Arsenio Hall and Magic Johnson - The Truth About HIV, AIDS, and You (Public Service Announcement)
- 4 years ago
This PSA / "preview" was found on a PG rated, kid-themed film from the 90s. It was shown after the previews / trailers for other PG rated films, but before the Feature Presentation.
That this PSA was put out by a Major Film Studio on one of their Home Videos says a lot of about what HIV / AIDS meant to people at the time.
In the early 90s, the general public was largely uneducated about what HIV / AIDS was, or how you could contract it. Because of this, as well as its relative "newness", HIV / AIDS was terrifying, panic-inducing, and stigmatized.
Today, we take our understanding of HIV / AIDS for granted. We now have effective treatments, and mortality rates in developed countries are low. But this wasn't always the case. When this PSA was filmed, many people, probably even Magic Johnson himself, saw AIDS as a death sentence.
Magic Johnson, among others, did much to remove the cloud of fear and stigma surrounding conversations about HIV / AIDS. He made it okay to talk about the subject, as well as to remain friends or come into close contact with those who'd contracted it.
Lastly, if you were a kid growing up in the early 90s, then chances were that you'd see educational videos similar to these that discussed HIV / AIDS in your classroom.
Thank you Magic, Arsenio, and everyone else in the crusade to further our understanding of HIV / AIDS and the fight to find a cure!
That this PSA was put out by a Major Film Studio on one of their Home Videos says a lot of about what HIV / AIDS meant to people at the time.
In the early 90s, the general public was largely uneducated about what HIV / AIDS was, or how you could contract it. Because of this, as well as its relative "newness", HIV / AIDS was terrifying, panic-inducing, and stigmatized.
Today, we take our understanding of HIV / AIDS for granted. We now have effective treatments, and mortality rates in developed countries are low. But this wasn't always the case. When this PSA was filmed, many people, probably even Magic Johnson himself, saw AIDS as a death sentence.
Magic Johnson, among others, did much to remove the cloud of fear and stigma surrounding conversations about HIV / AIDS. He made it okay to talk about the subject, as well as to remain friends or come into close contact with those who'd contracted it.
Lastly, if you were a kid growing up in the early 90s, then chances were that you'd see educational videos similar to these that discussed HIV / AIDS in your classroom.
Thank you Magic, Arsenio, and everyone else in the crusade to further our understanding of HIV / AIDS and the fight to find a cure!