1
Brett Denita Baskin
Mr. Blair
World lit 122 - A
December 2, 1996
Sex in Advertising
The use of sex in advertising has become a major selling
method in the society we live in today. It began sixty years ago
when a beautiful young woman introduced the first windproof lighter
and a new wave of advertising emerged - The Pinup Girl. She
advertised everything from lighters to laundry soap. She even
recruited for the U.S. armed forces (Parade Magazine; pg 6).
Sexuality in advertising is now a major area of ethical concern,
though surprisingly little is known about its effects or the norms for
it's use (Baltimore Sun; pg. 1G). Advertisers use of sex appeals
has grown and become widely present throughout the U.S. and
really most of the world, but it has never really been clear the line
between offensive and effective advertising. Over the last couple
of years, commercial content, like programming, has gone through
a significant maturing process. Sex has become a driving force.
NBC's vice president for advertising standards, Rick Gitter,
acknowledged that the 1990's reality can't be denied (Baltimore
Sun; pg. 1G).
Ann Klein's company's ads are some of the most striking ads
that are carried in the main stream media. They have received
only a few negative letters, but they've drawn a huge amount of
attention (Baltimore Sun; pg. 2G). "We wanted the women to say,
'Hey,' and we have gotten a fantastic response," there's a fine line
between doing something new, different and interesting, and
angering your customer with offensive commercials that spoil their
commercial intent. An Ann Klein spot that showed a man kissing a
woman and beginning to unbutton her shirt, was not allowed to air
by wary network censors, recalled company vice president Nancy
Lueck (Baltimore Sun; pg 2G). Calvin Klein, an American clothing
manufacturer that courts the glamorous young, drew great disgrace
and shame earlier this year for some particutlarly gamine youth who
lolled about wearing their underpants in a recent campaign, which
the network censors also withdrew (The Economist pg. 53).
"Sexiness, as a component of the good life, is a staple for
advertisers ; Coca Cola decorated its drug store posters at the turn
of the century with beautiful young women whom male drinkers
might hope to date and female drinkers might emulate (The
Economist pg. 54)." One has only to pick up any issue of a fashion
magazine and page after page is filled with advertisements
attempting to correlate sex and beauty with the purchase of their
products.
The current flood of sex in advertising is often promoted in
terms of fulfilling erotic fantasies and appetites (D'Emilio and
Freeman, 1989). Consumers want to see more, however the use of
such appeals is constantly contested in terms of ethics and
morality, much as sexual norms and morals in general have been
contested throughout both American and world history (The
Journal of Advertising, pg 73). Commercials have become a
risque as standards loosen. Networks, in an effort to compete with
cable television, have relaxed thier censorship standards.
Advertising standards have always been defined by the public's
tolerance and the shifting moods of courts and government
agencies. Even though there are concerns about sex and
advertising on the air, on billboards, and in print, it is more
accepted now than ever before. However, ads dealing with the
environment or nutrition are coming under much stricter contraints.
The public has become less sensitive to sexy ads, but increasingly
irate about claims involving food and Mother Earth. "While we will
tolerate an expansion in areas that may offend our prurient interest,
we are not prepared to do that with products that effect our quality
of life" said Stuart Lee Friedel, an attorney with the New York
based law firm of Davis & Gilbert, who specializes in advertising
(Baltimore Sun, pg 2G).
Advertisers are helping to fuel an unhealthy obsession.
"Women's dissatisfaction with their bodies is considerably more
prevalent now than a generation ago. "Ours is now a society that is
increasingly preoccupied with appearance and weight," says Judith
Robin,Ph.D., former chairman of the psychology department at
Yale University, currently president of the University of
Pennsylvania in Philadelphia and a recognized authority on body
image. Magazine covers, TV shows, music videos and movies
tend to feature very thin women over those with more realistically
filled-out figures. Advertisers want people to feel dissatisfied with
our current appearances, so they will be more inclined to purchase
their products that offer improvements. " The media now exposes
us to this single 'right look', and the beauty industry promises that
anyone can attain it," writes Dr.Robin, who is also the author of
Body Traps: Breaking the Binds That Keep You from Feeling Good
about Your Body (Food And You; pg. 33). Shame often hinders
would be gym goers for fear of embarrassment. Health club
advertisers often showcase scantily clad, sculptured bodies working
out. Over weight people find it difficult to picture themselves beside
those people - the invariably young and trim (Atlanta
journal/Constitution; pg. G3). Advertisers for car makers appeal to
the male population by insinuating that a man is judged by the
power behind his wheels therefore, big strong men drive big strong
trucks, and how he handles the road, with his powerful new wheels,
will have a positive influence on his masculinity (Essence, pg 93).
The back pages of magazines are flooded with ads for sex toys
designed to enhance your sex life. Vitamins claiming to give you
more stamina and lingerie worn by beautiful voluptuous models
whose assets do not come with the product. Still, the advertisers
hope to convey the subtle message that if you buy their product
you'll achieve those results. Purfume manufactuers advertise their
products will attract the opposite sex, mask body odor and invite
more itimate touch ( ADCULT USA, pg144). Once even routine
ads for some practical, everday items were shunned. "Hygiene
products, deodorants, laxatives... and simular products are
generally not accepted, " the NBC code of 1943 noted. Today
women can model lingerie or even breast feed a child (as seen in a
Gerber ad) on television. Consider a much noted A Calvin Klein
ad insert in New York and Los Angeles editions of Vanity Fair, was
described by Advertising Age as "boy meets girl, boy meets boy,
boy meet self". That's merely the most striking example of a vast
range of jeans, lingerie and cosmetics ads that once would have
been relegated to Playboy or Penthouse, but now are appearing in
upscale mainstream publications ( Baltimore Sun, pg 3g).
Toy manufacturers are also capitalizing on the use of sex to
sell products. Video games, which have a largley teenage male
following, use graphic and sexually stimulating graphics to portray
their female characters. Lude advertisements such as "Engage in
thousands of exciting relationships with total strangers without
wearing anything made of latex" (NEXT Generation, pg 72), and
"Sometimes having a killer body just isn't enough, you'll need tough
studs and big bolts" (NEXT Generation, pg 91) appeal to their
adolescent fantasies. There are people who consider this form of
advertisment to be in poor taste because of the advertising
techniques. They oppose advertisements with sexual overtones
and advertisements with adult content that appear in media
available to and directed toward children (Advertising, pg 67).
Even the foreign market of developing countries such as war
torn Cambodia are being flooded with the promise of the good life.
Beer commercials in Cambodia show fit young men leaping and
sprinting while promises of physical and intellectual prowess flash
on the television screen. In one popular spot, a man cracks an
egg into his beer, and the yoke transforms into a woman, he drinks
down the attractive brew with a slurp ( Yahoo! News,
yahoo.com/headlines/961129).
The Spanish government introduced legislation in April, 1986
to ban misleading, unfair, or irrational advertising. The bill would
also regulate the use of testimonials, comparative advertising, and
the material that is offensive to the dignity of women or fails to
respect the rights of children. ( Edward Mark Mazze, Britannica
Annual 1989, pg 265). The United States has no such legislation,
except for strict laws against child pornography. An attempt to
introduce such legislation would be met with stern opposition from
the corporate world, whose industries profit from such advertising.
Advertising agencies have taken advantage of the freedoms of
speech and expression guaranteed by the Constitution. Product
advertising continues to push the acceptance of sexually explicit
materials to the limit in it's race for higher profits.
Sexuality has become a national trade mark, the symbol of
American commerce. Naked, semi-naked, dressing and
undressing women fill not only films but the pages of magazines
advertising food, clothing, automobiles, hotels, refrigerators,
chewing gum and everything which in the opinion of the business
man would represent the vital interest of people. Advertisements
have never been granted the unqualified rights of free speech held
by books, articles or news programs. The indecency of American
and world wide advertising has become indescribable. Sex in
advertising will always be an issue of ethical concern as long as
peoples view remain diverse and companies profit from those
diversities.
1
Brett Denita Baskin
Mr. Blair
World lit 122 - A
December 2, 1996
Sex in Advertising
The use of sex in advertising has become a major selling
method in the society we live in today. It began sixty years ago
when a beautiful young woman introduced the first windproof lighter
and a new wave of advertising emerged - The Pinup Girl. She
advertised everything from lighters to laundry soap. She even
recruited for the U.S. armed forces (Parade Magazine; pg 6).
Sexuality in advertising is now a major area of ethical concern,
though surprisingly little is known about its effects or the norms for
it's use (Baltimore Sun; pg. 1G). Advertisers use of sex appeals
has grown and become widely present throughout the U.S. and
really most of the world, but it has never really been clear the line
between offensive and effective advertising. Over the last couple
of years, commercial content, like programming, has gone through
a significant maturing process. Sex has become a driving force.
NBC's vice president for advertising standards, Rick Gitter,
acknowledged that the 1990's reality can't be denied (Baltimore
Sun; pg. 1G).
Ann Klein's company's ads are some of the most striking ads
that are carried in the main stream media. They have received
only a few negative letters, but they've drawn a huge amount of
attention (Baltimore Sun; pg. 2G). "We wanted the women to say,
'Hey,' and we have gotten a fantastic response," there's a fine line
between doing something new, different and interesting, and
angering your customer with offensive commercials that spoil their
commercial intent. An Ann Klein spot that showed a man kissing a
woman and beginning to unbutton her shirt, was not allowed to air
by wary network censors, recalled company vice president Nancy
Lueck (Baltimore Sun; pg 2G). Calvin Klein, an American clothing
manufacturer that courts the glamorous young, drew great disgrace
and shame earlier this year for some particutlarly gamine youth who
lolled about wearing their underpants in a recent campaign, which
the network censors also withdrew (The Economist pg. 53).
"Sexiness, as a component of the good life, is a staple for
advertisers ; Coca Cola decorated its drug store posters at the turn
of the century with beautiful young women whom male drinkers
might hope to date and female drinkers might emulate (The
Economist pg. 54)." One has only to pick up any issue of a fashion
magazine and page after page is filled with advertisements
attempting to correlate sex and beauty with the purchase of their
products.
The current flood of sex in advertising is often promoted in
terms of fulfilling erotic fantasies and appetites (D'Emilio and
Freeman, 1989). Consumers want to see more, however the use of
such appeals is constantly contested in terms of ethics and
morality, much as sexual norms and morals in general have been
contested throughout both American and world history (The
Journal of Advertising, pg 73). Commercials have become a
risque as standards loosen. Networks, in an effort to compete with
cable television, have relaxed thier censorship standards.
Advertising standards have always been defined by the public's
tolerance and the shifting moods of courts and government
agencies. Even though there are concerns about sex and
advertising on the air, on billboards, and in print, it is more
accepted now than ever before. However, ads dealing with the
environment or nutrition are coming under much stricter contraints.
The public has become less sensitive to sexy ads, but increasingly
irate about claims involving food and Mother Earth. "While we will
tolerate an expansion in areas that may offend our prurient interest,
we are not prepared to do that with products that effect our quality
of life" said Stuart Lee Friedel, an attorney with the New York
based law firm of Davis & Gilbert, who specializes in advertising
(Baltimore Sun, pg 2G).
Advertisers are helping to fuel an unhealthy obsession.
"Women's dissatisfaction with their bodies is considerably more
prevalent now than a generation ago. "Ours is now a society that is
increasingly preoccupied with appearance and weight," says Judith
Robin,Ph.D., former chairman of the psychology department at
Yale University, currently president of the University of
Pennsylvania in Philadelphia and a recognized authority on body
image. Magazine covers, TV shows, music videos and movies
tend to feature very thin women over those with more realistically
filled-out figures. Advertisers want people to feel dissatisfied with
our current appearances, so they will be more inclined to purchase
their products that offer improvements. " The media now exposes
us to this single 'right look', and the beauty industry promises that
anyone can attain it," writes Dr.Robin, who is also the author of
Body Traps: Breaking the Binds That Keep You from Feeling Good
about Your Body (Food And You; pg. 33). Shame often hinders
would be gym goers for fear of embarrassment. Health club
advertisers often showcase scantily clad, sculptured bodies working
out. Over weight people find it difficult to picture themselves beside
those people - the invariably young and trim (Atlanta
journal/Constitution; pg. G3). Advertisers for car makers appeal to
the male population by insinuating that a man is judged by the
power behind his wheels therefore, big strong men drive big strong
trucks, and how he handles the road, with his powerful new wheels,
will have a positive influence on his masculinity (Essence, pg 93).
The back pages of magazines are flooded with ads for sex toys
designed to enhance your sex life. Vitamins claiming to give you
more stamina and lingerie worn by beautiful voluptuous models
whose assets do not come with the product. Still, the advertisers
hope to convey the subtle message that if you buy their product
you'll achieve those results. Purfume manufactuers advertise their
products will attract the opposite sex, mask body odor and invite
more itimate touch ( ADCULT USA, pg144). Once even routine
ads for some practical, everday items were shunned. "Hygiene
products, deodorants, laxatives... and simular products are
generally not accepted, " the NBC code of 1943 noted. Today
women can model lingerie or even breast feed a child (as seen in a
Gerber ad) on television. Consider a much noted A Calvin Klein
ad insert in New York and Los Angeles editions of Vanity Fair, was
described by Advertising Age as "boy meets girl, boy meets boy,
boy meet self". That's merely the most striking example of a vast
range of jeans, lingerie and cosmetics ads that once would have
been relegated to Playboy or Penthouse, but now are appearing in
upscale mainstream publications ( Baltimore Sun, pg 3g).
Toy manufacturers are also capitalizing on the use of sex to
sell products. Video games, which have a largley teenage male
following, use graphic and sexually stimulating graphics to portray
their female characters. Lude advertisements such as "Engage in
thousands of exciting relationships with total strangers without
wearing anything made of latex" (NEXT Generation, pg 72), and
"Sometimes having a killer body just isn't enough, you'll need tough
studs and big bolts" (NEXT Generation, pg 91) appeal to their
adolescent fantasies. There are people who consider this form of
advertisment to be in poor taste because of the advertising
techniques. They oppose advertisements with sexual overtones
and advertisements with adult content that appear in media
available to and directed toward children (Advertising, pg 67).
Even the foreign market of developing countries such as war
torn Cambodia are being flooded with the promise of the good life.
Beer commercials in Cambodia show fit young men leaping and
sprinting while promises of physical and intellectual prowess flash
on the television screen. In one popular spot, a man cracks an
egg into his beer, and the yoke transforms into a woman, he drinks
down the attractive brew with a slurp ( Yahoo! News,
yahoo.com/headlines/961129).
The Spanish government introduced legislation in April, 1986
to ban misleading, unfair, or irrational advertising. The bill would
also regulate the use of testimonials, comparative advertising, and
the material that is offensive to the dignity of women or fails to
respect the rights of children. ( Edward Mark Mazze, Britannica
Annual 1989, pg 265). The United States has no such legislation,
except for strict laws against child pornography. An attempt to
introduce such legislation would be met with stern opposition from
the corporate world, whose industries profit from such advertising.
Advertising agencies have taken advantage of the freedoms of
speech and expression guaranteed by the Constitution. Product
advertising continues to push the acceptance of sexually explicit
materials to the limit in it's race for higher profits.
Sexuality has become a national trade mark, the symbol of
American commerce. Naked, semi-naked, dressing and
undressing women fill not only films but the pages of magazines
advertising food, clothing, automobiles, hotels, refrigerators,
chewing gum and everything which in the opinion of the business
man would represent the vital interest of people. Advertisements
have never been granted the unqualified rights of free speech held
by books, articles or news programs. The indecency of American
and world wide advertising has become indescribable. Sex in
advertising will always be an issue of ethical concern as long as
peoples view remain diverse and companies profit from those
diversities.
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Pornography 3
Sexual morality has declined in America today. The immoral life can be seen all
around us. We see it in drugs, alcohol, movies, magazines, gangs, teenage pregnancy,
pre-marital sex, and society as a whole. A person can walk into almost any convenience
store and purchase a magazine depicting naked women. Videos and movies with graphic
sex scenes can be rented or watched in any movie theater. They have become more
common than ever before. Almost every movie with an "R" rating will have at least one
sex scene. Even Forrest Gump, a highly acclaimed movie, had a sexual act and nudity
involved. Also public television has been known to show nudity and sex. Allusions are
made to sex in every part of our life. Work, school, sports, and recreation are all forums
through which unhealthy sexual views are expressed.
One of the more predominant and obvious forums for the proliferation of
unhealthy sexual desires is pornography. Pornography is displaying the human body in a
perverse, sexual way. It can be found in film, magazine, television, on CD-ROM, and
even the internet, and can range from "soft-core", depicting natural poses and action, to
"hard-core", or depicting sex combined with violence, that any reasonable, decent, well-
adjusted human being would recognize as horrible and disgusting. Much pornography is
socially acceptable, with few people actively speaking out against it.
Pornography can be bought at many "adult" or "adult novelty" shops. One only
has to listen to any popular local radio station after 8 P.M. to hear strings of
advertisements for local pornographic outlets. Television advertisements are shown
also, but not as often as on the radio. Pornography is so socially acceptable in
today's society, that it is protected by the same amendment to the constitution that allows
Pro-Life groups to protest abortion, the first amendment to the constitution. For years,
the first amendment has been quoted to support pornography, as well as everything from
freedom to protest abortion, to freedom of holding Nazi views. The first amendment was
drafted, not to protect boring, popular, or inoffensive views, however, but to protect the
right of people to hold and express controversial ideas.
There is a line, though. A television network cannot show images of children
having sex, but it can show a naked woman, if the perspective is such that certain parts of
her body are not seen. In Germany, access is blocked to certain "chat rooms" which
contain pedophile pornography. In Denmark, the government has dropped all legal
barriers against pornography for adults. Explicit magazines cannot be sold to anyone
under the age of eighteen, showing some morality is still intact in America today, if not
entirely.
The Church's stand on pornography is clear and obvious. The Catholic Church is
adamantly against all pornography. Pornography "...offends against chastity because it
perverts the conjugal act, the intimate giving of spouses to each other. It does grave
injury to the dignity of its participants (actors, vendors, the public), since each one
becomes an object of base pleasure and illicit profit for others." The church's view is that
"...civil authorities should prevent the production and distribution of pornographic
materials. God has willed that the expression of sexual ideas be within the confines of
marriage. No man has the right to violate the will of God, and pornography is a violation
of this will. It is an unnatural act, a immoral human act.
The responsibility of the church over the matter of pornography is to be a clear,
constant teacher of the faith, especially objective moral truth. We live in a time of
permissiveness of moral violation and confusion. It is a time that demands that the church
be a clear voice of morality and its role in society.
Pornography and wanton violence in the media can blind people to the divine
images, the very likeness of God, in the human being. We are made in the image of God,
and to portray that image in a perverse and corrupt way for the enjoyment of others is not
only immoral, but goes against our human nature and purpose, to know, love, and serve
God in this life, as well as through to the next. To willingly disobey God and pervert one
of his creatures is sacrilegious, and a grave offense against God.
We must educate those in Catholic schools as to why pornography is wrong, and
why we must fight against it. Combined, the voices of all morally fit individuals in society
would be loud enough to cause the communications industry to cease the senseless
proliferation of immoral content into society. Everyone must resist the temptation and not
give in to the grip that pornography has on a lot of people in this world.
As it is now, in an unscientific poll, if offered just $100,000 to pose for a
pornographic magazine, almost fifty percent of high school students would seriously
consider performing this immoral and unspeakable act.
Pornography has many obvious as well as not-so-obvious consequences within
society. Pornography has the power to ruin marriages, destroy trust, excite a person to
the point of sexual crime, or create an unhealthy view of human sexuality and the opposite
sex. If a married man purchases a pornographic magazine and looks through it, he
involuntarily loses some respect for the opposite sex, by reducing them to an object to
satisfy his sexual desire. If the magazine is discovered by his wife, she loses faith in him,
weakening their marriage bond. If the magazine is discovered by one of his children, male
or female, that child begins to form an unhealthy view of sexuality.
Any person allowing themselves to be used to satisfy the sexual desire of another is
sinning by causing another person to lust. There own perception of self-worth is
diminished, as well as their perception of healthy sexual expression.
Dress is another thing that causes a person to lust. If a young woman is dressed
immodestly, it causes a man to desire her. Therefore, it is very important that every
person dress modestly and not care what others think of their dress. When a young
woman dresses immodestly, this may suggest that she is "easy" and some people will
look down on her. The restaurant chain Hooters is a perfect example of a bad taste
in dress. The restaurant features scantily-clad women working as waitresses giving food
to men who are only there to lust after them. Over seventy-five percent of the men are
married.
On society as a whole, pornography acts as a moral anesthetic, deadening us to the
effects of immoral life. Pornography is as much as a drug as alcohol is. When you get
started on it, you cannot control yourself, and is hard to quit. The view of moral human
sexuality is greatly harmed, when a person can walk past storefronts boasting "Girls, Girls,
Girls". Society as a whole needs to re-think its position on pornography, as well as human
sexuality entirely. Also as individuals, we need to think about how our actions in regards
to human sexuality affect those around us, as well as ourselves, our relationship with
others, and our relationship with God.
Pornography is accepted in the world today. Any movie theatre won't hesitate to
show a movie with pornography depicted in it if it will sell. The same goes for any
bookstore which sells magazines. You can go into any major bookstore chain and see a
Playboy magazine on the rack next to Sports Illustrated. Now what does this suggest?
It suggests that Playboy is as widely read as Sports Illustrated.
The movie industry has glorified pornography in many movies. Movies are the
main source of pornography, along with magazines. Any person can see pornography
when watching one of the pay channels on the television late at night. This provides the
oppurtunity for anyone with access to these channels to see pornography. Many children
have access to this. Also anyone with a computer and access to the internet has the
oppurtunity to pick up some pornography. Some restrictions should be made on these
things but people say that it violates their First Amendment right.
Pornography is something that shouldn't be around. Women shouldn't be
portrayed as sexual objects, but as an individual. Pornography is a very bad thing
that severes your relationship with God and is a big sin.
around us. We see it in drugs, alcohol, movies, magazines, gangs, teenage pregnancy,
pre-marital sex, and society as a whole. A person can walk into almost any convenience
store and purchase a magazine depicting naked women. Videos and movies with graphic
sex scenes can be rented or watched in any movie theater. They have become more
common than ever before. Almost every movie with an "R" rating will have at least one
sex scene. Even Forrest Gump, a highly acclaimed movie, had a sexual act and nudity
involved. Also public television has been known to show nudity and sex. Allusions are
made to sex in every part of our life. Work, school, sports, and recreation are all forums
through which unhealthy sexual views are expressed.
One of the more predominant and obvious forums for the proliferation of
unhealthy sexual desires is pornography. Pornography is displaying the human body in a
perverse, sexual way. It can be found in film, magazine, television, on CD-ROM, and
even the internet, and can range from "soft-core", depicting natural poses and action, to
"hard-core", or depicting sex combined with violence, that any reasonable, decent, well-
adjusted human being would recognize as horrible and disgusting. Much pornography is
socially acceptable, with few people actively speaking out against it.
Pornography can be bought at many "adult" or "adult novelty" shops. One only
has to listen to any popular local radio station after 8 P.M. to hear strings of
advertisements for local pornographic outlets. Television advertisements are shown
also, but not as often as on the radio. Pornography is so socially acceptable in
today's society, that it is protected by the same amendment to the constitution that allows
Pro-Life groups to protest abortion, the first amendment to the constitution. For years,
the first amendment has been quoted to support pornography, as well as everything from
freedom to protest abortion, to freedom of holding Nazi views. The first amendment was
drafted, not to protect boring, popular, or inoffensive views, however, but to protect the
right of people to hold and express controversial ideas.
There is a line, though. A television network cannot show images of children
having sex, but it can show a naked woman, if the perspective is such that certain parts of
her body are not seen. In Germany, access is blocked to certain "chat rooms" which
contain pedophile pornography. In Denmark, the government has dropped all legal
barriers against pornography for adults. Explicit magazines cannot be sold to anyone
under the age of eighteen, showing some morality is still intact in America today, if not
entirely.
The Church's stand on pornography is clear and obvious. The Catholic Church is
adamantly against all pornography. Pornography "...offends against chastity because it
perverts the conjugal act, the intimate giving of spouses to each other. It does grave
injury to the dignity of its participants (actors, vendors, the public), since each one
becomes an object of base pleasure and illicit profit for others." The church's view is that
"...civil authorities should prevent the production and distribution of pornographic
materials. God has willed that the expression of sexual ideas be within the confines of
marriage. No man has the right to violate the will of God, and pornography is a violation
of this will. It is an unnatural act, a immoral human act.
The responsibility of the church over the matter of pornography is to be a clear,
constant teacher of the faith, especially objective moral truth. We live in a time of
permissiveness of moral violation and confusion. It is a time that demands that the church
be a clear voice of morality and its role in society.
Pornography and wanton violence in the media can blind people to the divine
images, the very likeness of God, in the human being. We are made in the image of God,
and to portray that image in a perverse and corrupt way for the enjoyment of others is not
only immoral, but goes against our human nature and purpose, to know, love, and serve
God in this life, as well as through to the next. To willingly disobey God and pervert one
of his creatures is sacrilegious, and a grave offense against God.
We must educate those in Catholic schools as to why pornography is wrong, and
why we must fight against it. Combined, the voices of all morally fit individuals in society
would be loud enough to cause the communications industry to cease the senseless
proliferation of immoral content into society. Everyone must resist the temptation and not
give in to the grip that pornography has on a lot of people in this world.
As it is now, in an unscientific poll, if offered just $100,000 to pose for a
pornographic magazine, almost fifty percent of high school students would seriously
consider performing this immoral and unspeakable act.
Pornography has many obvious as well as not-so-obvious consequences within
society. Pornography has the power to ruin marriages, destroy trust, excite a person to
the point of sexual crime, or create an unhealthy view of human sexuality and the opposite
sex. If a married man purchases a pornographic magazine and looks through it, he
involuntarily loses some respect for the opposite sex, by reducing them to an object to
satisfy his sexual desire. If the magazine is discovered by his wife, she loses faith in him,
weakening their marriage bond. If the magazine is discovered by one of his children, male
or female, that child begins to form an unhealthy view of sexuality.
Any person allowing themselves to be used to satisfy the sexual desire of another is
sinning by causing another person to lust. There own perception of self-worth is
diminished, as well as their perception of healthy sexual expression.
Dress is another thing that causes a person to lust. If a young woman is dressed
immodestly, it causes a man to desire her. Therefore, it is very important that every
person dress modestly and not care what others think of their dress. When a young
woman dresses immodestly, this may suggest that she is "easy" and some people will
look down on her. The restaurant chain Hooters is a perfect example of a bad taste
in dress. The restaurant features scantily-clad women working as waitresses giving food
to men who are only there to lust after them. Over seventy-five percent of the men are
married.
On society as a whole, pornography acts as a moral anesthetic, deadening us to the
effects of immoral life. Pornography is as much as a drug as alcohol is. When you get
started on it, you cannot control yourself, and is hard to quit. The view of moral human
sexuality is greatly harmed, when a person can walk past storefronts boasting "Girls, Girls,
Girls". Society as a whole needs to re-think its position on pornography, as well as human
sexuality entirely. Also as individuals, we need to think about how our actions in regards
to human sexuality affect those around us, as well as ourselves, our relationship with
others, and our relationship with God.
Pornography is accepted in the world today. Any movie theatre won't hesitate to
show a movie with pornography depicted in it if it will sell. The same goes for any
bookstore which sells magazines. You can go into any major bookstore chain and see a
Playboy magazine on the rack next to Sports Illustrated. Now what does this suggest?
It suggests that Playboy is as widely read as Sports Illustrated.
The movie industry has glorified pornography in many movies. Movies are the
main source of pornography, along with magazines. Any person can see pornography
when watching one of the pay channels on the television late at night. This provides the
oppurtunity for anyone with access to these channels to see pornography. Many children
have access to this. Also anyone with a computer and access to the internet has the
oppurtunity to pick up some pornography. Some restrictions should be made on these
things but people say that it violates their First Amendment right.
Pornography is something that shouldn't be around. Women shouldn't be
portrayed as sexual objects, but as an individual. Pornography is a very bad thing
that severes your relationship with God and is a big sin.
Philosophy of Sex
In the book Smut, Erotic Reality/ Obscene Ideology , by Murray Davis (1983),
the author expresses the idea that the best source for studying human sexuality objectively
is "soft core", rather than "hard core" pornography. (Davis p. xix). The purpose of this
paper is to critique Davis's claim and to study what understanding of human sexuality
someone might have if they used some other resource that is available today, in this case
the Internet.
Davis argues that , "hard core pornography is usually more abstract and less
explicit than soft-core pornography". (Davis, p. xix, 1983). Davis doesn't go on to
explain how hard-core pornography can be less explicit than soft-core. However he does
explain that hard-core pornography is more abstract in that, it depicts the sex act only and
not the emotional or personal characteristics of the people involved in the act. (Davis,
p. xx) He believes soft-core pornography is describing "a sexual experience", which
conveys characteristics of the participants that are not described by hard-core
pornography. Hard-core pornography describes "sexual behaviour" which involves more
of the act of sex rather than the characteristics and feelings involved with sex. (Davis, p.
xix) Although Davis admits that the vocabulary of sex is changing (Davis, p. xxv), he also
states that hard-core pornography uses considerably more vulgar terms that are associated
with lower-class activity, such as, "prick, fuck, and suck" (Davis, p. xxiii). Davis believes
that hard-core pornography, induces imaginative behaviours by using these lower-class,
four-letter words. The stories use phrases such as "First we sucked, then we
fucked."(Davis p. xix, 1983), to allow the reader the tools to imagine the scene actually
taking place. The reader is lead by the author through the story by using words that may
be more understood or common in the readers' everyday life. He also accuses hard-core
films of being "behavioristic" and "abstract" because they often fail to "fully inform the
audience about the characters personality types and social categories."(Davis, p. xx, 1983)
Soft-core pornography, on the other hand, often depicts "the subtle phenomenological
effects that result when a character's sexual behaviour clashes with his or her personal and
social characteristics." (Davis, p. xx, 1983). In short, he study's literature or films that
involve characters with personalities that are developed and conveyed to the audience. In
these stories the characters will have sex, but the sex may or may not be the main focus of
the story, but rather something that is bound to happen when personal and social
characteristics clash.
I believe that Davis is somewhat correct in assuming that soft-core is a more
objectively reliable source for studying human sexuality. When I hear the words soft-core
pornography, I tend to think of Playboy, or films and movies that depict a story about a
person or group of people, and within that story the characters engage in sexual activity.
This sexual activity is shown or described to the reader/viewer but is not done in a graphic
nature. That is, the actual sexual penetration is not shown or shown very minimally.
Hard-core, on the other hand, is shown or described more graphically. The
dialogue usually includes, as Davis states, four-letter words. The story seems to have less
of a plot and less character development. The main purpose of the work is to show or
describe sex. So it is in this sense that I agree with Davis.
However, I firmly believe that there is not one single resource that is the best
method of studying human sexuality. There are many sources which are helpful when
studying sex and human sexuality. They can range from textbooks, entertainment
magazines, television programs, to movies and novels. In my opinion the most reliable
and important resource for studying human sexuality is personal experience. The actual
hands on, if you will, of sex. All the texts, magazines and movies can show what happens
and maybe guide your learning process, but the only real way to learn is to experience for
oneself. I feel that if a variety of resources are used when studying human sexuality, an
individual will understand and learn all aspects of sexuality in greater detail. Having
learned all aspects of sexuality a person may develop a sense of confidence in their own
sexuality. This may allow for the person to have more respect for sexual orientations or
practices that the individual may not take part in. For example, a person educated in
human sexuality at a university level may realise that homosexuality is normal and should
not be shunned. Whereas, a person not as highly educated in this field may think
homosexuals are not right, or confused. If an individual uses a mixture of hard-core
pornography, soft-core pornography, educational texts, and any other source of
information that is available, the base for their knowledge will be broadened.
With this broadened knowledge base an individual can draw their own lines for
limits in their sexual practises. A person may indulge in sex in similar manner to hard-core
pornography. That is, they may enjoy watching the penetration and using four-letter
words during sex. Or an individual may enjoy sex in more of a soft-core manner.
For example they may like the lights off and be more romantic in their sexual escapades.
I feel that a combination of the two, or even a mixture of many different resources can be
more beneficial to the individuals sexual experience. That way the individual could use the
"hit and miss" method to explore human sexuality. Which means they could try different
things until they find something that they are comfortable with.
I believe that soft-core pornography when used alone is much too vague when
studying human sexuality. All aspects of human sexuality are not dealt with. The
individual would not learn the "plumbing" aspect of sexuality , other than what is seen or
described in soft-core. (i.e. breasts and penis).
If an individual only used hard-core pornography to study human sexuality they
may believe that sex and sexuality are all about the act of sex. They may not learn the
idea of love or the responsibilities associated with sex and sexual activity. The use of only
one resource in studying anything, including human sexuality, limits the quality of
knowledge gained about the particular subject.
One example of a restricted or limited view would be if a person was only using a
resource such as the Internet to study human sexuality. The Internet, or the net, as we all
know, is a vast source of knowledge for virtually every topic imaginable. I believe that a
person would have a very limited view if using the Internet for information on human
sexuality. This would especially ring true if the person did not know how to conduct
advanced studies on the Internet. That is, the person would simply type "human
sexuality" into one of the many search engines on the net. The resulting "hits" or "sites"
(places to find information) would be a wide range of topics. They would likely range
from journal articles about human sexuality to adult oriented articles, which would likely
be hard-core. Another type of hit the "surfer" (a person who browses the Internet) may
find is the adult oriented commercial sites. These sites advertise free sex pictures or live
phone sex.
The problem with using the Internet and only the Internet as a resource for study is
that the information found can be so vast that one may not know where to start. The more
attractive and marketed sites may get more attention. The key words in the description of
the site may draw one's attention to that site and the less attractive sites may be by-passed.
The problem is that the less attractive sites are usually those from universities with an
abundance of credible information. The other sites are basically selling sex not the idea of
the total package of human sexuality.
Another problem is deciding which search engine to use. A search engine is a tool
that one can use to find specific topics on the Internet. Different engines have different
specialities and a different number of sites that are explored. If a person only used one
search engine when looking for sites dealing with human sexuality, an important site that is
catalogued in another search engine may be missed.
With any topic as broad as human sexuality the Internet can be more
overwhelming than it is helpful. As with human sexuality itself , I believe that the best
way to learn how to search the net is by trial and error. By learning how to narrow down
topics that are being searched the individual may be able to find a few sites that fit the
characteristics they are seeking.
Now, the problem is, which characteristics should one look for when learning
about human sexuality? This is another decision that if not made properly could lead to
someone having a limited view of human sexuality. In order to narrow down a search one
must know a little bit about what they are searching for. For example if an alien came here
and tried to research human sexuality, it may not know any aspect of our sexuality to add
to the search. For example, love plays a role in our sexuality. If someone did not know this
they would enter "human sexuality" into the search engine and again may be distracted by
flashy, hard-core, sex-sites and may not find anything on love. The over-all understanding
of human sexuality would be limited according to which sites were looked at.
Although I agree somewhat with Advisee's claim that soft-core , rather than
hard-core pornography, may be a better resource for studying human sexuality. I feel that
using only one resource for information can limit the view and even sometimes distort an
individuals ideas of human sexuality. When using a resource such as the Internet, one may
be overwhelmed with information and marketing tactics may win the attention of
information seekers and take away from the sites that actually offer factual information
regarding human sexuality.
Therefore, I believe that an individual should use all resources available to them
when studying any topic, especially a topic as complex as human sexuality.
Reference
Davis, S. Murray. (1983). Smut erotic reality obscene ideology. University of
Chicago Press: Chicago.
the author expresses the idea that the best source for studying human sexuality objectively
is "soft core", rather than "hard core" pornography. (Davis p. xix). The purpose of this
paper is to critique Davis's claim and to study what understanding of human sexuality
someone might have if they used some other resource that is available today, in this case
the Internet.
Davis argues that , "hard core pornography is usually more abstract and less
explicit than soft-core pornography". (Davis, p. xix, 1983). Davis doesn't go on to
explain how hard-core pornography can be less explicit than soft-core. However he does
explain that hard-core pornography is more abstract in that, it depicts the sex act only and
not the emotional or personal characteristics of the people involved in the act. (Davis,
p. xx) He believes soft-core pornography is describing "a sexual experience", which
conveys characteristics of the participants that are not described by hard-core
pornography. Hard-core pornography describes "sexual behaviour" which involves more
of the act of sex rather than the characteristics and feelings involved with sex. (Davis, p.
xix) Although Davis admits that the vocabulary of sex is changing (Davis, p. xxv), he also
states that hard-core pornography uses considerably more vulgar terms that are associated
with lower-class activity, such as, "prick, fuck, and suck" (Davis, p. xxiii). Davis believes
that hard-core pornography, induces imaginative behaviours by using these lower-class,
four-letter words. The stories use phrases such as "First we sucked, then we
fucked."(Davis p. xix, 1983), to allow the reader the tools to imagine the scene actually
taking place. The reader is lead by the author through the story by using words that may
be more understood or common in the readers' everyday life. He also accuses hard-core
films of being "behavioristic" and "abstract" because they often fail to "fully inform the
audience about the characters personality types and social categories."(Davis, p. xx, 1983)
Soft-core pornography, on the other hand, often depicts "the subtle phenomenological
effects that result when a character's sexual behaviour clashes with his or her personal and
social characteristics." (Davis, p. xx, 1983). In short, he study's literature or films that
involve characters with personalities that are developed and conveyed to the audience. In
these stories the characters will have sex, but the sex may or may not be the main focus of
the story, but rather something that is bound to happen when personal and social
characteristics clash.
I believe that Davis is somewhat correct in assuming that soft-core is a more
objectively reliable source for studying human sexuality. When I hear the words soft-core
pornography, I tend to think of Playboy, or films and movies that depict a story about a
person or group of people, and within that story the characters engage in sexual activity.
This sexual activity is shown or described to the reader/viewer but is not done in a graphic
nature. That is, the actual sexual penetration is not shown or shown very minimally.
Hard-core, on the other hand, is shown or described more graphically. The
dialogue usually includes, as Davis states, four-letter words. The story seems to have less
of a plot and less character development. The main purpose of the work is to show or
describe sex. So it is in this sense that I agree with Davis.
However, I firmly believe that there is not one single resource that is the best
method of studying human sexuality. There are many sources which are helpful when
studying sex and human sexuality. They can range from textbooks, entertainment
magazines, television programs, to movies and novels. In my opinion the most reliable
and important resource for studying human sexuality is personal experience. The actual
hands on, if you will, of sex. All the texts, magazines and movies can show what happens
and maybe guide your learning process, but the only real way to learn is to experience for
oneself. I feel that if a variety of resources are used when studying human sexuality, an
individual will understand and learn all aspects of sexuality in greater detail. Having
learned all aspects of sexuality a person may develop a sense of confidence in their own
sexuality. This may allow for the person to have more respect for sexual orientations or
practices that the individual may not take part in. For example, a person educated in
human sexuality at a university level may realise that homosexuality is normal and should
not be shunned. Whereas, a person not as highly educated in this field may think
homosexuals are not right, or confused. If an individual uses a mixture of hard-core
pornography, soft-core pornography, educational texts, and any other source of
information that is available, the base for their knowledge will be broadened.
With this broadened knowledge base an individual can draw their own lines for
limits in their sexual practises. A person may indulge in sex in similar manner to hard-core
pornography. That is, they may enjoy watching the penetration and using four-letter
words during sex. Or an individual may enjoy sex in more of a soft-core manner.
For example they may like the lights off and be more romantic in their sexual escapades.
I feel that a combination of the two, or even a mixture of many different resources can be
more beneficial to the individuals sexual experience. That way the individual could use the
"hit and miss" method to explore human sexuality. Which means they could try different
things until they find something that they are comfortable with.
I believe that soft-core pornography when used alone is much too vague when
studying human sexuality. All aspects of human sexuality are not dealt with. The
individual would not learn the "plumbing" aspect of sexuality , other than what is seen or
described in soft-core. (i.e. breasts and penis).
If an individual only used hard-core pornography to study human sexuality they
may believe that sex and sexuality are all about the act of sex. They may not learn the
idea of love or the responsibilities associated with sex and sexual activity. The use of only
one resource in studying anything, including human sexuality, limits the quality of
knowledge gained about the particular subject.
One example of a restricted or limited view would be if a person was only using a
resource such as the Internet to study human sexuality. The Internet, or the net, as we all
know, is a vast source of knowledge for virtually every topic imaginable. I believe that a
person would have a very limited view if using the Internet for information on human
sexuality. This would especially ring true if the person did not know how to conduct
advanced studies on the Internet. That is, the person would simply type "human
sexuality" into one of the many search engines on the net. The resulting "hits" or "sites"
(places to find information) would be a wide range of topics. They would likely range
from journal articles about human sexuality to adult oriented articles, which would likely
be hard-core. Another type of hit the "surfer" (a person who browses the Internet) may
find is the adult oriented commercial sites. These sites advertise free sex pictures or live
phone sex.
The problem with using the Internet and only the Internet as a resource for study is
that the information found can be so vast that one may not know where to start. The more
attractive and marketed sites may get more attention. The key words in the description of
the site may draw one's attention to that site and the less attractive sites may be by-passed.
The problem is that the less attractive sites are usually those from universities with an
abundance of credible information. The other sites are basically selling sex not the idea of
the total package of human sexuality.
Another problem is deciding which search engine to use. A search engine is a tool
that one can use to find specific topics on the Internet. Different engines have different
specialities and a different number of sites that are explored. If a person only used one
search engine when looking for sites dealing with human sexuality, an important site that is
catalogued in another search engine may be missed.
With any topic as broad as human sexuality the Internet can be more
overwhelming than it is helpful. As with human sexuality itself , I believe that the best
way to learn how to search the net is by trial and error. By learning how to narrow down
topics that are being searched the individual may be able to find a few sites that fit the
characteristics they are seeking.
Now, the problem is, which characteristics should one look for when learning
about human sexuality? This is another decision that if not made properly could lead to
someone having a limited view of human sexuality. In order to narrow down a search one
must know a little bit about what they are searching for. For example if an alien came here
and tried to research human sexuality, it may not know any aspect of our sexuality to add
to the search. For example, love plays a role in our sexuality. If someone did not know this
they would enter "human sexuality" into the search engine and again may be distracted by
flashy, hard-core, sex-sites and may not find anything on love. The over-all understanding
of human sexuality would be limited according to which sites were looked at.
Although I agree somewhat with Advisee's claim that soft-core , rather than
hard-core pornography, may be a better resource for studying human sexuality. I feel that
using only one resource for information can limit the view and even sometimes distort an
individuals ideas of human sexuality. When using a resource such as the Internet, one may
be overwhelmed with information and marketing tactics may win the attention of
information seekers and take away from the sites that actually offer factual information
regarding human sexuality.
Therefore, I believe that an individual should use all resources available to them
when studying any topic, especially a topic as complex as human sexuality.
Reference
Davis, S. Murray. (1983). Smut erotic reality obscene ideology. University of
Chicago Press: Chicago.
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