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
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