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January 29, 2003
Plus, writing about sex has the added benefit
of making the right-wingers go the fuck away.
Saw this AP article, or a version of it, in the Sun-Times a few weeks back: Group helps Hollywood portray sex sensitively
Dr. Neal Baer, executive producer of "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" and a pediatrician, is one longtime customer. He first used the group's resources in 1989, for an "ABC Afterschool Special" about a girl facing a venereal infection.The association continued through Baer's years with "ER," when he sought details for stories including medical assistant Jeanie Boulet's (Gloria Reuben) AIDS virus and one about the sexually transmitted virus linked to cervical cancer.
"That was very big," Baer said of the February 2000 episode that cited the human papilloma virus. A follow-up survey showed that among "ER" viewers, knowledge of the virus had tripled from 9 percent to 28 percent.
The Media Project is invariably helpful but not intrusive, he said.
"A writer decides how to tell a story. I've never found they (the Media Project) have an agenda and said, 'Don't do a story about this or that,' " Baer said. "They're not pushing an agenda per se, unless you call an agenda of accuracy an agenda, which I don't."
[Media Project director Robin] Smalley said she has faced the opposite criticism, that Media Project is fostering the depiction of sex.
"Well, that's ridiculous," she said. "The fact is there's going to be sex. If there is going to be sex on television, would I like them (characters) to use a condom? Yes. Would I like them to show responsible sex rather than irresponsible sex? Yes, of course."
The organization under discussion is The Media Project, "a program of Advocates for Youth, [which] offers entertainment professionals the latest facts, research assistance, script consultation, and story ideas on today's sexual and reproductive health issues, including condoms, pregnancy, HIV/AIDS, abstinence, and abortion." Closed-minded type that I am, I automatically assumed going into the piece that they were pushing some sort of Agenda, or hacking at scripts to insert a Message. Not the impression I was left with at the end.
However, I might be wrong about this. Something to keep in mind.
Their. . . not sure "parent organization" is the right term, but let's go with it, Advocates for Youth, say in their Mission Statement/About page:
Advocates for Youth is dedicated to creating programs and advocating for policies that help young people make informed and responsible decisions about their reproductive and sexual health. Advocates provides information, training, and strategic assistance to youth-serving organizations, policy makers, youth activists, and the media in the United States and the developing world.
They're not alone in this, obviously, and I'm only slightly more familiar with them now than I was five minutes ago, but the Media Project's goals seem admirable, at least.
Again, there is potential wrongness.
Director's cut: I'm not thrilled with the tendency to run sexandviolence together as a word or a concept, which is one reason I didn't add the bit about the Static Shock episode dealing with gun violence. That, and I just remembered that I missed the third season opener on Saturday. Because I suck.
Posted by Aaron at January 29, 2003 01:38 PM
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