There’s an ad for Tide Booster detergent that portrays a prim-and-preppy mother, dressed all in pink, sitting in a frilly and ultra-feminine living room, while her daughter, dressed in camo and cargo shorts, plays with trucks at her feet. The mother says that they “tried the ‘pink thing’,” but that her daughter insisted on more traditionally masculine clothes. When the daughter’s clothes are saved from crayon stains by Tide Booster, the mother’s reaction is “…it’s kinda too bad.” And when she asks her daughter, “playing another parking garage, honey?” her praise (“It’s beautiful”) is so halfhearted that it’s almost tragic.

The daughter’s dress and behavior don’t fit or conform to our culture’s stereotypes of who a girl should be. While the mother isn’t forcing her daughter to conform to traditionally feminine ideals (which the mother illustrates to an almost humorous degree, with her preppy pink cardigan and oh-so-delicate pose), but she is clearly annoyed, as if her daughter’s choice of clothing is a cross to bear.

And sure, this is just a commercial, but it’s painful to think that this ad campaign was chosen because they felt consumers could relate to it. So, rather than sending a positive message about letting your child be whomever he or she wants to be, the commercial is letting parents across the country roll their eyes and nod in harrowed agreement, as they look at their son playing with his dolls or their daughter rolling her trucks across the floor, desperately wanting them to fit in.

As harmless as the commercial may seem, it presents the problem of continuing prejudice against those who don’t follow traditional gender roles. It would be much better to set the example of a parent who fully embraces and accepts his or her child’s gender non-conformity.

—Taylor McCabe, 19, Contributor

There was a lot of hype over the last few weeks regarding the Glee episode, entitled The First Time. The episode was about the sex lives of two of the shows’ couples—Rachel and Finn, and Kurt and Blaine—as they had sex for the first time. For three of the four, this was their first time ever having sex.

I have to say, for all of the hullabaloo, between the excitement of fans and the protests of advocates of “clean TV,” the episode spent less time than I would have expected actually focusing on the sex plotline and instead spent a lot of time on other characters and story lines. And after all of the controversy, the “raunchiest” scene involved the couples in bed, clothed.

In fact, what turned out to be the most interesting part of the episode, at least for me, was comparing the situation between the heterosexual and gay couples. Fans of Glee know that the show’s writers aren’t afraid of controversial topics: so far the show has seen teen pregnancy, underage drinking, gay and lesbian relationships, cheating and betrayal. But in the show, Kurt and Blaine’s relationship has been more about longing glances and adorable declarations than hand holding or kissing. Having the couple develop a romantic and emotional connection that isn’t just physical illustrates that their relationship is serious and just as valid as any heterosexual relationship—an idea that is not accepted by everyone. The montage of the two couples before and after they had sex for the first time did a great job of comparing the two sexual encounters and showing viewers that relationships whether you’re gay or heterosexual are not all that different.

So sure, maybe some viewers were scandalized by the implications of teens having sex. But that’s a fact of life. Some teens have sex. Most don’t though. But if some viewers were scandalized by the idea of gay teens having sex, then hopefully this episode had them reevaluate their perception of LGBTQ relationships.

—Taylor McCabe, 19, Contributor

If the title of the British show, The Joy of Teen Sex, isn’t enough of a hint of what is to come, the opening scene reveals it all. While images of teens engaging in a variety of sexual behaviors flash across the screen, a woman narrates, saying “Although the age of consent is 16, by that time the average teen has slept with at least three people.”

Having grown up in Europe, I’ve always known that European television is much more liberal than what we see here in the U.S., but even I wasn’t prepared for what I saw. The show uses a combination of graphic video clips and interviews with teens involving nudity to openly discuss sexual topics and provide sexuality education to teens. If the show Skins has caused such controversy in the U.S., we won’t be seeing The Joy of Teen Sex on American television anytime soon.

The show addresses a wide range of topics and answers the awkward questions that we all probably have. Do I think the concepts are good? Yes. But the provocative images meant to attract and entertain an audience and the soundtrack of music you would hear at a rave seemed a little over the top for a show meant to educate. It’s nice to have a show that pushes boundaries, but The Joy of Teen Sex would provoke less controversy in the U.S. if nudity was used for educational purposes and less for sheer entertainment value.

—Sam Dercon, 17, Staff Writer

Imagine taking a trip to Washington, D.C., and visiting the Washington Monument. Just when you’ve angled the camera perfectly so that it looks like you’re holding the building in your hand, a helicopter carrying a parachute enters the frame. Wait a second. That’s not a parachute. Stunned, you watch as a giant condom covers the Washington Monument, flaunting the statistic, “Every day 10,000 U.S. teens catch an STD.” This is exactly what happens in the promotional video for Let’s Talk About Sex, an hour-long documentary that will air on TLC on Saturday, April 9th.

Director James Houston uses interviews, media clips and images to explore Americans’ “contradicting attitudes about sex and sexuality” and their effect on teens. In today’s sexually charged culture, scantily clad Victoria’s Secret models and Jersey Shore hook-ups fill our daily lives, yet there is still so much fear about providing teens with information about the realities of sexuality. As a result, teens are not receiving the information they need, and they are getting pregnant and/or contracting STDs.

This documentary sets out to examine the role of sexuality in modern American society. In doing so, it hopes to start new conversations about sexuality and open up dialogue between teens and adults. Tune into TLC this Saturday to watch Let’s Talk About Sex. Check out the sneak peek below:

We want to know what you think of the show. After you watch on Saturday, come back and leave your comments below!

—Cynthia Lam, 17, Staff Writer

Entertainment Weekly recently featured an article on how gay teens are suddenly “popping up” in major roles on national television. From Degrassi’s Riley to Glee’s dream partnership, Kurt and Blaine, many shows have included openly gay characters holding hands, hugging and kissing. TV shows portraying openly gay characters may seem controversial to some people, but Sex, Etc. is more interested in whether teens in high-profile television roles will have any impact on gay teens’ experiences in school.

Do these shows accurately portray what it’s really like being a gay teen in high school? How does the spotlight on gay teens in these shows affect teens? Will gay teens be more accepted in their schools? Will seeing gay teens on TV eventually reduce homophobic bullying?

Tell us what you think, and share how or if these shows have affected your high school experience.

—Luke Morgan, 18, Staff Writer