For this project surveys have been taken in Southern California at Cal State Fullerton, in Northern California at University of the Pacific, and in a Southern California High School. There were a total of 109 surveys given and answered. It was interesting to see the results for these three different locations. It can be seen that sexuality can go in various directions from sex and gender to being sexually active. It was done like this because it said that in Northern California the view on homosexuals and homosexual relationships are more accepted than here in Southern California.
The results varied a lot, starting with the sexuality sex survey done in all three locations. All 109 participants said to be heterosexual, the ages ranged between 15 to 26 and over. Taking this survey were 57 males and only 52 females. With the sexual questions asked on this survey many responded that their first sexual intercourse encounter was when they were between the ages of 13 to 18. It was the teenage years, as it can be seen times have changed a lot. Before individuals did not have sex until marriage. The question may be, “why are teenagers having sex at such a young age?,” it might because of peer pressure, to show that they are grown up, or simply to experience what sex is. In the survey done in a high school class of 32, 17 of those students answered that they had had sex between 13-18 years of age. For these teenagers it is experiencing and performing oral sex since 27 out of 32 have given or received oral from their partners. It is shown that teenagers like to perform sex more aggressively as it results that 26 out of 32 like to have sex in a violent and rough matter. What ever happened to the sweet, gentle touch you ask? It seems that all of that is now left to be done by the young adults and adults in their early twenties. Although high school teenagers are highly sexuality active they have responded that they do regret having sex with the first person they ever slept with. Lets now compare Northern California to Southern California. In this case results were about the same, one of the questions was whether a person had more than one orgasm per day; well, the results show that certainly there were more people that said yes rather than no. It was 13 out of 25 in NorthCal and 33 out of 52 in SoCal. Another questions was whether a person fantasized about having sex with another person of the same sex in both locations it was interesting to see that the ones that answered yes were females. Of course it has been heard that males enjoy watching these types of actions, but do females really enjoy this type of behavior? With this then the question is are you willing to have group sex, 5 out 25 in NorthCal said that they sure would because they have done. On the other hand, in SoCal 5 out of 52 individuals have performed group sex. What was the cause of all this, of having to regret sleeping with someone, of having sex with more than one partner in one night? Could it be that individuals have had sex while being intoxicated? The survey shows that in NorthCal 17 out of 25 individuals had sex while being intoxicated and 25 out 52 in SoCal. These numbers are a little more than have of the individuals surveyed.
Another survey was given out in Southern California in which there were only 25 participants. The questions on this survey now were based on sexual orientation. There were ten males, fourteen females, and one individual that decided not to answer. The ages were between sixteen to thirty and one person older than thirty. With four main ethnic backgrounds individuals responded to how they identified with their sexual orientation. Answers included, straight as an arrow, haven’t experienced it, some answers showed doubt, and others simply stated that they were dating the opposite sex and that is how they identified with their sexual orientation. In terms of whether or not homosexual behavior affects society many people responded in saying that it affects more the older generations. Stating that we make a big deal and often times judge those that have a different sexual orientation. Is it because we were taught to see this issue with a negative lenses or is this really the way we feel? Although for many young adults it does not affect them personally, unless there is someone in the family with this situation. One participant said that it does affect her/him because members of the family are gay and it causes the family to be in a situation where they begin to separate. When asking what the view on same sex sexuality there were different responses, a few said that they don’t mind, it is their sexuality, it is what God intended it to be, they support it, others said that it is wrong and are fully against it. A lot of individuals responded that many young kids are having sex unprotected and are running a risk of catching one of the many diseases out there, when asked about their thoughts on a person being sexually active. Many said that it should be done with responsibilities and base it to whether a person is ready or not. Another question was what a person thought society’s views on same sex sexuality was and many responded that it should be accepted and tolerated.
An interview with a young Hispanic man age 17 was done to see his thoughts on sexuality was also done.
I asked how he defined his sexuality in terms of being straight or gay.
He immediately answered, that he loves girls and that he would never be consider gay, that it is not accepted in his culture and within his family. He said that masculinity is what defines many men in his family and that he has to keep it always.
The next question I asked was, what are your thoughts on homosexual relationships?
With a face of disgust he said that, gay couples should not be allowed. “Men are born to get women and that’s it, it is not to be a man with a man.” I then asked what he thought about lesbian couples. He answered with a more general response and what most men would probably say. “It’s hot when two girls make out especially if they are fine.”
I said, for you it is all right to see two women together, but it is not okay to see two men together?
He responds, “Yes, it is very different when it comes to the lesbian girls. It would be a guy’s fantasy to be with two girls like that.”
With that we moved on to the next question, which was, “when was the first time you had sex? Why did you have sex?”
The young teen thought about it for a little bit and then answered, “I was fourteen when I first had sex it was with my first girlfriend. I had sex because I wanted to experience what sex was like. I didn’t know what to expect, but my father always told me that to be a man I had to sleep with as many women as I could.”
“With how many girls have you slept with and would you say that you have slept with girls just to show your masculinity?”
Giggling and starting to count with his fingers he said, “With more than my fingers can count, it was been over ten. Yeah I think so, my friends and I are always telling each other that we can have sex with any girl we want to and prove it.”
I asked him, if the girls were girlfriends, friends, or just girls he met in one night. If he used protection with any of these girls and he said that most of the time he did not. He did not think about what the consequences could be. He stated that many of the girls he had sex with were just friends.
Moving to female sexuality I asked, “How do you see the opposite sex?”
Thinking about it for a few seconds, he said, “girls are sweet, but they are naive they will believe what any guy will tell them. They are not strong like men are, that is why men are the ones in power and in control.”
“How would you describe the female figure?”
“I would say, that women are beautiful, but a real female figure has to be gorgeous. Have a pretty face, a nice body, that all the other guys would want to have that girl, when it comes to that you know that you have to take her to bed with you.”
With this I concluded my interview, with these questions answered it shows that teenage boys are only looking for sex in girls and giving girls the label of being easy, of being bitches and hoes. Men often time just seek the companionship of a female for their simple pleasure. Many men like this young man accept woman-woman relationships but do not tolerate men-men relationships because they feel great disgust.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Literature Reviews Continued
“Queer Studies in the House of Anthropology”
Author: Tom Boellstorff
Source: Annual Review of Anthropology 36 (2007): 17-35
The author examines anthropological research on sexuality, focusing on work addressing lesbian women, gay men, and transgendered persons. Since 1993, anthropological work has increased on female nonnormative sexualities (including work on women identifying as “lesbian”), forms of transgenderism, and the study of normative sexualities (women and men identifying as “heterosexual”). Bellstorff explains that the publication of Inventing Lesbian Cultures in America (Lewin 1996) and Female Desires (Blackwood and Wieringa 1999) marked a new phase in the anthropology of female nonnormative sexualities, and that such work has contributed enormously to understandings of how sexualities are shaped by cultural conceptions of female embodiment. Research on forms of transgenderism has also provided important insights into how the broad category “transgender” is lived in particular historical and cultural contexts. In addition to these topics, anthropological work on normative heterosexualities had appeared, addressing topics ranging from romantic love, masculinity, and sexualized female-male relations at work and home. Much of this research was drawn from and inspired by feminist anthropological works. All of these works and research has provided insights on the place of sexuality in the human journey.
“Sexuality, Culture, and Power in HIV/AIDS Research.”
Author: Richard Parker
Source: Annual Review of Anthropology 30 (2001): 163-179
This article examines the development of anthropological research in response to AIDS. Richard Parker begins by clarifying that by the late 1980’s, work by anthropologists began to raise the importance of cultural systems in shaping sexual practices relevant to HIV transmission and prevention. New emphasis was placed on the urgent need for more adequate, current data on the nature of sexual behavior in order to help prevent the spread of HIV and AIDS. Most of these studies aimed to collect data on numbers of sexual partners, frequency of different sexual partners, and previous experience with other sexually transmitted diseases. Parker states that the primary goal was to point the way for prevention policies and intervention programs designed to reduce behaviors associated with increased risk for HIV infection. Since the start of the 1990’s, it has become evident that structural, political, and economic factors shape sexual experience in addition to cultural factors. Parker concludes by saying that although anthropologists were rather slow to respond to the initial impact of the HIV/ AIDS epidemic, their “perspectives have taken a leading role in defining what have been perhaps the most important alternative currents of social research in response to AIDS.”
“Sexuality Studies in Archaeology”
Author: Barbara L. Voss
Source: Annual Review of Anthropology 37 (2008): 317-336
This article discusses the connections between archaeological artifacts and early sexuality aspects of humankind. Barbara Voss says a growing body of archaeological research on sexuality demonstrates that the sexual politics of the past were as richly varied and complex as those of the present. Most research has clustered into five groupings: reproduction management, sexual representations, sexual identities, prostitution, and the sexual politics of institutions. Voss also explains that biological reproduction, which is necessary to the survival of the species, is commonly understood to be one of the most universal, “natural” aspects of human sexuality. However, for most primates, including hominids, reproduction comprises a relatively small aspect of sexual activities and relationships. Because sexual activities include a wide variety of nonreproductive behaviors, “sexuality is more appropriately viewed as a learned source for the exploration of pleasure, power, and sociality.” On a different note, Voss says that there is good evidence that communities in many parts of the world produced various material devices for enhancing or repressing sexual reproduction, from 5,000 BP onward. This included plant-based medicines and tools used in abortions. The journey to uncover more about the sexual past and behaviors of humans and other primates continues and plays a major role in discovering what has or hasn’t changed.
Author: Tom Boellstorff
Source: Annual Review of Anthropology 36 (2007): 17-35
The author examines anthropological research on sexuality, focusing on work addressing lesbian women, gay men, and transgendered persons. Since 1993, anthropological work has increased on female nonnormative sexualities (including work on women identifying as “lesbian”), forms of transgenderism, and the study of normative sexualities (women and men identifying as “heterosexual”). Bellstorff explains that the publication of Inventing Lesbian Cultures in America (Lewin 1996) and Female Desires (Blackwood and Wieringa 1999) marked a new phase in the anthropology of female nonnormative sexualities, and that such work has contributed enormously to understandings of how sexualities are shaped by cultural conceptions of female embodiment. Research on forms of transgenderism has also provided important insights into how the broad category “transgender” is lived in particular historical and cultural contexts. In addition to these topics, anthropological work on normative heterosexualities had appeared, addressing topics ranging from romantic love, masculinity, and sexualized female-male relations at work and home. Much of this research was drawn from and inspired by feminist anthropological works. All of these works and research has provided insights on the place of sexuality in the human journey.
“Sexuality, Culture, and Power in HIV/AIDS Research.”
Author: Richard Parker
Source: Annual Review of Anthropology 30 (2001): 163-179
This article examines the development of anthropological research in response to AIDS. Richard Parker begins by clarifying that by the late 1980’s, work by anthropologists began to raise the importance of cultural systems in shaping sexual practices relevant to HIV transmission and prevention. New emphasis was placed on the urgent need for more adequate, current data on the nature of sexual behavior in order to help prevent the spread of HIV and AIDS. Most of these studies aimed to collect data on numbers of sexual partners, frequency of different sexual partners, and previous experience with other sexually transmitted diseases. Parker states that the primary goal was to point the way for prevention policies and intervention programs designed to reduce behaviors associated with increased risk for HIV infection. Since the start of the 1990’s, it has become evident that structural, political, and economic factors shape sexual experience in addition to cultural factors. Parker concludes by saying that although anthropologists were rather slow to respond to the initial impact of the HIV/ AIDS epidemic, their “perspectives have taken a leading role in defining what have been perhaps the most important alternative currents of social research in response to AIDS.”
“Sexuality Studies in Archaeology”
Author: Barbara L. Voss
Source: Annual Review of Anthropology 37 (2008): 317-336
This article discusses the connections between archaeological artifacts and early sexuality aspects of humankind. Barbara Voss says a growing body of archaeological research on sexuality demonstrates that the sexual politics of the past were as richly varied and complex as those of the present. Most research has clustered into five groupings: reproduction management, sexual representations, sexual identities, prostitution, and the sexual politics of institutions. Voss also explains that biological reproduction, which is necessary to the survival of the species, is commonly understood to be one of the most universal, “natural” aspects of human sexuality. However, for most primates, including hominids, reproduction comprises a relatively small aspect of sexual activities and relationships. Because sexual activities include a wide variety of nonreproductive behaviors, “sexuality is more appropriately viewed as a learned source for the exploration of pleasure, power, and sociality.” On a different note, Voss says that there is good evidence that communities in many parts of the world produced various material devices for enhancing or repressing sexual reproduction, from 5,000 BP onward. This included plant-based medicines and tools used in abortions. The journey to uncover more about the sexual past and behaviors of humans and other primates continues and plays a major role in discovering what has or hasn’t changed.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Historical Context: Sexual Revolution of the 1960s and Homosexuality
The 1960s are seen as the era of sexual exploration and the start to the change in our society’s attitudes towards sexual behavior. After the Kinsey reports, sexuality was something more people began to explore, women especially were not afraid to go outside the norm. The results of the Kinsey report showed that homosexuality, extramarital sex,and other previously “forbidden” sexual acts were more commonly practiced. These new ideas caused a sexual liberation and many were no longer living by “society standards.”
Birth control became a popular and the idea and fear of pre-marital childbirth eased. Women began exploring their bodies and desires. The pill was seen as a symbol of the Sexual revolution. Feminist movements combined with important Literature such as Betty Freidan’s Feminine Mystique helped change people concepts of the Woman’s role in relation to sex. In the Feminine Mystique Friedan addresses the issue of the domestic role of women in 1960's America and the feeling trapped feeling that goes along with it. Freidan believed that Women should not have to conform to the society ideas of a perfect housewife and should have and enjoy sex. Freidan’s book offered new insights into the idea of the domestic and sexual role of Women. (1)
Even in these moving times Homosexuality was seen as something horrible and corrupt. The men and women who were gay were seen as a threat to society, doctors even thought it was a mental illness. By establishing the homosexual community as mental, they were suppressed from being able to make social demands. The Florida Legislative Committee between 1956-1965 fought against the teachers in these schools. They sought to fire and rid of each homosexual teacher as a possible threat to the future of America. (2) By 1966 there were 15 gay organizations, and the gay liberation had begun; even though society did already not accept and understand homosexuality, the homosexual community still fought for their rights.
The stonewall riots are the main mark for the start of gay liberation and public awareness for gay liberation. These riots were a series of riots that took place against police in the city of New York City in Greenwich Village during the early hours of June 28th, 1969. The stonewall Inn was a popular bar that catered to the transgender community, gays, and drag queens. Police riots on gay bars were routine during this era, and after the stonewall riots these riots turned into a series of protests and riots for the few weeks following. For the weeks to come, many formed gay rights groups that worked towards establishing rights for the gay community. After the Stonewall riots, gays and lesbians in New York City face many challenges to becoming a respected group. Within six months, two gay activist organizations were formed in New York, and with the years to come groups formed throughout the nation that promoted gay activism. On June 28, 1970, the first Gay pride Marches took place in Los Angeles and New York in honor of the anniversary of the riots. (3)
1.Betty Friedan, Feminine Mystique,(Penguin Books 1963)pg. 91-105.
2.Stacy Braukman, ‘“Nothing Else Matters but Sex”: Cold War Narratives of Deviance and the Search for Lesbian Teachers in Florida, 1959-1963’, Feminist Studies 27(3), 2001, pp. 553-575,
3.Edsall, Nicholas (2003). Toward Stonewall: Homosexuality and Society in the Modern Western World, University of Virginia Press
Historical Context: The Kinsey Report
Alfred Kinsey, also known as the father of sexology; interest in sexuality began in 1938 when the Association of Women Students petitioned the university to offer a new course on marriage. Kinsey then coordinated the new course and even though it was popular Kinsey soon realized there was not much information on marriage and human sexuality. He started by interviewing his students for data but he quickly began interviewing more students outside of the university and in other cities. (1)
In 1941, Kinsey began researching the problems of sex after he was given a grant for research; and in 1948 he published a book “Sexual Behavior in the Human Male” which is more commonly known as the Kinsey report. This book was very popular as it tackled many hot-button sex-related topics many were to afraid to ask such as, homosexuality, extramarital sexuality, oral sex, masturbation, prostitution, and bisexuality. Kinsey focused on six different outlets to sexual orgasm: petting, nocturnal dreams, masturbation, heterosexual coitus, homosexual behaviors, and bestiality. He then related these forms of sexuality to socioeconomic variables such as education, age, marital status, occupation, and religion. (1)
Many were shocked to hear the results of his research, mainly when they heard the results of the women interviewed. In the study it stated that women were sexual human beings who respond to sexual situations; because the old myth was that women only engaged in sex for reproduction. Half the women interviewed admitted to having premarital sex and one-quarter to extra marital sex. (1)
Kinsey also presented shocking research on homosexuality. Kinsey found that a third of American males and 13% of females have had at least one same-sex orgasm experience by the age of 45. Moreover, 10% of males admitted to being predominantly homosexual for at least 3 years and 4% of white males considered themselves exclusively homosexual. These findings offered a new insight in the homosexual community and refuted the notion that homosexuality and heterosexuality are exclusive behaviors. (1)
Finally, Kinsey noted that a person’s sexuality could change over a period of time. Also he concluded that masturbation was widespread. He found 90% of males and 62% of females engaged in this behavior. Although the Kinsey report did mainly focus on upper-middle class whites, it did serve as a landmark of the study of sexuality in the United States and more relaxed attitudes towards sexuality. Kinsey’s findings are what began the sexual revelation. (1)
1. Stanley, Liz. Sex Surveyed 1949-1994. Taylor&Francis, 1995
Monday, December 7, 2009
MASS MEDIA ANALYSIS
MEDIA PERSPECTIVE OF SEX
Through my analysis of the mass media bombarding us everyday, I realized that there is never a shortage of material relating to sexuality. Why? Because “sex sells.”
But this is an oversimplification of sexuality in the media. Does all sex sell? While there are markets for pretty much any kind of sex you can think of, there is an obvious difference in the effects of male sexuality versus female sexuality. But why is there a difference? Do males and females have different views on sexuality? It is my understanding that culture affects this greatly. Because of societal norms, most females will not admit “impure” thoughts, while studies show that most females think about sex more than they’d like to admit. And, by association, sexuality aimed at females is a lot less covered than male-themed sex ads. Why is sexuality perceived as it is by today’s society? There are a number of reasons that factor into what sexuality has become: differing coverage on male and female sexuality, historical development of sex in the media, censorship restraints, public market for sex (sex selling), “artistic freedom,” and predictions of future trends.
MEDIA COVERAGE OF SEXUALITY
When you’re waiting in line at the grocery store and you see the magazine rack by the checkout, what magazines attract you? Depending on whether you’re male or female, the answer will probably differ. But this is partly because you notice a difference in the way each magazine portrays the different sexes. Cultural bias also affects your decision. While you may not think much of what’s on the cover, you’re begging to be judged if you purchase a magazine you’re not expected to buy. In almost any issue of any of the following magazines, you’ll find that this applies.
Women are often depicted as beautiful sex objects in magazines such as Maxim and Playboy that are intended for men and like-minded individuals. Even in primarily female-oriented magazines, such as Cosmo and Vogue, women are often depicted the same way – but in those cases, it’s generally for a different reason. In women’s magazines, females are depicted as sexy as well, but it’s not to attract girls sexually, it’s to appeal to the girls that want to look like the models in the magazine. They put the girls that men want to see on there and add in fashion and dietary tips to aid females in their quest for obtaining the perfect body.
Men are depicted in magazines quite differently, with few exceptions. Other than “dirty magazines” intended for women, which are generally the inverse of Maxim and Playboy, men are generally shown wearing much more clothing than women. It still appeals to the female because of how the model is looking (or not looking, in some cases) at the camera. In men’s magazines, such as Men’s Health and Sports Illustrated, males are very tame and the sexuality level for females is rather high (such as Sports Illustrated: Swimsuit Edition) because it still appeals to men, but it has a different focus that’s not just centered on sex. In the more sexual magazines, such as Playboy and Penthouse, men are shown very rarely at all in the entire magazine, because that’s generally not what males pay to see. And in female magazines, such as Women’s Health, men are featured just as rarely, while in Men’s Health, they still have suggestive female themes. In the female magazines that feature men on the cover and inside, they’re generally aimed at teen audiences, such as Teen Beat and Seventeen. They show a current heartthrob on the cover and feature in the magazine, “Dating tips from Johnny Depp,” or “What Zac Efron looks for in a girl.” The focus is less on how they themselves look, but more on how females are to attract them, because a women’s sexuality is often used as an effective instrument of power.
In other media outlets, such as radio, television, and film, it’s more of the same. Women are objectified sexually while men are strong, masculine, useful breadwinners.
If you look at commercials, most are male-appealing ads that use female sexuality to sell their product. Most people have seen Paris Hilton riding the bull and Audrina Patridge’s “bikini burger” ads for Carl’s Jr. Recently (as of December of 2009), there has been an M&M’s commercial that shows a female M&M (female because it has full, seductive lips, eye shadow and long eye lashes, and a sexually feminine voice) promoting new mint M&M’s. And after the spot, you see the other (male) M&M’s obviously turned on by the sexual power this female M&M has over them while talking about mint M&M’s. On the surface, this appeals to most people because of its humorous take on personifying M&M’s (which they’ve been doing for years) while also playing on real life stereotypes. While commercials generally mirror real life for comedic effect, it’s also an interesting way to look below the surface at how we really do see the world, as a culture. That same commercial with the sexy M&M would not be shown nor have the same effect in a culture dissimilar to ours, such as in the Middle East, where females are not regarded as having power over men. In other commercials aimed towards men, such as beer, sports, and sport drink commercials, the female is once again utilized for her sexual prowess. Beer goggles, a gag frequently used in beer commercials, are spectacles that a guy wears to make women appear more attractive – an effect that one supposedly has while intoxicated. It’s just another way to attract guys to buy their beer, for the hopeful purpose of maybe finding a woman more attractive after drinking the beer. Sports and sport drink commercials use similar marketing gimmicks, often showing women in sports gear, which appeals to men who like sports, thinking that this girl is perfect for them because they have a strong similar interest.
In sports themselves, females wear “sexier” clothing than their male counterparts – in the same sport. Soccer, for example, the female wears shorter shorts than the males. But the best example of this comes in the 1992 Penny Marshall film, A League of Their Own, starring Tom Hanks. The film is about the development and first female baseball league. And in it, the uniforms the baseball players are given are not too practical for the sport. They’re given a tight-fitting, almost sleeveless jersey with a mini-skirt instead of baseball pants (modeled on top of a dugout by a female who is obviously not an athlete). One of the players even asks, “How are we supposed to slide in that?” Needless to say, none of the ballplayers were happy in their given uniform, due to the feeling that they were there for male entertainment rather than their athletic talents.
Movie, television, and even radio programming also promote this kind of depiction, and are perhaps the most popular and powerful medium for it. It’s almost impossible for a girl that is not classically attractive to find a career in this industry, and as they age, their careers deteriorate. The ones that do make it beyond this point have established their mastery of talent in the craft of acting and achieve longevity for that reason. But if you’re a woman who can’t act, and still work in the business, you’ll be discarded as soon as your looks fade, unless you still make money for name value for a different reason. And there is such a double standard for this because a male actor can have a long and illustrious career and be appreciated for their talents, rather than looks. There are countless movies starring an actor who is not seen as classically good-looking, but there are very few movies headlined by a female who isn’t known for being a looker. But shows such as The O.C. and Gossip Girl – shows that appeal to both men and women, but mostly cater to women, have the same guidelines. The females must be sexy (acting chops rarely factors in) in order to attract audiences. Male-oriented shows, such as cop dramas and hospital shows, usually feature a grizzled-looking (often the age of an early middle-ager) male lead that may or may not be seen as “sexy,” but most of the supporting cast can look however they look, except for the female parts, which are generally cast by women that are still found attractive by most standards. No matter which audience you cater to, the guidelines for male and female sexuality is the same. The younger the audiences, the better looking the characters are for both sexes, but there is a higher demand that makes it almost mandatory to have at least one sexually attractive female character. Such a prerequisite doesn’t apply to male equivalents. Even radio shows like Howard Stern have a strong sexual influence on their programming. It’s a male-oriented program that is big on the objectification of women (a big controversy Stern has always had) and the power men have over them. Because of the vulgarity of the program and its popularity, his show is restricted to pay radio as to not offend casual listeners.
HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT
However, this wasn’t always so. This is a slow development that was started from the beginning of media. World events such as the sexual revolution and the liberation of women affected the guidelines accepted in depicting sexuality. The early days of the Golden Age and the silent film era, the business and the world in general was more conservative because they never had this powerful of a medium and they were afraid of the potential possibilities and the affect it can have on future generations. But back then, virtually anything seen as slightly offensive was banned and not shown. However, there was still a select audience that watched “smut,” sexual films that were pornographic equivalents back in the day. These were very private and not shown all over and were usually hard to find. But the standards in mainstream movies were very strict; females were not allowed to show what they’re allowed to show now – and that’s a very big understatement. If you watch films from that era that feature women, you’ll find that most of them would barely show any skin other than heads and hands and sometimes (but rarely) the necks. Any other skin was very taboo and would only be shown in appropriate context, such as swimming (where everyone still wore very conservative – by today’s standards – long, one-piece swimsuits), where it was okay to show more skin because everybody knows that’s what you would wear to go swimming.
But there was always a fascination in sex, no matter how taboo, as evidenced by the eventual leniency on censorship. Even in animation, there was a development that included a sexier image of cartoons. The early “Steamboat Willie” cartoons were soon competing with the first sexual cartoon image: Betty Boop. Sex in animation has been developed ever since and has become mainstream, though not explicitly, other than hentai, which is a Japanese word used to describe explicit sexuality through animation, basically cartoon porn. Other than hentai and American forms of it, the sexuality was mostly implied, such as feminized animated animals, like Jessica Rabbit from Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (1988) and the Cadbury Caramel Bunny. However, sex in animation has grown from a rather tame Betty Boop to what is now a peak fascination with animated porn. There is an audience for every sexual fetish, and one of which is the image of a (most of the time, innocent) animated character drawn in sexually explicit ways.
After the Golden Age and beyond animation, the 1950’s rolled around. Sexuality became a little less tame, although strict guidelines were placed on productions and severe consequences were paid for “artistic freedom.” If one were to sign a contract with a studio to make a motion picture, a clause was generally stated that prevented the use of a list of words or images. Heavy fines would penalize filmmakers who broke this clause and the censorship board would slap the film with an “X” rating (now NC-17), meaning only adults were allowed to see it, thus heavily restricting the audience that could see it and therefore making less money. On T.V., because it was “free,” there was a little more strictness in the guidelines for productions. In one particular case, the still popular (and first ever) sitcom (situation comedy) I Love Lucy, Lucy and Ricky, the married leads of the show, were relegated to sleep in separate beds on the show to satisfy television censorship bosses who didn’t want to imply any sort of sexual relationship. However, later on, standards relaxed and their two beds merged into one during the later seasons.
Nowadays, sexual promiscuity is commonplace on standard cable channels, such as VH-1’s The Girl Next Door and F/X’s Nip/Tuck. Shows like these and N.Y.P.D. Blue constantly push the envelope of what can be shows on basic broadcasting. This is partly due to what was going on in the world around them. During the 1960’s and 70’s, a sexual revolution came about and “free love” and women’s liberation became popular and standards of sexuality changed drastically. While still taboo, censors were a lot more relaxed on what was able to be shown. Violence, language, sex, and drugs were ever popular during this period, and got more so down the line. Violent movies such as Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho (1960) became tame compared to Friday the 13th (1980), which in turn became tame compared to Scream (1996), Wes Craven’s popular horror trilogy. There is a growth in each of these movies on how violent is violent, how much sex is too much sex, and what can or can’t be shown. Each movie is increasingly gory but each was considered by many to be too gory for its time. As this trend continues parallel to the sex, language, and drugs trend, modern audiences become desensitized because they are exposed to too much that is considered inappropriate for the sake of entertainment.
CENSORSHIP
In the early days of Hollywood, as explained above, there was very strict censorship. Studios were provided with a list, given to them by censors, which were past on to the filmmakers, that stated everything that they were not allowed to put or say on screen. According to The Making Of “It’s a Wonderful Life (1946),” the said movie was given a list of words that seem rather tame for today’s standards, such as “darn” and “lousy.” Women’s dress as well in the early days was a big issue, for women that dressed too “trashy,” was just distracting and “asking for trouble.” It was a more conservative time where sexuality was deemed unfit and too taboo to even talk about. Although standards had lightened up considerably in the 1950’s, too much skin was still out of the question and sexuality/nudity in film was almost nonexistent unless you sought it out from pornographic movies.
Censorship led to the beginning of sexual innuendo – what they could say and get away with because nothing was explicitly stated, just implied. Censors caught on fast, and restricted what they could, but since innuendo was inferred, there was very little they could do about it. Because of this, subtle sexual innuendo was often utilized, such as Lauren Bacall’s famous line to Humphrey Bogart in To Have and Have Not (1944), “You remember how to whistle, don’t you? Just put your lips together…and blow.” Innuendo became popular quickly and is still utilized today.
Censorship has become extremely lax in today’s entertainment world all across the board: magazines, television, movies, advertising, etc. What used to be inappropriate (and still considered by some to be) is now commonplace and often the most effective way to sell a product or obtain an audience. Now, because of the creation of rating systems (which applies to television, movies, and video games, as well as “parental advisory” for harsh lyrics in music) and the MPAA, the censors don’t have to work as hard to prevent something from appearing on screen. Instead, the more questionable material that appear in the final product, the higher the rating will be, giving audiences an idea of what to expect in the media beforehand, and parents a chance to screen anything they don’t want their children to see. Censorship is a great and helpful tool that keeps the integrity of the art, as well as providing a warning to those who don’t want to be subjected to certain material.
SEX SELLS
We all know sex sells, as far as revenue goes for advertisers. At least, this is what I’ve come to find. If it didn’t, we wouldn’t be seeing as much of it in the mass media. From the looks of it, it always has. Because by the same reasoning, sexuality wouldn’t have blown up as it has and standards would likely be as they were if sex didn’t appeal to general audiences. Sex is and always has been a taboo subject, and people are fascinated by the mystery of the unknown.
However, is it only female sexuality that sells? Of course, there is a market for male sexuality, but it is fairly limited to those seeking male sexuality. For men, female sexuality comes at them. Men are rarely used as sex objects and even female-oriented ads such as Victoria’s Secret feature scantily-clad models to sell underwear. While there are male heartthrobs as well, and always has been, they’re generally dressed nicely to show off how “gentlemanly” and distinguished they are, such as Cary Grant, Sean Connery, Paul Newman, Robert Redford Harrison Ford, Mel Gibson, Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Johnny Depp, rather than barely clothed to show how sexy they are – and they’re not nearly as publicized. For females on the other hand, sexuality is key to beauty. Through the years, sex goddesses like Greta Garbo, Rita Hayworth, Raquel Welch, Marilyn Monroe, Madonna, Britney Spears, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Angelina Jolie, and Megan Fox, among many others. All of which used their sexuality, not their lady-like charm, to become who they were. All of which had enormous sex appeal that they used to their advantage. Men are rarely the object of sexual desire in movies unless it’s intended to be in a comedic effect because of the reversal of roles. In other words, most movies where guys are the sex object are comedies. The few exceptions usually include where women are being sexual desires as well as men, in the same movie.
This is all because it’s a male-dominated business with male-themed programming. Because of this, women are seen as sex objects and men are rare-to-never seen as such. This isn’t to say that it doesn’t ever happen, but it could in part be because women don’t respond as much to male sexuality. Whether or not females feel the same way about sex as men do, the fact is they don’t show it and therefore advertising doesn’t throw these kinds of ads their way very often. If all of a sudden it showed that male sexuality was a big driving factor in marketing, you would be seeing a lot more of it, because money is money and it talks. As of now, however, there are more guys who’d rather not see these kinds of ads than females who do. Therefore, advertisers are trying to please the majority. This also begs the question, is showing skin the only way for females to get ahead? The answer is no. But it’s extremely hard to break into this sexually-charged business otherwise, where “casting couch” sessions, “private meetings” with aspiring actresses and male big-wigs, are common. While directors who cast females that aren’t considered attractive aren’t uncommon, they’re usually regulated to smaller supporting parts, sometimes for comedic effect, other times for the “friend” role of the main character, which is usually played by somebody good-looking. Showing skin is definitely the quickest way in for aspiring actresses and there are many that know this and break into the biz that way. Because many actresses worth their salt are unwilling to do scenes which require nudity, producers and directors are free to cast unknown women aspiring to be actresses in such parts, even if their talent is less than par. This is usually why you see actresses without talent having careers, because they’re willing to take off their clothes. This is not to say that all women who take off their clothes are bad actresses or all who maintain a clean image mean their classy or even good actresses, but to break into the business, productions are always looking for women who are willing to take off their clothes (because sex sells) and there are several parts available that require this. And since most name actresses won’t accept those parts, new actresses have a better chance at nabbing it.
Hip-hop videos are also a key factor in how sex sells. Why are the girls in these videos almost always scantily-clad when it generally has no bearing on the video itself? Usually, these women are there purely for the sex appeal so audiences watch the whole video and ideally buy the album it’s promoting. In the movie, Tropic Thunder (2008), the sexuality in hip-hop music videos is parodied by fictional rapper “Alpa Chino,” who sings a song based on an energy drink he’s promoting, called “Booty Sweat.” These stereotypes are made relevant because they parody real-life music videos to such rappers as Sisqo, Snoop Dogg, Ludacris, Nelly, etc. In the fascinating documentary, Hip-Hop: Beyond Beats & Rhymes (2006), filmmaker Byron Hurt interviews many hip-hop artists who argue that the sexual superiority men have to project highly affect the images and lyrics in the hip-hop industry. They have to prove to be men, projecting strict heterosexuality for the sake of getting ridiculed by their peers in the “hood,” because “that’s just how it is” there. It’s very unforgiving for anything less than masculine because it’s potentially dangerous to be seen as anything less. If you are, your peers are to be distanced from you for fear of suffering the same ridicule or potential violence. And part of being “masculine” is to demean women and become sexually superior.
STATE OF SEXUALITY IN THE MEDIA
The current trend has been the more sex the better, as sexuality raises controversy, and therefore raises publicity, which therefore raises numbers. One can only speculate as to where the trends will go in the future. It would be an unsafe assumption to assume that we’re heading backwards, however. From the beginning, there was always a curious interest in sexuality – probably because it was so taboo. From Marlene Deitrich to Beyonce and from Clark Gable to Robert Pattinson, the future figures to delve more into sexuality. We live in a more liberal nation now, and the curiosity in sexuality is more active now than ever, due to the increasing popularity and exposure to the topic and the lessening taboo due to more open-minded acceptance of such thoughts. There is still a lot of sexuality to be explored without censorship, and the basic trend has been less and less censorship. There may also be a difference in the ways guys and girls are covered in the media. Perhaps there will be a trend in the future which makes it fashionable for men to be sexual objects and females to be accepted as males are currently, although there are no signs of such. It’s another chicken and the egg question. Is sexuality perceived by the media or the consumer? Who created this image of men and women that we see? They both blame each other, but culture is shaped by the way we live our life and the media undeniably has a vast effect on it. For better or worse, we’re headed in the direction of opening the floodgates of sexuality. We’ve still a lot to learn and only time will tell whether or not sexuality will be fully accepted within the media world.
Through my analysis of the mass media bombarding us everyday, I realized that there is never a shortage of material relating to sexuality. Why? Because “sex sells.”
But this is an oversimplification of sexuality in the media. Does all sex sell? While there are markets for pretty much any kind of sex you can think of, there is an obvious difference in the effects of male sexuality versus female sexuality. But why is there a difference? Do males and females have different views on sexuality? It is my understanding that culture affects this greatly. Because of societal norms, most females will not admit “impure” thoughts, while studies show that most females think about sex more than they’d like to admit. And, by association, sexuality aimed at females is a lot less covered than male-themed sex ads. Why is sexuality perceived as it is by today’s society? There are a number of reasons that factor into what sexuality has become: differing coverage on male and female sexuality, historical development of sex in the media, censorship restraints, public market for sex (sex selling), “artistic freedom,” and predictions of future trends.
MEDIA COVERAGE OF SEXUALITY
When you’re waiting in line at the grocery store and you see the magazine rack by the checkout, what magazines attract you? Depending on whether you’re male or female, the answer will probably differ. But this is partly because you notice a difference in the way each magazine portrays the different sexes. Cultural bias also affects your decision. While you may not think much of what’s on the cover, you’re begging to be judged if you purchase a magazine you’re not expected to buy. In almost any issue of any of the following magazines, you’ll find that this applies.
Women are often depicted as beautiful sex objects in magazines such as Maxim and Playboy that are intended for men and like-minded individuals. Even in primarily female-oriented magazines, such as Cosmo and Vogue, women are often depicted the same way – but in those cases, it’s generally for a different reason. In women’s magazines, females are depicted as sexy as well, but it’s not to attract girls sexually, it’s to appeal to the girls that want to look like the models in the magazine. They put the girls that men want to see on there and add in fashion and dietary tips to aid females in their quest for obtaining the perfect body.
Men are depicted in magazines quite differently, with few exceptions. Other than “dirty magazines” intended for women, which are generally the inverse of Maxim and Playboy, men are generally shown wearing much more clothing than women. It still appeals to the female because of how the model is looking (or not looking, in some cases) at the camera. In men’s magazines, such as Men’s Health and Sports Illustrated, males are very tame and the sexuality level for females is rather high (such as Sports Illustrated: Swimsuit Edition) because it still appeals to men, but it has a different focus that’s not just centered on sex. In the more sexual magazines, such as Playboy and Penthouse, men are shown very rarely at all in the entire magazine, because that’s generally not what males pay to see. And in female magazines, such as Women’s Health, men are featured just as rarely, while in Men’s Health, they still have suggestive female themes. In the female magazines that feature men on the cover and inside, they’re generally aimed at teen audiences, such as Teen Beat and Seventeen. They show a current heartthrob on the cover and feature in the magazine, “Dating tips from Johnny Depp,” or “What Zac Efron looks for in a girl.” The focus is less on how they themselves look, but more on how females are to attract them, because a women’s sexuality is often used as an effective instrument of power.
In other media outlets, such as radio, television, and film, it’s more of the same. Women are objectified sexually while men are strong, masculine, useful breadwinners.
If you look at commercials, most are male-appealing ads that use female sexuality to sell their product. Most people have seen Paris Hilton riding the bull and Audrina Patridge’s “bikini burger” ads for Carl’s Jr. Recently (as of December of 2009), there has been an M&M’s commercial that shows a female M&M (female because it has full, seductive lips, eye shadow and long eye lashes, and a sexually feminine voice) promoting new mint M&M’s. And after the spot, you see the other (male) M&M’s obviously turned on by the sexual power this female M&M has over them while talking about mint M&M’s. On the surface, this appeals to most people because of its humorous take on personifying M&M’s (which they’ve been doing for years) while also playing on real life stereotypes. While commercials generally mirror real life for comedic effect, it’s also an interesting way to look below the surface at how we really do see the world, as a culture. That same commercial with the sexy M&M would not be shown nor have the same effect in a culture dissimilar to ours, such as in the Middle East, where females are not regarded as having power over men. In other commercials aimed towards men, such as beer, sports, and sport drink commercials, the female is once again utilized for her sexual prowess. Beer goggles, a gag frequently used in beer commercials, are spectacles that a guy wears to make women appear more attractive – an effect that one supposedly has while intoxicated. It’s just another way to attract guys to buy their beer, for the hopeful purpose of maybe finding a woman more attractive after drinking the beer. Sports and sport drink commercials use similar marketing gimmicks, often showing women in sports gear, which appeals to men who like sports, thinking that this girl is perfect for them because they have a strong similar interest.
In sports themselves, females wear “sexier” clothing than their male counterparts – in the same sport. Soccer, for example, the female wears shorter shorts than the males. But the best example of this comes in the 1992 Penny Marshall film, A League of Their Own, starring Tom Hanks. The film is about the development and first female baseball league. And in it, the uniforms the baseball players are given are not too practical for the sport. They’re given a tight-fitting, almost sleeveless jersey with a mini-skirt instead of baseball pants (modeled on top of a dugout by a female who is obviously not an athlete). One of the players even asks, “How are we supposed to slide in that?” Needless to say, none of the ballplayers were happy in their given uniform, due to the feeling that they were there for male entertainment rather than their athletic talents.
Movie, television, and even radio programming also promote this kind of depiction, and are perhaps the most popular and powerful medium for it. It’s almost impossible for a girl that is not classically attractive to find a career in this industry, and as they age, their careers deteriorate. The ones that do make it beyond this point have established their mastery of talent in the craft of acting and achieve longevity for that reason. But if you’re a woman who can’t act, and still work in the business, you’ll be discarded as soon as your looks fade, unless you still make money for name value for a different reason. And there is such a double standard for this because a male actor can have a long and illustrious career and be appreciated for their talents, rather than looks. There are countless movies starring an actor who is not seen as classically good-looking, but there are very few movies headlined by a female who isn’t known for being a looker. But shows such as The O.C. and Gossip Girl – shows that appeal to both men and women, but mostly cater to women, have the same guidelines. The females must be sexy (acting chops rarely factors in) in order to attract audiences. Male-oriented shows, such as cop dramas and hospital shows, usually feature a grizzled-looking (often the age of an early middle-ager) male lead that may or may not be seen as “sexy,” but most of the supporting cast can look however they look, except for the female parts, which are generally cast by women that are still found attractive by most standards. No matter which audience you cater to, the guidelines for male and female sexuality is the same. The younger the audiences, the better looking the characters are for both sexes, but there is a higher demand that makes it almost mandatory to have at least one sexually attractive female character. Such a prerequisite doesn’t apply to male equivalents. Even radio shows like Howard Stern have a strong sexual influence on their programming. It’s a male-oriented program that is big on the objectification of women (a big controversy Stern has always had) and the power men have over them. Because of the vulgarity of the program and its popularity, his show is restricted to pay radio as to not offend casual listeners.
HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT
However, this wasn’t always so. This is a slow development that was started from the beginning of media. World events such as the sexual revolution and the liberation of women affected the guidelines accepted in depicting sexuality. The early days of the Golden Age and the silent film era, the business and the world in general was more conservative because they never had this powerful of a medium and they were afraid of the potential possibilities and the affect it can have on future generations. But back then, virtually anything seen as slightly offensive was banned and not shown. However, there was still a select audience that watched “smut,” sexual films that were pornographic equivalents back in the day. These were very private and not shown all over and were usually hard to find. But the standards in mainstream movies were very strict; females were not allowed to show what they’re allowed to show now – and that’s a very big understatement. If you watch films from that era that feature women, you’ll find that most of them would barely show any skin other than heads and hands and sometimes (but rarely) the necks. Any other skin was very taboo and would only be shown in appropriate context, such as swimming (where everyone still wore very conservative – by today’s standards – long, one-piece swimsuits), where it was okay to show more skin because everybody knows that’s what you would wear to go swimming.
But there was always a fascination in sex, no matter how taboo, as evidenced by the eventual leniency on censorship. Even in animation, there was a development that included a sexier image of cartoons. The early “Steamboat Willie” cartoons were soon competing with the first sexual cartoon image: Betty Boop. Sex in animation has been developed ever since and has become mainstream, though not explicitly, other than hentai, which is a Japanese word used to describe explicit sexuality through animation, basically cartoon porn. Other than hentai and American forms of it, the sexuality was mostly implied, such as feminized animated animals, like Jessica Rabbit from Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (1988) and the Cadbury Caramel Bunny. However, sex in animation has grown from a rather tame Betty Boop to what is now a peak fascination with animated porn. There is an audience for every sexual fetish, and one of which is the image of a (most of the time, innocent) animated character drawn in sexually explicit ways.
After the Golden Age and beyond animation, the 1950’s rolled around. Sexuality became a little less tame, although strict guidelines were placed on productions and severe consequences were paid for “artistic freedom.” If one were to sign a contract with a studio to make a motion picture, a clause was generally stated that prevented the use of a list of words or images. Heavy fines would penalize filmmakers who broke this clause and the censorship board would slap the film with an “X” rating (now NC-17), meaning only adults were allowed to see it, thus heavily restricting the audience that could see it and therefore making less money. On T.V., because it was “free,” there was a little more strictness in the guidelines for productions. In one particular case, the still popular (and first ever) sitcom (situation comedy) I Love Lucy, Lucy and Ricky, the married leads of the show, were relegated to sleep in separate beds on the show to satisfy television censorship bosses who didn’t want to imply any sort of sexual relationship. However, later on, standards relaxed and their two beds merged into one during the later seasons.
Nowadays, sexual promiscuity is commonplace on standard cable channels, such as VH-1’s The Girl Next Door and F/X’s Nip/Tuck. Shows like these and N.Y.P.D. Blue constantly push the envelope of what can be shows on basic broadcasting. This is partly due to what was going on in the world around them. During the 1960’s and 70’s, a sexual revolution came about and “free love” and women’s liberation became popular and standards of sexuality changed drastically. While still taboo, censors were a lot more relaxed on what was able to be shown. Violence, language, sex, and drugs were ever popular during this period, and got more so down the line. Violent movies such as Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho (1960) became tame compared to Friday the 13th (1980), which in turn became tame compared to Scream (1996), Wes Craven’s popular horror trilogy. There is a growth in each of these movies on how violent is violent, how much sex is too much sex, and what can or can’t be shown. Each movie is increasingly gory but each was considered by many to be too gory for its time. As this trend continues parallel to the sex, language, and drugs trend, modern audiences become desensitized because they are exposed to too much that is considered inappropriate for the sake of entertainment.
CENSORSHIP
In the early days of Hollywood, as explained above, there was very strict censorship. Studios were provided with a list, given to them by censors, which were past on to the filmmakers, that stated everything that they were not allowed to put or say on screen. According to The Making Of “It’s a Wonderful Life (1946),” the said movie was given a list of words that seem rather tame for today’s standards, such as “darn” and “lousy.” Women’s dress as well in the early days was a big issue, for women that dressed too “trashy,” was just distracting and “asking for trouble.” It was a more conservative time where sexuality was deemed unfit and too taboo to even talk about. Although standards had lightened up considerably in the 1950’s, too much skin was still out of the question and sexuality/nudity in film was almost nonexistent unless you sought it out from pornographic movies.
Censorship led to the beginning of sexual innuendo – what they could say and get away with because nothing was explicitly stated, just implied. Censors caught on fast, and restricted what they could, but since innuendo was inferred, there was very little they could do about it. Because of this, subtle sexual innuendo was often utilized, such as Lauren Bacall’s famous line to Humphrey Bogart in To Have and Have Not (1944), “You remember how to whistle, don’t you? Just put your lips together…and blow.” Innuendo became popular quickly and is still utilized today.
Censorship has become extremely lax in today’s entertainment world all across the board: magazines, television, movies, advertising, etc. What used to be inappropriate (and still considered by some to be) is now commonplace and often the most effective way to sell a product or obtain an audience. Now, because of the creation of rating systems (which applies to television, movies, and video games, as well as “parental advisory” for harsh lyrics in music) and the MPAA, the censors don’t have to work as hard to prevent something from appearing on screen. Instead, the more questionable material that appear in the final product, the higher the rating will be, giving audiences an idea of what to expect in the media beforehand, and parents a chance to screen anything they don’t want their children to see. Censorship is a great and helpful tool that keeps the integrity of the art, as well as providing a warning to those who don’t want to be subjected to certain material.
SEX SELLS
We all know sex sells, as far as revenue goes for advertisers. At least, this is what I’ve come to find. If it didn’t, we wouldn’t be seeing as much of it in the mass media. From the looks of it, it always has. Because by the same reasoning, sexuality wouldn’t have blown up as it has and standards would likely be as they were if sex didn’t appeal to general audiences. Sex is and always has been a taboo subject, and people are fascinated by the mystery of the unknown.
However, is it only female sexuality that sells? Of course, there is a market for male sexuality, but it is fairly limited to those seeking male sexuality. For men, female sexuality comes at them. Men are rarely used as sex objects and even female-oriented ads such as Victoria’s Secret feature scantily-clad models to sell underwear. While there are male heartthrobs as well, and always has been, they’re generally dressed nicely to show off how “gentlemanly” and distinguished they are, such as Cary Grant, Sean Connery, Paul Newman, Robert Redford Harrison Ford, Mel Gibson, Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Johnny Depp, rather than barely clothed to show how sexy they are – and they’re not nearly as publicized. For females on the other hand, sexuality is key to beauty. Through the years, sex goddesses like Greta Garbo, Rita Hayworth, Raquel Welch, Marilyn Monroe, Madonna, Britney Spears, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Angelina Jolie, and Megan Fox, among many others. All of which used their sexuality, not their lady-like charm, to become who they were. All of which had enormous sex appeal that they used to their advantage. Men are rarely the object of sexual desire in movies unless it’s intended to be in a comedic effect because of the reversal of roles. In other words, most movies where guys are the sex object are comedies. The few exceptions usually include where women are being sexual desires as well as men, in the same movie.
This is all because it’s a male-dominated business with male-themed programming. Because of this, women are seen as sex objects and men are rare-to-never seen as such. This isn’t to say that it doesn’t ever happen, but it could in part be because women don’t respond as much to male sexuality. Whether or not females feel the same way about sex as men do, the fact is they don’t show it and therefore advertising doesn’t throw these kinds of ads their way very often. If all of a sudden it showed that male sexuality was a big driving factor in marketing, you would be seeing a lot more of it, because money is money and it talks. As of now, however, there are more guys who’d rather not see these kinds of ads than females who do. Therefore, advertisers are trying to please the majority. This also begs the question, is showing skin the only way for females to get ahead? The answer is no. But it’s extremely hard to break into this sexually-charged business otherwise, where “casting couch” sessions, “private meetings” with aspiring actresses and male big-wigs, are common. While directors who cast females that aren’t considered attractive aren’t uncommon, they’re usually regulated to smaller supporting parts, sometimes for comedic effect, other times for the “friend” role of the main character, which is usually played by somebody good-looking. Showing skin is definitely the quickest way in for aspiring actresses and there are many that know this and break into the biz that way. Because many actresses worth their salt are unwilling to do scenes which require nudity, producers and directors are free to cast unknown women aspiring to be actresses in such parts, even if their talent is less than par. This is usually why you see actresses without talent having careers, because they’re willing to take off their clothes. This is not to say that all women who take off their clothes are bad actresses or all who maintain a clean image mean their classy or even good actresses, but to break into the business, productions are always looking for women who are willing to take off their clothes (because sex sells) and there are several parts available that require this. And since most name actresses won’t accept those parts, new actresses have a better chance at nabbing it.
Hip-hop videos are also a key factor in how sex sells. Why are the girls in these videos almost always scantily-clad when it generally has no bearing on the video itself? Usually, these women are there purely for the sex appeal so audiences watch the whole video and ideally buy the album it’s promoting. In the movie, Tropic Thunder (2008), the sexuality in hip-hop music videos is parodied by fictional rapper “Alpa Chino,” who sings a song based on an energy drink he’s promoting, called “Booty Sweat.” These stereotypes are made relevant because they parody real-life music videos to such rappers as Sisqo, Snoop Dogg, Ludacris, Nelly, etc. In the fascinating documentary, Hip-Hop: Beyond Beats & Rhymes (2006), filmmaker Byron Hurt interviews many hip-hop artists who argue that the sexual superiority men have to project highly affect the images and lyrics in the hip-hop industry. They have to prove to be men, projecting strict heterosexuality for the sake of getting ridiculed by their peers in the “hood,” because “that’s just how it is” there. It’s very unforgiving for anything less than masculine because it’s potentially dangerous to be seen as anything less. If you are, your peers are to be distanced from you for fear of suffering the same ridicule or potential violence. And part of being “masculine” is to demean women and become sexually superior.
STATE OF SEXUALITY IN THE MEDIA
The current trend has been the more sex the better, as sexuality raises controversy, and therefore raises publicity, which therefore raises numbers. One can only speculate as to where the trends will go in the future. It would be an unsafe assumption to assume that we’re heading backwards, however. From the beginning, there was always a curious interest in sexuality – probably because it was so taboo. From Marlene Deitrich to Beyonce and from Clark Gable to Robert Pattinson, the future figures to delve more into sexuality. We live in a more liberal nation now, and the curiosity in sexuality is more active now than ever, due to the increasing popularity and exposure to the topic and the lessening taboo due to more open-minded acceptance of such thoughts. There is still a lot of sexuality to be explored without censorship, and the basic trend has been less and less censorship. There may also be a difference in the ways guys and girls are covered in the media. Perhaps there will be a trend in the future which makes it fashionable for men to be sexual objects and females to be accepted as males are currently, although there are no signs of such. It’s another chicken and the egg question. Is sexuality perceived by the media or the consumer? Who created this image of men and women that we see? They both blame each other, but culture is shaped by the way we live our life and the media undeniably has a vast effect on it. For better or worse, we’re headed in the direction of opening the floodgates of sexuality. We’ve still a lot to learn and only time will tell whether or not sexuality will be fully accepted within the media world.
Historical Context: Sigmund Freud
Sigmund Freud, the father of psychoanalysis, is most known for his ability to trace almost all issues back to one that is sexual. Sexual suppression was vastly growing during the 20th century, and most of Freud’s patients suffered from some form of sexual repression. Freud took these concerns and made theories and ideas that he applied to all human beings. Thus it was that he became convinced of the overwhelming importance of the sex drive, both in shaping personality and psychological dysfunction. Freud had very complex theories all that were driven by the libido. (1)
To begin with, he stated his idea that all human beings come into the world as potential bisexuals. And he theorized that our first sensations were oral. This oral stage lasts til the child is 18 months old, and is characterized by the infant's use of the lips and mouth; how a child will put anything in the mouth and sucking and biting are their favorite things. As a toddler, the child entered into the anal phase, from ages 18 months to 3 or 4, where the emphasis was on the sensations of the anus, holding it in and letting it go. The phallic stage, happens when a child is 3 to about 7, is next which focused on the sensations of the genitals, experienced in the context of holding in or releasing urine, and masturbation is common. Freud noted that the clitoris is the female penis so females may experience a phallic state too. (2)
After these stages, the child begins to realize the society around him/her. The father becomes significant and is seen as a threat for the mothers love and affection. This is know as the Oedipus complex; moreover as the child gets older he begins to learn that wanting to have children with his mother is not accepted in society. Freud believed that then sexual feeling is repressed until one reaches puberty. During puberty children begin to learn to direct their sexual feelings towards appropriate figures. During this time youn girls go through what Freud called “Penis Envy.” Penis evny is when a young girl realizes that she does not have a penis and her male friends do. She quickly becomes jealous and is sad with her small inside genitals. Freud says that the little girl would rather be a boy, because she wants the possession of the male sexual organ. (2)
1. "Sigmund Freud." http://www.answers.com/topic/sigmund-freud/. Web
2. Freud, Sigmund. (1908c). On the sexual theories of children. SE, 9: 205-226
Historical Context: The Enlightenment Period
With new discoveries during the 19th century enlightenment period, people began understanding their sexuality and their bodies. They were not as afraid of the taboo topics that were associated with sexuality. The enlightenment focused on the idea that all was related to nature, including sexuality, which in turn must be good and desirable. These enlightenment writers focused on a healthy sexual relationship as to help the pursuit of ones happiness. One way one may find happiness if through sexual pleasure, and libertinism; nevertheless by following your sexual desire without holding back because of society standards. These ideas were new in comparison to the very strict views of past scientists and writers and were only attainable by a very small select group of men. (1)
During the enlightenment scientists continued to study the reproductive system and shortly learned the role of the sperm and the egg in the creating an embryo. In earlier years scientist believe that pleasure and conception were linked together, but as they learned the difference, sexual intercourse became something that was “allowed” to be done for pleasure aside from reproduction. New ideas of the strong male sperm and the passive women female egg surfaced. Even though these ideas encouraged sexual pleasure, they primarily applied to men, and out of these a new idea of the female desire, “passionalessness” emerged into society. This ideal stated that women were more maternal than sexual, and did not have very much interest in sexual acts. (1)
These new outlooks on sexuality caused shifts in English family life, by the late eighteenth century the ideal of affective relationships was now a well-known idea and practice. Most couples now saw the relationship between emotional and sexual pleasure. Unfortunately, at the same time lust and love did remain a poor motive for marriage, moreover though people began to choose their own life partners without parental consent. As the years passed, love because a respected basis for marriage, which inspired new view of marriage in which affection of husband and wife were just as important as their economic stability and reproductive obligations. (2)
Before the enlightenment period pre-marital pregnancy had a very low rate, but nearly doubled in the eighteenth century. Ilegitimacy rates rose from under one percent to six in the 1780s. These acts suggested a break in the traditional sexual restraints of pre-marital sex. This began in 1675 after members of the British upper middle class began using contraception (2). During this same time survival rates for children increased, which allowed women to have less children which allowed sexual intercourse to become more than just for reproduction purposes. (1)
Sources:
1. D'Emilio, John, and Estelle B. Freedman. Intimate Matters. New York: Harper & Row, 1988. Print.
2. Lawerence, Stone. Family, Sex, and marriage in England, 1500-1800 )London, 1977), chap 10.
Thanks for reading! stay tuned for more history on sexuality.
During the enlightenment scientists continued to study the reproductive system and shortly learned the role of the sperm and the egg in the creating an embryo. In earlier years scientist believe that pleasure and conception were linked together, but as they learned the difference, sexual intercourse became something that was “allowed” to be done for pleasure aside from reproduction. New ideas of the strong male sperm and the passive women female egg surfaced. Even though these ideas encouraged sexual pleasure, they primarily applied to men, and out of these a new idea of the female desire, “passionalessness” emerged into society. This ideal stated that women were more maternal than sexual, and did not have very much interest in sexual acts. (1)
These new outlooks on sexuality caused shifts in English family life, by the late eighteenth century the ideal of affective relationships was now a well-known idea and practice. Most couples now saw the relationship between emotional and sexual pleasure. Unfortunately, at the same time lust and love did remain a poor motive for marriage, moreover though people began to choose their own life partners without parental consent. As the years passed, love because a respected basis for marriage, which inspired new view of marriage in which affection of husband and wife were just as important as their economic stability and reproductive obligations. (2)
Before the enlightenment period pre-marital pregnancy had a very low rate, but nearly doubled in the eighteenth century. Ilegitimacy rates rose from under one percent to six in the 1780s. These acts suggested a break in the traditional sexual restraints of pre-marital sex. This began in 1675 after members of the British upper middle class began using contraception (2). During this same time survival rates for children increased, which allowed women to have less children which allowed sexual intercourse to become more than just for reproduction purposes. (1)
Sources:
1. D'Emilio, John, and Estelle B. Freedman. Intimate Matters. New York: Harper & Row, 1988. Print.
2. Lawerence, Stone. Family, Sex, and marriage in England, 1500-1800 )London, 1977), chap 10.
Thanks for reading! stay tuned for more history on sexuality.
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