The Real World by MTV. A show and a network known for promoting endless hours of shallow, pointless pop programming. Who knew that there was a time that their vast power could be used for the spread of vital information and social enlightenment?
When Judd Winick, a then 20-something cartoonist, first auditioned for MTV's The Real World, all he really hoped for was a chance to jump-start his career. Little did he know that he would soon be dropped head first into a friendship and emotional drama that would change his life and perceptions forever. Enter Pedro Zamora: young, charismatic, heroic...and dying.
1) Judd speaks about his feelings as an "open-minded liberal" suddenly taken out of his comfort zone when he discovers that one of his housemates will be HIV-positive. How close to our belief systems usually match our day-to-day experiences and reactions?
2) Why do you think that MTV chose to have Pedro on the show? Was it for innate value of drama for viewership, or was there a higher purpose?
3) When learning about Pedro's childhood in Cuba, it is stated that people believed him to be fated to change the world. Is there any validity to this link between his childhood and adult life, or is it serendipitous?
4) Imagine YOU had five years in which to live. How do you think you would spend your time? What do you think about Pedro's choice to spend his as an educator?
5) Diagnosis of HIV and AIDS among teens and young adults has been rising steadily since the 90's, but the amount of media coverage and buzz has dwindled. Why do you think this is?
6) Diagnosis of AIDS in teens and young adults is consistently higher in African Americans, with latinos following. Why do you think this is?
7) Pedro and Me depicts both Pedro and Judd speaking frankly about safe sex at high school and even middle schools. The book strongly calls for better sex education at all levels of education. Why do you think our country is so hesitant to implement these changes?
8) At what age do you feel that discussions of this kind are appropriate or necessary?
9) Statistics say that 1 in 5 Americans with HIV/AIDs are undiagnosed. Do you feel that testing should be mandatory at a certain point in a person's life?
10) Do you feel that the stigma attached to people with HIV/AIDs has lessened in the past 20 years? What is the correlation between current public perception of the LGBTQ community and public perception of AIDs sufferers?
Next month, we will be reading the superb Elseworld's story, Superman: Red Son, by Mark Millar. It's a fascinating look at how things would have been different in the DC universe had Superman landed in Soviet Russia rather than mid-western U.S.A. The Cold War just heated up. With laser-vision.
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