THURSDAY, MARCH 6, 2003
LIFESTYLE/ARTS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN = 7
Definitions of 'virgin' cause discrepancies
SEX
According to Playboy magazine, about 15 percent of college students identify themselves as virgins. The Catholic Church regards abstinence as more holy than marriage. High school-aged teens are saying premarital sex is wrong in increasing numbers each year, while the pregnancy rates of high school girls is rising.
Patrick Ross
pross@kansan.com
Those who identify as virgins may feel assaulted on all sides by media messages that include sex in movies, on television and in magazines and newspapers. Virginity is either denounced as a fear of sex or praised as a courageous effort. But what exactly is the big deal surrounding virginity?
The Catholic Dictionary defines virginity the following way: "There are two elements in virginity: the material element, that is to say, the absence, in the past and in the present, of all complete and voluntary delectation, whether from lust or from the lawful use of marriage; and the formal element, that is the firm resolution to abstain forever from sexual pleasure."
Basically, according to Catholic dogma, you can be a virgin physically by never having been involved in penetration sex, but still
be lacking that certain virgin spirituality that one can only maintain by resolving never to engage in any form of sexual activity.
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary defines a virgin as "a person who has not had sexual intercourse." It goes on to define sexual intercourse as "heterosexual intercourse involving penetration of the vagina by the penis." This definition gives rise to some interesting questions regarding the virginity of gay, bisexual, lesbian and transgendered folks, as well as the virginity of those who engage in oral or manual sexual activity. Can bisexual men and women be virginal toward one sex and nonvirginal toward another?
Mike Hardcastle, a columnist at teenadvice.about.com, wrote, "In theory, under
the traditional definition of virginity, someone who is homosexual can have sex every day and still be a virgin. Someone who has oral sex regularly is also still a virgin. Does that really make sense? Something is amiss!” Luckily, there is a second definition of sexual intercourse in Merriam-Webster's: “intercourse involving genital contact between individuals other than penetration of the vagina by the penis.” Well thanks M-W, how ambiguous can you be? So we've got “penetration of the vagina by the penis” and sexual activity “other than penetration of the vagina by the penis,” both defining the same word. It's a bit confusing.
There are two schools of thought surrounding the status of a person's virginity. One says a person is a virgin until he or she penetrates or is penetrated by a sexual partner. The second idea is that a person is a virgin until he or she engages in any sexual activity that results in an orgasm. Some people believe that giving a blow job leaves one a virgin; others would disagree.
As if that weren't confusing enough enter the members of Students Proud of Virginity. The co-founders of the group said virginity is a mind-set that must be maintained.
So, the Catholic Church says you can be a virgin only if you've never engaged in penis-vagina sex and only if you've resolved never to experience sexual pleasure, presumably until marriage occurs. The teen advice columnist says it's silly to think of yourself as a virgin if you've had oral sex or if you're homosexual and constantly have sexual relations with your partner. Merriam-Webster, usually a tried and true guide in these sorts of ambiguous definition situations is little to no help and Students Proud of Virginity members would say you can be a virgin for as long as you visualize virginity as a goal.
Ultimately, I suppose it comes down to personal choice. Choose what you believe and go with it. If you're a virgin the Catholic way, I applaud your courage. If you're a virgin but engage in oral sex every night, I say more power to you as long as you're being safe. Either way, e-mail me and let me know how you do it.
Ross is a Topeka freshman in journalism.
'The Royal Family' portrayed by energetic actors
Described by the director as a Valentine to the American theater, University Theatre's production of The Royal Family is exactly like a belated Valentine: The sentiment is there, but it's too little too late.
First staged in 1927, The Royal Family, written by George S. Kaufman and Edna Ferber, was a tribute to the then-first family of American theater — the Barrymores. John, Lionel and Ethel Barrymore were known as the greatest actors of their time, becoming household names before the invention of the matinee idol.
The Royal Family follows the lives of the Cavendish family. Headed by Fanny Cavendish, the greatest Lady Macbeth of her day, the family is entering a new era. Fanny's daughter Julie is the most successful actress on Broadway, while Julie's daughter Gwen is about to make her stage debut. Tony, Fanny's son, has left the stage in favor of exploring the innovation of film.
The action of the play begins when Julie is forced to make a decision between meeting with the author of her new play or meeting with the love who got away. She chooses meeting with author.
But a similar choice lies with Gwen, who will co-star with her mother. Gwen is set to go to a tea hosted by her boyfriend's mother, but Julie persuades Gwen to attend the meeting with the author. Ultimately Gwen decides to
forgo the meeting as well as an onstage career.
Meanwhile, Tony has returned from Hollywood amid a cloud of rumors and lawsuits resulting from a fight with the director.
For the most part, the actors portraying the Cavendish clan steal the show. Maureen Perry, Eden Prairie, Minn., senior, plays Julie Cavendish with a well-balanced mix of elegance and comedy, creating a character that is relatable and sympathetic. The theatrics through which Julie expresses herself could lead any actress down the road of over-acting, but Perry avoids acting for acting's sake.
Betty Laird, Lawrence actress and guest artist, was chosen to play the role of Cavendish matriarch Fanny by Jack Wright, director and professor of theater and film. Laird is an experienced actress, having appeared in numerous movies, including Sarah Plain and Tall, and stage plays. She said that there was a romance about theater that did not exist with film. Laird's love for the theater shines through in her portrayal of Fanny, as the aging star prepares to head out on a revival tour of one of her greatest hits.
Matthew G. Simon, Overland Park senior, brings an incredible amount of energy to the role of Tony, the eccentric, swashbuckling member of the family. Rita DeLoach, Overland Park senior, gives Gwen a level of sympathy as the child
REVIEW
Donovan Atkinson
datkinson@kansan.com
THE ROYAL FAMILY ... B+
The University Theatre will present The Royal Family, by George S. Kaufman and Edna Ferber, at 7:30 p.m. March 6-8 at the Crafton-Preyer Theatre.
The production is directed by Jack Wright, professor of theater and film.
thrust into the family business.
Aaron Champion, Overland Park senior, and Kelly Mengelkoch, Wichita senior, portrait Herbert and Kitty Dean, Fanny's brother and sister-in-law. Champion and Mengelkoch are wonderful as the squabbling, less-talented Deans, clueless to their lack of show business appeal.
Much of the supporting cast didn't offer much support. Nearly every cast member who uses an accent manages to lose that accent at various points during the show.
Isadore, Alexander; Wolfson; Omaha,
Neb., senior, plays the Cavendishes' manager, Oscar Wolfe. During comedic moments, Wolfe comes across as a bad character type. Wolfson is excellent in the more dramatic scenes, showing care and concern for Fanny, especially when Wolfe and Julie discuss her future.
The poodle in the third act exemplifies the advice to avoid sharing a scene with a dog. Immediately after walking on stage, the dog turned around, displaying its haunches and other parts of its anatomy to the audience.
The set for the show is befitting for a royal family of the American stage. Designed by Delores Ringer, associate professor of theater and film, the set brings elegance to the term "duplex" with its art deco design.
The costumes by Beth Collins, Sanderstead, England, graduate student, capture the glamour of the late 1920s. Collins has given dazzling gowns to Julie and wonderfully tacky flapper dresses to Kitty Dean.
Despite the excellent design and leading cast, numerous line flubs and accidents on stage gave the performance the feeling of a dress rehearsal during much of the first act. Things managed to fall together by the second act, and it was soon enough to save the performance.
Atkinson is a Larned junior in journalism and theater and film studies.