TLC Says It’s Celebrating Virgins with ‘Virgin Diaries’
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TLC's "Virgin Diaries" features Shanna and Ryan's wedding day first kiss.
For the network that ballyhoos the fruits of bedroom labor (“Jon and Kate Plus 8,” The Duggars, “A Conception Story”) it made sense to balance things out with a bunch of virgins.
“Losing one’s virginity is a big life decision,” TLC’s west coast vice president of production, Timothy Kuryak, told ABCNews.com. “It seemed like one of those seminal life moments that’s interesting to follow for TLC.”
So was born “Virgin Diaries,” an hour long reality special starring a group of 20 and 30-something virgins that premieres Sunday at 9 p.m. ET on TLC. A trailer for the show features Carey, a 35-year-old bachelor who confesses that he’s “not a virgin entirely by choice” and three 30-year-old female roommates from British Columbia who Kuryak said are “saving themselves for when they meet their husbands.”
But the show’s must-see factor comes from Ryan, 31, and Shanna, 27, a couple who decided to save their first kiss, let alone their virginity, until their wedding day. “It was a religious choice for both of them,” Kuryak said.
Shanna had kissed other people before Ryan; Ryan had not. That fact becomes sweetly apparent when Ryan lifts up his bride’s veil, plants his lips on hers, and sucks vigorously away.
Some critics have dubbed “Virgin Diaries” “TLC’s newest gawk-fest” and its participants “exploitation victims.” Kuryak countered, “We’re not trying to make light of this or treat it in a sort of trivial way. We want to document these peoples’ stories and why they make this decision.”
“A lot of stories about later in life virgins talk about it like a problem,” he said. “We want to show that this is something that can be celebrated.”
And, if it gets good ratings, something that could be celebrated again and again and again.
“We love the special as it is right now, and if it does well, there could be more to come,” Kuryak said.
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Worst. Kiss. EVER! Yikes.
Posted by: Whatthewhat | November 30, 2011, 12:58 pm 12:58 pm
Can’t someone sur TLC for false advertisement as for the name of tv Channel. You don’t learn nothing from “The Learning Channel” these days except how to be a reality show idiot. lol
Posted by: jstate83 | November 30, 2011, 1:17 pm 1:17 pm
I applaud anyone who has the conviction to wait for that special first kiss and intimacy, but it puzzles me as to why anyone would want these first awkward moments on TV…”whatthewhat” trashes this couple’s first kiss, but may have amnesia about the first time he/she kissed someone…it is something that is learned, and this couple will work together to find their comfort zone for kissing and beyond…as for a reality show that puts couples in the spotlight…for ridicule or for sweetness…producers could have picked some other less personal issue to expose to the world.
Posted by: snydergal | November 30, 2011, 1:39 pm 1:39 pm
As long as they don’t mock virginity, (true virginity meaning no sexual contact, oral etc), and show the different decisions as to why someone abstains, it could be a very positive show. They showcase and mock drunken slores, male and female everyday, so it’s time for a different point of view. The virgins that want their privacy won’t sign up, so everyone else will be full aware that their life will be thrust into the spotlight. I applaud those that remain virgins, for whatever their reason may be. The don’t have to worry about STD’s, or baby mama’s/daddies.
Posted by: Thoughtyouknew | November 30, 2011, 1:53 pm 1:53 pm
The Learning Channel needs to change its name to The Reality Crap Network. Because they show some of the absolute STUPIDEST reality crap on their network. These are the ass-hats that show ‘Toddlers and Tiaras’ and those pregnant teen shows. Complete waste of electricity at that network…..
Posted by: Searambler | November 30, 2011, 2:41 pm 2:41 pm
Snydergal, I do remember my first kiss. And it was NOTHING like that. Not even close. It was just a normal kiss. That guy literally tried to chew on her tongue. This is HILARIOUS.
Posted by: Ryan | November 30, 2011, 3:54 pm 3:54 pm
TLC use to have some good shows, but now they suck. I never watch them anymore. Waste of space as far as I’m concerned.
Posted by: SinTexas | November 30, 2011, 4:39 pm 4:39 pm
I agree with Ryan – my first kiss was NOTHING like that. (My first serious kiss was really awesome, actually.) That guy was totally eating her face and it was extremely uncomfortable to watch. Why put that out there for the whole world to see?
Posted by: Whatthewhat | November 30, 2011, 4:58 pm 4:58 pm
Yeah, this is a show that I’ll look forward to each week. However, if reruns of “Gilligan’s Island” are showing at the same time, well it won’t be difficult to decide what to watch.
Posted by: Give Me a Break | November 30, 2011, 5:01 pm 5:01 pm
so, it’s your wedding day..is that really the time to find out you dont like kissing your husband??? Or to find out you dont like doing the deed with your husband??? I dont know. Sex is such a hugely important part of marriage. It glues you together decades after the kids are long gone. It’s definitely not just for making babies. baby stage last a couple years, Marriages, with sex, last decades. Methinks, IMHO, you need to know if you like doing it with your spouse before you marry them. At some point. it’s too important. It’s on par to ‘do I like to talk to my spouse” I dont know. I think I’ll never talk to them until the wedding night, so the first talk will be ‘special’. nuts.
Posted by: GrannyNosBest | November 30, 2011, 5:28 pm 5:28 pm
Do the women have to pass a “virgin” exam to be legit for the show? Creeepy
Posted by: s | November 30, 2011, 7:41 pm 7:41 pm
“and sucks vigorously away.” EW. Also, @WW2VET. Besides being a sin, it’s disgusting having sex with multiple people, especially if someone plans to marry. Sin comes from a lot of things besides that, though, too. You can’t expect much from most people. Since the beginning of time, you never could. not just today. American people dont have priorities, and are pretty vile.
Posted by: gray | November 30, 2011, 8:31 pm 8:31 pm
I really enjoyed this show, if I could to do life over again I would wait to kiss the boy too and wait for my wedding day and make sure he waited too.
This is a very sweet show and America could use some values being showcased versus all the negative horrible people of lately. Good for you TLC :)
Posted by: Invisions | November 30, 2011, 9:08 pm 9:08 pm
Seriously, is it necessary for him to nearly suck her face off? Seriously, he needed to chill out! Him kissing her like that was uncomforterable to watch, it’s like watching two people shoving their tounges down eachothers mouths like they’re giving one another CPR! And Gray, are you American? If so you just insulted yourself! And by saying you could never expect things out of the human race means we can’t expect much out of you, and that you can’t expect much out of yourself!
Posted by: Erica | November 30, 2011, 9:54 pm 9:54 pm
That kiss looks completely staged and scripted. More pathetic trash from the King of Network TV Garbage, TLC. If it was any old kiss, the kind we all have, then they couldn’t make a show out of it, ‘cuz it wouldn’t generate any reaction. Jerry Springer has more integrity than the group of clowns running this network into the ground. What’s next, the “Numero Dos Diaries”….a documentary about a group of peoples morning bowel movements?
Posted by: Madtown | December 1, 2011, 12:28 am 12:28 am
I honestly think a show like this is needed, to show the future generations that is possible to wait, when they show pregnant at 16 it does show how difficult it is to be a teen parent and some may learn from that but I’ve never seen people standing up…proud to say Hey I’m a virgin! After seeing all the shows that are on TV (that show ridiculous things) and seeing other youth that make fun of the ones that are actually waiting, is hard to be an outcast, so by showing them that there are others waiting and holding for that special moment, it could encourage them and motivate them.
And about sex being so important like one of the writers said, it is, but is not the most important….communication is Key in every relationship, you can even teach your partner how you like the deed ;) so you can still wait and hold on for that special moment!
Posted by: ThinkBig | December 1, 2011, 3:45 am 3:45 am
Were any medical tests done to prove these girls were virgins? I know that every girl I have ever been with has insisted they were virgins….and most were “pure” catholic school girls
Posted by: doubtit | December 1, 2011, 6:31 am 6:31 am
I was a virgin until I was 28 (by my own choices) and I don’t regret that at all. I am not a religious person, so it wasn’t for that reason. I just knew most of the men I dated were looking for that and that only. I’m stubborn…so they got NONE!! :) But, kissing is a whole different story. It’s not a sin to kiss someone. Those two that got married needed to practice! What’s worse…sharing a little kiss here and there or creating an awkward, disgusting spectacle in front of family and friends at your wedding! My God!!
Posted by: Lainey | December 1, 2011, 10:34 am 10:34 am
I’m a 33 year old virgin from BC, maybe its in the water?. I’m not religious at all though. I just believe that sex should be with someone you love and plan to spend the rest of your life with. ….and I haven’t found her yet.
Posted by: Okaywithit | December 1, 2011, 10:03 pm 10:03 pm
I don’t know why people find the existence of adult male virgins so odd. Straight male sexual behavior follows a Pareto distributi on, where 20 percent of the men get 80 percent of the sex. That means most guys have to fight for the leftovers, and in every generation a few guys can’t even get to the trough. Even the guys who have a few sexual relationsh ips early in life often wind up sexually repudiated by women after a few years, like George Sodini.
The evolutionary psychologist Roy Baumeister also argues from evidence in the human genome that over the course of human evolution, the majority of males who reached sexual maturity died without offspring, probably on the order of 60 percent. That figure must include a lot of adult virgins.
Posted by: Mark plus | December 2, 2011, 12:34 am 12:34 am
I’m a virgin at 17 which is rare… I choose to stay pure so it’s more special with my husband one day, and I hope he is waiting too. I’m very religious too which was also a part of my decision. I’m embarrassed for society that it is such an odd thing to wait for something that was intended for marriage. I think it’s great that these people on the show have waited but I don’t like how TLC has portrayed them to be… We aren’t all THAT strict about saving everything. Kissing should happen in my opinion. However, I’m seriously appalled at all the adults on here who obviously have no morals and are making fun of people for waiting. It’s a lifestyle that is hard to live by… Especially in high school and college and we could use a few more people on our side.
Posted by: Madi | December 2, 2011, 1:21 am 1:21 am
I believe in no sex before marriage. But having your first kiss on your wedding day!!! That is just crazy!!! And i have to admit, that kiss did look a little bit dangerous, like they were trying to chew each others tongue off. It just looks weird but funny.
Posted by: Leo Ann | December 2, 2011, 4:31 pm 4:31 pm
I will be 60 0n Valentines Day, and I am still a virgin…Does that count? If I hadn’t had a gay friend tell me there were groups for Asexuals, I would have felt weird forever.
Posted by: Paula Bloom | December 2, 2011, 11:53 pm 11:53 pm
I heard about this on Nightline. I didn’t figure there was anyone else out there waiting for marriage. At 28 I think my family thinks I’m crazy or something. As for the kissing, I don’t get why people would wait for that. I mean, if you can keep yourself pure over the age of 20 then I don’t see how kissing would suddenly push you over the edge. But to each his own I guess.
Posted by: Joy | December 2, 2011, 11:57 pm 11:57 pm
Show is weird. Have sex, don’t have sex, I don’t care, but to watch awkward adults talk about it? How is that interesting? And watching that kiss made me uncomfortable..sorry but it was awful. Hopefully they get better at OFF CAMERA.
Posted by: Lynn | December 4, 2011, 11:44 pm 11:44 pm
I see why realitly TV is so successful, because people that watch it are so gullible. I’m reading these comments and everyone seems to be falling for it. Does anyone really believe that this wasn’t staged/scripted? I’m sick and tired of “reality” shows. The only real ones are on National Geographic.
Posted by: James | December 5, 2011, 8:30 am 8:30 am
james, i know the now married couple personally. this is real. edited for tv. but real.
Posted by: kd | December 5, 2011, 5:27 pm 5:27 pm
There’s nothing wrong with being an older virgin. But if it bothers you, then being a older virgin is problem. Abstinence will only work if both partners feel the same way. The married couple choose this for themselves, so this is OK for them. There are women out there that could sleep with ten men in one night and not think a thing about it. Then there are men saving their first kiss for their wedding day. There are a lot of older virgins that can’t get a date. Therefore, luck is why they are still virgins. So you got to be true to yourself and know what you want!
Posted by: T | December 6, 2011, 12:36 pm 12:36 pm
I just think most of this is absurd. I take sex with some seriousness, but I also know committing your life to someone you have never even kissed is a bad idea. It’s no wonder that divorce rates are so crazy high in most of these communities (and with the children’s ignorance, crazy high teen pregnancy rates).
Posted by: JohnP | December 6, 2011, 4:39 pm 4:39 pm