Sex bracelets

[htonl]

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?art_i...3774801750S215:

They are thin, plastic bracelets, the kind of innocent-looking friendship bands that schoolgirls like to wear.

Available in a variety of colours and cheap enough to be bought with pocket money, they have become an overnight sensation in primary school playgrounds across the country.

But it is their name that causes alarm bells to ring: Shag-bands. And they are worn by children far too young to truly understand what that crude term means.

So this actually a Daily Mail article about the "sex bracelets" legend. And for some reason, IOL, which is a South African news website, has reproduced the article in full and linked it on its front page, even though there is no SA connection. How long do you think it'll be before it mutates into a legend that claims that it is happening locally?

[llewtrah]

Originally Posted by htonl

So this actually a Daily Mail article about the "sex bracelets" legend. And for some reason, IOL, which is a South African news website, has reproduced the article in full and linked it on its front page, even though there is no SA connection. How long do you think it'll be before it mutates into a legend that claims that it is happening locally?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/se...t-sexual-craze

The jelly bracelet – an innocuous loop of soft bright plastic – turned up on the wrist of the young diva in an early 80s music video, and the next day on the wrists of teenagers everywhere.

It goes on to mention paranoid parents believing the bracelets have sexual connotations and that the principal of Angevine Middle School, Lafayette, Colorado urged parents to prevent their children wearing them.

In Totley, Sheffield, UK, a mother was "outraged" to discover her eight-year-old daughter had a "shag band" and the Sheffield Telegraph gave over its front page to the story that children across the country without full understanding of the bands' true sexual meaning are buying them, wearing them, and talking about them thus helping to perpetuate the UL rather than defusing it.

The Guardian mentions different websites having different interpretations (doesn't mention snopes), but that mostly the bracelets don't mean anything except in paranoid parents' imaginations.

[ElapheG]

Originally Posted by llewtrah

In Totley, Sheffield, UK, a mother was "outraged" to discover her eight-year-old daughter had a "shag band" and the Sheffield Telegraph gave over its front page to the story that children across the country without full understanding of the bands' true sexual meaning are buying them, wearing them, and talking about them thus helping to perpetuate the UL rather than defusing it.

Oh my. My parents live in Totley. I think that may be the first time I've ever seen it in the news, and it just had to be for something mortifyingly stupid. Sigh.

[RCIAG]

I swear I think even Oprah has had stories about jelly bracelets=sex bracelets.

[A Turtle Named Mack]

Originally Posted by llewtrah

In Totley, Sheffield, UK, a mother was "outraged" to discover her eight-year-old daughter had a "shag band" and the Sheffield Telegraph gave over its front page to the story that children across the country without full understanding of the bands' true sexual meaning are buying them, wearing them, and talking about them thus helping to perpetuate the UL rather than defusing it.

The 'real meaning'? If the youngsters are not looking for hook-ups then that is not the meaning, at least in their usage of the bands. It reminds me of other symbols that people are told they cannot use even when the symbols are displayed for other purposes than the supposed content. The swastika is a traditional form used in many cultures around the world; it has almost certainly been stained beyond redemption in the European nations and those deriving from Europe, but in India and some other cultures there is no anti-semitic or tyrannical meaning attached to it. I also remember when I was a youngster hearing people object to the 'peace' emblem (not the two fingers, but the circle with one radius up and the radii down) because it was a 'communist' symbol. There may have been some basis that the symbol was designed by a communist/affiliate, but it was being displayed as a general statement in favor of peace, for nearly all youths without any politico-economic intent beyond that. There were people who actually said that displaying a peace symbol would turn a person communist.

[Victoria J]

Originally Posted by A Turtle Named Mack

The swastika is a traditional form used in many cultures around the world; it has almost certainly been stained beyond redemption in the European nations and those deriving from Europe, but in India and some other cultures there is no anti-semitic or tyrannical meaning attached to it.

Last time my mother travelled to India (her third visit as she has fallen in love with the country) she was looking at a thousand year (+) old temple when she overheard another English tourist worriedly whisper to her husband "Are you sure it has nothing to do with the Nazis ?".

Now whenever she sees a swastika in Indian art she asks me. (It's replaced her amusement at the woman she saw in Sri Lanka who faced with a stuffed Elephant commented "He's very big" - yes, he's an Elephant, they are quite large you know...).

Victoria J
(I'm worried about the fact that every post I make today mentions my mother).

[Mycroft]

Originally Posted by A Turtle Named Mack

The swastika is a traditional form used in many cultures around the world; it has almost certainly been stained beyond redemption in the European nations and those deriving from Europe, but in India and some other cultures there is no anti-semitic or tyrannical meaning attached to it.

Near to me is an (ex)military site that in the mid 30's had part of an artillery regiment arrive that had previously been based in India. On arrival they proceeded to cover the place in their Indian good-luck symbol but the discovered that it was considered improper to put Swastikas everywhere.

[Squishy0405]

This thread reminds me of the George Lopez show where the mom wore the bracelets without knowing trying to be "hip". Her son's friend was like "OMG you've done BLUE!" or something of the sort The daughter was just going with the trend.

[Dara bhur gCara]

I broke my wife's bracelet the other day, and she didn't do sex with me. She called me a clumsy ****er, and made me take it to the jewellers to get fixed.

Cost me forty quid.

[Artemis]

I bet a lot of kids will juts wear them to screw with their parents since they seem to overreact to them so much.

[imjustasteph]

Originally Posted by Artemis

I bet a lot of kids will juts wear them to screw with their parents since they seem to overreact to them so much.

I'm 26 and reading this makes *me* want to go out and buy a stack.

[Artemis]

Weren't there also bracelets for eating disorders? Like an "Ana" and "Mia" one? I checked it out online after reading an article about a scare and nothing about them looked particularly tied to EDs but they were really pretty and I kind of wanted one.

[Dr. Winston O'Boogie]

Originally Posted by RCIAG

I swear I think even Oprah has had stories about jelly bracelets=sex bracelets.

Was that the same episode where Tommy Hilfiger was on?

[llewtrah]

Shag bands have just been on BBC Radio 4's news programme with the MP for Wakefield saying how worried she is, sexualisation of children, the age of content being 16, these bracelets not to be sold to under-16s and she's contacting Ed Balls (Children's Secretary) about having the sale to under-16s banned.

I've just written to pm@bbc.co.uk giving the address of the snopes ULRP on the bracelets and telling them to be ashamed of spreading an urban legend.

[Artemis]

Yeah. They should be concerning themselves with more important things. Like rainbow parties!

[llewtrah]

Originally Posted by Artemis

Yeah. They should be concerning themselves with more important things. Like rainbow parties!

Well I did suggest the same easily-panicked MP who didn't check the story out thoroughly enough is probably also worried about alsatian dogs in the restaurants of Chinese takeaways. I've had an automated response to say the email has been received. I only listen in the car so I've no idea if they'll update their story on the radio or on their blog.

Blame that Sheffield newspaper and gullible parents (and gullible MPs).

I suggested BBC news should start checking both Snopes ULRP (URL provided) and Museum of Hoaxes when researching such stories and before letting such people on air!

[RCIAG]

Originally Posted by Artemis

Yeah. They should be concerning themselves with more important things. Like rainbow parties!

Once again, THAT was on Oprah too!

[crocoduck_hunter]

"Shag-bands?"

What the hell do cormorants have to do with sex?

[Pudding Crawl]

Originally Posted by crocoduck_hunter

"Shag-bands?"

What the hell do cormorants have to do with sex?

Well, they both lay eggs inside a paper bag.... uhrr... no, that doesn't sound right.

[Gish]

Heck, we used to have shag-bands when I was in primary school like a hundred years ago. Ok 8 years. And i'm in Britain, so