Dr. Evil Gets It Right!

For this blog, I went onto YouTube and simply typed in "std videos." There were several to choose from... since I love the Austin Powers movies, I decided to listen to/watch the video entitled "Dr. Evil STD."
There definitely was some truth conveyed in the song. Dr. Evil sings that "I love S-E-X but I don't want no STDs" and "Give me that Durex 'cause I don't want no STDs." He also sings that "The girl could be sexy or even nice like rice, but she could keep herpes." This is totally true and brings us a sense of the earlier STD posters explaining that even good or nice girls could be infected. Early in the song Dr. Evil also sings that "In this time today it's kinda sticky to be going around without a condom; it's kinda gross." Sexually transmitted infections have existed since humans have, but today, we know how they are transmitted and how to avoid or reduce the likelihood of contracting an infection. Since we are aware of these things, along with statistics, it really is "kinda gross" to be having sex, especially with multiple partners, without a condom.
I wouldn't really say that the song uses fear messages, though Dr. Evil does say that "I don't want something that's sexually transmitted, and then get admitted" and "I don't want to catch something that's gonna make it hard for me to breath." I guess the first section does use fear in a way, because once an infection is contracted, treatment should follow. You may not be admitted to a hospital like you would an insane asylum, but you will need to seek medical attention. The second part, for the most part, is a false message. I don't recall learning about an STI that affects the lungs and makes it hard to breath... please correct me if I am mistaken!
I suppose this song is aiming at our age group (early to mid 20's... fans of Austin Powers like myself) who would relate to the song by way of the movie character, and find it charming and humorous. I think this is an effective way to reach the target audience only because people this age are constantly on YouTube and other sites looking up random videos. I can't say that most people would choose to look up videos about STIs (unless for a class) but I, at least, always manage to stumble along unexpected videos.
I think that the media in general can help to prevent STIs with target audience-friendly methods. At this age, people are so influenced by advertising and the media, whether or not they admit it. Some people may feel that learning about STIs in a classroom is boring and not worth their time. If these same people see some sort of educational piece in the media or other sources, it may hit home easier. I also think that the media and advertising have a way of raising awareness without being too preachy. The song I listened to was funny and the message was clear, and it was done in a clever way so that I didn't feel as though I was reading a textbook.
All in all, I think the media and advertising companies can and should promote awareness and education about STIs through the same covert strategies that they use to make us want to buy products!