AIDS Perspectives
Other Media Influences
Other forms of media impacted my guess of AIDS in Orange County, New York. These media forms were not so much from my area, but national broadcasted forms. Today, many celebrities are contributing their money to AIDS funds. For example, my favorite musical artist, India Arie, has made several trips to help youth AIDS in Africa. She has actually collaborated with actress Ashley Judd, and they have produced VH1 documentary, Tracking the Beast. “It highlights the plight of the 38 million Africans suffering from AIDS. They journey to some of the hardest-hit regions of the continent to witness first-hand what's being done to help the infected and those who struggle to survive after they're gone.” (6) One summer vacation, I remember hearing a National Public Radio interview with Ashley Judd and India Arie about their experience with Tracking the Beast. After hearing of all the suffering young people in Africa, I thought that AIDS must also be a problem in my area.
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Television shows have also changed my perception of AIDS. Throughout my whole life, I’ve watched the Oprah Winfrey show with my mother. There have been several Oprah episodes dedicated to AIDS in Africa. Oprah is another celebrity who has made several trips to Africa to help the AIDS epidemic. Even though the national broadcast media was not addressing AIDS in my area, I still thought it must be a problem addressed globally. I did not want to believe that others seem to get the disease.
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