Savage U.

Review of Savage U.

Savage  University is new show on MTV that takes America’s most popular sex-columnist and having him give relationship advice to University students around the country. Dan Savage is giving MTV a chance to document what he has been doing for almost the last 10 years: going to college campuses and having hilarious and witty Q and A sessions with college students. MTV has had a history of both selling and educating the youth about sex. Every year, around spring break time, MTV heads south to push more boundaries with selling sex on TV. They justify it by adding an educational show about sex alongside, encouraging responsible behavior. The shows that tried to send a sex positive message such as “Protect Yourself” would just take clips of good-looking teens and twenty-somethings getting intimate in their underwear with a voice dubbed over reminding you “no means no”, “not everyone is doing it” and to “always wear protection”. Teen mom has been praised as a cautionary tale scenario show that would seem to work as birth control but, why go to such a low level. As if enjoying a teenage girl’s misery and frustration with being saddled with a child qualifies as birth control.

 None of the more intentionally educational shows kept a high viewership and were seen as annoying continuations of the kind of sex-ed kids got at school. So Savage brings a trustworthy authority and charming personality to solve this problem. The show revolves around a central Q and A session he holds in the University’s auditorium where he answers questions from a shoe box and comes to a clear answer with a light-hearted but sharp minded humor, normalizing taboos and telling kids what they don’t want to hear in a way they want to hear it. He then has two segments where he talks to both a guy and a girl one on one in a segment. This was the most captivating part of the show. Fans of Savage for years have been watching his witty banter answer anonymous questions. At first, one would think this is the best part of the show and can be seen on YouTube regularly, making a worry for producers that Savage’s material that being usual answers to questions would be over exposed. The best part of the show is actually the one on one segment he has with students. This shows us a whole new side to Dan Savage. You see the advice giver and his sincere desire to help young people in action. For the first time Savage has to help heal a sexual problem in front of us without hiding behind a podium or print. He is presenting his column live and more intimate than ever, all while it is reaching a wider audience than ever. He is put in a position where humor can still be present but the theatrics of answering questions is put aside and he is really taking a knee and lending a sympathetic ear.

Sex-Ed has come a long way on MTV and it looks like Dan has helped them finally get it right. The show is funny educational and more persuasive than any show about pregnancy or an anonymous voice stating what should be obvious responsible behavior.