Sex, relationships, dating, love — they’re complicated. We all have questions. We all have stories.
Now is your chance to get your answers and share your tips and experiences: Dan Savage@@http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/SavageLove?oid=10406350@@, author of the nationally syndicated sex advice column “Savage Love,” is coming to the University from Oct. 30 through Nov. 2 to engage students in conversation about sex for his new MTV show based off his column.
The show, currently untitled, should air sometime in early 2012, according to an MTV spokesperson. The show plans to visit 12 colleges — large, small, public, private, urban and rural. So far they’ve stopped at Auburn, Cornell and Ohio State, filming students’ questions, stories and conversations with Savage.
“The series follows Dan and his sidekick, Lauren Hutchinson,@@http://theplainsman.com/bookmark/15620954@@ as they travel across the country to different college campuses, offering a crash course to students on relationships, responsibility, sex, love and life,” an MTV spokesperson said in an email.
While at the University, the show is looking for students to cast in one-on-one conversations with Savage. University students over 18 years old who are interested in participating should email their name, year in college, phone number, housing status and a recent photo to [email protected].
“We’re trying to get the word out now so all the one-on-one students are lined up,” MTV casting director Lande Yoosuf @@http://www.linkedin.com/in/landeyoosuf@@said.
She knows the subject matter of the show is personal and that some students might not feel comfortable talking publicly about such intimate topics, so getting the word out about the show to as many students as possible is important.
The TV show wants to learn about the sexual culture at the University. This includes student groups on campus who are involved in sexual issues, visiting local shops and venues, and talking to people about general dating info.
“We want to know, where do you meet people?” Yoosuf said. “If you’re a guy, what do you think about the girls at your school? And if you’re a girl, what do you think about the guys? Stuff like that.”
Students are also invited to attend a free Q-and-A session, where Savage will answer anonymous questions, on Nov. 1 from 7 to 10 p.m. in the Ford Alumni Center’s Giustina Ballroom@@http://uoalumni.com/s/1202/blank.aspx?sid=1202&gid=1&pgid=533@@. Students over 18 years old can get a ticket by emailing their name, phone number and email to [email protected].
“Dan’s Q-and-A session with students is intended to be a fun event in a judgment-free environment, where students can engage in honest and frank discussions,” an MTV spokesperson said.
Savage is nationally recognizable for his sex advice column and its spin-off podcast, which started in Seattle’s weekly newspaper “The Stranger.”@@http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/SavageLove?oid=10406350@@ Last fall through earlier this year, Savage worked on the web-based “It Gets Better Project,” which sought to prevent suicide among LGBT youth@@http://www.itgetsbetter.org/@@. In March, “It Gets Better: Coming Out, Overcoming Bullying and Creating a Life Worth Living”@@http://www.itgetsbetter.org/pages/4353/@@ was published, a nonfiction book compiling essays based on the project and edited by Savage and his husband Terry Miller@@see same link@@. The new MTV show is Savage’s next step in moving his sex advice column into another medium.
“Dan had been pitching a sex advice show in the hopes of accurately reflecting the reality of sex. After meeting with him, the network suggested that we film his live Q-and-A sessions at colleges and universities,” an MTV spokesperson said. “Dan has said before that he prefers speaking to a live audience, as he has a theater background, and he’s more comfortable with the immediate feedback.”
The show is supposed to be educational and fun at the same time.
“He tries to be funny. But at the end of the day, we want students to walk away feeling like they learned something,” Yoosuf said. “It’s supposed to be an honest dialogue about sex, dating and relationships in a college setting.”