The Purity Myth Trailer

by Tara Block 0

Feminist blogger Jessica Valenti's documentary The Purity Myth is available on DVD, and the flick exploring the virginity movement is on our must-see list. The film is adapted from Jessica's best-selling book of the same name, The Purity Myth, that looks into our country's obsession with virginity and how women are defined by their sexuality. Watch the trailer above to learn about the movie, and let us know in the comments what you think. Here's why we can't wait to see the documentary:

• Feministing cofounder, author, and "poster girl for third-wave feminism" Jessica Valenti is behind it. Jessica is funny, frank, and smart, and she's already proven with her book that this is an important and interesting topic — we can't wait to see it come to life.
• It explores the whole cultural phenomenon of virginity with clips from TV shows, celebrities, and movies. It's about recognizing how we're fed the information that puts purity and virginity on a pedestal, and the bigger issue, which is why women are valued based on their sexuality.
• We get a behind-the-scenes look into the religious supporters of the virginity movement and the often-creepy purity balls. We can't help but be appalled and interested in why these people believe what they believe.
• We see the reality of how this virginity movement affects politics. It's important to be reminded that this isn't just crazy people being crazy. The idea that women are defined by whether or not they have sex is serious, and if we don't take action there are serious political implications that will affect our rights as women.