While I can appreciate the idea behind the EVC concept--arm kids with camcorders and send them out into the real world to get the scoop on various teen issues--I'm not altogether impressed with the results for a) curriculum use, at b) $75 a tape. In The Rules of Dating, which according to the press release "lampoons many of the rituals of dating past and present," viewers are tossed a scattershot series of interview clips that they would be hard pressed to distinguish as "lampoons." Young men on the street talk about the "rules" for guys ("having to pay," "being respectful," and "not showing emotion" are all mentioned in one clip, though no one points out that only the middle "rule" is really true); an EVC intern interviews his karate sensei, who says that women "are meant to be coddled," adding that women "can't survive the [karate] training" (no attempt is made to examine or qualify these remarks); a young woman mentions the "double-edged sword of the virgin-whore dichotomy," but doesn't elaborate; and another EVC intern interviews (her mother?) about dating protocol (the older woman recommends putting a pin inside her pants to stop the zipper from coming down). Would this spark discussion among teens? Absolutely. With so many conflicting and risible comments coming out of nowhere, young adults are going to take issue with a few of the remarks here. Is this a good program offering genuine insight and guidance in a comprehensive and comprehensible way? Absolutely not. Optional, at best. [Note: the program contains mild language.] A more serious look at dating can be found in The Dating Bill of Rights (VL-3/99). Aud: J, H. (R. Pitman)
The Rules of Dating
(2000) 16 min. $75. Educational Video Center. PPR. ISBN: 1-56139-063-1. Vol. 16, Issue 1
The Rules of Dating
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