why I tend towards a serious bias for iconoclasts, nonconformists, and independent thinkers of all ilks. Just can't have an interesting bit of discourse with anyone else!