Practice Safe Pong
Beer Pong gives you herpes.
Unprotected beer pong play is the cause of a significant increase in the transmission of herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1), which causes cold sores. According to the Center for Disease Control, reports of the virus are up 230-percent from 2007 in people ages 17 to 21, and it’s all from sharing cups. Because of the dramatic increase in the illness, universities and parents are beginning to take notice.
From Bannedinhollywood.com:
“This epidemic is something we should pay close attention to. We’re aware that we cannot outright prevent [beer pong], so we have provided new red cups available to all students in the dorms,” said President of Arizona State University, Michael M. Crow.
And you can always play a different game. According to CDC spokesman, Dr. Cole Desorio, “Flip cup is great because each individual has their own cup. If it’s absolutely necessary to play beer pong, use the waterfall method. Many young adults, when asked if they practice safe pong, responded that they rinse the ball after it bounces off the table.”
First of all, it’s awesome that a doctor at the CDC knows what “waterfall” means. Second, how f**king dumb do you have to be to think that washing off the ball is going to make a herpes-lick of difference when it comes to spreading diseases from one person to the next. C’mon people, you’re smarter than that! You know, or not…
July 22nd, 2008 at 2:55 pm
Hmmm…maybe I should switch to flip cup.
July 22nd, 2008 at 3:08 pm
I’ve had worse things in my mouth than some dirty balls.
July 22nd, 2008 at 3:14 pm
Do tell!
July 22nd, 2008 at 3:17 pm
what if you keep your own cup and if somebody rings one of your team’s cups just pour the beer into your herpes free cup, and enjoy your lukewarm dust filled beer!
i’m like radio shack over here. you’ve got questions, i’ve got answers!
July 22nd, 2008 at 3:28 pm
I’m very competitive and this just makes me want to play more! You lose, you get herpes! Way to up the ante!
July 22nd, 2008 at 3:39 pm
Prior to reading this, I had never heard of beer pong. I feel so old right now.
July 22nd, 2008 at 3:51 pm
I’m calling Clownshoes, Danger. I have no idea if beer pong can spread herpes or not, but I find it more than a little fishy that the doctors name from the article is Cole Desorio…
July 22nd, 2008 at 4:00 pm
Your comment is full of win, if only for proper use of ‘Clownshoes’.
Well played.
MD
July 22nd, 2008 at 4:02 pm
And all those people in college that I made pour me a new glass, instead of drinking the one with the pingpong floating in it, made fun of me. They all have herpes now and I don’t.
July 22nd, 2008 at 4:11 pm
It wouldn’t surprise me if this was true.
It grosses me out to think about that dirty ball hitting the ground as much as it does and then drinking out of a cup it was floating in. And what do we do to try and protect ourselves? Dip it in some lukewarm water? I’m not a doctor, but my guess is that doesn’t help kill germs.
Oh well, love the blog. Keep it up!
July 23rd, 2008 at 12:54 am
Au contraire Sherry! The water cup cleanses everything, from anything!
July 25th, 2008 at 12:51 pm
hmmm interesting out of all the games of beer pong i have played, to this day I still do not have herpes …. gotta say this is def clownshoes!