Thursday, June 30, 2011

The Blues: Keeping my Legs Crossed

           For the past couple of years, I've taken part in Script Frenzy, a NaNoWriMo-like event for scriptwriters, with my students. As part of this, I've tried out various scriptwriting and hosting services. One of these, Scripped.com, has taken to sending out daily job posts, places where an aspiring writer can pick up a Ben Franklin or two writing Web copy and blog posts. I read it regularly because, frankly, I'm interested in being a working writer again. In past weeks, I've gotten offers from a gin-tasting site, a LINUX blog and various others. Mostly humdrum, occasionally interesting, but nothing to write blog about.
Yesterday's missive, however, caught my eye: Up to $240 to write posts for a pro-virginity blog aimed at young females. From the e-mail: [They're seeking] Flavorful, salacious, witty, charming, comical, thought provoking, provocative, hard hitting and no holds barred read but no tip toeing or walking around on egg shells around the subject of why in the hell young girls, teens, single women should avoid premarital sex until MARRIAGE.”


The posts the site is looking for will be geared toward “Girls 10 -100” and “Men Interested in Pro-Virginity Projects.” (Teenage boys, apparently, are not big readers, or they are already experts on the subject.)
The list of proposed articles includes: 
      1. Virginity Mindset : Top Ten Reasons To Avoid Premarital Sex written in a witty, thought provoking prose 
      2. Virginity Game Theory or Game Strategy 
      3. Virginity Trainwrecks 
      4. Virginity Fashion Collections For Fall 
      5. Virginity Advice Column Three To Five Tales of "Issues" and Advice By Our Own Grand Dame, The Virginity Diva 
      6. Virginity Walk of Fame : 3 Major Female Celebrities Who Are Pro Virginity and How They're Changing The Game 
      7. The New Generation of Virginity 
      8. The Case For A Virginity Awards Show
      9. Virginity Poll Articles : Thought Provoking Issues and Responses w/ Percentages
      10. The Virginity Report and State of Virginity in America - Very research focused , health and wellness, biological development, mitigating factors; could be very scientific but glam'd up with a sexy editorial edge
      11. Virginity Scholarships In 2012 : Help Keep Girls Focused On Fast Track Success In Education, Careers , Self Improvement and Evolution 
      12. Funny , Sarcastic Pro Virginity Comic Strip 6 to 10 frames
      13. The gig's advertiser is “anonymous” but I suspect it's not Planned Parenthood. I also suspect the advertiser is not overly worried about presenting a balanced view of the pre-marital sex issue.
Now, I can see the virtue of holding off on sex until the time is right. A lot of teens get into it too early. Sex can be complicated and can include lot of baggage that needs a relatively mature person to carry it. Virginity, taking it slow, is not a bad idea for either gender. I get it. But it's not a one-sided issue. Never has been, never will be.
I'd be a hypocrite if I said I wish I'd waited to have sex until I got married a couple of years ago. I'd be a liar if I said I wished my high-school girlfriend had waited. But we were informed, careful, took many precautions, and came out of it scar-free.
There's no doubt in my mind that I could do the work. I'm a writer, I'm good with deadlines, I'm used to writing fiction and I can write funny. I  also could use the $240. So why won't I be applying?
Part of it, is not being interested in “selling out” my talent to parties unknown, or putting my energy into a message I don't wholly believe in. But most of it, methinks, is not wanting to sell out those “Girls 1-100” who might be taking the message I help provide as the whole truth.
No amount of money is worth that to me.





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