Wear your hat: representational resistance in safer sex discourse
Nelson, S.D.
Journal of Homosexuality 27(1-2): 285-304
1994
ISSN/ISBN: 0091-8369 PMID: 7798606 DOI: 10.1300/j082v27n01_13Document Number: 289349
An analysis of four posters used by Massachusetts' Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) Action Committee underscored the need to comprehend the significance of sex roles and sex behaviors in diverse cultures. The first poster analyzed showed a shirtless, highly masculinized African-American man holding a condom. The accompanying message was, "Are you man enough to protect your lover?" Although this poster challenges convention by displacing responsibility for contraception and protection from infection from women to men, it reinforces the notion that Black men have the right to control over women. The second poster shows an Hispanic woman in combat gear holding a condom. The printed message is, "Forewarned is forearmed." Again, this message challenges the traditional subordinate role of Latinas, but the notion of female empowerment implicit in the poster is at odds with the target culture. The third poster, depicting two white males engaged in sex involving a condom, includes the message "Safe. Hot. Always." This poster seeks to promote safe sex practices through an appeal to a pornographic mode of representation, but its impact is dependent on the viewer's perception of pornography. The fourth poster portrays a group of six gay White men playfully carrying a box of condoms and sexual aids. The message reads, "Safe Company. We're putting the sex back into safe sex." Although the reinforcement of peer support for safe sex has merits, the poster's depiction of clearly middle-class men limits its appeal. Central to all these efforts is the question of how an audience can be effectively educated about the need for safe sex practices without resorting to cultural stereotyping and pseudo-homogeneity. Involvement of the target audience in the preparation of audiovisual materials is urged to overcome some of these complexities.