Do not buy that book! Just give it tons of free press... Dreamed 6894 days ago | | 729 words
Tonight, I was watching Fox News 5 out of Washington D.C. They teased with a “controversial book that has a lot of parents talking.” That book is Rainbow Party by Paul Ruditis. The book is about a group of teens who give each other oral sex. When I first saw the title and saw the cover, I figured it was another book about homosexuality and was getting ready to vent and rant about that. Though I was (pleasantly?) surprised it was not.
I can sort of see how the topic of oral sex would get some parents up in arms. However, according to the story, none of the local schools they called had it in their libraries. No one was quoted in the story, except someone from Harvard supplying the obligatory “I don’t feel this is the best way to introduce this topic to young people.”
Well then Mr. Harvard Person, what is the correct way to deal with this subject? I don’t think you have an answer. Nor does anyone else. The Publisher was quoted as basically saying, hey this is a creative less up-front way to try and deal with a subject no one will touch with a ten-foot pole.
Barnes & Noble and Borders are both refusing to carry the book in its stores, yet it’s available at their web sites. They just want to appear to agree with the “people who are outraged” but don’t actually intend to limit access to the book itself.
Also, it really irks me when there are all these outraged parents, but none of them would be willing to talk on camera, or even be identified for the story. If you’re so outraged, where are you?
Apparently you’re not that outraged. The book is not being used in anyone’s required curriculum. It’s been published and released to the world, and you’re afraid that little Johnny or Suzie might find this dirty book and get bad ideas.
Parents, this is for you. Now lean in real close and listen to me. If your kids are in public school, or have access to the internet, or live in a developed country (which is a safe assumption for anyone viewing this broadcast in the D.C. Metro area), GET OVER YOURSELF! Your kids already know ten times more things about drugs and sex than you do. So anything you think you’re protecting them from, they’ve already seen, and possibly already done. So relax, go back to reading your bible or sipping your expensive wine and leave the outrage for important things like fighting wars we don’t intend to (and cannot) win, homelessness, the illegal (and legal) drug problem, child abuse/abandonment/neglect, and violence outside our own front doors.
Or maybe you should keep raising the ruckus. Keep denouncing the book as corrupting the youth or destroying the american family, or whatever the hip new buzzword is nowadays. The publishers will thank you. The news report said the book sales had been good. And what did they attribute the brunt of those sales to? Why that would be you, the outraged parents of D.C., Virginia, Maryland and wherever else that threw a fit.
You just gave a book that would have ordinarily gone unnoticed mainstream media coverage. Thousands and thousands of people saw the book tonight. You just gave the book more free press in one 5 minute television spot than they publishers or author could have ever paid for. Period.
It would not surprise me if the ruckus was manufactured by someone just to sell more copies. It makes sense. Complain about a book, the local news picks the story up wanting to warn parents of this evil book, and BOOM! Three Ring Media Circus! Complete with dancing elephants.
Thank you outraged parents of america. I thank you from the bottom of my heart, as do the author and the publishers of this book. You just gave them thousands of dollars. Now what was that about wanting to protect your children from it?
Don’t believe me? Look up Marilyn Manson. The man is a mediocre musician that had one hell of a gimmick and he sold it well. He pressed the Christian button™ and that got him a million haters and a million more lovers. Press the right buttons and you’re on your way to stardom.
Just like Manson and The Rainbow Party.
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