I think it’s safe to say that most teenagers feel pressure to have sex. They're exposed to it through popular culture as well as real life, with movies like Juno and celebrities like Jamie Lynn Spears. Many teenagers (though the number is declining) have had sex, but many haven’t. Now, many celebrities have come out to say that they want to be virgins until they are married.
Some of the most popular are the Jonas Brothers, Miley Cyrus, Hilary Duff, Demi Lovato (Camp Rock), Selena Gomez (Wizards of Waverly Place), and Jordin Sparks (American Idol). The Jonas Brothers, whose new album is climbing the charts, are among the most famous. Their father used to be a minister, and religion significantly influences their lives. All three boys are virgins and plan to stay that way until they are married.
Joe Jonas, one of the singers, who turned nineteen on Friday, referred to the rings as "promises to ourselves and to God that we'll stay pure till marriage.” His brother, Nick, the youngest, who sings as well, added, “I got mine made at Disney World. It's pretty awesome." Joe’s and Nick’s big brother Kevin got his done at Tiffany’s.
Nick’s purported girlfriend (both reps deny the relationship) Selena Gomez (pictured in Glendale, California promoting teen involvement in the presidential election) also joined the boys and said about the ring, "It's something I made a promise to myself about." Selena’s best friend (and the Jonas Brothers’ costar in Camp Rock) Demi Lovato has also made the pledge.
After rumors of pregnancy, Nick Jonas’ ex, Miley Cyrus, got a ring to debunk the rumors. "It's given me the street cred to say that would be impossible, because I'm living my life the way I believe is right and that is to stay pure."
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Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Jennifer @ Quiverfull Family
Refreshing to learn that the concept of purity before marriage has not been completely tossed out the window by popular culture, and that remnants of God's best plan for our lives are still present :).
2 - Jordan Richardson
No, it certainly is comforting to learn that the concept of purity before marriage now means having a ring custom-made by Disney World or picking one up at Tiffany's.
Face it, the conception of purity with the likes of Miley Cyrus and the Jonas Brothers exists for one reason and one reason only: $$$.
3 - El Bicho
what would be refreshing would be for people to stop proclaiming their sexual experience, including the lack thereof. the same goes for religion like comment #1. If you were so certain you were right, there would be no need to prattle on about it
4 - Kevin Freitas
What would be "refreshing" is to stop writing about the Jonas Brothers, Miley, Hilary, the Spears, ad nauseum... Actually, it would be relief.
Maddy?
5 - Jordan Richardson
Not reading the articles you don't want to read would probably be the cure for that.
Kevin?
6 - Kevin Freitas
Thanks Jordan, you're right of course, but reading such innocuous articles is not the problem. I was pointing out the need NOT to write them in the first place, with what little sarcasm I could muster up in my first comment.
Unable to escape the barage of articles written about these teen idols on an almost daily basis, Maddy contributes her fair share as well, I was hoping she could write about something else for a change. Meaning, for a 17 year old girl, it would be interesting (my opinion) to broaden the horizon of interests and perspectives on a myraid of topics socially, politically, culturally etc etc - and before you ask, no I don't think teen idols are culture.
7 - El Bicho
And where can we read the horizon-broadening articles you wrote when you were 17, Kevin?
8 - Kevin Freitas
There's no time like the present El Bicho, no time like the present, to start. Despite the appearance that I'm picking on a 17 year old, I do have faith that the youth of America - even 17 year old Maddy - are thinking, talking, and even writing about more than just teen idols. I hope so anyway. We're talking about opinions and ideas here, fresh ideas, not some simulacre found in any dimestore magazine at the counter of a 7-11.
9 - Jordan Richardson
You probably want to look up some of Maddy's articles, Kevin. She covers a wide spectrum of topics.
And I second EB's request: where are the articles you were writing when you were 17?
10 - Jordan Richardson
no I don't think teen idols are culture
They are if you're a teen, Kev.
11 - CallmeMaddy
Thank you El Bicho and Jordan.
Kevin,
First of all, I would like you to look at my writer's page please.
August 11th--Interview with Jack Ingram, one of the hottest country stars around. I also covered his concert and his CD.
August 7th--Thoughts about the IRAQIS participating in the Olympics.
August 11th--Toby Keith being called a racist. I also wrote a piece on his movie a couple days ago.
August 17th--Selena Gomez promoting teens to get voting. I went to her event. I'm sorry if she's a teen star, but that is something more than teen "gossip."
There are many more examples in my 151 articles. Some of them are about teen "gossip," but many aren't.
I would also like to point out that the reason I was told to write for this site is Eric (the creator) wanted more TEEN viewers and this is what TEENS are interested in. I am a teen, you know.
The point of this is my articles do vary, but I write what interests ME. And I happen to think it's great that some teens are not having sex. Maybe this article will encourage other teens not to either. Maybe not. But it is still worth mentioning. This article encouraged my TWIN SISTER to get one, so maybe it encourages someone else.
But maybe you don't get that because this article was meant for teens. And you're not a teen.
And unless I'm in school, I'm not forced to read anything I don't want to. And I doubt you were told to read this for school. No one is making you read such an article that isn't meant for you.
If there's something you want me to write about, go ahead. I'm on summer break and I'm bored. Give me a topic. An "adult" topic. I'll do it and I'll do it right. I can do political (Big republican, don't you know?) article or a sports article (Go Steelers). Seriously, challenge me.
And yes, you are picking on a 17-year-old.
Maddy
12 - Joanne Huspek
Can you define "virginity?" Because my 18 year old and 21 year old have a totally different take on it than I do. For example, I include all forms of *sex* as SEX. They do not. I'm wondering what Hillary Duff thinks of as sex.
13 - El Bicho
I was going to follow up my ignored request to Kevin for what are no doubt deeply insightful articles from his youth, but Maddy did such a fantastic job laying the wood upside Kevin's head I am in awe and am just going to reread her comment.
[one read comment later]
WHOO-WEE! Maddy, are you sure you are summer break? Because it appears you just took Kevin to school. We'll work on you being a Republican later. :)
I am going to pass on Joanne's comment and not get myself in trouble.
14 - Matthew T. Sussman
"Unable to escape the barage of articles written about these teen idols on an almost daily basis"
I am very impressed with Maddy, being able to physically hurl paper copies of her articles at Kevin's home, without knowing where he actually lives.
15 - Kevin Freitas
laying the wood upside Kevin's head
more like a soft pillow El Bicho.
16 - El Bicho
No, she pretty much annihilated you. I picture ashes in a chair and your silhouette blasted onto the wall behind it. And we are still waiting on the essays of your youth, or are you one of those "do as I say, not as I do" critics?
17 - Jordan Richardson
We're also still waiting on your answer to her challenge:
If there's something you want me to write about, go ahead. I'm on summer break and I'm bored. Give me a topic. An "adult" topic. I'll do it and I'll do it right. I can do political (Big republican, don't you know?) article or a sports article (Go Steelers). Seriously, challenge me.
Kevin?
18 - Kevin Freitas
C'mon El Bicho, lighten up there, sheesh, you think I kissed your grandmother or something.. Your request for writings from my youth is to demonstrate what exactly?
I would also like to point out that the reason I was told to write for this site is Eric (the creator) wanted more TEEN viewers and this is what TEENS are interested in. I am a teen, you know.
Which leads me to another point I would like to make, why not create a section just for teens on BC and seperate it from the "adult" section?
19 - Jordan Richardson
Because most of our readers can usually discern between the articles they want to read and the articles they don't want to read. There's no need for separate sections.
Kevin, do you intend to continue to dodge the perfectly reasonable requests we've made?
20 - CallmeMaddy
Kevin,
Because even though I have written about 30 articles this month, I don't have time to write enough articles to hold an entire "teen" section.
And I would really like a topic to write about, Kevin. I'm not entire sure what I'm going to write about today.
Maddy
21 - El Bicho
"lighten up there"
Really? How amusing this coming from you. If you followed your own advice, you wouldn't have commented here. Sorry, but you don't get to decide what others define as culture. I am no fan of any of the knuckleheads mentioned in the article or their work, but then I am not a teen.
"Your request for writings from my youth is to demonstrate what exactly?"
That it's very easy to tell others what they should be doing as opposed to doing it yourself. That fact that you apparently have no evidence of young Kevin covering "a myraid of topics socially, politically, culturally etc etc" makes your advice ring rather hollow.
Jordan has made clear why there's no need to segregate the teen articles. Was there some confusion on your part from the title "Teen Celebrities and Their Purity Rings" the subject matter or intended audience?
22 - Kevin Freitas
Let me break it down for you El Bicho:
1) Check your response to Jennifer, comment #1, you don't get to decide what others define as religion.
2) I haven't verified this, but I'm pretty sure I don't need your permission as to where I comment on this blog, nor how I state my opinions. Oh did I mention, what I choose to read?
3) Yes, in my opinion, writing about teen idols is not culture. It is about mass consumption, uniform branding, false dreams, and blending in. It is the opposite of independant ideas and thinking.
4) My initial comment followed on the heels of both yours and Jordan's and was, and still is, sarcasm. I do not dictate what people should or should not write, I was only lamenting, that the recent barrage of articles by Maddy we're on teen idols. And as a young woman approaching the mythic age of 18 and adulthood, from minor to major with all the responsibilities that come with it, I was hoping for Maddy's personal insight, opinions and ideas on life. And not something that she was asked to regurgitate.
5) Reading what I've written in the past has no bearing on what I'm writing now. Color me curious, bit I'm interested in writing about the issues of today, in my chosen field of arts and culture. If you want to test that El Bicho, you're welcome to check the articles I've already contributed to BC or on my blog.
6) And finally, the point isn't whether the reader can differentiate between one article and another - it is to have a category, specific to the genre of pop culture, not culture, but pop culture, where other writers like Maddy can contribute.
23 - CallmeMaddy
Kevin--
I am still waiting for a topic to write about. Please note that an article about the Pittsburgh Steelers and a country music article went up today. Another country music article is in pending. Although, I am in the middle of a Jonas Brothers article. :)
Seriously, give me a topic. This could be fun.
Maddy
24 - Jordan Richardson
Yes, in my opinion, writing about teen idols is not culture. It is about mass consumption, uniform branding, false dreams, and blending in. It is the opposite of independant ideas and thinking.
Wikipedia, using Carther Vaughn Findley and John Alexander Rothney's Twentieth-century World as a reference, defines culture as "patterns of human activity and the symbolic structures that give such activities significance and importance. Cultures can be 'understood as systems of symbols and meanings that even their creators contest, that lack fixed boundaries, that are constantly in flux, and that interact and compete with one another'"
The Random House Unabridged Dictionary defines culture as "the behaviors and beliefs characteristic of a particular social, ethnic, or age group" and cites as examples "the youth culture" or "the drug culture."
And finally, Blogcritics' own webpage defines culture as:
"1 the arts and other manifestations of human intellectual achievement regarded collectively
2 a refined understanding or appreciation of this
3 the customs, institutions, and achievements of
a particular nation, people, or group"
Now whatever moral quandaries you might have about today's modern teen culture (you may find it phony or what have you), there is no denying that it IS culture.
Reading what I've written in the past has no bearing on what I'm writing now.
Exactly. What you wrote about and were interested in when you were 17 had no bearing on what you're writing now. Think about that for a moment. What were you writing about when you were 17? What were your interests at that age?
And finally, the point isn't whether the reader can differentiate between one article and another - it is to have a category, specific to the genre of pop culture, not culture, but pop culture, where other writers like Maddy can contribute.
Somehow it seems to work out fine as it is. You'll note that in terms of categories, Maddy's article above is filed, correctly, under "Culture: Celebrity" and "Culture: Society." Works for me.
25 - Kevin Freitas
I'm glad it works for you Jordan, it doesn't for me. So where does this leave both of us, basically at opposites. Once again Jordan, read what I wrote and pick out the distinctions between what is, for the sake of argument, fact and opinion (my opinion) and your hell-bent desire to prove to me that POP culture is culture with a big "C."
I agree with your "googled" definitions of culture, I have no problem with those definitions, in the broader sense of how culture shapes society. Meaning, along with culture comes tradition, religion, spirtualness, customs, dress, food etc etc - all things that pop culture does not possess. Pop culture, which I consider teen idols to be part of and which I have been stating here all along, is pure fabrication, the media, hype, superficiality, stardom, TELEVISION, ad nauseum, that will have no productive and lasting impact on the youth of America, other than turning them into Idol zombies.
I have no moral quandaries about today's modern teen, which you'll have to define for me Jordan, what you mean by modern? For the record, I have a teen at home and no I don't lock him in his room shielding him from such banality.
Exactly. What you wrote about and were interested in when you were 17 had no bearing on what you're writing now. Think about that for a moment. What were you writing about when you were 17? What were your interests at that age?
Exactly. I'm glad you're alluding to or at least hinting at what you're a couple of breaths short of saying I believe, without putting words into your mouth, that this is all teens are capable of thinking about - teen idols. I am in total disagreement. Maddy is going to be a senior, she's young yes, but still a teen infatuated with teen idols, I don't believe it for a second. Of course age and maturity has something to do with it - go take a look at some of the commentary left by readers of Maddy's postings, I'm guessing, 11, 12, 13 years old max, but we're not expecting them to be adults just yet now are we. My point is this, if you broaden the cultural influences, no matter what the age group, you at least give yourself a chance to create a free democratic and balanced society.
If you must know, my senior year in high school was filled with creative writing classes, Sci-fi lit where I discovered the likes of of Clarke, Asimov, Vonnegut and many others, sports, science, math and the desire to be outdoors un-glued from the television and pop culture.