I know it isn’t indicative of great fame or good deeds done, but I think it represents the next step in my writing career – where I see stuff like this all the time! This made my week! I really, really, really wanted any/all of my MTV condom articles to get passed around online, because I think they address some really important issues. Maybe this will help spread the word: Continue reading This Made My Week
I’ve been on a mission to determine if MTV is promoting condom use, safe sex, etc, and if not – why? I truly don’t understand. For further info, see my prior articles: “Does MTV Provide Condoms For Reality Show Castmates?” and “Update on MTV’s Real World Condom/STD/Pregnancy Contract Stipulations!“
This article on the MMAFA (Mixed Martial Arts Fighters Association) blog caught my eye, though it doesn’t offer an explanation. It just seems to be further proof of MTV’s reluctance to associate with condoms, despite their seemingly comfortable association with promiscuity. The article, titled “Kicking vice: Bellator prohibits sponsorships from poker sites and Condom Depot“, delved further into the matter. I am not at all familiar with the world of televised fighting championships, but I definitely agree with the points made:
Bellator Fighting Championship enjoyed considerable coverage when they announced the move to MTV2 from their previous home of Fox Sports Network. The announcement was received with questions ranging from differences in average viewership between the networks to which day the events would be broadcast. Left out of the conversation was the change in sponsorship opportunities for Bellator’s fighters.
MMAFA.tv has learned from sources close to Bellator Fighting Championship that the promotion is no longer allowing its fighters to receive sponsorship from poker sites and Condom Depot. Sources indicated that the move was requested, if not necessitated, by the MTV2 network in an effort to keep their station more suitable for teenagers and young adults.
Some agents and managers find the move to be hypocritical given the age demographic and other offerings on the MTV network. One agent said:
“[Bellator] says that it’s because MTV2 isn’t an acceptable audience for either sponsor. But look at the demographic they pull: males 19 – 35. So I don’t believe a word of it, because the majority of the people in that demographic are legally capable of gambling. What about Condom Depot? I mean, have you seen some of the stuff that’s on MTV2? Have they ever seen Skin (sic – show is called Skins), that show they have where underage kids are having sex with each other?”
In my earlier articles, I did look into how LifeStyles condoms offered to sponsor Skins after many advertisers cut their association with the risqué show. TMZ said that a rep for LifeStyles told them:
We are considering advertising during ‘Skins’, as it provides the opportunity to impart a responsible message about safe sex to an audience who clearly needs to understand the implications of their actions. (Condom Company: ‘Skins” Needs Our Protection!, TMZ.com)
Click “read more” at right to read more! Continue reading “Does MTV Object to Condom Sponsorship?”
In June, I wrote an article called “Does MTV Provide Condoms for Reality Show Castmates“? I’m still curious as to the answer, but I’m not sure what else to do towards discovering the truth. Ultimately I would like some answers straight from MTV, but I don’t think I’m high enough on the blogging food chain for that! I have come across some new information, though, that has me even more intrigued…
Earlier this week, the Village Voice posted an article titled “We Have Obtained a Copy of MTV’s Standard Real World Cast-Mate Contract“. They posted the entire 30 page monstrosity, which, not surprisingly, basically asks participants to sign away every right they have. After reading the contract, and pondering the general nature of MTV, reality shows, advertising dollars, etc, I’m considering a disturbing conclusion: MTV wants participants to have unsafe sex. Or at least doesn’t mind, because it benefits their ratings.
As I write this I’m astounded by how naive it sounds to presume that they wouldn’t want the drama, and how conspiracy theorist it sounds to presume that they are hoping the cast members suffer the consequences of unprotected sex. I thought perhaps the reason was that MTV didn’t want to be liable for the efficacy of condoms that they provided, but details in the contract specifically eliminate that concern. So at this point it seems like…
Pregnancy scares are good for sucking in more viewers! STD symptoms make for great teaser previews of next week’s episode! The emotional ramifications of any cast member suffering the consequences of unsafe sex is generally dramatic, and therefore great television, hooray!
I’m not even arguing with all that – it is dramatic, intriguing television. But I promise it can still happen even if you provide them with condoms and encourage them to use protection. Condoms aren’t 100% effective, and people (especially drunk people) don’t always use them 100% correctly. Hell, at this point I would just be happy to see a Trojan commercial between breaks. If you can have castmates just “happen” to crave delicious Subway sandwiches, they can also “happen” to crave a ribbed for her pleasure before hopping into bed. Plus it’s not like these are emotional condoms, acting as a barrier to prevent promiscuity, hurt feelings, misunderstandings, and embarrassment. All of those things (the basic tenets of reality TV, perhaps?) are still available in abundance!
Click “read more” at right to see direct quotes from the contract, and images of the actual document… Continue reading “Update on MTV’s Real World Condom/STD/Pregnancy Contract Stipulations!”
Reality TV is really, really easy to dislike – we all know this. I’m pretty tolerant of craptastic shows, movies, etc, but there are some that even I can’t handle. I’m talking to you, Teen Moms, Toddlers & Tiaras, and Real Housewives of any city! But I can’t take the high road, because I indulge in other pieces of reality TV trash like Jersey Shore, any competition show on Bravo, and my new favorites, the storage unit auction shows.
So yes, it’s easy to compile a list of all that’s wrong with reality television. But I’m not going to front like I’m too classy to enjoy the MTV Real World/Road Rules even though there hasn’t been a new season in like 5 years Challenges. Here are my top 5 fave things about reality shows, and the people who are on them:
1. Reality television is like the best psych experiment ever
Back in college, my pursuit of a BA in psychology led to many observation scenarios. You try to stay as removed from the subjects as possible, often behind a two-way mirror, lest you contaminate the environment you’re attempting to observe. Now, though, I can observe a huge variety of human behavior from the comfort of home! Maybe I’m wondering what it’s like to be a real estate agent in New York, or a Gypsy in the UK, or a cheerleader in Texas. Or, maybe I’m curious about how people react to losing large amounts of weight, having their car repossessed, or having pranks pulled on them.
One click of the remote and I have hundreds of two-way mirrors that I can peek through. Reality TV is also appealing to anyone that is nosy about basically anything. You can see inside people’s bedrooms, watch them break down mentally and then pull it together again, or get a voyeuristic thrill from seeing the Real World roomies strip down beneath the sheets. It’s like having a universal key that opens any diary you see! Continue reading “In Defense of Reality Television”
Does MTV provide condoms for reality show castmates? If so, why don’t they ever seem to get used? If no, why not??? Last night I watched the four billionth season of RW/RR Challenge, which is called The Challenge: Rivals this year. … Continue reading Does MTV Provide Condoms for Reality Show Castmates?