Jia Pan

Christina Phillips

English 101- 022

April 11, 2016

Reflection on The Party Culture and Its Influences

Whether bored, stressed, broken hearted, or seeking to find some fun or a potential lover, in terms of being on a college campus and a college student, the best way to resolve those issues is to going to house parties. These parties usually resemble the stereotypical idea of what a party should/would be. This includes a residence that you or your friends have no clue to who it belongs to, a collection of people either standing around or dancing, strangers attempting to hold small talk amongst one another, the aroma of weed lingering in the air laced with liquor and sweat and the environment is dim facilitated with the blasting of a popular song that you may heard over the radio. Ultimately, this party culture almost represents as a quick-fix solution to majority of these problems. All these things have now become today's social norm, or even a staple of our social culture within college. Though a majority of students attend to these parties, a handful of people believe that parties and the activities incorporated in them including drinking, smoking, standing around or dancing to no end is unnecessary or even discomforting. However the partying culture doesn't only involve these few activities. At most parties, the date rape culture is involved, and the personal anxiety of being negatively evaluated by others, which ultimately leads to the individual being peer pressured into going. Multiple factors are involved not just the ones that determine what makes a party fun. One of the many people who have shined light on the surface of certain topics including drinking and partying culture, rape-date culture and the social evaluation of others was Alessia Cara in both her music video and song track "Here". Through the song and music video, Alessia addresses her discomfort, annoyance and bothered with the party culture that many people have accepted as a staple in our social culture and the issues that arises from it that have been ignored.

As a student in college, when confronted by boredom on a weekend, the first question comes to mind; is there a party today? This sort of thinking has now become so imbedded into students' minds that it almost seems (part of) our cognitive process. Not only has this train of thought become imbedded into student's minds as the most exclusive choice, but that partying has also become a staple item on college campuses. This, however, doesn't surprise most people as college and partying are seen as synonymous. Often at times, when thinking about parties, you usually might associate it with the film "Project X", guys and girls, all alike, are drinking, smoking, and at times maybe finding a handful of people making out in the open disregarding any surrounding people. This idea of 'partying hard' and getting hammered on the weekend has now become socially acceptable, especially the underage drinking amongst college groups (Ven, Thomas Vander). However, drinking can be argued as it has the potential of having both pros and cons in certain situations. The pros aspect of drinking is that it can help reduce anxiety as parties, help build up the courage to talk to others and become more sociable. At parties, the cons aspect of drinking is the need of it to keep up social appearances to either impress others or the path to fitting in. This idea was incorporated into the music video as Alessia witnesses a teenage guy attempt at binge-drinking a shot of whatever was in his cup who couldn't finish the remaining alcohol in his cup ultimately ending in him throwing up.  Not required to finish everything in his cup, however he does so anyway to again attempt to impress others. However this same idea pertains to someone attending parties that doesn't necessarily makes them feel comfortable, a behavior that can be associated with the idea of being afraid of being negatively evaluated by others who he/she intends to impress or fit in with.  At the end suffers through it just to they may have the chance of being seen as equals amongst his or her peers. Here Alessia sings, "Truly, I ain't got no business here/ But since my friends are here/ I just came to kick it", reflecting her perspective on the current party. This idea that drinking also serves as a sort signal that notifies others that he's 'cool' and meeting their standards, the group per say. This is her attempting to fit in and engage herself in the party only to seem 'fun' to her friends. Soon, this idealism is critiqued in Alessia's lyrics as she establishes that the fact that these parties are simply there for the individual's recreation and the welfare of others are of no concern of them, "I would rather be at home all by myself not in this room/ With people who don't even care about my well being". This party culture is also blind to the resulting consequences of constant binge drinking which not only can affect the youth's health, but also their behavioral problems which can be observed in a study pertaining to how binge drinking can affect frequent binge drinkers. About half of the 19% of college students experience or are engaged in drinking related problems including injuries, assault, and often times unwanted sexual advance (Wechsler H, Davenport A et al 3). This party culture is inevitable however the need to shine light on the situations going on in parties should not be ignored.

Another convention that occurs in the party culture is the date rape culture. Most major parties that are thrown on college campuses are either by fraternities or usually by players of any athletic team, which mostly is synonymous with football players. The party culture doesn't produce the date rape scene, however it fosters the idea. This idea, "rape myths", is assaults that are genuinely created from the idea of sexuality and gender, which consents an environment of rape. For example, the belief that women are "asking for it" due to clothing that are revealing which gives the false impression that the girl is sexually active and consenting sex without the actual consent (Armstrong, Elizabeth A., Laura Hamilton, and Brian Sweeney The notion that "no" means "yes", a rape myth which indulges the idea that usually involves guys who are violently more aggressive and believes in the idea of girls being hard to get therefore have to more forceful in the process (Burnett, Ann, Jody L. et al). This can be seen portrayed in the music video as a teenage guy attempts to ask a girl to be his girlfriend, though the girl has no interests in the suggestion, " ...  I don't need a boyfriend/ So you can go back, please enjoy your party". However, this date-rape culture also influences post-rape behaviors, indulging in the idea that rape can continue. Thus, party cultures and its environment are prime for the perpetuation of rape. Though this rape-culture not many have experience this, however the people who do, which majority are women, about fewer then 5% of the sexual offenses are reported to any law enforcement (Burnett, Ann, Jody L. et al). This discouragement in reports are due to the fear of being blamed due to alcohol consumption or too intoxicated to determine whether the situation was considered rape or not. This party culture again have turned a blind eye to the situations that unfold within parties, situation that devastate and causes traumas in others, but like Alessia said in her song, nobody's well being is of anybody's concern when having fun. 

Party culture not only involves the absurdities that can be seen on television shows or movies including "Project X", but also the lifestyles that are incorporated in the culture. Drinking in attempt to impress others or to feel more welcomed. The date-rape culture that many have shrugged off because the disbelief of the victims who may simply use it to gain attention. With the comparison of Alessia's music video "Here", the interpretation of what the party culture really was comprised was accomplished. 

Work Cited

AlessiaCaraVEVO. "Alessia Cara - Here." YouTube. YouTube, 26 May 2015. Web. 18 Apr. 2016.

Armstrong, Elizabeth A., Laura Hamilton, and Brian Sweeney. "Sexual Assault on Campus: A Multilevel, Integrative Approach to Party Rape." Social Problems 53.4 (2006): 483-99. [JSTOR]. Web. 18 Apr. 2016.

Burnett, Ann, Jody L. Mattern, Liliana L. Herakova, David H. Kahl, Cloy Tobola, and Susan E. Bornsen. "Communicating/Muting Date Rape: A Co-Cultural Theoretical Analysis of Communication Factors Related to Rape Culture on a College Campus." Journal of Applied Communication Research 37.4 (2009): 465-85. JSTOR. Web. 18 Apr. 2016.

Lakhani, Nina. "Unreported Rapes: The Silent Shame." The Independent. Independent Digital News and Media, 11 Mar. 2011. Web. 18 Apr. 2016.

Ven, Thomas Vander. Getting Wasted: Why College Students Drink Too Much and Party so Hard. New York: New York UP, 2011. Web. 17 Apr. 2016.

Weshcler, Henry, Andrea Davenport, George Dowdall, Barbara Moeykens, and Sonica Castillo. "Health and Behavioral Consequences of Binge Drinking in College." JAMA Network. JAMA NETWORK, 7 Dec. 1994. Web. 17 Apr. 2016.
