GUARDIANS OF VIRTUE: Ordinary men trying to honor and protect virtue in smutty world.
Announcer: When we left our hero, he was looking away from a student who was modeling a costume for the coming play. The costume is seriously inappropriate, but he’s trying to decide if he should say anything.
Our hero turns to the volunteers working on costumes.
Hero: Hey, could you please bring one of those fur wraps over here? Let’s cover her up a little.
Announcer: Our hero walks a few feet away from the student and asks the mother to join him.
Hero: ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR FREAKING MIND!!!???
Announcer: Not really. He is slightly more diplomatic.
Hero: I like the texture of the fabric, but I am really not comfortable with her showing that much skin on stage.
Mother: We can cover her up a little, it’s not a big deal….
Hero: I am not comfortable having any girl in any of my plays dressed like that. Let’s get something else.
Announcer: And with that decisive statement, he turns his back and walks away, satisfied in his role as a:
GUARDIAN OF VIRTUE
(Cue theme song)
Seriously now, taking my tongue out of my cheek, this mother is very nice woman. She seemed surprised by the vehemence of my reaction. I don’t think she had any idea how inappropriate it was for her daughter to be dressed like that—especially in front of an audience. I got the idea she thought it was sort of precociously cute—like a two year old dressing up in her mom’s high heels and pearls.
I accept my job as a defender of virtue. I’m ready to go head-to-head with all the sleazy pornographers and Hollywood jerks who are trying to exploit and corrupt our youth.
But I didn’t realize that defending virtue meant going head to head with mothers. Seriously, mothers! If we lose the mothers, then the battle is over. This left me feeling profoundly unsettled and disturbed.
With that story in mind, I have been thrilled to see all the blogs with buttons from “Mothers for Modesty”. Bravo! That gives me a great deal of hope. Thank you, mothers, for caring about that. For so many reasons, I think it is more important than we probably understand. And welcome to the ranks of the
GUARDIANS OF VIRTUE…..
Tune in next time for our hero’s continuing adventures…..
(Cue theme music)
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Braden Bell grew up in Farmington, Utah and earned degrees in theatre from Brigham Young University and a Ph.D. from New York University. He and his wife, Meredith live with their five children outside of Nashville, TN, where he teaches theatre and music. Braden enjoys reading, writing, gardening and long walks with the dog. His first book, The Road Show, will be released by Cedar Fort in June of 2010. Read more at http://www.bradenbell.com/blog.html
