tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-109955980329789216.post9091755699396956033..comments2024-01-18T11:46:30.540+11:00Comments on Dangers Untold and Hardships Unnumbered: She Bop: Masturbation in YA LitRhiannon Harthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03611927348379723038noreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-109955980329789216.post-28400415935948389572023-03-19T06:17:34.275+11:002023-03-19T06:17:34.275+11:00This comment has been removed by the author.janosikhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02394671086769557428noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-109955980329789216.post-91367225596266650922011-11-27T09:20:50.012+11:002011-11-27T09:20:50.012+11:00Good post! I am in the process of writing a novel...Good post! I am in the process of writing a novel centered around a fourteen-year old girl, although I don't think I would necessarily classify it has YA (I guess that will be for an editor to decide one day, if I'm that lucky!). I also read lots of books when I was growing up, and I don't believe I ever did come across anything about masturbation. I'd been doing it myself since I was a toddler though, so I just kind of presumed it wasn't talked about, but the characters did it anyway. There is a very small scene in the novel I'm writing now where the girl "touches herself' under the covers, while her parents are fighting in the next room. In another, a male friend mentions to the girl protagonist that he masturbates when he can't sleep at night. I don't feel the need to make a big deal out of the subject as it's not the focus of my book, but at the same time I don't feel author's should be "afraid" to bring up the subject at all.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-109955980329789216.post-32399015989786884272010-03-06T16:01:45.689+11:002010-03-06T16:01:45.689+11:00The only YA book I remember that had a kid masturb...The only YA book I remember that had a kid masturbate in it was "Then Again, Maybe I Won't" by Judy Blume (!). The narrator is a boy who mentions his friend lending him "paperbacks" with "the good parts underlined". Also discussed are his wet dreams and a few very vague sexual fantasies involving his friend's older sister, who gets undressed with the shades up.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-109955980329789216.post-20549617197173988952009-12-31T16:15:06.635+11:002009-12-31T16:15:06.635+11:00Well, all the guys I know aren't shy about adm...Well, all the guys I know aren't shy about admitting that they 'jack off'. In fact, the other guys kept making fun of one of my friends because he didn't, till the point that he tried it. I only have one girl friend who ever admitted to doing it, and she was plastered and also told me she loves our other friend's boyfriend, so I'm not quite sure that counts. I've personaly never did it, but if you feel the want to explore, more power to you.Mandyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16155984738757693250noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-109955980329789216.post-69464049701549906182009-12-30T13:18:13.266+11:002009-12-30T13:18:13.266+11:00Oh I remember that scene in All American Girl and ...Oh I remember that scene in All American Girl and I have to admit that it was quite eye opening for me as a 14 year old. I totally admired Sam's big sis after that haha.<br /><br />Not talking about this topic isn't something just confined in YA books though, but in YA life in general. Or at least that is what I found/find with my girl friends. No one talks about it. Or if it was mentioned in passing, it was done with giggles and an "eww gross". The guys joke about it all the time though, so I guess "wanker" isn't an insult anymore for them in that sense. Maybe my friends are just a conservative lot though.Larahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07437698498424269677noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-109955980329789216.post-19872590855218973292009-12-29T13:19:57.411+11:002009-12-29T13:19:57.411+11:00Meg Cabot's book called 'All American Girl...Meg Cabot's book called 'All American Girl Ready Or Not' contains a scene with female masturbation... <br /><br />It was a couple of years ago that I read it, kinda shocked me. Not because I don't think that masturbation should be in books, just because it never is!<br /><br />Great post by the way!<br /><br />~Aye.Me?<br /><a href="http://reversingthemonotony.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow">Reversing The Monotony</a>Trollolololhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05940625938982868781noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-109955980329789216.post-25327388603124610162009-12-29T07:01:44.014+11:002009-12-29T07:01:44.014+11:00Interesting topic. Unfortunatly there is the fear ...Interesting topic. Unfortunatly there is the fear factor to put any book with any reference to sex in the young adult section at the public library I work-which is so sad because that is what teens deal with on a daily basis in real life. I have to put "questionable" books in the adult section and hope that kids can find there way there if I'm not working. So frustrating! BTW a great YA book that I read recently called Repossessed by A.M Jenkins has a masturbation scene that is LOL.Tammyhttp://mugofmoxie.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-109955980329789216.post-54885172217650993912009-11-24T06:47:12.092+11:002009-11-24T06:47:12.092+11:00y'know (can you tell this is my blog-reading m...y'know (can you tell this is my blog-reading morning?)... I have to say that it has recently come up in my mind (um, that is not intended to be a pun). Masturbation and sex in YA, I mean.<br /><br />A friend directed me to a great post about sex in YA from a lit agent. Here it is: http://acrowesnest.blogspot.com/2008/12/marianna-lets-get-it-on-sex-scenes-in.html<br /><br />I thought it was a fantastic post on the subject matter and made me think that it would be more than alright to include it in my YA MS (eventually) if the occasion came up. (What, with the world ending and all, my heroine was looking at me with those big brown eyes and basically demanding she not die a virgin, you know.) <br /><br />But, I also thought masturbation would be an interesting subject to put in and I definitely have considered putting it into YA. I know I wrote about it in an adult short story before, but you're right. I don't recall every reading about it in YA.<br /><br />Thanks, Rhiannon, for always giving me something to think about. :)<br /><br />--Finny.Charityhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09566759577738477884noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-109955980329789216.post-24126638566299967592009-11-17T16:34:13.707+11:002009-11-17T16:34:13.707+11:00In addition to Sherman Alexie's PART-TIME INDI...In addition to Sherman Alexie's PART-TIME INDIAN, I can think of three examples in current YA where I've seen mentions of jerking off. In all of these, the act wasn't shown "on-screen"; just mentioned in passing. <br /><br />One is in a short story in 21 PROMS, "The Great American Morp" by John Green. The female narrator mentions "jilling off."<br /><br />Another is in TWISTED by Laurie Halse Anderson. The male protag takes care of some business in prepartation for a date. <br /><br />The third is in an ARC I read for a book that will debut next year. Again, male protag.<br /><br />I actually like knowing those details about the characters. I like that it isn't a big deal, that it's just a thing that happens to be part of their lives. That makes it very real.Mindi Scotthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09880240063993710879noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-109955980329789216.post-50620589651795208942009-11-16T22:33:35.931+11:002009-11-16T22:33:35.931+11:00Really interesting post. I'll admit that this ...Really interesting post. I'll admit that this is something that I had not given much thought to. The only YA author I can recall having written masturbation scenes that I have read is John Marsden. Was there a scene or at least graphic references in Dear Miffy? Maybe? It has been so long since I read that one. In Marsden's take on Hamlet there is a female masturbation scene as well as male references but I do not think that I would call it bluntly graphic.<br /><br />When we were in our early teens I had a friend who used to be very embarrassed about the fact that she was named after Auel's Ayla due to the sexual content in the books.<br /><br />The only Judy Bloom book that I have ever read is Are You There God? It's Me Margaret. As I remember it, it is all developing breasts, getting periods, and first crushes with no references to masturbation that I can recall.<br /><br />When you start to think about it, it is odd that many characters in YA go from being virgins to sexually active with no mentioned self-exploration in between.<br /><br />Also, although completely off-topic, I have not read Ender's Game either despite the fact that it has been on my to-read list for a very long time.Terrahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17360534387459204322noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-109955980329789216.post-52042314089595623032009-11-16T07:24:09.668+11:002009-11-16T07:24:09.668+11:00This is a great discussion mate. Even if you hadn&...This is a great discussion mate. Even if you hadn't had any other reactions to it, its valuable because of Dannie's comment above.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-109955980329789216.post-87206607482066962932009-11-15T18:44:16.851+11:002009-11-15T18:44:16.851+11:00Great post! An interesting subject, and really wel...Great post! An interesting subject, and really well written post.<br /><br />I agree with your view on this. It bugs me too that a subject like this gets ignored and censored so much. As much as I love my vampire books, I always think it ironic how you can write books about people drinking blood but not about sex and masturbation! Same thing goes for TV though ; we all know a pair of breasts is more shocking than a guy getting is head chopped off!kay - Infinite Shelfhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08227285073921171393noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-109955980329789216.post-65666103693081988242009-11-15T13:02:56.643+11:002009-11-15T13:02:56.643+11:00As for books with masturbation in it, there's ...As for books with masturbation in it, there's this pretty good independently published one called "EyeLeash" by Jess Scott that has passing references to a girl masturbating.D Swizzlehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15148118403462060553noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-109955980329789216.post-68083785347865153832009-11-15T13:01:36.944+11:002009-11-15T13:01:36.944+11:00Dude, I'm fifteen and I'm still not sure h...Dude, I'm fifteen and I'm still not sure how girls masturbate. I always get that image of the girl from "The Exorscist" jacking off with a cross. Maybe I should pick up Deenie--or, rather, any Judy Blume book. I've only read Superfudge...D Swizzlehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15148118403462060553noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-109955980329789216.post-49394829053519471472009-11-15T11:03:24.257+11:002009-11-15T11:03:24.257+11:00This is a really great post, super interesting. I...This is a really great post, super interesting. I can't really think of any books that have female masturbation in them, but I know that Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie talks about the m-word a little bit. That's the last one I remember. I don't know what to say about YA books not addressing kids who do bad things, because I'm that dork that never did a bad thing until it was perfectly legal to do so. <br /><br />As for euphamisms: self love? Lol, I don't have any good ones. When I was in high school my friends and I used to call it "washing the dishes". I can't remember how that one came out, but I still chuckle a little when I hear someone say it! What did you do last night... oh you know, washed the dishes.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-109955980329789216.post-72704878014923469232009-11-15T09:48:39.721+11:002009-11-15T09:48:39.721+11:00What a great post! You know, I can't think of ...What a great post! You know, I can't think of a YA book dealing with masturbation either. Makes you wonder if authors do it consciously for fear of being banned (remember when Higher Power of Lucky was threatened with that just for mentioning a dog's balls?) by someone out there. Even if the books do not contain such subject matter, kids do know about it...heck they do it! So why not include it regular YA books? Very very interesting post. Good head-scratcher too! Maybe someone needs to go out and right a regular YA book with masturbation with it and see what happens.PolishOutlanderhttp://polishoutlander.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-109955980329789216.post-7641879621963601242009-11-15T09:38:06.965+11:002009-11-15T09:38:06.965+11:00A really interesting post! I can't think of a...A really interesting post! I can't think of any current YA i've read that includes/covers this. I did read Deenie when I was younger but it went completely over my head! I may have to ponder this some more!I Want To Read Thathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07440885154986400056noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-109955980329789216.post-38614344938185881552009-11-14T21:31:47.507+11:002009-11-14T21:31:47.507+11:00Comment that has nothing to do with this post:
I j...Comment that has nothing to do with this post:<br />I just read over at I was a teenage book geek that you have NEVER read Ender's Game. I don't even know how this is possible, given the selection of books that you always read. Ender's Game is AMAZING. You are going to LOVE it.<br />Although, I have before seen it classified as YA, and aside from the fact that Ender himself is young, I really can't see why.<br />Yay that you're going to read it!brizmushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18163313230550265190noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-109955980329789216.post-20648862638612510372009-11-14T20:59:25.773+11:002009-11-14T20:59:25.773+11:00I don't know why, but the idea of masturbation...I don't know why, but the idea of masturbation in books, especially teen books, really just makes me cringe. Although I have to admit that the idea of sex in teen books also makes me cringe. I admit that you're right, and that it's something that probably should be written about that would indeed be helpful for some teens.<br />I would have hated it when I was part of the age group that YA is written for. <br />I really wouldn't like it even now. I can barely read romances (and by barely I mean I can't really read them at all).<br />Like Jade, I think it's weird that teens in YA books rarely ever do bad things. I know when I was a teen I was a heavy drinker. I hated cigarettes (still do), but several of my friends smoked, and most of them did drugs.<br />Anyhow, just wanted to comment on this post. But now that I've started, it's actually making me uncomfortable. So the end!brizmushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18163313230550265190noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-109955980329789216.post-33019945282339516752009-11-14T20:51:37.884+11:002009-11-14T20:51:37.884+11:00This is interesting, because it's a discussion...This is interesting, because it's a discussion I've had with pals:<br /><br />"I outright asked my closest male friend around this time whether he "did it" not and he cried "No! Of course not! How could you ask me such a thing?" Years later over beers I called him out on that. He replied, "What did you expect me to say? We were thirteen. 'Wanker' was the biggest insult around.""<br /><br />It IS weird that "wanker" is such a huge insult among the teen set, and no one wants to admit to masturbating, even though it's a common (and normal) thing. Weird.<br /><br />Getting back to the post: the only books I recall reading as a teen that featured masturbation were the ones we were made to read in school (ie the books loaded with Serious Themes), and even then the masturbation was only alluded to, if memory serves.<br /><br />I think it depends on the genre, though. If I were reading a YA fantasy, a masturbation scene would probably be weird.<br /><br />PS I hate the phrase "rub one out". It's so... graphic? Plus it makes me giggle like a schoolgirl.Samhttp://www.samdowning.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-109955980329789216.post-3029894926682868572009-11-14T20:45:40.200+11:002009-11-14T20:45:40.200+11:00Confession time: although I read Deenie, at the ti...Confession time: although I read Deenie, at the time I had no idea that there were any references to masturbation. (I think I was around twelve when I read it, and *seriously* clueless - I used to just skim over the parts in books that were outside of my frame of reference).<br /><br />I can't think of a single other YA title that even mentions it, actually.Laurenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06483030255023873716noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-109955980329789216.post-59967804496669493102009-11-14T18:20:11.836+11:002009-11-14T18:20:11.836+11:00Hmmm now that I think of it, I do have one scene i...Hmmm now that I think of it, I do have one scene in my book that is masterbatey...I don't actually write about it, but you can infer, so well maybe there will be one on the market that comes closeFrankie Diane Mallishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06066659801542129040noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-109955980329789216.post-3360190024314608832009-11-14T18:18:53.624+11:002009-11-14T18:18:53.624+11:00Very thoughtful and brave post, Rhiannon. I'm ...Very thoughtful and brave post, Rhiannon. I'm trying to rack my brains now too and think if there are any YA books that deal with this- I think the closest we get is the MC thinking about a person, maybe lying in bed, but nothing actually happening. I personally don't have any strong feelings on it, but as with everything else in a story, so long as it adds to the plot or character development and isn't just written in for the sake of being written in, then yeah! Bring on the masterbation scenes.Frankie Diane Mallishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06066659801542129040noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-109955980329789216.post-41034483706153508302009-11-14T16:30:26.331+11:002009-11-14T16:30:26.331+11:00I came to lurk but I find I must comment.
This is...I came to lurk but I find I must comment.<br /><br />This is something I've been thinking about quite a bit lately. By that I mean content in YA books, not rubbing one out!<br /><br />The majority of YA books I read seem to have these well-behaved kids who don't smoke, have sex or drink--except for a glass of beer at a party. It makes me wonder if it's because that's the sort of life the authors had or are they intentionally making it PG for the industry?<br /><br />It makes me glad when I read a book like 'Pink' by Lili Wilkinson, where the kids go to parties and do stupid things they regret. It makes it seem a little more real in my eyes.<br /><br />Thanks for the great post.Jadehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02444920778218867295noreply@blogger.com