Good (Safe) Sex on TV Reaps Rewards
SHINE AWARDS 2002 ANNOUNCE FINALISTS
| To: Editors/Reporters
From: Diana Buckhantz 323-934-0443
Date: September 2, 2002 |
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
Los Angeles—The Media Project, a partnership of the non-profit organizations Advocates for Youth and the Kaiser Family Foundation, has made it quite clear that good sex (safe sex) can be found whenever you turn on your TV.
"We are delighted that everyone from the major networks and cable networks to public television has contributed to programming that portrays important sexual health information," says Robin Smalley, Director of the Media Project. "Since teens get so much of their information about sex from television, it can present parents with great opportunities to open up communication with their children as well as inform young people about the critical sexual health issues facing their generation today, including HIV/AIDS, other sexually transmitted diseases and teen pregnancy."
In fact, the theme of this year's SHINE (Sexual Health IN Entertainment) Awards is communication—communication between young people, between partners and between parents and kids. Hosted by one of FOX's star dads, Donal Logue ("Grounded for Life"), the event will take place at the House of Blues on Saturday, October 19. Says Smalley, "Television has the power to shape norms. It is extremely important to acknowledge those shows that incorporate life-saving information about sexual health. Those storylines that portray healthy relationships or depict good parental role models should be recognized for their contributions."
Awards will be given in eight categories. Finalists include episodes of "Sex and the City," "Will and Grace," and "George Lopez" in the genre of comedy. Episodes of "ER," "Law & Order: SVU," and "Queer As Folk" are finalists in the Drama category. Other categories include Entertainment Special, Informational/Documentary, Series Storyline, Daytime Drama, and Scene Stealer. This year two categories have been added to recognize the importance of Spanish language shows, "Spanish Novela" and Spanish Talk/Variety Show. (A complete list of finalists follows).
This year, ABC and NBC lead the list with four nominations each. Next come Showtime, HBO, and CBS with three nominations each and FOX and Lifetime, each with two nominations. The WB, PBS, BET, Nickelodeon, the Disney Channel, and MTV each garnered one nomination. "Scene Stealer" honors shows that include an important sexual health related scene within an episode, and three shows: The WB's "Gilmore Girls," HBO's "Six Feet Under," and Lifetime's "Strong Medicine" have been nominated in this category.
Smalley continued, "Each and every day in the United States, 10,000 young people contract a sexually transmitted infection, 2,400 get pregnant and 55 contract HIV. According to a recent Kaiser Family Foundation study, six in ten teens said they learned how to say no to an uncomfortable sexual situation from watching television and one in three reported talking with a parent about a sexual health issue because of something they saw on TV. Television's power to positively impact an entire generation is truly something to celebrate!"
The finalists and winners will be honored at a luncheon and awards ceremony featuring celebrity presenters on Saturday, October 19 at the House of Blues. All proceeds from the event will benefit Advocates for Youth's AIDS and sexuality education programs for adolescents. For more information and for tickets, call 310.234.0454.
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