Week 5: Examples of socially constructed “appropriate” sex

Representing sex acts in media was the topic that we discussed this week in my Sex and Media class. My class discusses media in all its forms, however the authors whose articles we read this week focused on advertisements, television, magazines and movies. Therefore, I will also focus my blog on these media definitions. My interpretation of sex in the media is both flirtatious and misleading. While consuming media I recognize sex to be playful, aggressive and unrealistic. Many of the sex acts I view involve young partners, often not married and moderately attractive. My daily consumption of media almost always includes some form of sex act being portrayed. For this post, I am interested in including the words from this weeks authors and how they can be applied to the sex acts in media artifacts of which I have consumed at some point.

Beginning with Menard and Kleinplatz: "Twenty-one moves guaranteed to make his thighs go up in flames: Depictions of “great sex” in popular magazines" This article discusses the sexual content featured in magazines, including advertisements, photographic layouts and editorial content. These magazines often display how to have "great sex." There have been times when I looked to these magazines for self-help tips, such as in Cosmopolitan. At a younger age, I used Cosmo as a manual, looking to it or the answers to my sex questions as an adolescent. I can recall having sleepovers and my friends and I giggling for hours each time we read the word "penis" out loud. Most often these magazines did not portray married couples but instead having multiple partners. This is supposedly against social liking, as most identify appropriate sex as being within a marriage.

Menard, D. & Kleinplatz, P. (2007). Twenty-one moves guaranteed to make his thighs go up in flames: Depictions of “great sex” in popular magazines. Sexuality & Culture, 12, 1-20.

Furthermore, authors Dempsey and Reichert argue how prime time sex in the media is oftentimes sex outside of marriage. Sex outside of marriage is often seen either on comedy or drama television shows and movies. Even though it’s not as present in the media, married couples still are more likely to have a healthy, sexual relationship. This idea further defines the idea of appropriate sex. Some look to the Sexual Revolution of the 1960s and 70s as to blame for the overt sexual content in the media. Studies claiming that media has a relaxed attitude on sex, increases the acceptance of divorce and promotes teen pregnancy with over 1 million teen pregnancies a year.

Dempsey, J.M., & Reichert, T. (2000). Portrayal of married sex in the movies. Sexuality & Culture, 4(3), 21-37.

The rare times we view appropriate sex in the media, the couple is most likely between the ages of 23-30, middle to upper class and with implicit content, meaning a couple laying in the bed naked (when you know a sex act has happened, but it wasn't explicitly shown) Hence, explicit content includes a couple engaged in sexual acts. The portrayals of sex in the media are confusing and misleading. It is not necessarily true that you will lose your virginity to the hottest guy in school, on prom night and everything is perfect (and pain free). These portrayals give people of all ages false realities as to how their sex lives ought to be.

In relation to the definitions and ideas of the authors previously mentioned, my idea of appropriate sex is: a married heterosexual couple, in an intimate emotional state, in a private setting and in order to reproduce *if you so choose.

Married Sex

Everybody Loves Raymond

Here, sex is shown as appropriate because the couple is married, in the comforts of their own home.

Photo courtesy Mundo dos Herois

Watch the sitcom video clip here at Youtube

Honeymoon

Wedding Night Intimacy

Fergie and Josh Duhamel are shown on their wedding night, pre-engaging in a sex act and post. It is clear this is their Honeymoon (after uniting in marriage) - making it appropriate sex. Again, the couple is attractive, young and wearing obvious marital displays (the dress, tux and rings).

Photo courtesy Back Seat Cuddler

Sex as a Secret

Meant to take place in the couple's bed, in privacy.

This is an example of implicit content in the media. Here, it is obvious that couple is or was engaging in a sex act. While it is unclear if they are married, this still is seen as private and intimate, rather than them being explicitly displayed throwing each other around a hotel room.

Photo courtesy All Voices

To reproduce

Between a married, middle-aged couple.

While they are not engaging in a sex act (as it seems) they are both naked and in bed. Although, hard NOT to notice- she is pregnant and wearing a wedding ring. This is appropriate sex as they conceived a child.

Photo courtesy Photography for Women

Heterosexual couple, living under same roof.

Viagra Commercial

This Viagra commercial displays to me the perfect example of appropriate sex. The commercial feature a man pursuing a woman (his wife) in their home. They are both mildly attractive, live in a beautiful home and seem to be well off.

Photo courtesy The Science of Everything Cosmos

Watch the Viagra commercial here on Youtube

Week 4: Examples of Pornographic Mainstream Media

This week in my Sex and Media class we are exploring the topic, "Pornographic Mainstream Media." An author in particular who displays an abundance of knowledge on the topic is Levande in the article, "Women, Pop music and Pornography" This article discusses the portrayal of women's bodies in mass media, especially as being used as product placement. Levande further discusses the idea of how feminism is being hijacked within the media. Examples of this include the combination of the power of stripping, soft porn, etc. These behaviors and actions exude an attitude of sexuality within the media.

It is also important to mention that the women within the media who are being portrayed as oversexed are created by corporations, not artists. The media artifacts I have chosen are excellent examples of how media corporations have created these sexualized messages. The mainstream media outlets I most often consume include advertisements (print and on television), movies, TV shows and music. Below I have provided examples of what I would consider pornographic artifacts within mainstream media.

As explained by Levande, these finally planned images of media create impressions of what is normal. For example, television, music videos and movies often show portrayals of the act of sex. These sexual acts are often soft porn-like, mystified and accompanied by cheesy romance music. I believe that these sexual acts give viewers the wrong impression of how their own intimate time will be spent.

The photo below is a movie still from Pearl Harbor, a popular romance movie, (which I will admit I watch every time it is on TV.) While this movie spends many scenes covering the historical combat in Hawaii and abroad, it also has a few steamy romance scenes. One in particular features Kate Beckinsale and Josh Hartnett who sneak into an unexpected place to have a little fun between the sheets. This photo is a still from the romance scene which you can watch at the link below. This scene is not only pornographic to an extent but also creates a false impressions of a "normal" act of sex.

Photo courtesy Rediff Search

Watch the film clip on Youtube

OMFG: Oh my fucking God! This second artifact is an advertisement from one of my favorite TV guilty pleasures, Gossip Girl. Gossip Girl first originated as a book series packed with sex, drama and drugs for young tweens. Now as a young adult I still find as much enjoyment in the sexy TV series which I often find myself blushing while watching. The show at most times is incredibly inappropriate for children under the age of 16. The sexual content is incredibly heavy and again, here as shown, the act of sex is dramatized. This show is by far one of the most intense soft porn examples. Almost every episode there is a pornographic scene, if you click the link below you will see just one of the many examples.

Photo courtesy TV Addict

Watch a clip from the show here at Youtube

The third artifact is one bound to make you giggle in disbelief. Oftentimes when listening to the sexually explicit content of rap music, I find myself shaking my head “no way.” This artifact is the album cover to one of the most perverse, hilarious, pornographic songs I know. This song is titled “Put it in my mouth” by Akinyele. While I could not find a music video, I did find a clip on Youtube which plays the song. The lyrics in the song are pornographic as the artist refers to “pussy” and “dick” multiple times as well as other graphic, disturbing content as a female artist chants in the chorus “put it in my mouth, my motha fuckin’ mouth.” I’m sure it’s not hard for you to guess exactly what body part she is referring to, yes the penis. From a personal and prude perspective, I recognize most content which displays any remarks of “penis” as being pornographic.

Photo courtesy Hip Hop is Read

Listen to the song at Youtube

The fourth artifact is an advertisement that you can find in numerous magazines. It’s an ad campaign for Gucci with the marked words “guilty.” The ad displays a woman clearly being strained by a man against his body, nude. This is pornographic because of not only the nudity but also the glazed skin, the man displaying sexual behavior by burying his face into her neck. Coincidently Gucci has numerous advertisements that display the same sexual behaviors, some worse than this one.

Image courtesy Cover Awards

The fifth artifact is a new commercial featuring Beyonce’s perfume, which recently was banned in the UK. The sexual content is as if the perfume is giving Beyonce orgasms as she continuously has a sexualized gaze and touches herself in perverse ways. You can watch the commercial from the link below, she definitely brings on the heat.

Image courtesy Chicago Now

Watch the commercial here at The Improper

Week 3: Examples of sexual imagery being used as social critique or challenge

Sexual imagery can oftentimes be used as pleasure for an individual. In other cases, the creators of sexual imagery may either attempt at making the viewers uncomfortable or ask them to experience something out of the norm. Whether something be an artifact or an individual, equally they share the possibility of defying social norms. This means that an artifact or an individual may be seen as weird, unjust, offensive or threatening. When dealing with social norms one is faced with social critiques and social challenges. A social critique is when two different variables are perhaps consuming the same idea presented them, however depending on the individual perspectives, they may view the same idea completely differently. For example, when a product such as a bandaid is offered to a white - American she may think nothing of it as she puts it on her skin. While an African - American may notice that the color of the generic bandaid does not match their skin color, therefore have a justified feeling towards this product. Similar to social critique, social challenge is when either an artifact or an individual, chooses to step away from what is normal in society and instead challenge its values and morality. An example of a social challenge may be an older man dating or sleeping with an under-age girl. This is not only illegal but also many people within society would not find this socially acceptable.

Author L. Kipnis describes in an article discussing pornography that almost all people agree that rejection evokes stronger emotions than pleasure. When applying this idea to social critique and social challenges, when society rejects an idea then it is not meant to be consumed as pleasure. I believe society constructs such rejections based on the majority of the people believing it is unsatisfying or defies their morals and values. Below I have posted specific artifacts that display sexual imagery in a way that I strongly reject as a member of this Western American society.

Kipnis, L. (1992). (Male) desire and (female) disgust: reading Hustler. In L. Grossberg

First, beginning with a photograph which displays an almost naked woman. This woman is suggesting risque and provocative behavior by adjusting her body in a specific way as well as playing with her underwear (or lack thereof). Her head tilted slightly downwards and mouth open further suggests a sexual suggestion. This image challenges my societal perspective even more by being built like a man. I believe that women should be feminine, soft and nonthreatening. This woman's body instead addresses aggressive behavior and a sense of maleness. I do not believe that women as body builders are socially accepted and instead challenge the ideas of how a woman should be framed.

Image courtesy of Lion Head Studios

These next two images are meant to be looked at as a comparison. In this first advertisement, you can see it is only men and supposed to be used as a marketing strategy to sell Dolce & Gabbana's clothing, accessories, etc. Instead, I am focused on the implied content. From look left to right, you will notice a man beginning to undress himself - then, an unclothed man lying helplessly on the floor, looking lifeless - while to the far right, two men appearing to gaze at his genitals and inspect his nude body. Nothing about this ad allows me to recognize exactly what they're trying to sell. In this case, it's as if they're selling the male body. This challenges societal norms because society places this idea that men are not sexual property, but instead women are.

The second ad displays almost exactly the opposite, a woman being showed as sexual property. Again, I cannot identify which product they are trying to advertise. The woman appears to be held against her will which in fact complies with societal norms. Meaning that, women in my society are not dominate or in charge. The first advertisement challenges society more heavily because it is seen as abnormal for men to displayed in such a way, however for women I may not think twice if I saw this advertisement while flipping through a magazine.

Image courtesy of Adrants.com

Image courtesy of Guys Underwear

This next artifact is one that I found to be extremely disturbing. Not only does the girl look way too young to be engaging in sexual activity, she also seems to be held against her will. This advertisement is also hard to clarify exactly the message because is it that the man pinning her down is on meth paying $15 for sex... or that she is on meth and sleeping with men for money? Regardless this displays to me that 1. paying for sex challenges society. 2. meth and other drugs are not socially accepted. 3. again, women are not in control of their sexual actions.

Image courtesy of Math Fail

This next artifact, Christina Aguilera's music video for "Dirrty" is rather a better example of social critique than it is social challenge. For example, for a male to watch this video it may enhance pleasure or a likeness to not only the provocative lyrics but also the lack of clothing and cleanliness. Her clothing is extremely inappropriate and would definitely be looked at as abnormal if she were to walk down the street in such apparel. Furthermore, her likeness for being dirty, sweaty and gross is repulsive. Her continuous thrusts and sexual attitude disturbs me. Therefore, my perspective or critique of this music video is most likely far different than from the perspective of a male (or another variable).

Image courtesy of Sorority Life

Watch the video here: Christina Aguilera "Dirrty"

Finally, my last artifact is also meant to display an example of social critique. This can be looked at from multiple perspectives. One perspective may be from a child. A child's favorite show could be Sesame Street and they adore the characters Bert and Ernie. They may see them as fun, best friends and very affectionate with each other (such as giving hugs). While a parent may recognize their behavior as being a little more friendly than what they deem as appropriate. Therefore, the two perspectives of a child and a parent can easily be critiqued as entirely different. There has been much speculation as to whether Sesame Street was implying that Bert and Ernie were romantic partners or homosexual muppets. This would also be challenging society because the majority of our society recognize homosexual relationships as being wrong or strange and that children should not be exposed to such concepts.

Image courtesy of Muppet Wikia

Bibliography

In order to maintain my academic honesty, I wanted to post the bibliography to the text we are using in class for this blog and other assignments. I was recently given access to this source after my last blog post.

Thanks! My second Sexual Imagery blog post is coming up soon!

Dworkin, A. (1992). Against the male flood: censorship, pornography, and inequality. In C. Itzin (Ed.), Pornography: Women, Violence, and Civil Liberties (515-535). London and New York: Oxford University Press.

Week 2: Examples of “Objectified” and “Empowered” Sexuality

This week, the topic for my sexual imagery posting is “examples of ‘objectified’ and ‘empowered’ sexuality.”

After reading - Dworkin, A. “Against the male flood: Censorship, pornography and equality, Dines & Jensen “Pornography in a pornographic culture,” McElory, W. “Individualist feminism: A true defense of pornography,” Hartley, N. “In the flesh: A porn star’s journey” and Monet, V. “What is feminist porn?”

– I have come to realize that despite my own ideas of what it means to objectify or empower one’s sexuality, ultimately my thoughts are influenced by other social perspectives. The perspectives from the authors previously mentioned have greatly influenced the ways in which I hope to construct this blog post. Throughout this blog post and in future blog posts I will be referencing to numerous articles written by authors presented to me by my course instructor, Jil Freeman.

Since starting this class, I have made sure to pay extra attention to detail within the media. Particularly, the way women are either objectified or empowered by mass media. Without the help from Google I doubt I would have noticed a single glimpse of a woman’s empowerment. I was able to consume many artifacts of which were objectifying women. These women were objectified by their figures being turned into nothing more than an object, many of which were heavily sexual. It pains me to self identify with these images because of my gender identity as female. I do not agree with the persuasive and perverted argument that the media displays as women as sexualized objects. I do not enjoy the humiliation that these specific artifacts display relevant to women. Take a look at these next four examples of objectified sexuality:

Keep Her Where She Belongs

I found this image on Ms. Magazine’s blog. First by looking at the woman, you can see she is lying down, in a position of mercy. Her facial expressions show disappointment, sadness and her eyes lack enthusiasm. The shoe is placed near to her face as if she’s meant to identify herself with the shoe. If that’s the case, the slogan is hinting that she is in fact a singular object, a shoe. “Keep Her Where She Belongs” says to me that this woman in the advertisement is meant to be on the floor, worthless as only one shoe and not a pair as well as in a state of shame.

Photo courtesy: Ms. Magazine Blog

Women as Objects Inside a Vending Machine

I found this image on The Frisky. This image is an advertisement for REDTAPE a men’s shoe collection. I visited their website where I found many images that objectified women. In this particular image, the women are being shown as an object set up for display and to purchase inside of a vending machine. My interpretation is that men deserve the option to choose whatever he is craving, meaning that he can return to the machine and purchase another if he is unsatisfied, also he can purchase multiple at a time.

Photo courtesy: The Frisky

Furniture Shaped Like Female Bodies

I found this image on The Society Pages. This image is one of many types of furniture which are designed to resemble a woman and in fact objectify women. Here, an Ipod music player is shaped like the bust form of a woman. The speakers as the breasts and the jack or input at the vagina. This is highly sexualized and objective because the woman’s body is shown as an instrument meant to play with, get noise out of and insert things into.

Photo courtesy: The Society Pages

Nine Inch Nails "Meet Your Master"

These lyrics were found on AZlyrics.com. I first heard this song by Nine Inch Nails inside of my brother-in-law’s car. I didn't think much of it at first and then I began to listen carefully to the words. These song verses translate to me as a man having complete control over a woman, by saying things such as “You do what we tell you, You do as you're told.” The singer consistently refers to himself as the master over this woman, claiming that she is meaningless and without power.

Bow down in position

Against the polished steel

This is something different

You'll like the way this feels

No time for asking questions

No time for wondering

We've had enough of you now

You've heard everything

You want to play a new game

You put on this blindfold

You do what we tell you

You do as you're told

Used to be the leader

Now comes the time to serve

Maybe we'll show some mercy

Maybe you'll get what you deserve

[Chorus:]

Count down to the end

Gotta make it come faster, faster

Right around the bend

Is a coming disaster

Count down to the end

And we're headed their faster

Come on down my friend

It's time to meet your master

You've left quite a mess here under your stewardship

You thought you figured it out but you'll learn your place in this

Might take some convincing for you to see the truth

There are so many things we've got in store for you

[Chorus]

Come on down

Previously I mentioned the authors whose articles were assigned this week. I found Dworkin’s article, “Against the male flood: Censorship, pornography and equality” to have the most accurate definition of objectification. He described women as being presented as sexual objects in numerous ways, sexual objects who enjoy humiliation, who like to be physical hurt, who willingly submit themselves to sexual acts and exhibit their body parts. All in all he describes women as being reduced to nothing more than a simplistic object. The artifacts above showed how women can be reduced as such in many ways, through advertisements, furniture design, music lyrics, etc. These women are shown as not being fully human and without integrity, this is the opposite of how I hope to viewed in society.

In society, I would like to be viewed as empowered. In class, we talked about how women with power are rarely considered within the mass media. In recent years I’ve noticed specifically, female music artists taking a stand and using their voices as a message of assertion. Most recently, Beyonce released her musical hit known as “Single Ladies.” A few years back, India Arie used her voice to share with the world that she is not your average woman, which translated to me as she would not back down and be objectified. Below is a link to the music video in which she shares her passion for individuality and self respect, two concepts that every woman deserves.

The India Arie "Video"

Week One

Welcome to my Sexual Imagery Blog! Each week I will collect 5 media artifacts that relate and respond to a topic presented each week. These artifacts will be collected from various mediums and contexts. Upon posting the artifacts I will write a statement describing why I thought they were appropriate for each week's theme. My blog will be based from instructions provided by Jil Freeman, instructor at Portland State University.

Enjoy and look for my first sexual imagery posting by next Wednesday, January 12!