In the film The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2, sequel to the 2005 hit The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, Amber Tamblyn reprises her role as Tibby, a rebellious young woman who struggles with the realities of what it means to become an adult.
We caught up with the Planned Parenthood Federation of America Board of Advocates member to ask her about Tibby, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2, and getting educated about sex.
What do you think makes The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants story so appealing to teens?
Amber Tamblyn (AT): This film focuses primarily on the good aspects of friendship and life in general. It doesn't really linger or delve too deeply into the sometimes more realistic and difficult things we have to face as young adults. This is a fantasy film about friendship that borders on most truthful realities.
How has your character changed since we last saw her?
AT: She's gotten worse, in a funny way. That sounds awful I know, but it is strangely beautiful to watch someone who deals with her insecurities and self-doubt through humor and vulnerability. I think some of the best sequels ever made are the ones where the characters don't change. Where the audience picks them up right where they were in the first film, and they get to watch the character's journey from there.
Your character, Tibby, has a pregnancy scare in the movie. Do you think the film could have done more to educate its fans about safer sex and emergency contraception?
AT: Absolutely. But that's not my place, as the actor, to decide. There was a scene in the film where Tibby goes to a Planned Parenthood [health center], but it was cut. I personally think it needed to be in there to justify a lot of things about Tibby's behavior, but alas it was cut. The good news is that I am here giving this interview and hopefully helping someone, anyone, to not go the same route that she did — avoiding comprehensive answers to her pregnancy scare.
A lot of young women and men in America learn about sex from movies and television shows. Do you think the entertainment industry has a responsibility to educate viewers about safer sex?
AT: Yes. I think the entertainment industry shows sex in two different ways: dangerous or not at all.
What are your views on sex education?
AT: I think education leads to better and smarter choices when it comes to having sex or even giving your friends advice about sex. I think for the appropriate age, it is incredibly valuable. I plan to be open with my kids about sex and not instill sexual fear in them at an early age. I want to trust them to be smart enough to make their own decisions. That's how my parents raised me and it definitely worked.
You've made two trips to Washington, DC, on behalf of Planned Parenthood to lobby members of Congress to keep birth control affordable. Why is this issue so important to you?
AT: Everyone — male or female — is affected by affordable birth control and whether or not we have it. Without it, abortion will be on the rise, along with a lot of other things that no one wants. Birth control is basic health care stuff and is not just used to prevent pregnancy. I'm on birth control because it regulates my cycles. I've met girls who take it for everything from menstrual cramps to acne prevention. I want more people to understand this — it ain't all about sex!
Why do you take so much time out of your busy schedule to be a public face for Planned Parenthood?
AT: No one — and I mean no one — has more comprehensive choices for health care than Planned Parenthood. Planned Parenthood is truly a divine gift for us all.
