Clarity on the Sex Topic

This a preemptive entry on the topic of sex in the media and the objectification of the sexes. I say sexes because I believe that both sexes are objectified in their own way. It appeared that the discussion was starting to get a bit heated Thursday, so I wanted to offer some thoughts before Amy makes her post.

First, I do agree that women are objectified with the use of traditional roles and gratuitous sex. I also do agree that that the ads we see featuring rail thin, 5' 10", 110lbs models do send an unrealistic message to young girls. The result is these girls going on fad diets and developing eating eating disorders in order to live up to an impossible standard.

I also believe that society objectifies men in ways that if not put in the proper perspective, they will do damage to future generations of young boys. While advertising uses sex and body image to sell to women, that same industry uses strength and athleticism to sell to the male population. Even with the talent and physical attributes, the odds of making it in professional sports are extremely slim. Sports ads continually peddle unrealistic messages that this shoe will make you jump higher or this sports drink will make you run faster. We have young male athletes (and also young women) starting to abuse steroids and performance enhancing substances at earlier and earlier ages in order to stay competitive and live up to the image of their sport's idols.

The question posed is what do we do about it? I'm not suggesting we ban these ads, and I hope that I'm in agreement here. I'm also not in favor of trying to bring down the fashion or sports industries. While the media does contribute to the problem, I think it's important not to be so quick to lay all the blame at their feet. Parents need to be more involved with their children and explain to them that what they see in print or on television is not real. These same arguments were made against rap music, claiming that it idolized violence and the gangster lifestyle. Perhaps they have a point, but I don't think the answer is censorship or angry boycotts.

I think the best we can do is have debates like this, and try to change the hearts and minds of people. There are always going to be ads, television programs, and other forms of media that use gratuitous sex, violence, and objectification in order to sell and promote. Someone is bound to get offended at some of it and that's the price we pay for living in a free society. We value free expression and like it or not, advertising is free expression. I believe Amy's point is to think deeply about what we see in the media and be aware of it in our culture. I think that's a reasonable approach we can all agree on regardless of where you stand on the issue.