I read this and smiled at the irony. Then I read it again. Then I thought about it some more. The humor in this situation is a result of the juxtaposition of cultural norms of a girl being sexually "easy" and promiscuous, and the need to hide emotional baggage in any inter-personal relationship. Can this same idea be applied to other situations? Can we be overly revealing of ourselves in other aspects of our lives? Can we be food whores? Career prostitutes? Sex-slaves to fashion?
On a social structure level, conservative individuals and groups tend to preach control of appetite, avoidance of any form of gluttony, self control, and moderation. This can be seen in political stances, implementation of social programs, religion, education and inter-personal relationships. But in some aspect, the gluttony inherent in the human condition seems to appear, squeezed out of a person, no matter how tightly controlled a person tries to appear.
For example:
Obesity is a huge health concern in America. "Good", "god-fearing", productive members of a society can appear to be in complete control, but their obsession with food, the cultural dynamics they are socialized into that revolve around food and of which they are a prisoner, leak out to cause massive health problems. Heart disease, diabetes, These are all problems that are affecting generation upon generation of people.
I've seen so many examples of extremely pious, gracious, giving and kind people who cannot seem to control their food intake. I don't believe there is anything morally superior about any specific body type or form. But couldn't it be the case that such tight control on other appetites causes a chain reaction that leads to over-indulgence in an appetite that is meant to simply provide fuel for a body? (There are so many emotional, cultural, geopolitical and financial aspects to food that I can't address here, but all contribute to the issues of obesity.)
We all need a mental and physical break, an outlet from controlling our everything action to be accepted by our social peers.
This type of appetite could involve food, clothing, work, sex, video games, drugs, alcohol, gambling, adrenaline, etc.....
It's interesting that the most celebrated stories always seem to contain a character with a deadly flaw- a vice that ruins their personality. If they overcome this appetite, they become the hero of the story.
Examples:
- Anna Karina and The Scarlet Letter- Lust
- Hansel and Gretal- Gluttony
- Dicken's Christmas Carol- Greed
- Cinderella- Sloth
- Any Old Testament Story Where-G-d-Gets-Mad -Wrath
- Queen Esther- Envy
- Aladdin- Pride
The stories of these character's victory or failure pinnacle with them attempting to overcome this vice and inching ever closer to moral perfection. These are the myths and stories used to teach people the socially accepted agenda.
So.... is all that intense suppression of our inherent tendencies healthy? Why must we live under an enforced system that squashes all violations of an arbitrary norm? Why can't I be up front on a date about my emotional baggage and be emotionally slutty? Who decided that was a bad thing? As a potential partner, I would rather be told up front about issues, not led on until I'm emotionally invested in another person. I would rather see the good, bad and ugly of a person, not encourage them to hide who they are and maintain a false front.
You may not agree (and I support your right to disagree!), but that is where I stand.
