Controversial Issues in entertainment Paper
Sexual content in the media which is at times awfully explicit and insulting has been around for along period of time. It is worth mentioning that major occurrences in the world are controlled by the media. Sexual content in various media sources such as print and electronic has increased over the years and decency has become a style of the past.
Take an example of a half dressed female musician during performances. Such an individual is respected by teens as evident in several revelations that highlight the role model status attained by such musicians. The image of such a person is synonymous to the thoughts of our country’s general populace and that of people across the world.
A high percentage of such sexual content portrayed all over the media mostly affects the female population. An illustration is evident in the pressure exerted on women especially the young girls through advertisements, movies among others avenues. This is to encourage them to be attractive sexually and ultimately achieve the status of sexually activity.
The National Eating Disorder Association has conducted research on the effects of the media on women. It reports that in every four television commercials, one will send a message on attractiveness and this communicate to the viewers that one thing is attractive and another is not in a definite manner (Vivian 2009).
Nature of Controversy
It has become a common thing in video games to see the characters dressed scantly, others barring breasts, cleavage while others expose their stomachs, thighs and midriffs. In advertizing, provocative images of women who are half naked or just naked is no longer an issue. A number of entities and individuals in their defense argue that these pictures grab their customers’ attention and in the process increase the volume of sales.
What most do not realize however is that by linking naked women to products, an impression that women are sexual objects is achieved. For example, a media activist Jean Kilbourne notes that bearing women’s bodies in parts gives the impression that women are not human beings but objects.
It is not everyone who views the sexual content in the media negatively. A number of researchers indicate that such sexual exposure of women can grant them the much needed liberation. An example is how Laurie Abraham of Elle magazine views the controversy. She says that one of the biggest problems with most women magazine is lying about sex.
She says that such lies keep on cultivating the idea that the sexuality of women is there to serve men. Nicole Krassas conducted a study on the playboy and cosmopolitan magazine and found that both the male and female magazines depict a woman’s sexuality to serve the purpose of satisfying men sexually therefore attracting them (Cope & Kunkel n. d).
In such modern days it is very saddening and disturbing to see the amount of misinformation and media stereotypes available to every one including the teens. Research has shown that a lot of teens turn to the media to teach them about sexuality and sexual relationships.
Another controversial issue that relates to sexuality is the over representation of unbelievably thin women in the media as physically and sexually attractive. Messages like how to lose weight in ten days or get the body of a goddess and keep your man are on the rise as evident in several magazines.
It is not surprising to find a movie which is not even rated showing men and women making out. This is not an exceptional situation but is taking the form of a norm. Some researchers are recommending that instead of condemning sexual content in the media and the media houses responsible for such an action, people should encourage the youth to first find their own authentic and unique sexuality and not portray sex as sinful.
It is not only women who are affected by the sexual content in media but also men. Masculinity has become a hot spot in today’s entertainment industry. The media has portrayed and shaped different and mostly wrong attitudes concerning masculinity in men.
The media has also portrayed various male stereotypes that most growing young men want to emulate. Stereotypes like the joker are common scenarios in the television. There are various consequences both positive and negative associated with this type of stereotype. An example is seen when teens assume that men should not portray emotions.
Another very common stereotype is the big shot. This can be both misleading and advantageous as it portrays the man as a powerful both economically and socially. It portrays that a real man has to be successful in both aspects to earn respect from fellow men and adoration by women (Brown & Keller 2000).
Sexual Content used in the Media and the difference it would make if such content was eliminated.
Most educators are not free to talk about contents that are sexually explicit to their students. What they do not understand is that many advertisers only understand the language of making sales and in their understanding, sex sales.
They believe that displaying their products with a little sexiness makes their products sale like hot cakes. For example music videos without half naked girls barring open their breasts and backsides would not sale as much the ones with such girls also movies with sex scenes, sale much faster than those without (Brown & Keller 2000).
Therefore most entertainment industry investors use sexuality as a marketing strategy for their products and most believe that this is the only strategy strong enough to make them enough profits (Vivian 2009). Most religious groups and parents associations are against the use of sexual material as a way to promote products.
They feel that other marketing strategies can do the trick and that in the absence of sexually explicit materials in the media less teens would not be mislead. A lot of people will agree with the fact that most materials about sex found in the media can be helpful and educating. But the question is are the teens understanding the message in these materials in the right way, is the message in the material correct, or is there any information left out?
Mass Media Messages on the Controversy
Different sources give different views concerning sexual content in today’s entertainment industry. For example different schools have resulted in forming lessons plans to teach and introduce kids to the prevalence and the use of sexuality in the entertainment industry.
For example students are taught that in the marketing world sex and sexuality sells and also making sure that the students understand what sex is. The educators explain sex in different aspects like sex as a biological aspect, as a spiritual and also as an emotional or physical aspect (Vivian 2009).
In doing this the educator seeks to make the students understand the different aspects of sexuality, the students are also able to understand the different ways in which the media uses sexuality as a marketing strategy to sell their products and finally the students are taught about the value systems underlying the sexualized messages (Connie 2009). Other sources have different views on the sexual content in the media. Some view the media including television, magazines and movies as vital parts of sex education.
Though the media is seldom concerned with the effects of their ‘sexual lessons’, and are only concentrate on profit margins some researchers argue that they still contribute to attaining important information on sexuality and sex.
Though they do this irresponsibly, the researchers suggest that the media are important sex educators today and that the situation is not likely to change in the future. Unlike the schools and parent associations, researchers suggest that the media remains to be the best source of sexual material and that the media should be shaped to offer better and well informed messages on sexuality (Brown & Keller 2000).
Another source suggests that sex, showing nude scenes and pictures does not portray films positively to the viewers. In short, sex does not impress viewers neither does it lead to an increase in the volume of sales. This is a different way of viewing things. It does not conform to the old cliché that sex in film sells. The study shows that the most fetching movies contained very little sex scenes like Shrek 2, the lord of the rings among others.
Craig Detweiler a director of entertainment at Pepperdine University says that the audience has seen everything and nothing has been left for their imagination (Raezler 2009). Things that would have stirred big controversies like Madonna kissing Britney do not stir any kind of shock to the audience. These things have become the norm and no one is willing to pay an extra cent go an extra mile to see anything ‘normal’.
New Technology and how it affects News and Advertising
With the eruption of new technology like internet, blogs, my space, face book and other online services, the process of advertising has become easier. The advertisers can put their messages all over these provisions making it easier for a number of teens and young adults to access the messages.
It is now easier for viewers to access sexual contents and information online since mobile phones are designed to access the internet. More and more viewers are being exposed to this information regardless of their location. It has become normal and actually a fashion to access such contents. It is argued that the up surge of the new technology is not making situations any better. This is actually giving viewers a way to access such contents freely (Vivian 2009).
References
Brown, D. & Keller, S. (2000). Forum: Can the Mass Media Be Healthy Sex Educators? Family Planning Perspectives 32. Number 5.
Cope, K. & Kunkel D. (n. d) Sexual messages in teens’ favorite prime-time programs, in: Brown, J., Steele, J. & Walsh-Childers, K. eds., Sexual Teens, Sexual Media, Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum (in press).
Connie, L. (2009). Sex in Advertising. Media Awareness Network. Web.
Raezler, C. (2009). Graphic depictions have negative effect on ticket Sales and award show accolades. Culture and Media Institute.
Vivian, J. (2009). The Media of Mass Communication. (9th Ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.