Sex Squad - man with penises for hands questions kids about sexual health

February 16, 2010 5:05 AM

There’s a new ally in the fight against sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and misinformation about sex: the Middlesex-London Sex Squad. The team of cartoon superheroes is part of Adventures in Sex City, a new online game launched today by the Middlesex-London Health Unit. (NSFW)

In Adventures in Sex City players can assume the role of one of the four superheroes who make up the Middlesex-London Sex Squad:

- Captain Condom, a scientist, who, after a freak lab accident is now half man, half condom;
- Power Pap, a sexually active woman who believes strongly in getting tested regularly;
- Willy the Kid, because he never grew taller than four feet, he joined the Sex Squad to prove that size doesn’t matter;
- Wonder Vag, a virgin who believes in true love and promotes abstinence until marriage

via Rock, Paper, Shotgun:
As a game, it’s just a tedious collection of yes/no questions. As a spectacle, it’s beyond words.

It’s a unique document of crudity, naivety and important advice about condom usage – I rather fear its creators were so busy amusing themselves by seeing how many sex gags public funding is prepared to cover that the educational element got kinda lost.

posted by slimepuppy (13 comments total)

I need to stop browsing the internet before I've had my morning coffee; my brain needs it before it can really handle the exploits of Wonder Vag.
posted by Toby Dammit X at 5:26 AM on February 16, 2010

Dude, the internet was built on the exploits of Wonder Vag.
posted by khaibit at 5:45 AM on February 16, 2010 [1 favorite]

you better check your lease, man. because you're livin' in Fuck City...
posted by You Can't Tip a Buick at 6:03 AM on February 16, 2010 [4 favorites]

Spoiler: Playing through the whole game does not unlock the Sperminator as a playable character, although the game claims that he joins the Sex Squad. FAIL!
posted by erdferkel at 6:13 AM on February 16, 2010 [1 favorite]

"Anal sex is safer than vaginal sex because you can't get pregnant" - FALSE.

That's an interesting one. Pregnancy has historically been a high health risk. In fact, I always understood that the ready availability of abortion in England, Wales and Scotland is down to the legislation, which defined abortion as a medical act where the interests of existing children and the health of the woman should take priority: since the health of the woman is always favored by abortion, abortion on demand results. (We don't have abortion on demand, but we've muddled to something approaching it for people with a little money in a big city and outside of Northern Ireland.) Is my understanding wrong? Or does it depend on the epidemiological group? If my sexual partners don't have sexually-transmitted diseases then I'm right: if my sexual partners have a high incidence of HIV then I'm clearly wrong.

That said, his arms, oh God, his arms...
posted by alasdair at 6:48 AM on February 16, 2010

Off to go build this year's Halloween costume: Power Pap! Perhaps I can convince the SO to be the Sperminator.
posted by psylosyren at 7:06 AM on February 16, 2010

backs slowly away from computer, closes door, runs
posted by The Whelk at 7:08 AM on February 16, 2010

I'm looking forward to reading any analysis / critique of this approach from the public health community - is this just for the LULS or was there any kind of formative research that showed this approach would be effective in actually increasing healthy behaviors?
posted by pants at 7:30 AM on February 16, 2010

Well, like all educational "games", as a game it is dreadful. The questions do address a lot of common myths, but I think the clumsy game interface might actually be less of an effective way of getting the info out there than more direct means.

OTOH, the game likely cost next to nothing to produce, the cost of keeping it on the server is pretty low, and if it gets to anyone that's a plus. As long as they're doing more direct education rather than depending on the game to do it for them, I see no problem. It isn't as if they spent a lot of their budget on the thing.
posted by sotonohito at 8:40 AM on February 16, 2010

Wow, that went from PSA to bukkake really quick. Is it wrong that I was trying to get the incorrect answer each time?
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 10:22 AM on February 16, 2010

Is my understanding wrong? Or does it depend on the epidemiological group?

You are correct. Carrying to term is more dangerous than legal elective abortion. There may be subgroups wherein this is not true; however, I don't know of any off-hand.

By the way, if you do a Google search, you'll see a lot of anti-abortion propaganda that claims otherwise. It's safe to ignore.
posted by Mental Wimp at 10:30 AM on February 16, 2010 [1 favorite]

Despite the initial Sin City motif, I was strongly reminded of Grant Morrison and Chris Weston's The Filth. Maybe that was the point...
posted by Halloween Jack at 1:45 PM on February 16, 2010

How does launching the Sperminator´s infected sperm back at him cure his STI?
posted by concrete at 6:34 PM on February 16, 2010