Dads and Purity Balls-Respect My Authortay!

I've sat on this one too long. Feministing has blogged about the ickiness of the Purity Ball for a while now, and this one is quite the ickiest.

First of all, I'd just love to be a princess. Daddy's regal little princess. However, that job market has shrunk somewhat since I was a little girl, and I even scanned the local career sites to see what the current market is looking like for a princess. I found zero openings.

Therefore, I find the whole "princess" thing fun for Halloween and such; I even have a tiara or two of my own, but I speak from experience here. There are NO paying jobs for chicks who can't make decisions on their own, who feel entitled to have the world submit to daddy's plan and have all their eggs in the basket of "pretty." Now I like pretty and all, but really. I imagine if my daddy called Donna Ladd and said, "As Emily's authority, I expect you to pay her to be cute and chaste," Donna might just laugh at him and bruise some male ego.

Also, if Daddy is the ultimate authority of a chick's sexuality, where does she get the strength and courage to say "Kiss Off" on her own? Perhaps these Daddies should be less concerned about trying to control their women, and more concerned about a culture that touts sexuality as our worth. Oh wait, they have a whole ceremony, crowning Princesses, entirely around their sexuality.

I could see where a little girl would see her worth as her hymen, or lack thereof.

Please.

Yes, it looks very Disney and pure and oh-so-special, but I bet a Monkey those girls are more excited about having a pretty dress and some cake than having their Daddies the "authority" of their sexuality. Daddy better go ahead and move in with them as adults, with a sword and perhaps a lion, because I'm telling you it's a mean world out there. Wouldn't it be better if these girls were taught to live in it on their own, with some empowerment and confidence?

Because you know, you can get a pretty dress and tiara just about anywhere, but self-reliance ain't for sale.



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