Band Played On

Roger Spottiswoodes’ powerful film And the Band Played On is one that delves into the serious issues of its time regarding a new, unknown disease, which is eventually labeled as Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). The film was successful in suppressing the stereotype that AIDS is strictly a gay man’s disease by presenting a new “truth about AIDS.” Through the use of scientific evidence and extensive research, the film was able to prove that AIDS is a disease which can be transmitted through blood transfusions and IV drug use. As an epidemic was quickly spreading among gay men in San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York City, scientists and doctors from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) worked together in hopes of uncovering the cause of this mysterious illness, later identified as AIDS. Assumptions within the biomedical model are exhibited consistently throughout the film when the …show more content…
This implication corresponds with the assumption of scientism, as included in the biomedical model, in that there is a wide held belief that “science is the truth” (Whelan, 2014e). When discussing possible causes for the disease among members of the CDC, one of the main questions asked in regards to information presented was “do you think this or do you know it?” This question was continuously asked with the insinuation that if the presented idea could not be scientifically proven with factual evidence, the information was useless as people would not pay attention to or believe in these findings. Specifically, this issue is demonstrated when members of the CDC expressed concern that the nation’s blood supply may be contaminated from donors with AIDS, yet since they were unable to provide scientific evidence, blood bank executives did not find it beneficial or necessary to test and monitor the nation’s blood