Making a Difference One Scene at a Time >> 2002
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Good writers entertain … great writers entertain and educate. And, the shows can have a truly monumental effect by incorporating healthy sexuality into their scripts. By the time the average high school student graduates, s/he has watched about 20,000 hours of television. That's a lot of influence! Listed below are some recent shows that have taken the step to make a difference. Whether dealing with sexual abuse, contraception, or unplanned pregnancy or portraying strong parent-child communication or peer pressure resistance, the producers and writers of these programs have a right to be proud. The Media Project congratulates them! After all, great television means more than Nielsen numbers and Emmy Awards … it can change someone's life.
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December 2002
- One Life to Live—ABC—December 12, 2002
A storyline is in process about a character deciding whether to have an abortion for her unwanted pregnancy.
- Real World—MTV—December 10, 2002
A couple deals with the ramifications of having unprotected sex when they suspect a possible pregnancy.
- 20/20—ABC—December 6, 2002—7.74 million viewers
A segment on kids and sex includes an interview with Advocates for Youth.
- Law & Order: SVU—NBC—December 6, 2002—16.22 million viewers
Police suspect that a teenage girl is raped and a rape kit is collected. Her parents talk her out of using emergency contraception. It is discovered that her father had artificially inseminated the girl with the hope that she would become pregnant.
- ER—NBC—December 5, 2002—23.92 million viewers
A child, believed to be a girl, is brought in with her mortally injured father. It turns out this girl is biologically a boy who plans a sex change as soon as she is of age. However, when her father dies, her mother gets custody and won't accept her as anything other than a son. This is a heartbreaking look at children whose sexual identity is rejected.
- Boston Public—Fox—December 2, 2002—11.32 million viewers
A male student who is being sexually molested by his priest begins exhibiting high risk behaviors and ultimately attempts suicide. It develops that his teacher had been molested as an altar boy by the same priest and confronts both the priest and his own anguish.
November 2002
- George Lopez—ABC—November 20, 2002—11.5 million viewers
Modeling good parent-child communication, George catches Carmen with a hickey and he and her mom talk to her about boys, STDs, and teen pregnancy.
- Boston Public—Fox—November 11, 2002—9 million viewers
A boy is caught renting out the boiler room for $25 to students wanting a place to have sex, the proceeds to benefit a teen AIDS group. Enraged, the administration has the boy tried by a student tribunal. A debate ensues about teens' access to condoms. Includes statistics on infection with HIV/STDs, teen pregnancy, and abstinence-only programs.
- CSI Miami—CBS—November 4, 2002—17.9 million viewers
A policeman questions a woman who had sex with a victim before he died. As part of the questioning, he asks, "Where is the condom you used?" She replies that she didn't use one. The look on the officer's face says it all.
October 2002
- Strong Medicine—Lifetime—October 20, 2002
Lana and Dr. Campbell talk to commercial sex workers about staying safe, including how abrasions make STD transmission easier and the importance of using condoms.
- The District—CBS—October 19, 2002—11.4 million viewers
A guy steals a shipment of AIDS meds from a pharmaceutical company to give to a doctor who distributes them to his indigent AIDS patients who have fallen through the cracks in the health care system. Includes statistics on AIDS in DC. Ends with real footage and photos of AIDS victims.
- Law & Order: SVU—NBC—October 18, 2002—15.1 million viewers
An HIV researcher is murdered while tracking partners of an AIDS patient. Portrays how HIV infection is transmitted.
- My Wife and Kids—ABC—October 17, 2002—13.9 million viewers
When reading their daughter's diary, parents discover that she plans to have sex with her boyfriend. Mom talks with her daughter about what it means to have sex and the risk of pregnancy and asks her to tell her before going ahead. In a separate scene, Wayans tells his son, "Losing your virginity doesn't make you a man."
- Gilmore Girls—WB—October 15, 2002—5.8 million viewers
Loralei is invited to speak about her work at the local high school, but the kids are only interested in hearing about her teen pregnancy. She tells them that they shouldn't back away from uncomfortable topics. Mentions condoms.
- Walk in Your Shoes—Nickelodeon—October 13, 2002
With makeup and prosthetics, a thin girl is made fat and spends a day living the life of an overweight teen. A very powerful look at discrimination and body image.
- The West Wing—NBC—October 9, 2002—16 million viewers
The President has to decide whether to publicly come out in favor of a national needle exchange program. Includes discussion about HIV and AIDS.
- Judging Amy—CBS—October 8, 2002—14.4 million viewers
Parents of a developmentally disabled girl want Amy to rule that she should have an abortion because she "sleeps around" and doesn't use contraception.
- Everwood—WB—October 7, 2002—6.7 million viewers
There is a gonorrhea epidemic in high school and two doctors decide to hold special sex ed assemblies because the school is teaching abstinence-only.
- Fight for Your Rights …Sex in the Classroom—MTV—October 3, 2002
Abstinence-only programs and virginity pledges vs. comprehensive sex education. PSAs on oral sex ran during the hour.
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