Rainbow Party
 

Okay, I am just wondering if anyone has heard all the controversy over this new book called "Rainbow Party"? I have never read the book, but it is supposedly about this group of teenagers who are getting together to have an oral sex party after school, at which each girl in attendance wears a different color of lipstick. At the end of the party all of the boys at the party are supposed to compare their "rainbows". Now the author, a Paul Ruditis, says that the whole purpose of the book is to teach teenagers that oral sex is sex and that STDs can be contracted through oral sex. In addition, he also says that he is trying to alert parents to the fact that these kind of parties do exist. Those opposed to the book say that these parties exist because of people like Paul Ruditis and call for the book to be banned from all libraries and bookstores because, get this, "books like this have no place in any library as they aren't beneficial, educational or otherwise of good intent". So, what do you think?

the article can be found here

From what I know, Rainbow Parties have been pretty commonplace these days. I've never seen them or participated myself, but this is what I hear.

That being the case, I can realisitically understand STD's increasing due to it.

*shrug*

Is this a self-fulfilling prophesy? I seem to remember panicky news articles about this a couple of years ago, and it was generally assumed that the people writing the stories made it up. Now, it'll happen, because it is in a book.

Where was i when these parties were going on? :(

I dunno about the compairing of my rainbow to someone elses rainbow, but i wouldn't mind getting mine colored in. :p

A book is a book, and a book goes in a library. If these people had their way they'd burn all dictionaries because they contain naughty words like "vagina" "feces" and "breast". I say... "to tha pit with 'em!"

Sounds a little thin on plot, but great "character" development...

The ending needs a lot of help:

Checking around my sources, there's some interesting thoughts on the Urban Dictionary/rainbow party page. It appears that the first mention of this word was on the Oprah show, and people accuse her of either (1) making it up to scare parents, or (what I think is more likely) (2) she was fooled by someone on this.

(Which TFPer works on the Oprah show, I forget. Perhaps someone could PM him and ask for his input...?)

Nevermind, here's the transcript:
I call it sensationalist bullshit.

If you make the argument that this book will encourage oral sex, then will you also say that Steven King books promote murder? That 1984 promotes totalitarian government and opression? That computer manuals encourage hacking and the creation of viruses?
*sigh*

This is exactly the same crap that the "sex bracelet" "craze" was. It's complete and utter bullshit that has been blown out of proportion, and if it does happen, it's an isolated incident rather than something that happens repeatedly. This is crap at the same level as the speech to the parents of my brother's confirmation class (lot of good that did, he's now an atheist and my mom has accused him of being the Antichrist) in which the speaker claimed that most middle- and high-school students consider oral sex to be more casual and less intimate than kissing.

These sensationalistic rumors are going to continue to spring up as long as we have a group of people in society who are phobic of natural human instincts and attempt to impose their own moral standars on others.

/answering Redlemon's question

If I remember right its Derwood....I was wondering if he got one of those trips to hawaii that she gave away, but he doesnt allow pm's so I couldnt ask :lol:

/end

as for the party's....man I must be getting old...I dont ever remember anything like that when I was younger

what MSD said...

I agree, Oprah knows what salad-tossing is. :thumbsup:

IMO-When people make a big deal of things, the kids want it more. I think the point of the book is to raise awareness of what is out there. If the book is read in the proper context and with parental involvement, it could open up a good teaching opportunity. Some parents have no idea the things that are out there, such as Rainbow Parties. I had no idea what it was, or what salad-tossing was. A Child Called It didn't promote child abuse. And I honestly don't think Rainbow Party promotes oral sex.

I am however very curious now and would like to actually read the book to see if my opinion would change on the matter.

Me too. I would have probably forgotten about the book if they hadn't made a big to-do about it...

MrSelfDestruct, the sex bracelet thing caught on after the media blew it out of proportion. I'm really (really!) bad at math, and so I took the grade 11 college level (opposed to mixed or university level) class that was offered.

The girl I sat next to wore the bracelets and explained that her friends and herself were using them, and that some guy had just broken the sex one (apparently different colours mean different things?) and so tonight she was getting laid. My dumbass younger brother's doing the same thing.

So sure, there's a chance it could catch on, but does it matter? the only people who participate in stuff like this are interested in stuff like this anyway.