I think “taking a whack at the bareback studios” automatically reduces your credibility among any autonomous adult, unless you’re aiming your PSA at those who have spent their lives under a rock.

From my experience in dealing with bareback studios over the last 9 years, I’ve found there are generally two types of studios: those who contract mostly/exclusively HIV Positive performers (who are often blacklisted by mainstream production companies), and those who make an effort to contract HIV-negative performers. The former are to my knowledge upfront with their performers about the presence of POZ performers in their productions – even going to the extent of putting language to that effect in their contracts, and the latter perform tests prior to filming to ensure as safe an environment as possible for their talent. Personally I don't know of any bareback studios that are as reckless as your Jesse makes them out to be with that one line.

Yes, I heard Jesse’s remark about testing even moments before having sex, and I don’t disagree with him. But two things have to be taken into consideration. First is the basic fact that most people in our modern information-based society understand that there is always a risk present when engaging in unsafe practices (it could be needle sharing… and I notice that Jesse fails to mention anything on that subject). That doesn't stop them from doing unsafe things. The other is that all performers in the adult industry are indeed adults and are capable of making their own decisions about how they will conduct their personal and professional lives. As adults we are all entitled to make such choices, and as such, we are obligated to deal with the consequences of our actions. Nobody gets away from that basic law. Buying only safer-sex videos won’t change that.

Taking potshots at an arm of the gay porn industry is not only mean spirited, but it is also unnecessarily so. And it won’t halt the spread of HIV nearly as much as just trying to get people to practice safer sex in their day-to-day lives. Encouraging people to NOT buy bareback videos won’t have your desired impact on new HIV cases any more than not attending a movie where people blow things up will bring about an end to violence in any part of the world.

What I find most troubling about the cheap shot at bareback videos is this: In essence, Jesse is saying “Don’t buy the kind of content you think you want to see; buy the content that we deem politically correct.” Perhaps for the sake of full transparency you should have him say that. It would certainly be more honest.

Politically correct/incorrect bullshit aside, I’d say the production values are mediocre at best. Jesse seems to be reading off of cue cards that aren’t being turned fast enough. The setting is uninspiring. I’ll agree with Lazer in that a more intimate setting would not only keep the thing from looking cold and unimaginative, but a warmer backdrop would also make it look as though it wasn’t filmed by a teenager with his dad’s videocam. You might consider having Jesse look at the camera when the angles change so he doesn’t appear to be talking to thin air (which maybe he is doing after all…). Also consider more variations in the background lighting so the focus is on him, not that cheesy looking office. Again, setting it in an empty porn studio set would make it more attention-grabbing. And yes, for god’s sake get rid of the cheap plugs in the background. A plain title of “This message has been sponsored by…” at the end is much more professional. The damn thing doesn’t have to look like an MTV video, but as it stands the whole "PSA" ad is very amateurish. With a little more forethought and attention to detail you could do much better, frankly.