“Ever Have Sex With A Puerto Rican or Hit On Someone Of The Same Sex?”
One of the fastest-growing Facebook sites is for a simple game that has you add up how much you “owe” for your “transgressions.” “My Fine Is” is UK-based, so the fines are in British pounds. You select the “bad” things you’ve done, then add up the “cost.” I’ve been looking at it all afternoon – I’ll tell you why in a moment – and I can attest that the site is gaining ten thousand fans per hour. I’ve seen the membership rise from 80,000 to over 120,000 in just four hours! (By the way, did I mention The New Civil Rights Movement has a Facebook site?…)
Problem is that several of the ways to raise your score were truly offensive.
I contacted the creator via Facebook and to my great surprise, he was more than interested in making changes. So, while I still think the “game” is a bit ridiculous, I’m pleased that its creator, Bryn Arundale, was so interested in doing the right thing. He responded, “I am not out to offend anyone,please except my apologies.” [sic] Which, considering he could have told me to go pound salt, I thought was great.
Here’s the original list. I’ve bolded the most offensive ones – offensive as in “how dare they claim this is offensive!” Don’t get me wrong – there are others on this list that are “offensive” too. (I’m sure you have your own thoughts.)
Here’s the “game”:
My Fine Is….
Rules:
You don’t have to confess your answers, just the amount of your fine.
Fines can only be added once, not for how ever many times you have done it.
Smoked weed — £10
Did acid or pills — £5
Ever had sex at church — £25
Woke up in the morning and did not know the person who was next to you — £40
Had sex with someone on MySpace/Facebook/Bebo etc — £25
Had sex for money — £100
Ever had sex with a Puerto Rican — £20
Vandalized something — £20
Had sex on your parents’ bed — £10
Beat up someone — £20
Been jumped — £10
Cross dressed — £10
Given money to stripper — £25
Been in love with a stripper — £20
Kissed someone who’s name you didn’t know — £0.10
Hit on some one of the same sex while at work — £15
Ever drive and drank — £20
Ever got drunk at work, or went to work while still drunk — £50
Used toys while having sex — £30
Got drunk, passed out and don’t remember the night before — £20
Went skinny dipping — £5
Had sex in a pool — £20
Kissed someone of the same sex — £10
Had sex with someone of the same sex — £20
Cheated on your significant other — £10
Masturbated — £10
Cheated on your significant other with their relative or close friend — £20
Done oral — £5
Got oral — £5
Done / got oral in a vehicle while it was moving — £25
Stole something — £10
Had sex with someone in jail — £25
Made a nasty home video or took pictures — £15
Had a threesome — £50
Had sex in public — £20
Been in the same room while someone was having sex –£25
Stole something worth over more than a hundred quid– £20
Had sex with someone 10 years older — £20
Had sex with someone under the age accepted by rule of thumb (half your age plus 7) — £25
Been in love with two people or more at the same time– £50
Said you love someone but didn’t mean it — £25
Went streaking — £5
Went streaking in broad daylight — £15
Been arrested — £5
Spent time in jail — £15
Pissed in the pool — £0.50
Played spin the bottle — £5
Done something you regret — £20
Had sex with your best friend — £20
Had sex with someone you work with at work — £25
Had anal sex — £80
Lied to your mate — £5
Lied to your mate about the sex being good — £25
In the updated list, and after suggesting some changes myself, Arundale changed Ever had sex with a Puerto Rican to Ever had sex with a Stranger.
Hit on some one of the same sex while at work to Hit on some one while at work
Had anal sex to Had unprotected anal sex
I’ve asked him to consider changing Kissed someone of the same sex and Had sex with someone of the same sex. I hope he will. There are others on the list that I’m uncomfortable with, like “Cross dressed,” and “Had sex with someone 10 years older” that I would just like to see removed.
I’m not out to take away anyone’s fun, but fun at the expense of a wide swath of society is not good, and, I thought it was a good opportunity to remind folks of what’s not safe.
So, what are your thoughts? What would you like to see changed and to what?