I'm not terrified of how girls or women think. I am very comfortable with my own kinks, many of which continue to horrify other people. But it took me a while to get there, mainly because our society IS afraid of female sexual power- so yes, I am so with you there.
Where you lose me though, is the notion that because a girl is attracted to something, it must automatically be okay, and to question that is to somehow assault her rights as an individual. I mean, all I was advocating for was a discussion with my kid about the things she enjoys, which again, I consider my job as a parent, but somehow in your argument that got construed as dictating. Is it impossible to believe that kids might make dubious choices for themselves? And that adults can help them look at things from various viewpoints, without squashing their esteem, their imaginations, or their sexuality? That's certainly my goal as a parent.
I also get confused because all the things you list as so damned hard to deal with (which I agree with btw), like cheerleader uniforms, purity, etc. seem to be pretty much parallel with the messages in TL. Bella must stay a virgin until she gets married. A man (her father, Edward, Jacob) is always in charge of protecting her innocence. This guy who "loves her even though she's clumsy" is also constantly telling her and showing her how bad and wrong she is- for wanting sex, for wanting him, for wanting to be friends with another guy. I just. Dude, that is pretty much everything you are arguing against, isn't it? The fact that he say, doesn't care how he dresses really pales in comparison to me.
Finally, I don't believe that all our fantasies, at any age, translate into real life beliefs or actions. That's silly. But in our formative years, they certainly have more of an opportunity to be something we imprint on, consciously or not. No, this stuff isn't world shattering. But it is *important*. And again, as a parent, I think it's irresponsible NOT to expose your kid to counterpoints.
no subject
I'm not terrified of how girls or women think. I am very comfortable with my own kinks, many of which continue to horrify other people. But it took me a while to get there, mainly because our society IS afraid of female sexual power- so yes, I am so with you there.
Where you lose me though, is the notion that because a girl is attracted to something, it must automatically be okay, and to question that is to somehow assault her rights as an individual. I mean, all I was advocating for was a discussion with my kid about the things she enjoys, which again, I consider my job as a parent, but somehow in your argument that got construed as dictating. Is it impossible to believe that kids might make dubious choices for themselves? And that adults can help them look at things from various viewpoints, without squashing their esteem, their imaginations, or their sexuality? That's certainly my goal as a parent.
I also get confused because all the things you list as so damned hard to deal with (which I agree with btw), like cheerleader uniforms, purity, etc. seem to be pretty much parallel with the messages in TL. Bella must stay a virgin until she gets married. A man (her father, Edward, Jacob) is always in charge of protecting her innocence. This guy who "loves her even though she's clumsy" is also constantly telling her and showing her how bad and wrong she is- for wanting sex, for wanting him, for wanting to be friends with another guy. I just. Dude, that is pretty much everything you are arguing against, isn't it? The fact that he say, doesn't care how he dresses really pales in comparison to me.
Finally, I don't believe that all our fantasies, at any age, translate into real life beliefs or actions. That's silly. But in our formative years, they certainly have more of an opportunity to be something we imprint on, consciously or not. No, this stuff isn't world shattering. But it is *important*. And again, as a parent, I think it's irresponsible NOT to expose your kid to counterpoints.