Miscommunication

I think the administration at my school got a little mixed up. This week is Red Ribbon Week which is when we do activities to advocate a drug-free lifestyle. It’s a fantastic thing for middle school students. Today, tons of students and staff wore red and we had a band performing during lunch and there was an assembly and this stuff will be going on all week. All of the students are wearing red plastic bracelets imprinted with “I Pledge 2B Drug Free!”.

The assembly, though, was interesting. Half of the school got in the cafeteria to see three screens and three networked projectors set up to show this panorama-styled video shot simultaneously from multiple angles featuring a tanned, 30-something skydiver with spiky platinum blonde hair wearing cargo shorts and an electric green tank top exclaim: “Hey kids. I want to talk to YOU about SEX!” And everyone gasped because we all thought it was gonna be about drugs. So, it wasn’t just that we watched the wrong presentation, but this thing was not for junior high students. I mean, it was ALL OVER THE PLACE. They were talking about STDs and ectopic pregnancy and date rape and pornography addiction and it kept referring to girls as “chicks” and it made cracks about quick finishers and they showed a couple naked (with sheets) in the bed warming up to intercourse. ALSO, there was a scene with two guys at a party where one pressures his friend to follow a drunk girl upstairs to bang, but his peer pressure went on and on and on. I mean, there was nothing subtle about it. And there was a scene with a girl’s reflection chastising her about her clothing choices and and criticized her for her makeup and her breast implants and her slutty ways and the girls in the audience (you know, who all range from ages 11-13) had this “Wow.” expression on their faces…like disbelief. And the boys (also 11-13) just had blank stares. I mean, they weren’t even giggling. I think they were genuinely shocked. I know I was.  I’m not saying the kids didn’t learn anything; in fact, they probably learned enough to last them the next several years. Somehow I just feel like that video promoted sex for kids more than it discouraged it.