There is a television show in the USA called Adam Ruins Everything. It is both a comedy show and an educational show that uses humor to debunk myths and misconceptions. I think it’s a great example of how to use an entertaining approach, even a provocative approach, to educate about science, including accurate health information. I think humanitarian aid and development agencies, particularly those concerned with public health education, should take note of it.
An example is the show’s comedic and medically-accurate presentation about the misunderstandings many – maybe most people – have regarding female physiology, particularly regarding the hymen and virginity. This is a good model of how much more interesting public health and women’s health videos could be:
It’s not a video that would be appropriate in every culture and country, but its frankness, fast-pace, humor and accuracy can’t be denied.
This isn’t the first time I’ve gotten good advice for outreach by nonprofits, including humanitarian organizations, from TV:
- Lessons for aid & development are everywhere – including on a TV comedy
- What Mad Men Can Teach Nonprofits & NGOs About Story-Telling
- TV depictions of volunteerism
- Aid workers in fiction – new ABC show in January
If you have benefited from this blog or other parts of my web site and would like to support the time that went into researching information, developing material, preparing articles, updating pages, etc. (I receive no funding for this work), here is how you can help.