MTV’s new series “Virgin Territory” explores the lives of the young and abstinent—those who are staying pure for personal and moral reasons, as well as those who would like to lose their virginity but haven’t been able to thus far.

The show began its focus with four such virgins, but as some participants lose their virginity others will be added (MTV says 15 people will be profiled during the season run). In the very first episode, in fact, the show loses Lisa, a committed 23-year-old Christian who gets married.

Salon television critic Willa Paskin thinks there are strong distinctions between willing virgins, who stay abstinent on purpose, and unwilling ones. “‘Virgin Territory’ tries to get into psychological explanations for all of this unwanted virginity, because like the participants’ friends, MTV thinks it’s weird,” she writes.
 Willing or not, the Parent’s Television Council thinks the whole series is a bad idea.

“Based on the way it’s being advertised—and let’s face it based on MTV’s history with their programming—we’re not anticipating [it is] going to treat the subject respectfully,” said Melissa Henson, the PTC’s director of grassroots education and activism. (Slate, Fox News)

Paul Asay has written for The Washington Post, Christianity Today, Beliefnet.com and The (Colorado Springs) Gazette. He writes about culture for PluggedIn and wrote the Batman book God on the Streets of Gotham (Tyndale). He recently collaborated with Jim Daly, president of Focus on the Family, on his book The Good Dad. He lives in Colorado Springs with wife, Wendy, and his two children. Follow him on Twitter.