Terrible, unexpected things happen to peopleall the time—and even more often in television,film and music. That’s because tragedy yieldsdrama, and drama is by definition interestingto people.

How’s this for terrible and unexpected:How’s this for terrible and unexpected:How’s this for terrible and unexpected:How’s this for terrible and unexpected:How’s this for terrible and unexpected: EveryEveryEveryEveryEveryhour, someone in the United States dies of skinhour, someone in the United States dies of skinhour, someone in the United States dies of skinhour, someone in the United States dies of skinhour, someone in the United States dies of skincancer.cancer.cancer.cancer.cancer. Maybe you knew that, and maybeyou’ve been safe lately; but did you know thatjust one bad sunburn in childhood can doublethe risk of skin cancer later in life?

How much do your characters know about sunsafety and skin cancer? The sun is certainly notthe most obvious catalyst for dramaticentertainment—but why not? With such highrates of skin cancer in this country and the restof the world, people can relate to the issue.With children exposed to the sun up to threetimes as much as adults, people are emotionallyattached to the issue.

And with such immediate ties to issues of beautyand self-esteem, ultraviolet (UV) ray exposureand skin cancer are relevant to all facets of theentertainment industry, including audienceswho look to entertainment images for visualcues on new looks and trends.

Tanning salons are popping up all over thecountry. Many people want to have beautifulbronzed skin. We could thank BaywatchBaywatchBaywatchBaywatchBaywatch for

Even before he kissed Halle BerryEven before he kissed Halle BerryEven before he kissed Halle BerryEven before he kissed Halle BerryEven before he kissed Halle Berry, people were talking aboutAdrian Brody.Adrian Brody.Adrian Brody.Adrian Brody.Adrian Brody. Sure, there was talk about the Oscar nomi-nation (and ultimate win) for his performance in The Pia-The Pia-The Pia-The Pia-The Pia-nistnistnistnistnist. And the media was impressed by his romantic, if odd,turn as a skateboarding arm in the music video for ToriToriToriToriToriAmos’ Amos’ Amos’ Amos’ Amos’ “A Sorta Fairytale.” But on Oscar night, it was allabout that tanthat tanthat tanthat tanthat tan.

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IN THIS ISSUE

Safety in the Sun: WhatYou and Your CharactersNeed to Know

Oscar Night

Sunless Tanning Safety

Dying to Look Good

New and Improved:Dyeing to be Tan

Sun Safety Tips

Publisher/Editor in Chief:Brian Dyak

Editors:Marie Gallo DyakLarry Deutchman

Writer/Editor:David Conner

Publishing Manager:Emily Powell Schollian

Spotlight on... Sun Safetyis a publication of theEntertainment IndustriesCouncil, Inc. in partner-ship with The Sun SafetyAlliance

During its run, Baywatch aired in 142 countries onevery continent except Antarctica. The cast aloneused up four bottles of sunscreen each day!

glamorizing tanned skin, but most of the tanson the show came from artificial tanning lotionsand airbrushed sprays, and literally gallons ofsunscreen were used on the show’s actors eachseason.

This issue of Spotlight on…Spotlight on…Spotlight on…Spotlight on…Spotlight on… will introduce youto facts that you probably didn’t know, and waysto introduce these ideas to your audiences. Yourshows will benefit from new complications, andyour ratings and, importantly, audiences will bebetter for it—and you’ll be doing your viewers aservice at the same time. You might even savea few lives.

Spotlight on . . .

Sun SafetyA NEWSBRIEF OF THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRIES COUNCIL, INC. NO. 20

Oscar Night

Safety in the Sun: What You and Your Characters Need to KnowSafety in the Sun: What You and Your Characters Need to Know

A bronzed Brody makes memories on Oscar night.

Dying to Look GoodDying to Look Good

It’s true: People are dying to look good—and they’re dying from it, too. Skin cancer is a killer. Thanks to huge, high-profilemedia campaigns, most of us are well aware of breast cancer, prostate cancer and leukemia. But skin cancer is still on the backburner. Here’s a brief look at skin cancer and some of its warning signs.

A. Asymmetry — one halfunlike the other half.

Everyone is doing it these days. It can be done alone, but it’shard to make it look good that way. We’re talking about self-tanning. Gone (mostly) are the days of orange lines andsplotches: Years of research have produced new tanning pigmentsand methods to give a natural, beautiful glow to skin withoutsubjecting it to harmful UV radiation.

That’s good for you to know, but what does it have to do withyour production? Here are some ways in which you canincorporate this new beauty routine so common to the magic18-49 demographic into the lives of your characters:

Alternative SettingsAlternative SettingsAlternative SettingsAlternative SettingsAlternative Settings: The living rooms, bars, courtrooms, andoffices—they’ve all been done. Much more rare on televisionand in films are bathrooms and spray tanning salons. But whynot? People are doing it. Why not send your characters to thesalon to be airbrushed: it’s honest, it shows their inherentvulnerability, and it’s full of comic potential. Think about it.

B. Border irregular —scalloped or poorlycircumcribed border.

C. Color varied from one areato another; shades

of tan and brown, black,sometimes white, red,

or blue.

D. Diameter larger than6 mm as a rule (diameterof pencil eraser).

Visible Warning Signs

Unlike some forms of cancer, skin cancer can be easily seen.Here are some visible warning signs you should be on thelookout for:

What is Skin Cancer?Skin cancer starts in the outer layer of your skin, in one ofthree types of cells: basal, squamous, or melanocyte.

Basal Cell Carcinoma—Basal Cell Carcinoma—Basal Cell Carcinoma—Basal Cell Carcinoma—Basal Cell Carcinoma—The most common form of skincancer, basal cell carcinoma usually appears as slow-grow-ing, translucent, raised, pearly nodules which, if untreated,may crust, ulcerate, and sometimes bleed. If detected andtreated early, there is a greater than 95 percent cure rate.

Squamous Cell CarcinomaSquamous Cell CarcinomaSquamous Cell CarcinomaSquamous Cell CarcinomaSquamous Cell Carcinoma—A common form of skincancer, squamous cell carcinoma appears as nodules or red,scaly patches and can metastasize if untreated. While thecure rate is very high if treated early, squamous cellcarcinoma can sometimes result in death.

Melanoma Melanoma Melanoma Melanoma Melanoma (cutaneous melanoma)—Melanoma is a diseaseof the skin in which cancer (malignant) cells are found in thecells that color the skin (melanocytes). It is the least com-mon but fastest growing and most dangerous type of skincancer. While it usually occurs in adults, it may also occa-sionally be found in children and adolescents.

Your skin is made up of two mainlayers: the epidermis (the top layer)and dermis (the inner layer).

Melanocytes are found in theepidermis and they containmelanin, which gives skin its color.

New and Improved: Dyeing to be Tan

Tasteful TitillationTasteful TitillationTasteful TitillationTasteful TitillationTasteful Titillation: Whatever happened to discreet, impliedromance? Your characters don’t have to hop in the sack androll around in night vision to excite viewers. Instead, why nothave a platonic couple experiment with self-tanner before takingoff for the club, or applying sunscreen before venturing outdoorsfor an adventure in the sun? The intimacy of rubbing eachother just the right way—without having to be lascivious aboutit—just might be the spark that ignites their relationship.

“Put on Your Sunscreen”“Put on Your Sunscreen”“Put on Your Sunscreen”“Put on Your Sunscreen”“Put on Your Sunscreen”: If you don’t have children of yourown, you probably have nieces, nephews or some othersignificant relationship with a child in your life. So do yourcharacters, and the child’s parents have to know that sun safetyis important. A mother reminding her son or daughter to “puton your sunscreen” is perfectly believable—might even addnagging tension—and will send the message to your audiencesthat people are doing it.

These days, there are many alternativeoptions to baking under the sun and fake

baking under the hot hum of fluoroscent tubes. Brody’s versionof professional spray tanning is only one of them. Here aresome others:

����� Tanning sprays Tanning sprays Tanning sprays Tanning sprays Tanning sprays contain the same ingredients as lotions, butenable lotion-averse beauties to apply the tanning pigments ina fine mist that is even less likely to streak.

����� Machine spray tanning Machine spray tanning Machine spray tanning Machine spray tanning Machine spray tanning is now available at prices that evennon-Oscar winners can afford. Through new technology,machines at sunless tanning salons can give anyone a full-bodyspray tan in under a minute, and for less than $15.

����� Tanning lotionsTanning lotionsTanning lotionsTanning lotionsTanning lotions, the old stand-by, have improved vastly,and now give smooth, non-streaked natural color when

Continued from page 1

Oscar Night

What was the big deal? Tanning is prevalent in Hollywood. But Brody’s was the most public secret of theevening: He was sporting a full-body, airbrushed-on tan, and it looked great. More importantly, mostspray-on tans are completely safe, having been approved by the FDA. This issue of Spotlight on…describesdifferent methods of tanning and their safeness, as well as some of the health problems—especiallymelanoma and other skin cancers—that may result from UV exposure.

properly applied. Products can be found in the most upscaleboutiques, but they contain the same active ingredients andproduce the same results as over-the-counter products soldat drugstores.

����� Sunscreens Sunscreens Sunscreens Sunscreens Sunscreens containing sunless tanners are now widelyavailable, darkening skin while people play out in the sun, safefrom potentially lethal UV radiation.

Sunless Tanning Safety

“Mystic” and “magic”tanning salons use amachine with airbrush-

type nozzles to spraydihydroxyacetadone (DHA)onto a person’s skin. DHA is acolorless sugar that interactswith skin cells, producing anatural-looking artificial tan

that lasts five to seven days.

Is DHA safe? The short answer is yes, but only on the con-dition that the chemical is applied properly. The FDA hasapproved DHA for application to skin, but specifies thatit should never come into contact with “the eyes, lips, ormucous membrane, be taken internally,or inhalated.”

One manufacturer of spray tanning booths indicates that“we suggest keeping the eyes closed during the mistingprocess, but there is nothing in the mist that is harmfulto the eyes.” Their website FAQ continues on to say that“we recommend that users keep their mouths closedduring the actual misting…because most individualswould prefer not to breathe in the mist even thoughthere is nothing in it that would cause any harm.” TheFDA clearly indicates otherwise.

Users of sunless tanning products and services are re-sponsible for their own safety, but should not be misledby manufacturers. While the long-term effects of DHAand other pigments are still being investigated, thesafest bet is to hand-apply high quality sunless tanninglotions and sprays.

The Dangers of UV ExposureThe Dangers of UV ExposureThe Dangers of UV ExposureThe Dangers of UV ExposureThe Dangers of UV Exposure• You can sunburn even on a cloudy day!• On average, children get 3 times more

exposure than adults!• Concrete, sand, water, and snow reflect

85% to 90% of the sun’s UV rays!

S unless tanning pills do not work and canbe very dangerous. These pills containcanthaxanthincanthaxanthincanthaxanthincanthaxanthincanthaxanthin, a color additive used in certain

foods. While the FDA approves the use of very smallamounts of canthaxanthin in food, it does not approvethe large quantities contained in tanning pills.Canthaxanthin can turn a person’s skin blotchy, andskin, eyes and even body fluids yellow-orange. It cancause pigment deposits in the eyes, which can leadto blindness. Liver damage is another possible result.

A l e r t !A l e r t !A l e r t !A l e r t !A l e r t !

It’s natural to enjoy all kinds of outdoor activities. We encourage your characters to besafe by following these sun-safety tips to help prevent serious skin damage—and possibly skin cancerand possibly skin cancerand possibly skin cancerand possibly skin cancerand possibly skin cancer—later.

Sun Safety Tips

EIC East1760 Reston Parkway, Suite 415Reston, VA 20190-3303v. (703)481-1414 f. (703)481-1418eiceast@eiconline.org

EIC West10635 Santa Monica Blvd.,Suite 100

Los Angeles, CA 90025-8300 v. (866)289-4347

eicwest@eiconline.org

• Keep in mind the sun is strongestbetween 10 am and 2 pm.

• Wear protective clothing when outside.

• Wear clothing that’s dark and tightly woven.

• Wear a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses.

• Remember that UV rays bounce off sand, snow,concrete, and water.

• Avoid using sun-tanning beds.

• Try to keep very young children (6 months or less)out of the sun.

• Sunscreens should be applied liberally and evenlyover all exposed areas (including neck, ears and lips).

• Attempt to apply a sunscreen with an SPF of 15 orhigher whenever you’re outdoors.

• For children, the SSA recommends sunscreen with anSPF 30 or higher.

• Sunscreen should be applied before going outdoorsand reapplied often, particularly after swimming,perspiring, and toweling off.

• For people with thin or thinning hair, sunscreenshould be applied to the scalp as well.

And remember to stay in the shade whenever possible!

FriendsFriendsFriendsFriendsFriends went there—that is, the show did a storyline aboutRoss’s experience with a spray tanning booth. If youcaught the show, you know that just five seconds worthof sunless tanning humor made a moment of TV history.

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