Paul Ruditis: Rainbow Party

[Libra6Poe]

Lenny told me about this book sometime last month...
"Rainbow Party" by Paul Ruditis

FROM THE PUBLISHER (Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing Group)
Rainbow Party is a cautionary tale about a group of teens faced with the prospect of attending a party involving oral sex. The novel spotlights each of their diverse viewpoints in the hours leading up to the party. It explores what each teen has -- and has not -- been up to sexually, and why. And ultimately, why they would consider going to a party like this in the first place.

This book addresses important and timeless issues relevant to teens, including self-esteem, peer pressure, awareness about STD protection, and making an informed and educated decision about readiness for sexual activity. It was inspired by numerous news reports about the prevalence and attitudes among teens towards certain types of sexual behavior, and is intended to engage readers in this real-life issue in a responsible and constructive fashion.

The Controversy: USA Today article link
Just thought it was interesting...

->Rainbow Party: The girls put on a different color lipstick... perform oral sex on the guy...and at the end, his you-know has a rainbow...

 

[Peder]

.....is intended to engage readers in a constructive fashion.

Hah!

And sell books?

Peder

 

[Miss Shelf]

the better question is why would an adult (or anyone of any age) want to read this tripe? Is "adult publishing" a nice way to say "porn"?

 

[Peder]

Ms Shelf,
I know some 13-year old boys of all ages who would die for the book! They might even try shoplifitng for the first time to get at it. j/k j/k but not by far.
Peder

 

[Miss Shelf]

heck, if I was 13 again, me and my best friend might shoplift it too! However, seeing as how there are lots of porn sites online, I don't think too many kids would be interested in a book. Bet lots of parents will wonder why their adolescents suddenly want to go to Barnes & Noble!

 

[Peder]

Ms Shelf,
Thinking about it a bit further, I think every age has its 'hot' book that kids try to get a look into for their burgeoning curiosity. I think this one shows just how far that boundary line has been pushed. And there will be others to follow one shudders to imagine.
I remember (Gad how I hate to hear those words, even from myself!) when "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" was the racy book of the year. Or a bit more out of the mainstream it was "Studs Lonigan." Both of these are now incredibly tame by current standards. Perhaps every member of the forum can name the single book that raised eyebrows in their own time. I suspect it would show a continual progression right up to, or down to, the book we are discussing here.
Live long enough, and one will see it all
Peder

 

[Miss Shelf]

That's true. I remember when "The Catcher in the Rye" was considered not for teenagers. I also remember being 13 and trying to find where my mom hid her copy of "The Godfather". Apparently she thought the scene with the horse's head would traumatize me permanently.

But this pushing the envelope is going a little too far. I don't know if I'm getting fuddy-duddy, but I was shocked when I read that kids were playing some game where they suffocate themselves to the point of passing out. In my day, it was sneaking your mom's cigarettes and go to the woods to smoke. How much farther can society be pushed? When will people stop and say "you're too young for(whatever)"? why are people so eager for kids to grow up so quickly?

 

[Motokid]

When will people stop and say "you're too young for(whatever)"? why are people so eager for kids to grow up so quickly?

Whoa....I've been asking this question in almost every thread about keeping children from watching certain movies, or reading certain books, or listening to certain music....and I get hammered with accusations of censorship and "well my parents let me blah blah blah and it never did me any harm" type comments.....

I'll have to keep you in mind the next time something like that comes up.....

 

[Peder]

I don't know if I'm getting fuddy-duddy,

Ms Shelf,

Pssst. I have news for you. LOL Just couldn't resist

but I was shocked when I read that kids were playing some game where they suffocate themselves to the point of passing out.

and yes I find that astonishing also. There were some deaths, labeled as suicides, right in my upscale neighborhood when this sort of news was first being reported a year and more back, and it was totally unbelievable. Now it is believable but still shocking and still beyond understanding. Kids are looking for the kicks and really don't have any idea of the risks they are taking with their own lives.

There is the idea for the next new novel: Rainbow Suffocation! /groan/

It is crazy,
The ol' fuddy duddy himself,
Peder

 

[lenny nero]

I saw a short piece on this book(and a couple others that I can't remember the titles of) on NBC Nightly News about how parents got a big surprise when they find out what their daughters are reading. I just realized that all of the young adults they talked to about this book and the others were female. I'm guessing that the majority of the protaganists were female. They did mention one popular fiction series that has followed a group of friends thru high school and into college now and another book(written by a man) about a teen having an affair with a teacher. I wish I could remember the names and authors on those.

 

[SFG75]

Ms Shelf,
I know some 13-year old boys of all ages who would die for the book! They might even try shoplifitng for the first time to get at it. j/k j/k but not by far.
Peder

It's amazing what you have to pull to get kids to R_E_A_D.

 

[Miss Shelf]

I just remembered one year when I was living in an apartment with a roommate who had a little girl who was 7 or 8 or so, the girl wanted a Madonna album for Christmas, I was appalled. I can't remember whether my roommate gave the kid what she wanted or not, but it was a bit much coming from a kid who still had Strawberry Shortcake curtains in her bedroom.

 

[WoundedThorns]

i dont see why they should get riled up about it. my sister's bones had a pretty detailed description of how the girl gave one guy a blowjob. sex is just in books. writers write about life; sex is part of life.

 

[Motokid]

i dont see why they should get riled up about it.

Oh, if only I thought this forum would still be operating about 15 or 20 years from now. If only I thought both you and I would still be members and active at that time....

You are 16 years old....I'm more than quite sure your opinions will change when you are trying your best to be the most outstanding and loving parent you can possibly be.

You will understand the "rile" when you have children of your own....

 

[MonkeyCatcher]

I do understand the concern that a lot of parents would have over this book, and believe it to be justified. I don't think that it should do to the point of banning the book totally, but I do believe that parents have every right to stop their kids from reading it if they are not old enough. I have no problem with parents stopping their children from reading something as long as they are well-informed of the content of the book, and are not just acting on rumours that they have heard. If a parent has actually sat down and read the book and then decided that their child should not read it, then all power to them.

Children are growing up much too fast now days. Children are doing drugs and having sex while they are still in primary school, which I find absolutely disgusting. And you should see the way that some primary school kids dress I know that I'm not exactly the most weathered member on the forum, but even at my age I can see that currently children are going very quickly downhill. The only problem is that being a teenager I'm usually grouped with that bunch of morons

 

[Peder]

The only problem is that being a teenager I'm usually grouped with that bunch of morons

MC.
Not to worry.
Some of us more senior members are automatically grouped with that bunch of people going rapidly downhill.
And somehow I bet you don't look or behave like the teenagers you are talking of.
All the rest of your post I totally agree with.
I only wish that it were as easy as parents having control over the influences their children are exposed to. From my experience we felt hopelessly outnumbered by the influences that our children were exposed to during school and with their friends. I think we just narrowly squeaked through before things started getting really wild. /knocks on wood/
Peder

 

[Jemima Aslana]

I'm with Moto and MC on this issue.

Censorship is in fact necessary - not in the way that some things are kept completely off the market, but in the way some things are rated for certain audiences. We rate computer games and movies - what about books?

For a long time there has been an age limit on so many things. There's a reason they wouldn't let me in to see Alien: Resurrection when I was 14 (nevermind that I'd seen all the previous movies), there's a reason GTA: San Antonio isn't sold to kids aged 12 (well... most shops in DK refuse to sell it to kids at least). Books can impress the mind just like movies and games can, so how come there is no rating system yet?

I've yet to see it at least, it may be there but it can't be very visible... yet.

I know Wizards of the Coast keep their books PG-13, but I've never seen a single 'rating' on the books themselves. I think this should (and could) be implemented. I may only be 21, and I may not have kids, but there were things I was not allowed to see when I was a child, and having seen them now as an adult I think my parents were probably right in their decision not to let me watch certain things. Perhaps watching them would not have directly harmed me, but it certainly didn't harm to wait with watching them till later in my life.

As MC pointed out as well: Why should children grow up so fast? Heck, I'm young, but even I think children grow up ridiculously early these days. I've no problem with little kiddies wanting to immitate the grown-ups, either by playing fine ladies, princesses, mummy and daddy, cowboys and indians (apologies for the un-PC-ness, but as a kid that wasn't one of my worries ), robbers and soldiers... kids have played at being adults always, but it has always been without the realism(not to mention the exaggerations) that movies, games, and books can provide. I don't mind that the little girl finds it funny to dress like mommy, but that doesn't mean I'll buy my 8 year old a g-string.

No books should be banned, but some books should definitely be rated. Parental Guidance is a fine thing, it's a service it'd be nice and noble of publishers to provide - if only more parents would take an interest in what their offsrping spend their sparetime and allowance on...

 

[mehastings]

I find the reference to porn interesting. It sounds like this book is far from porn. I gave it a quick glance over at amazon. I didn't see a single mention of graphic descriptions of sexual acts. From the description it sounds like it is more an exploration of kids motives for getting involved in sexual situations and how they deal with the repercussions. From what I understand the idea of a Rainbow Party isn't something the author simply made up. It's the modern day version of the "makeout party". It sounds like the writing is low quality, so I'm not going to give the book a second thought, however, I think on the scale of "things to protect children from" this book should rate rather low.

 

[venusunfolding]

I work in a bookstore, and there was an article in the paper about this book. Our phone was ringing off the hook with people calling and asking us not to stock the title. It wasn't something we were going to stock anyway, so I ordered a copy for myself.

It's not as controversial as you'd think once you actually read it. It's more about peer pressure than anything. Also, the book teaches that there are consequences for things like Rainbow Parties.

My copy got passed around the store to other employees and everyone pretty much thought the same thing.

 

[Love4OneAnother]

I haven't read or heard of the book, but I do have a younger brother in 7th grade. The school system in my town is weird, and so he goes to school with just 6th and 7th graders in it. Rainbow parties have become a fad of sorts at this junior high school, one got busted once by a parent and ended up in the local news, but to my knowledge I don't believe they've stopped.

While my own 17 years of age isn't exactly that much older than kids my brothers age, the thought that kids that age are doing things like that is absolutely disgusting. Mehastings, I would not put a rainbow party on the same level as a makeoutparty.. at least where I live, the parties involve all the girls putting on various shades of lipstick, and guys seeing how many 'rings' they can get, with the idea of leaving the party with a complete rainbow of colors from all the girls. My brother is 12 years old.

Censorship isn't something that I would ever support, but I'd have to agree that a book like this aimed for a teenage reader should have some sort of warning or rating on it. My town is as boring and as average as they come... if it happens here, its happening elsewhere. And a book like that is basically promoting the idea. =/

I'm aware that I posted another thread complaining that my mother didn't want me reading Lolita, and that I'm being completely hypocritical here (but..but... Lolita is art!! no fair...), and I haven't read the book, and so don't know how it treats the parties. And I don't have children, being one myself. So my opinion basically means nothing.

But I have a little brother. =/ And he reads all the time, as do many of his friends. And there is no way in hell I would ever want him going to one of those parties. But they happen.