I just learned that Chick-fil-A has an annual Daddy Daughter Date Night. Technically the event is not a purity ball but it screams icky-ness just the same.
At the event fathers and daughters will be met at the restaurants with decorations and activities. Each restaurant has their own way of celebrating. Some restaurants will offer a red carpet, dancing, music, photographs, limo rides and a trayliner with questions and conversation topics. At some events dad and daughter will take home a booklet called “Continuing the Conversation” which provides ideas for future dates and conversation topics. The event has a romantic factor that is entirely inappropriate.
What we have here is paternalism. It is a concept which states a woman or girl needs a man to take care of her. The male figure can be a father, husband, brother or other male relative. It's a form of control and ownership that is perpetuated by fundamental Christianity. This branch of Christianity does not believe boys and young men are in need of such supervision.
The message here is that a girl's sexuality should be overseen by her father. As mentioned earlier this event is very reminiscent of a purity ball. Purity balls are like proms in which an child or teen makes a promise to her father that she will remain a virgin until she weds.
The event is one in which daughters are meant to idolize their fathers in a way that is unhealthy. There is a romantic tie here that seems very incestuous. I assume that fathers who are in favor of this event do not actually view their daughters in a romantic or sexual light. Even so, this event creates a mental space where young women will link their romantic endevours with their fathers. By this I mean that women are likely to forget that romance and sexuality is about their own journey and will feel that they need their father's approval to feel whatever they are feeling.
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