Raves 2 Essay, Research Paper
The majority of people have heard of raves. Raves have been around for quite some time, the popularity and size of them growing rapidly over the years. The sad fact is that many of those who have heard of raves have absolutely no clue what they really are. The only knowledge held by most people about raves is what they have watched on 20/20 or other such programs. Unfortunately, the reporters running the programs haven t the slightest clue themselves as to the reality of raves. They are not ravers (frequent rave attendees), rather lost reporters in an environment they know nothing about. They give false information and give opinions on something before they fully understand what s going on. Their falsified information then stretches out to the public giving them a first impression based on someone else s lies. Usually, the reporters find the most extreme cases to base their opinions on, rather than looking at the party as a whole. These misconceptions and lies must be cleared up to allow raves to continue without being trapped in the dark.
The first misconception to be cleared up is that a rave is a drug party. A rave has nothing to do with drugs. Raves are about music, lights, and dancing. Raves are comparable to concerts. Ravers go to the parties for the awesome display of talent from dj s across the world. Rather than playing live music, these dj s manipulate vinyl records in a way that can get anyone s head bouncing and feet moving. Accompanying these elite dj s are some of the finest lighting available. Thousands of dollars are put into the lighting for a single party, utilizing state of the art technology such as image displaying lasers. At a personal level, glow sticks are sold at many of the parties for people to dance with and put on light shows of their own. With a lineup of to dj s and lighting out of this world one could dance all night. Well, that s exactly what a rave is. Ravers dance from party start, usually about ten p.m., until the next morning, taking occasional breaks to catch their breath and mingle with their fellow partiers.
Unfortunately, just as with concerts, drugs do get dragged into the picture, particularly club drugs such as ecstacy. While drugs may be around, their presence is kept to a down-low. Walking around a party, it is rare to see drugs out in the open. When drug usage or sale is seen, security steps in. The drugs are confiscated and the involved parties are either removed from the premises or even turned over to police. Raves are not the only scene affected by these drugs. In the new millennium, club drugs have run into all genres of partying from upscale clubs to suburbanite parties. Many dance clubs have added bottled water to their inventory to still profit off of those patrons on ecstacy. Raves are not to blame for the rise of ecstacy usage nor do they cater to ecstacy users. At each party, patrons are individually searched at the door for drugs and weapons. However, searches can only go so far, so some drugs do end up inside. The popularity of drug use at raves can only be blamed on the friendly atmosphere and attitudes of the surrounding people.
Ravers in general are very open minded people. They don t hold prejudices against people or look down on them before they meet them. This open-mindedness makes them very outgoing, friendly people. Ravers could also be described as pacifists. Its quite a feat to anger a raver. Without the presence of anger, fights become next to obsolete. Unlike many bars or nightclubs, it is rare to see a fight at a rave. At the chance a fight does occur, it is dealt with quite seriously, not only by the production company and security, but by everyone at the party. Fighting is completely unacceptable at a rave because it will diminish the safe atmosphere that exists.
This safe, friendly atmosphere is a quite relaxing and enjoyable experience. It promotes people to perform random acts of kindness, from sharing a bottle of water with a complete stranger to giving a sore, cramped up dancer a back massage. Walking around a party, it is not uncommon to see this, and unfortunately it is often misinterpreted.
All too often, these simple back massages are interpreted as sexual conduct. This misinterpretation leads people to the idea that raves are a big orgy where people are engaging in sexual acts with unknown partners. How a back massage can be deemed a sexual act is beyond me. The parties involved are acting in good faith, and sexual gratification is rarely on their minds. The style of dancing at raves can also prove this point. At many dance clubs, dancers are close, rubbing on each other in a sexual provocative manner. At raves, everyone dances for themselves. When a group dances together, they are all just dance. It s not about grinding on a partner, hoping to entice them into liking you; its about letting the music move your body individually. Open sexual conduct no more present at a rave than it is on a city street.
The final misconception to be cleared up is that raves are illegal. Raves are totally legal parties, often involving the city they are held in. Often times, the host city charges parking fees at the venue for the party. At the same time, the production company throwing the party usually has a few police officers on their payroll. The police hold the perimeter of the party, making sure all is well. If problems arise, they are on hand to deal with them. Raves are also a great way of raising funds. Promotion companies often kick a percentage of their profits to organizations such as cancer funds or shelters. Many times, ticket prices are discounted with canned food donations.
It s sad that the nation holds an opinion on something before they experienced it for themselves. The news portrays a position that they hold. As many people know, they news is usually far from accurate. They paint a one-sided picture of an issue. People then interpret this one side to be the whole. In life personal experience is the best way to learn. It gets you to form an opinion of your own based on what you see, not what your told, because what your told is not always accurate.