I can’t even figure this shit out anymore.

The whole point of the movie that Anna Faris’ character wishes to limit the number of sexual partners she has in her life based on a study which shows her to half already approached the nation’s average twice over.

There are, like, 3 reasons this is stupid.

1. Why would you specifically limit your life experience? If it were the difference between 2 and 3, it’s just as negligible as between 20 and 21. Now, if we’re talking about 30+, maybe there’s an issue deeper than limiting life experience.

2. The motivation to do so is led by a study she reads in Marie Claire. Now, I don’t think I need to tell you that a) anthropological and sociological studies are often flawed unless the sample size is huge and, b) that Marie Claire is going to cherry pick the studies it uses in order to present a particular feminine perspective. One that is appropriately chaste and doesn’t ‘need’ to fuck around - she is empowered, has a great job, and is dating the perfectly orgasmic man. This is their ideal.

3. The idea of basing your personal experience on the national average is the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard. If consumers, on average, own three kitchen knives, if I own four, am I an eccentric loon that no one would love? If I own 6 knives, am I mad? Now, just like I mentioned in #1, owning 30 kitchen knives might be a little strange, but that would have nothing to do with me or my personality.

4. People change. If you go through a highly experimental phase and date a bunch of men, that is not to say that, in, 5 years, you could be a totally different person. Does a woman have to rehymenize herself to erase her past? Can she not embrace it or, at the very least, ignore it as a qualifier in her life?

So, just like the 1950s, the movie presents us with an idea of the ‘perfect’ or ‘normal’ amount of sexual experience a woman should have (which, to be fair, has steadily increased in the decades since). She’s supposed to be sexually active, but just enough. Anything more in intolerable to her. It’s also intolerable to the man she suspects is the right man for her. The ‘wrong’ man doesn’t give a shit, naturally. He loves her for her, blah blah blah.

The idea that a woman should even consider the number of men she’s been with (or men with men or whatever the homosexual complement is) as in indicator of her worth, self or otherwise, is not new at all. It’s not appropriate and does harm to women. So… While she can be ‘saved’ by a special man (special because he doesn’t care she’s fucked 20 men - and he wouldn’t be allowed to judge at any rate since his character is set up as a lothario) in this movie, that saving shouldn’t have been needed. She fucked a bunch of guys in 30 years. Assuming she became sexually active at 16, that’s still 20 in 14 years. That’s 1.2 lovers a year IF YOU ROUND UP. Jesus, how fucking ridiculous is that?

-L