Why I Stopped Answering The Body Count Question
I cannot tell you the last time I was dating a guy and he did not ask me how many men I slept with prior to meeting him.
And I, young and naïve, answered the question truthfully and cautiously each time. I became paralyzed with fear that whatever number I gave him would be either too high and he would consider me easy, or that it would be too low and he would consider me inexperienced. This one question of "What's your body count?" caused me to wince, and I began to feel like it would put my attempt at building a relationship with someone in jeopardy.
Now, after reaching maturity and understanding what the question is REALLY asking, I feel that enough is enough.
Asking someone, "What's your body count?" is basically asking someone, "How many people have had you before you met me, and is this number worth me adding myself to?" We have become a society where how many people a woman has had sex with will override any quality about her, and will be the main thing she is remembered by. This concept has become so outrageous that women have refused sex with men to keep the count low, or lied about the number in order to not seem fast.
A body count is something that men somehow feel the need to find out, and that women are quick to hide.
This all stems from a society where women are taught that sleeping with one too many men is promiscuous, and that choosing not to be as sexually active or choosing abstinence will make you a prude. Women having sex without a relationship simply because they enjoy having sex seems as if it automatically makes them a hoe. Yet, men are able to sleep with as many women as they choose without fear of comments and rejection. I've never met a man who was taught to live by the "keep them all on one hand" rule, nor who has felt ashamed about the number of females they've had sex with. But for years, women have been forced into categories based on this, and enough is enough.
The number of people you have had sex with IS NO ONE'S BUSINESS. PERIOD. Men have become so concerned with a woman's past that they they fail to work on being a part of her present or future.
The idea of "too many" other men previously having a woman deterring a man from pursuing her says more about the man, not the woman. As I was taught, genuine men do not ask women about other men. They concern themselves with her, rather than worry about who she has been with.
Men are so concerned with a woman's past that they fail to work on being a part of her future.
Furthermore, women have the ability to be as sexually free as men, regardless of how men or women may feel about it. Quite frankly, I feel that part of the problem is that many men can't handle a woman who is as sexually carefree as they are. This mindset has transferred from men to women, as now women will also judge another woman based on how many men she has allegedly slept with. We have involved too many opinions into our personal business, when there should only be one. What a woman does with her body and who she does it with is up to her; it is only her opinion that counts.
I no longer answer the body count question. I also no longer debate what I do sexually based on how another man or woman would feel. We need to learn to involve ourselves in someone's present without worrying about their past. Everyone needs to find themselves some business, and a woman's body count is not it.
xoNecole is always looking for new voices and empowering stories to add to our platform. If you have an interesting story or personal essay that you'd love to share, we'd love to hear from you. Contact us at submissions@xonecole.com.
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
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You've Never Seen Luke James In A Role Quite Like This
Over the years, we've watched Luke James play countless characters we'd deem sex symbols, movie stars, and even his complicated character in Lena Waithe's The Chi. For the first time in his career, the New Orleans-born actor has taken on a role where his signature good looks take a backseat as he transforms into Edmund in Them: The Scare—a mentally deranged character in the second installment of the horror anthology series that you won't be able to take your eyes off.
Trust us, Edmund will literally make you do a double take.
xoNecole sat down with Luke James to talk about his latest series and all the complexity surrounding it—from the challenges taking on this out-of-the-box role to the show's depiction of the perplexing history of the relationship between Black Americans and police. When describing the opportunity to bring Edmund's character to life, Luke was overjoyed to show the audience yet another level of his masterful acting talents.
"It was like bathing in the sun," he said. "I was like, thank you! Another opportunity for me to be great—for me to expand my territory. I'm just elated to be a part of it and to see myself in a different light, something I didn't think I could do." He continued, "There are parts of you that says, 'Go for it because this is what you do.' But then also that's why it's a challenge because you're like, 'um, I don't know if I'm as free as I need to be to be able to do this.' Little Marvin just created such a safe space for me to be able to do this, and I'm grateful for everything I've been able to do to lead to this."
Courtesy
Them: The Scare, like the first season, shines a light on the plight of Black Americans in the United States. This time, the story is taking place in the 1990s, at the height of the Rodney King riots in Los Angeles. While the series presents many underlying themes, one that stands out is Black people and the complicated relationship with the police. "For the audience, I think it sets the tone for the era that we're in and the amount of chaos that's in the air in Los Angeles and around the country from this heinous incident. And I say it just sets the tone of the anxiety and anxiousness that everybody is feeling in their own households."
James has been a longtime advocate against police brutality himself. He has even featured Elijah McClain, the 23-year-old Colorado man who died after being forcibly detained by officers, as his Instagram avatar for the past five years. So, as you can imagine, this script was close to his heart. "Elijah was a soft-loving oddball. Different than anyone but loving and a musical genius. He was just open and wanted to be loved and seen."
Getty Images
Luke continued, "His life was taken from him. I resonate with his spirit and his words...through all the struggle and the pain he still found it in him to say, 'I love you and I forgive you.' And that's who we are as people—to our own detriment sometimes. He's someone I don't want people to forget. I have yet to remove his face from my world because I have yet to let go of his voice, let go of that being [because] there's so many people we have lost in our history that so often get forgotten."
He concluded, "I think that's the importance of such artwork that moves us to think and talk about it. Yes, it's entertaining. We get to come together and be spooked together. But then we come together and we think, 'Damn, Edmund needed someone to talk to. Edmund needed help... a lot [of] things could have been different. Edmund could have been saved.'
Check out the full interview below.
Luke James Talks Ditching Sex Symbol Status For "Them: The Scare", Elijah McClain, & Morewww.youtube.com
Featured image by Getty Images