The Moth Presents Elna Baker
Yes Means Yes?
Catch The Moth and Elna at Town Hall, NYC on November 2nd.
Chino Blanco
--- We are men of action, lies do not become us. ---
Awards
Lists of Brodie award winners:
X-Mormon of the Year 2021: Jeff T. Green
X-Mormon of the Year 2020: Jacinda Ardern
X-Mormon of the Year 2019: David Nielsen
X-Mormon of the Year 2018: Sam Young 
X-Mormon of the Year 2017: Savannah
X-Mormon of the Year 2016: Jeremy Runnells
X-Mormon of the Year 2015: John Dehlin
X-Mormon of the Year 2014: Kate Kelly
X-Mormon of the Year 2013: J. Seth Anderson and Michael Ferguson
X-Mormon of the Year 2012: David Twede
X-Mormon of the Year 2011: Joanna Brooks
X-Mormon of the Year 2010: Monica Bielanko
X-Mormon of the Year 2009: Walter Kirn
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I think the tragedy of her story is that life was left unexplored for so long. When you read the comments on her last article it is obvious that the religious doctrine of Mormonism is not about personal growth and progress. It is about forging yourself into a round hole no matter what you own shape might express. I certainly hope her journey takes her to place that is free of guilt and allows her to engage in the full expression of herself.
Her act is great! I’d be curious to see her updated version including the more recent developments.
Re #1, one of my few real regrets about converting to the church at 20 is that it meant letting about seven prime sex years pass me by until I finally got married. I feel like I missed out on a lot.
She makes a very interesting point in this routine in the above video: She claims that she didn’t want to have sex. If you watch the whole routine, the only draw of sex that she mentions is how it will affect her relationships. At least part of that is likely due to the negative messages about sex that she has learned at church, but it would be hard for anyone (even perhaps Elna herself) to say how much. After all, a lot of people simply don’t feel ready for sex until their 20’s or later — and if she’d been dying of horniness, she probably would have made some joke about it somewhere in the routine.
From what I’ve read and heard of Elna Baker’s work, it sounds like she’s had a lot of great adventures and a fun life. It doesn’t sound like it was a grand, tragic waste that she waited until her mid (or late?) twenties to have sex for the first time.
But that’s her. A lot of people have good reason to regret “choosing the right” in their youth — passing up opportunities that would never come again.
Yeah, I read Elna’s book, and she’s quite adventurous — the “things happen when you say ‘Yes'” bit seems pretty typical of her lifestyle. In that sense she’s certainly lived and experienced more than a lot of people who were sexually active at a younger age have.
Exactly! Personally, I’m glad I became sexually active when I felt I was ready (age 17), but I’m not going to feel sorry for someone who led an exciting enough life to end up doing stand-up comedy in NYC in her early/mid-20’s! 😉