Posted on 10/19/2014 6:53:11 PM PDT by Forgotten Amendments
Sociologists Best and Bogle explore how cultural fears become manifest in the rumors of “rainbow parties,” in which young women supposedly line up to offer oral sex, leaving rings of colored lipstick on male genitals, and sex bracelets, in which a fashion accessory hides a secret sexual code. They address sexting—teens sending explicit pictures and messages—as the real social problem today, which becomes exaggerated as the media focuses on extreme cases, and schools jump to respond. Although research shows that white, middle-class teens are not actually out of control, that’s not the point here. Instead, Best (Damned Lies and Statistics) and Bogle (Hooking Up) illustrate how infotainment reporting, online hubbub, and misleading statistics combine with our psychological tendency to create stories that stick, even when there’s no supporting evidence. In addition, they reveal how stories about teen sex support political agendas—with liberals worrying about the victimization of young women and conservatives worrying about morals—and how these worries influence policymaking. Even more importantly, the authors examine how cultural memes spread; their call to take a more critical look at the sensational stories we share, and how they do or don’t serve us, is worth hearing.
(Excerpt) Read more at publishersweekly.com ...
Innocence lost: Young Judy Garland singing “Somewhere over the rainbow. She had no idea.
That's the point! There were never any "rainbow parties"! It was a myth that got onto Oprah.
The point is, this was just urban legend. I used to hear on the radio that women would have naked parties. Young women would have sleep overs, get nude to compare each other’s bodies. I am wondering if these were UL as well
Saying people do less of something bad than they did in the 70s is the definition of holding someone to the lowest possible standard. How could the youth sink any lower than that?
It’s an interesting discussion. In today’s environment, I doubt a major studio would make movies like ‘Blue Lagoon’, or Harvey Weinstein’s ‘Kids’.
That’s a good thing and we should appreciate it.
Now the flip side:
Recreational marijuana is legal in Colorado. That's new.
Homosexual marriage is legal in many areas. That's new.
Transgenders seem to be making a lot of progress. That's new.
People are talking about polygamy being legal. That's new.
Let's not pretend that all the debauchery is an urban legend. We didn't have official government consideration of any of the above in the 70s -- so where does that leave us today?
Chicks do stuff like that, especially in this day and age: “Look at my new t**s.”
Drunken orgies and all that lead to child sacrifice.
God is not pleased, but he sure is patient.
There is nothing new under the sun.
I’ve found that internet stuff often has a kernel of truth that is surrounded by enhancements, exaggerations, and pure BS. Snopes makes a living sortingfact from fiction.
Ha - I was there in the 70’s. No drug soaked sex parties for this little black duck. There may have always been groups of people with low moral standards in most generations - look at the 80’s and places like Studio 64. That does not mean that most people were up to too much!
I couldn't agree with you more.
The surest sign that things are getting worse, much, much worse, is when they start getting better.
At that point, things are the worst they've ever been.
Bookmark
It may satrt out as “rainbow parties”, but mark my words, it ends up cooking and eating an Indonesian ladyboy!
Good grief! I remember SHOW ME
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Show_Me!
featured on display tables in major bookstores in 1975! I was a teenager & it made me sick. But it was quite progressive back then. NATIONAL LAMPOON'S parody was perfect
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