I'm not a lady

The media often times reflects viewpoints that occur in society. According to researchers, the Heterosexual Script describes the standards society places on sexual encounters and interactions. Men will do anything for sex, while women are gate-keepers who do not have sexual desires and do not demand anything of a man in a sexual relationship  (Kim et al., 2007). In recent years, there has been a shift to second wave feminism, which has been implemented into the media. According to Gale Markle, second wave feminism challenges standard stereotypes regarding men and women in a relationship. Women are not only in a sexual relationship to please the man, but rather they possess the liberty to desire sex beyond the confines of pleasing a man (Markle, 2008). Although the idea of sexual wave feminism has increased its presence in the media, there are still stereotypical storylines that push back against this achievement.

HBO’s Girls tells the story of four girls and their everyday lives in New York City. The show depicts the struggles surrounding the women and their relationships, work habits, sexual encounters, and all-around hilarious moments. A large part of the storyline depicts these characters and their struggle with sexuality. Although they are all white, heterosexual, and economically stable (for the most part), the characters do not all fit in within the ideal standard of beauty, and they are not extremely wealthy, making them relatable for viewers. The characters in the show also often challenge second wave feminism as they engage in a lot of casual sex. That being said, many characters in the show believe in a woman’s sexual liberty, while others remain much more traditional in their beliefs. Below is a prime example of this struggle:

In this video, Shoshanna, Hannah, and Jessa discuss recent sexual encounters and relationships over frozen yogurt. When Hannah shares her confusion on whether a man has feelings for her or not, Shoshanna steps in to offer suggestions from what she has recently learned from a book, “Listen Ladies: A tough game approach to the tough game of love.” She confirms and agrees when the author says that if a man does not ask a woman on a date he is not into her, meeting up with friends is not considered a date, and that sex from behind is degrading because women deserve someone who wants to look at their beautiful faces. Jessa immediately argues, saying “what if I want something else?  … This woman doesn’t care about what I want” (YOUTUBE). Jessa then tells Shoshanna she can’t force her to be a lady.

The directors of Girls show the struggle between two friends with completely opposing viewpoints on feminism. Shoshanna portrays the average woman who believes in virginity loss as a gift and in traditional roles between men and women. On the other hand, Jessa’s views are much more liberal, and she challenges Shoshanna’s beliefs, as she feels that sex is just as much for the woman as it is for the man. This reveals the difficulty many women struggle with; they try to conform to a more second-wave view of feminism, while also continuing many traditional roles (Kim et al., 2007).

Although show lacks discussion around contraception and safe sex, the characters possess many modern viewpoints on sexuality that are interesting for viewers to pay attention to. The show does not tell women that they must conform to traditional roles, but rather that they have the freedom to make their own choices.

References: 

Girls: Season 1 - Episode 2 Clip "we're the Ladies" (HBO) (2012, April 20th). Retrieved December 5, 2015. from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ozi3oEiSY0&index=3&list=RD9n6HtOGY_pY.

Kim, J. L., Sorsoli, C. L., Collins, K., Zylbergold, B. a, Schooler, D., & Tolman, D. L. (2007). From sex to sexuality: Exposing the heterosexual script on primetime network television. Journal of Sex Research, 44(2), 145–157. http://doi.org/10.1080/00224490701263660

Markle, G. (2008). “Can Women Have Sex Like a Man?”: Sexual Scripts in Sex and the City. Sexuality & Culture, 12(1), 45–57. http://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-007-9019-1

The American Way

           

            Upon meeting the students from Argentina that I would do an exchange program with in high school, they asked a question my friends and I all found to be absolutely hilarious: “are the parties in America like those in American Pie?”  I laughed and replied “no,” not realizing that this question was in fact not that outrageous. I recently re-watched the movie, and realized exactly why the Argentinian students were excited to come to America, and experience what they thought was a typical American party. American Pie 2 is just one out of many movies that depict American teenagers engaging in dangerous behavior without repercussions. 

In an article by Hust, Brown, and Ladin L’Engle, the researchers reveal that the media is very stereotypical, and often presents sexual health as humiliating and humorous (Hust, Brown, & L’Engle, 2008). American Pie 2 further aggregates these gender stereotypes in a variety of situations. The main character, Jim Levenstein, is fully consumed by the need to lose his virginity as soon as possible. In order to prepare and improve his sexual abilities, Jim decides to masturbate while watching porn. Everything goes wrong when Jim uses superglue instead of lubrication and glues one hand to his genitals and the other to the porn. Jim then ends up in the hospital, and is absolutely humiliated when his father has to come and learn about what had happened.

Despite his humiliation and the humor directors use to depict the situation, Jim continues to focus on losing his virginity throughout the rest of the film, just as society implies adolescent men should feel about losing their virginity - rushed. Not only does the film focus on his virginity loss, but there is also a lack of focus on the type of contraception Jim will use once he does have sex. In an article by L. Monique Ward, she discusses that in the media there is often “a lack of discussion and depiction of sexual planning and consequences, with few references to sexually transmitted disease, contraception, pregnancy prevention, and abortion” (Ward, 2003). The American Pie 2 directors confirm this stereotype. At the end of the movie, Jim does indeed lose his virginity, and there is no discussion about contraception. Moreover, the two wake up with smiles on their faces, as if they are not worried about any consequences of having sex. This movie, along with many others, reinforces the belief among teenagers that sex is a carefree experience.  

Furthermore, as discussed in the movie we watched in class, Spin the bottle: Sex, lies, and alcohol, teenage drinking is an epidemic that leads to a series of bad decisions. In regards to sexuality, students often times make decisions that they would have not made had they have been sober. These decisions can lead to physical as well as emotional consequences, but there is a lack of these outcomes in the media. In the final party scene in American Pie 2, viewers see many of these behaviors, minus any negative repercussions. There are a series of shots depicting the teenagers engaging in reckless behavior. With alcohol in their hands, the men are taking shots off of girls’ chests, everyone is dancing extremely promiscuously, and there is a lot of kissing. The party ends with a few couples happily sleeping together in bed. One character even has two naked girls lying in his arms. The next morning, the party is over and there are no repercussions, essentially condoning all of the behavior from the previous night. Even though the party in the movie is glamorized and it seems as if there are no consequences, as discussed in the video, this is not always reality. Individuals can engage in behaviors they regret, and there are also negative physical effects. Once again, American Pie 2 shows only the positive aspects of teen drinking.

After watching the movie, and specifically the scene at the end, I understand why Argentinian students have this perception of American parties. American Pie 2 shows that their questions were truly not that far-fetched. In order to change this reputation, the teenagers must take more precautions, and the media must show them as well.

Hust, S. J. T., Brown, J. D., & L'Engle, K. L. (2008). Boys will be boys and girls better be prepared: An analysis of the rare sexual health messages in young adolescents' media. Mass Communication & Society, 11(1), 3-23. doi: 10.1080/15205430701668139 

Ridberg, R., Katz, J., Kilbourne, J., & Media Education Foundation. (2004). Spin the bottle: Sex, lies and alcohol. Northampton, MA: Media Education Foundation.

Ward, L. M. (2003). Understanding the role of entertainment media in the sexual socialization of American youth: A review of empirical research. Developmental Review, 23(3), 347-388. doi: 10.1016/s0273-2297(03)00013-3 

Realistic depictions

   On June 26, 2015 gay marriage was made legal by all 50 states. Over the past several decades, the media has been huge source of information of this transformation for the LGBT community. Even though society has made huge strides in becoming more accepting, coming out to family and friends as homosexual remains an extremely monumental and sometimes traumatic moment for many. In the article Information-Seeking Practices during the Sexual Development of Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Individuals: The Influence and Effects of Coming Out in a Mediated Environment, authors reveal that the media has been a primary source of information for those in the LGBT community (Bond et al 2008). Frequently, teenagers struggling to define their sexuality, and as discussed in the article, they look more to the media for information on the coming-out process more than interpersonal relationships. That being said, it is important that the media not only offer as many realistic depictions as possible but also characters whom LGBT adolescents can relate to.

             The popular show Glee does a successful job of casting homosexual characters and sharing their experiences coming out. Kurt Hummel possesses many stereotypical gay qualities; his coming out is no surprise to his peers and viewers. Kurt shares a special moment with father upon revealing his sexuality; despite the fear in Kurt’s eyes, his father’s response is “I know. I’ve known since you were three … I love you just as much.” The two hug, and viewers’ see the relief in Kurt’s eyes.

On the other hand, Santana Lopez starts dating a fellow cheerleader, which is a slight surprise as she has previously dated men. Santana expresses her struggle with sexuality to her grandmother, telling her that she no longer wants to keep this secret. Santana is shocked and distraught when her grandmother responds,  “everyone has secrets, Santana. They are called secrets for a reason. I want you to leave this house and I never want to see you again. Go, now!”

Santana’s experience coming out to her family is the complete opposite of Kurt’s. According to Bond et al., this media depiction reflects the reality for many LGBT adolescents “These conversations can be difficult, especially if the family atmosphere is homophobic or aversive to intimate conversation” (Bond et al 2008). Santana's experience shows just that. Through these two characters, Glee does a successful job of showing two drastically different experiences individuals undergo when sharing their sexuality.

            Glee does a fantastic job of representing two homosexual students who struggle to share their sexuality with their family members. No experience is exactly the same as another, but Glee shares at least two. Although the law and Supreme Court have made strides toward a more accepting community, this experience remains traumatic for many adolescents as not all who surround them will embrace the idea. Other television shows and media outlets should follow in Glee's footsteps in order to help those struggling with this type of situation and in order to keep up with our transforming and more accepting nation.

Keeping the Love Alive

In the media, relationships seem to be romanticized and idealized. Who doesn't want to watch a love story of two people falling madly in love? What many media leave out, is what happens to these couples in the long-term. The movie Sex Tape depicts this issue in an extremely comedic manner.

Upon the first time they meet,  Annie Hargrove (Cameron Diaz) and Jay Hargrove's (Jason Segal) physical chemistry is almost instantaneous. They start having sexual relations, and it's easy to understand that they really enjoy having sex with one another. Ten years later, everything changes when they are no longer single, but instead married with kids. As a result, their sex life suffers, and Annie and Jay are desperate to get it back. In order to do so, they decide to make a sex tape, but only mean for it to be seen by their own eyes. This unfortunately is not the case when Jay accidentally forgets to delete it, and it ends up in the wrong hands. 

While extremely funny and entertaining, this movie brings up a lot of interesting points about long-term relationships. According to Lippman et al in "Isn't it Romantic," the media consistently focuses on the "falling in love" phase of a relationship, "such as the giving of gifts and compliments and exaggerated romantic gestures, such as scattering rose petals." (Lippman et al, 2014). It is easy for a media company to romanticize a couple falling in love with each other, because viewers thoroughly enjoy a love story. Sex Tape does just this; from the start, Annie and Jay have an instantaneous connection that is very entertaining to watch. At the same time, this romanticized ideal is slightly dangerous for viewers. Lippman states, "although heavier total amount of TV exposure predicted lower levels of idealistic marital expectations, heavier exposure to romantic TV predicted higher levels of idealistic marital expectations" (Lippman et al, 2014)). The media may romanticize falling in love, but relationships are not always glamorous forever. In Sex Tape, Annie and Jay's relationship is not always hearts and flowers, but they do indeed run into problems after being together for many years. 

Lippman's research shows that viewers truly pay attention to the media and the messages it sends on relationships. Although the circumstances in Sex Tape are slightly unconventional, the movie shows that those in long-term relationships run into obstacles that they must overcome. Annie and Jay love each other and the family they have created, but with their crazy lives, they need time to themselves to get their relationship back to to where it was when they first met. While the media should make individuals excited about falling in love, there should also be a balance of revealing that love does have ups and downs in the end. Couples should not make sex tapes, but they should definitely focus on spending time together and keeping their chemistry alive.  

References: 
Lippman, J. R., Ward, L. M., & Seabrook, R. C. (2014). Isn’t it romantic? Differential associations between romantic screen media genres and romantic beliefs. Psychology of Popular Media Culture, 3(3), 128-140. doi: 10.1037/ppm0000034 

Sex Tape Official Red Band Trailer (2014, March 31). Retrieved November 11, 2015, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JF6IXw86iSQ.

Watch with Caution

For many, the media is a source of sexual information for adolescents. Whether the media relays true or false information, teenagers consume these messages. According to Stacey Hust, Jane Brown, and Kelly L’Engle, “The infrequent content about sexual health topics was often ambiguous and inaccurate, reinforced traditional gender stereotypes, and used humor to undermine sexually responsible behavior” (Hust et. al 19). Despite the fact that it is important to inform teenagers of safe sexual procedures, the media is not always a reliable source. The ultimate goal of a television series is to engage and increase the number of viewers, which comes from interesting plots rather than educational information. If adolescents always trust the media, they will not be educated with the correct facts.  

In the popular series Glee, Quinn Fabray cheats on her boyfriend, Finn Hudson, with football player Noah ‘Puck’ Puckerman. Unsure of how to handle the situation, Quinn tells Finn that the child is his (even though they have never had sex). As seen in the video below, she tells him that his sperm traveled when they were together in the hot tub, and caused her to get pregnant. Finn believes her.

This storyline is problematic for multiple reasons. First, Finn is clearly uneducated, as he believes Quinn. Furthermore, the show uses this storyline to mock the fact that Finn has not had proper sexual education. According to Hust et. al, “sexual health is a funny and/or embarrassing aspect of adolescents’ exploration of sexuality and rarely a natural part of a romantic relationship” (Hust et. al 12). Despite the severity of the situation, Glee uses the consequences of Quinn sleeping with Puck as comic relief regarding her relationship with Finn. Even though this is a major aspect of their relationship and will change the rest of their lives, it comes off to viewers as a slightly funny and embarrassing situation. This is also problematic because Quinn takes all of the pressure off of Finn, letting him know that he can be as involved with the child as he wants to. As Hust et. al states, “girls are responsible for teen pregnancy, contraception, and STD prevention” (Hust et. al 14). The situation may have been different if Finn was actually the father, but Quinn puts minimal amounts of pressure on Finn to feel responsible for the child. Even though the child is equally the father’s as the mother’s, Glee depicts the situation as one that Quinn must be the most responsible for.

Glee’s depiction of Quinn’s pregnancy is eye-opening but also troublesome. This shows that adolescents need to receive proper sexual health information in order to ensure that they know the facts as well as risks. It also reveals that those watching cannot count on the media to teach factual information, as the media has storylines that will simply engage the viewers. Students need to be aware that they are not always getting the correct information from television shows, and that it is important to watch with caution.  

Hust, S. J. T., Brown, J. D., & L’Engle, K. L. (2008). Boys Will Be Boys and Girls Better Be Prepared: An Analysis of the Rare Sexual Health Messages in Young Adolescents’ Media. Mass Communication and Society, 11(November), 3–23. http://doi.org/10.1080/15205430701668139