Does the idea of a thirty year old virgin athelete genuinely play well in America?

In My Humble Opinion (IMHO)
#1

I see that Lolo Jones, who I would very much like to have sex with (in the correct circumstances) is an American athelete at these games but she’s also making a big deal out of being a virgin.

But she’s THIRTY for goodness sake. Is the American fetishism with purity and all that rubbish such that this is acceptable, or is this a joke, or what?

Seriously - I’m kind of used to the silver ring thing and teenage purity and all that crap but this is so way out of it, I can’t tell if it’s serious. My instinct is that it is but then again it’s so demented that I just cannae tell.

Help please.

#2

I think it makes her an oddity. A lot of people don’t even believe it. If she’s a virgin it’s probably because she’s dedicated her life to sport not because she’s unbelievably chaste.

#3

Can you think of any country outside of America (and maybe Saudi Arabia) that gives any serious importance to purity rings, abstinence pledges, virginity assertions, and quarterbacks who kneel and pray…?
There is a serious divide in America (in case you don’t follow their news). Red states are liberal and like the rest of the first world, and blue states are all wrapped up in God, country, old time values, and keeping the government away from their guns. (ok, that`s a sarcastic simplification, but there is a great divide in popular American culture, and this sort of thing matters to half the population.)

What other country can you think of where the candidate for leader or legislature pretty much must confirm their deep devotion to God? I could not tell you what denomination the Prime Minister or former opposition leader of Canada professed; the only obvious ones are French Canadians are likely Catholic. I don’t know that any Canadian politician going to church was ever a news story.

For the USA, just the opposite. Politicians’ religion is everyone’s business.

#4

You are clearly on the cutting edge of American political culture. Please tell us more.

#5

I would say that for a majority of Americans, it’s just odd.

The ones who take purity really seriously, probably think that she ought to be married by now, though I’m sure they think it’s admirable, given her lack of a husband, that she’s waited.

There’s a much larger minority, maybe even a majority, who will think it’s admirable, but in the same manner as (but more extreme than) someone who has never, ever told even a white lie–that is to say, it’s admirable but oddly admirable in a way that isn’t actually, um, admired.

#6

It’s her life, why is the OP so obsessed by it that he calls it “demented” and “rubbish”? A lack of tolerance for others with different beliefs?

I can’t think of too many athletes who make a big deal out of it. Certainly there is Tim Tebow in the NFL and he is very popular with a lot of people, for different reasons. I don’t follow the National Felons League much but I find him interesting from the point that his skills are very different from a prototype NFL quarterback. In the 1990s there was an NBA player named A C Green who was public about being a virgin-he didn’t get married until he was 39. But Green was an average player and never much much publicity,

I think the usual model for athletes is to talk about their wives and kids. Probably the most is in NASCAR where you see them constantly-although one driver once criticized Kevin Harvick for being dominated by his wife Delana"she was the firsuit in the family". Delana, whose father owned a race track so she grew up in the business, responded by selling T shirts labelled “in fact I do wear the firesuit in the family.” Delana was well known for wearing a firesuit (naturally with her hubby’s sponsor displayed) which struck some people as a bit odd. She said she did it to emphasize safety for the crew

#7

Being a virgin is entirely her prerogative, but remaining a virgin at age 30 IMO borders on being a psychological issue or a stunt, especially if you are willing to pose nude for ESPN (safe for work).

I don’t think I 'd be shocked to find out a few years from now what this was all a cynical marketing stunt.

#8

Maybe I’m in the minority, but who cares if she’s a virgin? Is there some age past which being a virgin is abominable? The media crusades against children (~12+) losing their virginity and being sexualized, but when someone’s past, what, 25? it becomes a mark of shame. Like they “can’t” have sex, so there must be something wrong with them.

You even say:

As if this should somehow be unacceptable. Why? Who cares how old she is/was when she first has/had sex?

This is what I don’t understand. When does virginity become a “psychological issue”? What if she was so focused on her school/training/sport that she didn’t have the time and energy to go out clubbing? What if she’s a closeted lesbian who hasn’t admitted her feelings to herself? What if she just honestly wants to wait for marriage, for non-religious, emotional reasons? There’s way too many variables involved in when people first have sex to just say “X years old, what the hell’s wrong with em?”.
I mean, don’t get me wrong. I’d sooner chalk this up to a media stunt or “technical” virginity than outright never-done-nothin-with-nobody virginity, but the notion that maintining virginity past a certain age is somehow “odd” or “wrong”, and thus unacceptable just doesn’t make sense to me. Just like how women are “sluts” after sleeping with X amount of guys.

#9

This should be in IMHO, especially given the juvenile tone of the OP.

#10

This attitude makes no sense to me. Lots of people have remained chaste until marriage, and while I’m not necessarily a fan of that for myself it’s so far removed from being a psychological issue as to be ridiculous.

#11

“Remember kids, everybody is different. And that’s BAD!”

#12

Most everyone has had sex. I have, you have they overweight guy with tree kids has.She has reached the Olympics. She has won medals in international competition. She has achieved something that 99.99% of us can never dream of doing. I don’t think there is anything wrong with her. She is clearly a gifted and successful individual. Getting laid is not the definition of that.

#13

I think Americans respect someone who lives up to her personal convictions, even if many/most Americans might not hold themselves to the same standard.

What Americans particularly do not like is hypocrisy.

#14

I don’t think that’s universally true; far too many of us are willing to overlook hypocrisy depending on who the hypocrite is.

#15

MOved from General Questions to IMHO.
samclem

#16

It’s only a “thing” because she’s so physically attractive. If she had a face like Bullwinkle’s I don’t think anyone would care.

#17

I volunteer to cure her of this horrible affliction.

#18

  1. C’mon, she’s attractive, but not THAT attractive.

  2. Might it be possible that she is a virgin but her mouth is not?

#19

I don’t think the actual being a virgin is odd, but making a big thing out of it, like it’s some amazing accomplishment, does strike me as something a bit weird.

It’s like someone boasting that they’ve never eaten eggs in their life- I mean, it’s not doing any harm to eschew eggs, but it’s a bit bizarre to expect everyone to be impressed. And even more bizarre if anyone is.

#20

Ummm…you might want to look into a colorblindness test.

It’s the other way around.