September 24, 2006
Clubs Like Their Girls Young, Drunk
Hot on the heels of the shocking news that NYU disapproves of underage drinking comes another explosive expose from the Post on the "Waste Land" that is West 27th Street. What do Murdoch's kids have to tell us about those naughty youths this week? Brace yourselves. Sometimes party promoters will purposely seek out underage women to fill out nightclubs! One unidentified promoter even goes so far as to tell a reporter that "if they're hot, we'll get them in." The Post hed? HOTTIES A LURE.
Sigh. Is anybody surprised by this? Really? Of course clubs are going to try to attract nubile young women. They make great bait for the older well-moneyed patrons who actually provide the bread and butter for the clubs. This isn't anything new. Maybe it'd be easier to worry less about an arbitrary drinking age and more about teaching responsible drinking?
On the other hand, paired with the Post's revelations is another article on what exactly is being done about the situation by the NYPD. The short answer? Lots of quality-of-life tickets for clubs, a few arrests, some new ID scanners and the ongoing threat of more club closings - Crobar and Home better watch their backs!
Backlit (Taken at Aer) by isaiaht via Contribute.
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so it's okay for club owners to be pimping underage women because it helps their bottom line???
Oh come on. What's the obsession with underage drinking anyway?
No, it isn't OK. But it also isn't going to stop anytime soon if there aren't real consequences for club owners, party promoters AND the kids in question. And that just isn't very likely. For many of these people half of the fun is in doing something slightly illegal.
So, assuming that underage girls and boys are going to continue to find ways to drink no matter what authorities do, shouldn't we instead be focusing on making sure that people learn how to drink responsibly? And that isn't even getting into the absurdity of our arbitrary driking age of 21.
I would think the deaths recently to be a real consequence. Not to mention those DWI related deaths to be another one.
Drink Responsibly and underage drinking does not go together. How many times have you heard a college kid say he's going to drink himself into a coma this weekend?
I say let the NYPD crack down every weekend till the word is out. Under bloomberg, NO one is allowed to have fun.
How many times have you heard a college kid say he's going to drink himself into a coma this weekend?
I've heard a lot of khakied frat boy "professionals" well into their 20s say the same thing. Part of the reason the underage set makes a point of saying so is, as Garth mentioned, the allure of doing something illegal. Again, why not make 21 the legal age to enlist in the armed forces, as well as getting a marriage license? Totally arbitrary.
I guess teaching kids to drink responsibly and hoping they apply such lessons later (as with other subjects) would be too logical.
Colby College was experimenting with a "Moderation on Campus" program that alowed students to drink good wines and beer in the cafeteria, as well as recommending food pairings. I'd be curious how this turned out, or if they're still doing it. It sounds like a great idea:
http://www.doctordeluca.com/Library/AbstinenceHR/ModOnCampusMenu05.htm