"Sweet" Sixteen

Last weekend, in my other life as a professional photographer, I had an interesting experience.

As a photographer, I get called upon to photograph an occasional event. I usually just do portraits and weddings. I keep going back and forth on whether or not I would like to pursue this avenue of photography more. This past weekend was an event that still has me on the fence about do I like this or not. It was a sweet sixteen party. It was at The World of Coke. Yes, you heard me right, The World of Coke. Not just a room in The World of Coke, but the whole dang place. Can we say, "spoiled?" If you've ever seen the MTV show, "My Sweet Sixteen" which I have not, but from what I understand, this was just like that show. The party was for 2 girls. They both started the night in Cinderella type ball gowns only 1/2 way through to change into a more cocktail type dress. Still pretty fancy. There was one photographer (me), 2 videographers, 2 D.J.s, 2 performing acts (one being a belly dancer and the other being a boy/girl combo dance/rap group) a 10-12 man security team (provided by the hosts of the party, not Coke), of course food, a wedding style birthday cake to be topped off by wedding style decorations all over the place. Now, can we say, "expensive" and "ridiculous" and just plain "ostentatiously extravagant?" (I'm not even sure if ostentatiously is a word, but you get my meaning.) There was a crowning ceremony. The girls were presented with tiaras and scepters. Yes, I said scepters. A court. Uh huh. Each girl had a court of 4 other girls. These girls basically followed them around and participated in the crowning ceremony.

Actually, for me, that was all the fun part. Fun because it was a new experience for me. Oh, ya, I almost forgot, they had a Barbie there. Yes, an actual person, dressed as Barbie. She was there to greet and have her photograph taken with each of the 225 guests (of which only 171 showed). She was a nice girl. Putting herself through college. Pre-med. Easy money, being Barbie.

The not fun part for me and the part that might encourage me to not pursue event photography as a part of my business, was watching these 16 year olds bump and grind to the point of profanity. Is the word "profanity" limited to words or can it be used to describe action. I'm using it to describe action. It was gross. There were boys who were pleasured during this party in ways that should not happen for at least another 5 years and only behind the confines of a closed, married door. and I have the pictures to prove it! Though I also have the ethics and morals to not post them. Actually I erased all of the nasty ones, not that they won't see those images again. Both viedographers took plenty of footage of the sex with your clothes on fest.

Ga Rooss! I felt dirty just being there.

To the credit of the birthday girls, they were not involved in the nastiness. In fact out of the 171 guests, only about 7 or 8 were being overtly gross and immoral (that I could see anyway). But still. I have 3 daughters. What if my daughters were at a party like this? Even if they weren't shaking their derriere in some dude's crotch, they would be witness to this kind of behavior. Would they think it looked like fun? Cool? Ridiculous and profane and trashy? I am hoping and praying for the latter.

Those girls knew exactly what they were doing. The guys DEFINITELY knew what they were doing (and having done to them). And there were parents there. And no one said or did anything to stop it! At one point, this older lady, an aunt of one of the girls I think, approached me. Taking one look at what I am assuming was a disgusted look on my face she says, "I know what you are thinking. Are they making out or dancing. I'm concerned too." WHATEVER! First of all, they weren't making out. They were doing worse than making out. Second, if that lady, as a relative, was really concerned, she shoulda turned a hose on those screaming hormones and kicked their buts out, after calling their mommy's to come and pick them up. I'd have been happy to show any parent a picture of how their child was behaving.

I could go on and on about this. I have lots more to say. But, I'm done. I can't think about it anymore.

Overall, it was an interesting experience. The nastiness was really only a small/short part of the evening, it's just one that's burned into my brain. So, it was interesting. And sad. Sad, that a few kids turned something that should have been the event of a lifetime for some, into a display of debauchery and adolescent promiscuity.