Bumble has issued an apology after it appeared to be making fun of celibate women in a recent ad campaign.
"You know full well a vow of celibacy is not the answer" and "thou shall not give up dating and become a nun" were among the catchphrases used in the dating app's billboard campaign.
The company admitted it “made a mistake” and that the celibacy referencing “were an attempt to lean into a community frustrated by modern dating and instead of bringing joy and humour, we unintentionally did the opposite".
The US advertisements drew criticism for misrepresenting the reasons behind women's choice of celibacy.
Recently, celibacy has been utilised more and more as a protest against patriarchal societies, amongst other things.
For example, the 4B movement, started by women in South Korea, went viral as they started to exclude men from their lives.
But what exactly does it 4B movement stand for and what are some famous celibate celebrities?
When did the 4B movement begin?
The feminist movement known as 4B is said to have started in South Korea in 2019.
Its supporters give up on dating men, getting married, having sex with males, and starting a family.
In 2019, the 4B movement became well-known on Twitter and through other feminist social media accounts.
As with other Korean digital feminist movements, one noteworthy aspect of the 4B movement is that its members frequently refer to themselves as "anonymous women" since it is customary for people to withhold personal information online.
This digital movement operates as an online forum for women to freely discuss how to navigate and imagine life without men. It creates a sense of solidarity among women by giving them a forum to express their annoyances and worries about living in a traditional environment. Furthermore, the platform seeks to encourage and uplift women to oppose dating, having sex, getting married, and starting a family.
The movement aims to increase awareness and enlist more supporters with a strong social media presence in order to maximise its impact.
What do the 4 Bs stand for?
The 4 Bs (or four No’s) stand for bihon, bichulsan, biyeonae, and bisekseu meaning no sex with men, no child-rearing, no dating men and no marriage with men.
The goal of the 4B movement is to directly challenge the patriarchal state of South Korea and its pro-natalist policies, which see women's bodies and reproductive capacities as instruments for the state's future. It is well known that feminists involved in the 4B movement actively oppose the ways in which gendered norms are upheld in a conservative culture with regard to relationships, work, and raising children.
What are the criticisms against 4B?
During his candidature for president, Yoon Suk Yeol declared that structural sexism has disappeared from South Korea. The birth rate in the nation is one of the lowest in the world, at 1.11 per woman, which he has previously attributed to feminism.
Famous celibate celebrities
Craig David previously shared how he attempted and was successful in using celibacy to boost his creativity.
“In a funny way, as much as I was like, ‘Wow,’ to myself for a moment, it just felt that creativity has been on a hundred, on a max for those two years,” he told The TMZ Podcast via Page Six.
Jessica Simpson decided to postpone having sex until after she wed Nick Lachey in 2002. "My virginity is something I stand strong in," she said in 2023 to People.
Orlando Bloom has also disclosed that he stayed away from sex for a while until he met Katy Perry. “I was really enjoying the way I was relating to women and to the feminine within myself,” Bloom told The Sunday Times, per Elite Daily.
