Funny Business

Published: Wednesday, 1 Jul 2009 | 9:38 AM ET

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AP Young boy wearing protective mask against possible swine flu

People like parties. Parties are big business. Tupperware parties! Gold-selling parties! Botox parties!

Swine flu parties?

The BBC reports that some Brits are holding "parties" where they intentionally mingle with people infected by the H1N1 virus. Party-goers expose themselves to infection in order to get sick now and build up resistance to H1N1 before the virus becomes deadlier this winter.

"I don't think it is a good idea," Dr. Richard Jarvis of the British Medical Association says with characteristic British understatement. Even though this particular flu virus is generally mild, Dr. Jarvis points out that "people still get ill, and there is a risk of mortality."

Dr. Jarvis says contracting the virus at a party will only serve to spread it around, which means vulnerable people may end up getting sick enough to die. Not nice.

I may be exaggerating, but one doesn't have to connect too many dots between this sort of behavior and eating barbiturate-laced pudding, putting on black Nikes

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[NKE  Loading...      ()   ], and waiting to meet the spaceship behind the Hale-Bopp Comet. I'm hard pressed to come up with a dumber idea for a party (and, believe me, I've thrown plenty of dumb parties--don't ask about the whole pineapple I put in a pool of green Jell-O and studded with sausage-laden toothpicks).

If you're concerned about the flu, here's a much better idea for a party: a hygiene party! Sell Soapopular! Tamiflu! The Comfort Wipe! A full body condom! 

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