'Coach' and 'Uncle' as Perverts: Susan Sarandon and Two Brave Actors Make Scary Commercials

I went downtown to a recording studio to watch Susan Sarandon tape voice-overs for some public service announcements not because I have a shallow male appreciation for her -- ok, that too -- but because I didn't believe she'd show up.

She wouldn't have been the first to bail.

The vast majority of the actors who survived the first audition for these PSAs decided not to return for the second.

They all had the same reason: these commercials could end a career.

What was ground-breaking about these spots for Darkness2Light?

Because "Uncle Al" and "Coach Sanders" -- click to watch them -- aren't the usual commercials made by an organization committed to preventing the sexual abuse of children.

That is, they don't just state the facts and offer a solution: "Before her 18th birthday, one out of every four American girls will be sexually abused. Before his 18th birthday, one out of every six American boys will be sexually abused. Add in the adult population of men and women who have been sexually assaulted, and you get 40 million Americans. At Darkness2Light, we can teach adults to recognize the signs of childhood sexual abuse -- and stop someone before they hurt a child..."

That's the traditional approach: "feel good" media about a "feel bad" issue.

This time out, D2L showcased two actors who portrayed child abusers.

They're white. Known. Respected. Clearly heterosexual. The kind of men you unthinkingly trust with your kids.

Unfair? Statistics show that 90% of child abusers are guys. 75% are white, and yes, 90% are trusted by the kid and/or the family.

But, yeah, shocking. Real life scary stuff. And delivered without sweeteners. The actors -- looking right into the camera -- tell you how they betray your trust every chance they get.

The new D2L public service announcements have been running on CNN and Lifetime. They got noticed -- fast. Last week E! Entertainment Television named "Uncle Al" the clip of the week.

I was curious about civilian reaction to the PSA, and because I serve on the advisory board of D2L, I was able to find out.

Many wrote in to say they were offended by these spots. Samples:

White males are the only ethnic group that is not offered any protection from your derogatory crap -- you won't accuse any other racial group because you are afraid of the backlash it would cause. We see your agenda and it is not protecting children.

Your campaign will make every American mother fear every man they know, from their husbands to their fathers, brothers and neighbors.

As a loving uncle I find your TV ad disgusting and insulting.

And my favorite, from a man named Al:

I'll be contacting my lawyer to begin a class action lawsuit against you. It will be no contest. Every time you actually use a name in your commercials you'll get a new suit. I'm sure I'll have no problem signing many 'Uncle Als' on.

The positive reaction was equally emotional. A mother watched with her "startled" teen sons and hoped the D2L training programs would come to her city. A man wondered "if there is any way to get an amendment to the constitution that protects the rights of children -- they have none." And many were grateful for the statement of the obvious: This really does happen close to home.

"Outrage is a cousin to denial," D2L founder Anne Lee told me. "We appreciate that some people are offended and outraged. We're not saying that the majority of coaches, teachers, counselors, ministers, and family members are abusing children -- but too many of them are. So don't be angry at the courageous actors who portrayed those perpetrators, or at us for talking about it. Be angry at the reality of child sexual abuse, and then do something about it."

The D2L approach begins by shattering conventional wisdom -- D2L believes that the first step in stopping childhood sexual abuse is removing responsibility from the child. The kid has no power; saying "bad touch" isn't likely to deter any adult determined to do wrong. So D2L trains adults in organizations -- schools, churches, clubs, sports groups -- to recognize the signs and intelligently intervene. In 4 years, it's trained more than 160,000 adults. By its calculations, it's better protected 1.6 million kids.

And that, in the end, is why Susan Sarandon showed up. Not just because she's a good-hearted soul who lends her voice to worthy causes, but because she's the eldest of nine children -- she'd seen a lot, she'd heard some stories. And she knows, as D2L does, that a soothing, recognizable voice delivering harsh news can be the most effective wake-up call of all.

Comments

[zizyphus]

I was surprised by that powerful "Coach" commercial. It was well very done.

But the fact is, most kids are sexually abused by their own fathers. The prevalence of child sexual abuse in our society makes me think that if there were no laws against it, more men would abusing their kids. That and the huge market in child porn that seems to flourish in spite of everything. It is a horrifying problem that will never go away apparently. I know a number of women and men who were abused by their fathers and grandfathers, and I can tell you that they are still suffering terribly as adults, haunted every day by those ugly, painful memories, even after their abuser is long dead.

It is rooted in the Christian paternalistic notion that the man of the family is the authority and must be obeyed. They see women and kids as chattel, basically.

According to the THE DENVER POST, May 17, 1990, the FBI agent in charge of FBI Child Abuse program was sued by his daughters for incest, and they were awarded 2.3 million dollars. So one see how the problem is exacerbated by the very people who are supposed to be helping the poor victims. I advise anyone interested in this to read, "The Franklin Coverup" by Senator John DeCamp.

The kiddie porn/child abuse industry is protected at the top.

[SkimaskBob]

And now I see where the biological fathers string is coming from. Yeah, this is a terrible sentence, and even if it were worded better (Most kids who are subject o abuse receive it from their own fathers) it would HAVE to be backed up by statistics. Can't just post that with nothing behind it. Really interesting commercials, post and comments. And glad to hear this topic brought up in such an honest and forthright manner.