virginity loss narratives in "40 Year Old Virgin"

40 Year Old Virgin is a comedy movie from 2005 starring Steve Carell. The plot revolves around Andy, played by Carell, who is a 40 year old man who has yet to have sex with anyone. The film illustrates the awkward situations a man could face when placed in sexual situations without any sexual knowledge. The film approaches these situations with a sense of humor, however virginity loss narratives introduced by Kelly in "Virginty loss narratives in "teen drama" television programs" are strewn throughout the film.
Much of the film's plot relies on comedic situations that arise from Andy's naivety toward sex. His friends in the film become aware of his status as a virgin and spend much of the film putting him in positions- oftentimes ridiculous situations (putting a transgender prostitue in his hotel room) just to get him to lose his virginity. This display's Kelly's (2009)  "urgency script" that considers losing ones virginity as a good thing and a tool to increase social rank. (Pg.482) According  to this script, a 40 Year Old male virgin would be a target for ridicule-and Andy is just that. The film portrays Andy as a nerd with a huge collection of action figures. Andy is also the perennial butt of the jokes told by his co-workers and the film situated him in the position of a social failure. For instance, he has no car and the film plays on his childlike knowledge of sex as a way to cast him as the fool in numerous sexual encounters. For example, in a class setting, Andy quite seriously asks "Is it true that if you don't use it you lose it?" He also liken the feel of a woman's breasts to "bags of sand" keying his co-workers onto his status as a virgin. Further, the film advances the urgency script through Andy's efforts to conceal the fact that he is a virgin, even to his love interest.
For as much time the film spends portraying Andy as the laughable old virgin, other narratives of virginity loss do rear their heads in the film. For example, Kelly's (2009) "management script" that emphasizes losing virginity as something to occur in the right circumstances is illustrated when Andy passes opportunities to lose his virginity to a variety of women to wait for the right time. (Pg.482) The film awards this decision as he eventually starts a relationship with the woman he chooses to have sex with. Kelly's (2009) "abstinence script" which considers virginity a gift and something to admire is also exemplified in the movie. (Pg. 482) For instance, the film includes Andy's love interest commending him for being a virgin calling it a "good thing" as she assures him that it is nothing to be ashamed of.
This film serves as a popular media piece that ilustrates the prevalence of virginity loss as a complex issues through its portrayal of all three of Kelly's virginity loss narratives.

Citations

Apatow, J. (Director). (2005). 40 Year Old Virgin [Motion picture]. United States of America: Universal Pictures.

Maura Kelly (2010) Virginity Loss Narratives in “Teen Drama” Television Programs, The Journal of Sex Research, 47:5, 479-489, DOI: 10.1080/00224490903132044