Deck 18: Sexuality in the Media and the Arts

Question 1

When you read through one of your favorite magazines and see the various advertisements that use sex to sell their products, what effect do these ads have on you? Do you think there are any effects of living in a society so saturated with sexual images? Why or why not?

Answer 1

Sex is used as an easy emotion to entice people in commercial advertisements. Several promotional campaigns use sexually inclined themes to attract customers effectively. These ads will sure have an impact on majority of the general public.
Predominating presence of ads that use sex to promote products will have adverse effects in a society. Though sections of a society with maturity remain unaffected by such ads, groups of individuals in a gullible age group (children and adolescents) can be adversely affected in their views towards sexuality by such ads.

Question 2

Do you think that sex or violence on television influences how promiscuous or violent our society becomes? Do the sexual stereotypes paraded before us in commercials and advertisements shape our attitudes toward gender relations? What do you think can be done about this?

Answer 2

The media has a great influence on the society and can shape the thought process in a society to a large extent. Hence, a certain amount of discretion and responsibility should be practiced by people in the media, especially in designing advertisements to prevent parading sexual stereotypes.

Question 3

What television shows did you watch as a child? What messages about gender, sexuality, and relationships did you learn from these shows? Would you let your own child watch these shows today? Why or why not?

Answer 3

The type of television shows that most children watch relate to animated movies and those with the themes of superheroes and superwomen. Although such shows have a gender bias, the bias is not one that will affect normal understanding of gender, sexuality, and relationships. These shows currently put both genders and their values in equal perspective.

Question 4

Would you ever want to go to a strip club? If so, what would be your reasons for going? For not going? If you have been, what types of reactions did you have?

Question 5

The U.S. is the second largest destination and market country in the world for women and children trafficked by the sex industry. If you were to design a strategy to reduce trafficking in the United States, what would you do?