Question F

[Jonetta]

All of the young women murdered by the Cinderella Strangler had attended underground club raves where drugs, alcohol and public sex were staples. Had you ever heard of these type clubs? Your thoughts about them and the girls reasoning for participating?

[Robin]

Well, I've heard about raves with drugs and alcohol, but didn't know some of these parties had public sex. I don't exactly remember the girls reason for participating. I know Kirsten had been using the website for cyber sex, then started attending the parties with Jessica. It think it was a type of rebellion against her mother, but since her mother had no idea about it, I didn't understand why she did it. I'm looking forward to what everyone else thinks about it.

[Charlene]

Now I know I'm really old -- I'd never heard of raves.

My understanding about the 3rd wave of feminism is that women think they ought to be like hound dogs and into the pick-up culture. This looks like a step deeper into trouble with alcohol and drugs, too.

[Melissa]

I have heard of underground dance (rave) clubs that require an invitation, but I have never heard of public sex being a part of it. I guess with drugs and alcohol it makes sense. I'm guessing the girls liked them because it made them feel free and rebellious, but it seems very dangerous to me.

[Anita]

I had heard of raves, but don't know anyone who ever attended. I asked my girls and they've been invited but never went, were never even curious.

The reason the girls in the story attended, flaunting parental authority and the law

[Jonetta]

I’ve definitely heard of the raves but the public sex element was a new one for me. In most of these instances, the girls were hurting emotionally, all with different reasons. And, they all needed the assistance of mind altering drugs to reach that level of inhibition.

Charlene, this isn’t feminism. These are girls who are hurting, using sex, drugs and alcohol to disguise that pain. Kirsten was being severely bullied, had no friends, was in a new school, her father had left and her mother wasn’t handling it well. The other girls had similar issues.

Most well adjusted young women would never debase themselves in this way. I have so much concern for young female college students. There’s no safety net for them either.

[Charlene]

I think my comment about the most recent feminism was misunderstood; I did not tie the rave directly to that, but inhibitions about sex [geez, in public!] went farther in this book than even picking up a guy in a bar. I think I got the point of the story, just was rambling about confused girls knowing they may have a really bad cocktail of drugs and alcohol, etc.....

[Jonetta]

Thanks for clarifying, Charlene. I’m an unabashed feminist and this ain’t it.

[Karen ♐]

I have heard about raves. My oldest son has gone to them and at first I couldn't believe everything he told me...

[Jonetta]

Were they anything like this, Karen?

[Karen ♐]

Jonetta wrote: "Were they anything like this, Karen?"

Yes, I think so. There's a lot of drugs and he told me that a lot of people have sex right there in front of everyone...I couldn't believe it. This was a few years back but I assume if anything, it's gotten worse.

[Jonetta]

I was really hoping this was pure fiction.

[Karen ♐]

Unfortunately, it's not. He went a couple times with friends and said it was way too wild for him.

[Sharon]

I heard of them. I knew that public and private sex was part of the scene. The drugs make the women lose their inhibitions. It is sad because, like the book, there are so many young people who go as they aren't old enough to go to a legal night club.