(This post was inspired by an entry from Simbathe2nd. It is a form of tribute and an apology for leaving my comment box unguarded with a friend of mine in the room when I got up to use the rest room.)
My own sentiments are a bit different than Simbathe2nd's. I agree that there's so much overt sexuality in the mass media that it constitutes a form of brainwash, but anyone's own feelings countered to that "sex sells" culture also has its roots in a preconditioned attitude preoccupied with some sort of an unconditional belief (the kind typically procreated by the very same brainwashing tactics). In this case, it's the notion that nudity is analogous to sexuality to begin with, as well as the notion that sexuality is inherently impure.
Simbathe2nd made reference to shows like Desperate Housewives, Gossip Girl, as well as songs like "I Kissed a Girl," and movies like Brokeback Mountain and Chicago as examples of overly sexualized messages in the media. I must comment that "I Kissed a Girl" (as annoying a song as it is when it follows you into the club, your student center, your grocery store, and even your bank) and Brokeback Mountain were both constructed and distributed the way that they were very deliberately not only for profit, but much more so to raise awareness on the issues surrounding LGBT civil rights. They might not fit your personal taste the same way they don't fit mine, but I'd be wary to accuse their creators of making them with some kind of "la-dee-da! Look how much attention I can get for talking about sex" approach. Media like that might seem up in your face, but that's because it has to be in order to raise awareness and to change popular attitudes towards the subject content for the benefit of all. Doesn't anyone remember "Diff'rent Strokes?"
And even when producers' don't have a just cause underlying their intentions, all that skin in the media wouldn't be so effective in the first place if it didn't seem taboo because of the widespread popular attitudes that nudity or sexuality are somehow or other... naughty. ; )
In order for the masses to respond to these forms of advertising by spending the way that corporations want them to, they must not only believe that it's trendy or cool to be blatantly sexual, but they must first and foremost agree with critics of nudity and sex in the media that showing skin or discussing sexual topics, as you put it in so many words, negates their inherent "purity."
It seems to me that sexuality as depicted in media owes most of its thanks to those that fight it and speak out against it the loudest of all.
What do you guys have to say to all of this? Do you believe that nudity automatically constitutes sexuality in the first place? Or is that way just because we already assume that it does...
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Comments (32)
Then he goes, without blinking, "the other team got an intent to injure penalty."
The only time I've seen something blown way out of proportion was when the girl on the soccer team ripped off her jersey and her sports bra was there. (I still laugh people have such issues with that).
Personally the porn industry is so huge and so many people are down with it now, that I think people just want to see it on regular tv too. TV always has to find a way for ratings and doing something taboo works...look at celebrities that say any attention is good attention......
I have always held the thought that nudity does not constitute sexuality. Even though I come from societies that do believe this. I feel the human body is an amazing beautiful form and needs to be shown. Not in this dirty "I'm so horny" crap that comes on television, but in the respectfulness of how the nude form is a part of nature. Each person has different views of nudity, sexuality, and sex. I'm of the belief that if you show a child the nude form as they grow up, not in a sexual way, but in an everyday part of the world kind of way. We would have less people with the asumtion that skin = sex.
In my opinion the human nude form is just that, a form. Nothing more or less. It is just who we are and shouldn't be over exagerated to assume that showing it always means sex. I know of some men and women, that cannot get naked infront of another person without being sexuality aroused. I beleive this to be a mark of our socity today that exudes this very thought, that nudity is sex. I'm not very sure if I've gotten my point accross or not. I know that everyone is entitled to their own thoughts, feelings, opinions and I hope that you'll respect mine as I shall respect yours, however different they may be.
it's all about corruption
I don't think it really matters. I don't think that nudity does constitute sexuality but I still don't see a problem with it in the mass media. While sex DOES sell, shows like Gossip Girl deal with teenage life [even if it is high society] and teenagers have sex. Same goes for Desperate Housewives and other shows like that. It just reflects what is going on in society that is taboo.
Yeah, making a big deal out of nudity gives it a lot of extra attention.
I really don't think nudity automatically constitutes sexuality. I think it's just because it's America. o__o;;
&& Ariel Levy's book, Female Chauvinist Pigs especially focuses on the transformation of female's sexuality in America. Good read. :]
I think society made the body taboo and the media then capitalized on it
or maybe it's always been a symbiotic relationship
@open_exit - You've managed to condense my entire entry down into one simple sentence. Do you have any idea how that makes me feel?
@adietersdilemma - DO WANT. That title reminds me of when shoulder pads in women's business suites made a comeback in the 90s.
@xo_notyourpoorthing - These are great points I could have used. Is it that naughty things happen when they're observed in media more often or is it just that the things we see in media have always been going on and we're just more comfortable talking about it in the open now?
@npr32486 - Please elaborate! Also, does your name have anything to do with national public radio?
@Celtic_dust - I don't know why you asked me to respect your opinion... I thought we were completely in agreeance after reading your whole comment!
@Alex_Horschack - like a thesaurus with hair?
really you should be relieved because I wasn't sure of my opinion on the matter and my comment was my synopsis on how I felt on the topic after reading. So really, you made your argument through a dialogue that led me to that sentence, so really that sentence is yours.
feel better?
comment on katy perry's song. i actually think the song was made for profit rather than for raising awareness on lgbt issues.
actually i wrote about it before:
http://weblog.xanga.com/tambo001/667234161/she-kissed-a-girl-and-they-liked-it--a-critique.html
cliff notes is that i think her song caters to more heteronormative values than anything.... haha.
@open_exit - Much better! I was really just surprised at your short response since you've always tended to write long, insightful essays in the past like me. I've been so impressed!
@tambo001 - I know what you mean. It better reflects heterosexual attitudes towards bisexuality than it does a within-group perspective.
And I'm certain that it wouldn't be out there as much as it is if it weren't for it's outrageously high profiting potential.
But there's something to say about the fact that it wouldn't have been as ok to choose a song like that to market to the masses in the past. It really is a another step above "I touch myself" and "Like a Virgin" to say the least.
It makes sense that something will become socially acceptable for giant corporations to profit off of before it follows that it becomes socially acceptable to practice.
@Superkla - I think a little bird told me something about how the most popular porn websites on the internet are currently a user-based, non-subscription community which circulates user-made or rated material... XD
@casmarie - Would be so kind as to translate? I don't know if I should feel insulted or if I should be in love with you for that or what. : P
@Alex_Horschack - Lul. Those pads are so awkward. They make my shoulders look really wide.
@Alex_Horschack - Again. great points so well. I think nowadays it's common for people to be open about sexuality, so these things could have always been going on but we only just really noticed them recently.
@Alex_Horschack - well I had no idea! I'll try and be less concise next time?
I think there's a difference between showing skin and discussing sexual topics and exploiting yourself. A big difference. I guess my question is this: what is the media's target audience? I guess younger people would probably think that my generation of people (38 years old) and up would be the ones that consider these topics taboo (well, we'll work on that assumption anyway) so is it my generation that is more attracted to the media's current mumbo-jumbo or is it the younger generation? Like, who actually displays the media fantasies from day to day? I can contrast the local high school population and myself and tell you what my perspective is, but what's yours?
The sexual revolution has been going on since when, the sixties? And we're still thinking that nudity, etc. is taboo? What does that say about the sexual revolution? How might things have evolved differently without the sexual revolution, I wonder? If we hadn't "come so far", would we still be titillated by ?
I have conflicting feelings about the sexualization of the masses. On one hand, I think it's a really good idea to knock down barriers preventing direct communication about sex. On the other hand, I think things like sex NEED to have an element of mystery about them in order to remain...relevant, passionate, etc. I think that a person who is showing a lot of skin or wearing certain types of outfits, whatever, has every right to do that if that's how they want to express themselves, but I also think it leaves nothing to the imagination. So much of sexual stuff involves imagination and creativity and if it's all right there in front of you, that kind of takes some of the fun away. I think traditional Indian garb is very, very gorgeous and sexy but it's more because of the colors and the feel and flow and cut of the material than the occasional glimpse of skin.
Same goes for sex. Any married/LTR can tell you that sex has the potential to get a little boring after a while. At this point in time you have several choices to make. You can explore the pRon and sex industry and all it has to offer or you can dig deep and start getting into the spiritual side of stuff. Or you can do a combination of both, I guess. But my point is: there's the obvious and there's the mystery. Looking at movies or pictures or whatever on the internet is the obvious. And it's easy. The Kama Sutra is the mystery. Which is more relevant, if either, and which has more lasting and productive effects, if either?
I don't think the people who produced/directed "Brokeback Mountain" had that specific intention, although I'm sure there was an element of that to it. It was a short story before it was a movie and I don't think the woman who wrote it set out to do so purely to promote LGBT issues. She told a story that involved some gay guys and that's what it was above all, a beautiful and sad and tragic love story, and that's whyit was so effective; it wasn't obnoxiously dogmatic. Plus, I'm sure Ang Lee saw the potential for some beautiful visuals, and I'm not just talking about Heath Ledger.
As for the others I don't have much of an opinion because I have no experience with any of them except "I Kissed a Girl" and the only reason I know that is because the children (boy and girl) of my homophobic, conservative friend love to sing that song, which makes me laugh. So I guess that's an interesting little commentary in itself. These kids are three and six. Will they absorb anything "meaningful" from that song or will it just be a pop-culture memory? .
I definitely see the correlation between emotional hang-ups and being drawn to "taboo" areas of sex. I think Ted Haggard's story is a very old one, almost an archetype, I guess.
I read "Female Chauvinist Pigs" as well, interesting stuff. Also recommend "Strip City" and the one Diabo Cody wrote about her time as a stripper.
I keep forgetting to come over here. Thanks for this. I really wasn't too offended. It's all good.
i agree with you i think one of the underlying issues is that for some reason nudity constitutes sexuality, but then on the other hand it's kind of like well why does the chick have to be half naked when she's advertising shoes?? like i commented on simbathe2nd's site, i think one of the issues when it comes to an overtly sexual country is that even though we're constantly surrounded by sex, for some reason we're not open to talking about it, with our parents at least. in turn teenagers learn what they can about sex from movies, music, and TV, instead of from their parents. and of course the media isn't exactly teaching us how to respect sex and be responsible about it and that leads to rash decisions.