[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyWKlxNAh30?wmode=transparent]
Both contestants from Dancing with the Stars, Bristol Palin and Mike Sorrentino, aka the "Situation," have teamed up on a PSA to promote both safer sex and abstinence. While typically these two messages are promoted separately, the strength in this PSA is exactly that synthesis of messages. For some young adults abstinence is the appropriate choice and for others who do intend to have sex, being as safe as possible is critical. This PSA gives space for teens to make the decision that is right for them, while still being informative in the promotion of safer sex, actively bringing condoms into the conversation. While Mike Sorrentino has achieved fame through his participation on MTV's The Jersey Shore, particularly for his sexual exploits, Bristol Palin, the daughter of a leading politician and herself a teen mother, has become a spokesperson for abstinence. Both are using their position in the spotlight to promote sex related stances. Unfortunately this same week, Willow Palin, the 16 year old sister of Bristol, has been quoted calling a critic of her mother's new television show Sarah Palin's Alaska a "faggot" and "so gay." Particularly as so many PSAs are being released to support LGBT teens, this commentary was particularly striking for many. While it is unfair to tie two separate individuals voices, one of whom is a minor, how will each very public statement impact the weight of the other? To learn more about the Candies Foundation who created the above PSA: www.candiesfoundation.org