Nah, nothing like that. I've been to one of those Pampered Chef parties, and it was exactly like that: dutiful friends buying apple corers and such like. Yuck.
This was a knowledgeable crowd of 20 to 30 somethings that were ready to buy! Everyone was quite enthusiastic as items were passed around and we chased each other around with some of the crazier ones! Very rowdy crowd that included a whole bunch of dietitians, if you can imagine.
Most of us had some limited experience with either the toys or the lotions, and were very interested in, um, handling some of the more exotic offerings just to see what they were. The thing that is the key to these parties is it is okay to check out the merchandise closely. I can just about guarantee that none of the girls in the room would spend time in some creepy sex toy store full of pervy men. The party gave us an opportunity to look at stuff we'd never go to a store to see.
As you all probably know, I'm a pretty conservative gal, but as I've gotten older I've let loose a lot more of my preconceived notions of gentility, and tried to have more fun than I did in my straitlaced 20s. Back then, I would have been horrified to be asked to something so naughty. Now I'm like...bring it!