I don't have as much a problem with sex as I do with how women are portrayed in TV, movies, music videos, advertising, etc. I undertstand that human sexuality is part of life, but I think it should be done in a tasteful and more mature manner (as in, being realistic about consquences... not necessarily "mature" as in, "for mature audiences only"... usually that stuff is more like, "for perverted audiences only").

It's this "oh, whatever" attitude to this kind of stuff that makes me even angrier. I don't want censorship of media so that we have to revert to 1950's standards or something, but I think that people should STOP AND THINK about what they're viewing. I get so ticked off by people who say, "Oh, it's just an ad/TV show/movie... it doesn't mean anything." With all these media images we take into our head every day that "don't mean anything," I think it all adds up, and pretty soon, it does mean something. It means a lot. And its time people realized how much the media influences the way they think.

Jill

Honestly, it's not like there's much of a choice. Wherever you go, there is sex and adult ideas. Sex is a basis of human life, an unavoidable one, and violence, well, we were barbarians a long time ago. It's within us to be adult, and sooner or later we are going to see these images.

To be honest I am disturbed by every thing that is on tv today, but I can not say that we should not have any thing on the tube that is violent or sexual. There are rating systems out now and even disclaimers before programs come on. I my opinion it all comes down to parenting, if parents are so concerened then why do they allow there children to watch tv during hours of adult progaming? There are many new ways to fix this, the v chip is one and it works well. Besides today children spend less time with their parents and more time with their friends and peer groups. I cannot believe that parents are still to this day pushing the blame off onto tv and games. I mean come on if parents want to change things then they need to wake up and realize that they need to do something like turn off the tv and check the content of movies before they let their children go watch things.

to tell you the truth i think that if women are going to go on tv and shake thier behinds in a song that says things like that then they must be fine with it. I am a girl and honestly i enjoy listening to songs like that. i do not take it to heart. I enjoy listening to ludacris which is the #1 rapper you here saying things about ho's. It really doesn't bother me. But if a person was to tell me face to face that I was a ho or anything else that is negative they better be ready to hear what I am going to call them. i don't take mees like thta but music is music. Music always gives you some type of message. No, not everyone is going to like every song they here but that is what is out so I think that maybe you should just chill out on that. It's what people talk about now a days and I don't hink it is going to change anytime soon. Personally I write raps and songs and in my raps I use the words ho and b***h a lot which is usually talking about a woman and not that I am a negative person it is just expressing my feelings.

hey! prostitutes are people too. thing is all people are different. brittney as much as I wanna hang her by her fake you-know-whats is doin her own thing. Pink is gracious and clean I dont even know why you mentioned her.

if i wanna dress showy it's my own business, people who wine about it are usually jelous, i get so sick of girls wineing because they aren't the prettiest, both sexes have their problems that need to be overcome.

sure it bothers my when some rapper calls me a hoe but that is just his voice and a personal opinion. just as me wearing my miniskirt is a personal choice just as you shouldn't judge all girls based on brittney or me or mother teresa you shouldn't judge all men based on snoop, diddy, or the pope.

Racey people intrigue me and most people, but that doesn't mean a prude can't intrigue us too. It's all about personality.

-Phoebe
PS I have brains too FYI

Britany Spears is a disgrace to women kind, look at her she acts as if shes truly wonderful, she says shes religious, WHAT KINDA PERSON WHO'S RELIGIIOUS WEAR CLOTHES, THAT SHOW EVERYTHING OFF? i mean its ridiculus! women should be treated just as anyone else, they arenot to be looked at by some pop singer, who doesnt wear clothes. The media doesnt realize how much they affects teens, kids everywhere are syaing they want to be just lyk britany...she isNOT a positive role model. all women are not "hoes" "bytches" "****s" women are intelligent normal people, unless they are a prostetute, or a porn star, then they have no respect for themselves, and are plain stupid. Maybe if peple stop trying to act as if theyre Miss britany or CHristina, or P!nk and be the person they really are, we wouldnt be discussing this.

I think it's unfair. If I dress in mini sirts and halter tops, does that mean 'm a hoe? Or because Snoop Dogg, and Ludacrs have they're videos filmd in Strip Clubs, does that mean that all women are potential prostitutes? I really hope not. Sex sells, every1 w/ half a mind knows that and the powers that be in the etertainment world capitalize on that every chance pssible. People aren't going to go to the movies and py 7.5o to see some ugly women.

It's not just about that... I don't have too much of a problem looking at pictures of pretty women. It's when women are valued only for their looks and if they're "easy", ignoring other things like inteligence, personality, etc... when women are only portrayed as sex objects avaliable for any man's superficial pleasure, that's when there's a problem!
What really gets me is seeing guys with harems of beautiful women around them, tending to their every wish... it's like they're there for decoration! Or closeups of women's bodies with their heads cut off the page; that's annoying to me too...

I don't see what the big deal about having attractive women appear in movies, television, commercials, advertisements etc... If people wanted to see the unattractive all over then they would quit buying and watching but people haven't so obviously they like the images they see. Also it gives people something to aspire to. What's wrong with looking good and showing what you've got?? People make it seem like a crime when someone looks pretty but why is your mind more important then your body. Everyone has their strengths and if beauty is a person's strength why shouldn't they be able to use it. Also who really wants to see unattractive people all over the media it's just not human nature. I think people need to accept that media is made for the "better looking" just like someone with a D average in school would not become a brain surgeon. There are always limitations in life.

See,
Some women need to be half naked or talking nasty to have a man look at them. They like the feeling of a person of the opposite sex saying how fyne they are and etc... I was like that. I know I'm fyne...but back than I needed a man to tell me that. Those women on the music videos are getting paid while we're sittin here hating on them. But in a degrading way!

I understand that the teenage years are a time of rebelion, but where should we draw the line? It seems as though each generation is trying to outdo the one preceeding it. The media portrays sex as a casual affair, women and teen girls as near-naked sex objects, and men as either their dominators or helpless victoms of female suductresses.

What kind of legacy is this that we leaving for our children and grandchildren? And if the future holds true to the past, they will be trying to rebel and be more outrageous than our generation.

At this point I am asking myself just how much more unconservative and unrestrained the next generation can get. Does anyone think that its possible that future generations will not try to rebel harder, but actually regress into a more conservative state?

Personally, I also think that some of today's media productions are capitalizing on people's lack of restraint. The root of the problem is a primitive sub-conscious taking over and leading men into abusive thoughts and women into subversivenss. Not everyone is as smart or well educated as us. The mere fact that you are here reading this proves that you have at least some sense.

This all leads back to the "if it feels good do it" philosphy. There is no problem with portraying women as beutiful and men as strong, because in all reality that is true to nature. But when things got problematic is when smart people found out, that with lowered moral constraints, they could make money on selling sex. Now that almost two generations have passed, it's become accepted and regular to most teenagers. Right now I think it's a viscious cycle, something big is going to have to stop it.

I would have to agree that women are unfairly stereotyped by the media and that celebrities like Britney and Christina dont help very much. But we must keep in mind that everyone is stereo-typed and fit in one catagory weather its men women black, white, teens, religous figures, or politicians. We as a society tend to stereotype everyone. That doesnt make it right or just but i try to block out the stereotype and listen to who the person is what their beliefs are and respect them as individuals instead of relying on the media to tell me what to think.

I noticed that a lot of people mentioned Britney Spears in this case. I do not see anything wrong with the way she dresses, dances, nor acts. It is her right to do these things the way she wants. It is not fair to tell her she shouldn't dress a certain way because she is in the spotlight. That is telling her to choose between her dream and her right of freedom of expression. She shouldn't have to make that choice.
I know many females who would dress the same way if they had the body and/or the climate year round. I also know many who would not be as revealing regardless. Still, the choice is their's.
No one cares how a poet dresses, we only care about what they write. So we should only care about what she sings. And then if you disagree with what she sings, don't listen.
If Adam Sandler portrays a stupid male, are you going to think less of men because of it? No. So why should someone think less of females if they portay a bimbo. We all know that not all females are bimbos.
The women in the movies and videos chose to be there. You can't blame men for exploiting women, when women chose to do those movies and videos. I however, do not think that these women are being repressed.
I have never felt inferior of my looks, of my feminity, or of my sexuality due to the entertainment world. I've never worried if I was "as sexy" or "as pretty" as someone on TV. Never have I thought that I have to hang over some man half-nude because some female just did in a music video. I am comfortable being who I am.
Am I not supposed to wear a bikini or a halter top because it could offend someone? That would be repression. Saying our clothing dictates who we are. Just because a female dresses in a low cut shirt, does not mean she is a **** or that she is doing it to please a male. She could be a partner of an important law firm.

A few weeks ago a teacher hand the class an article titled" The Issue Isn't Sex, It's Vioence" by Caryl Rivers. Basically it talks about how women's image is getting more degrating by the media. A clear example is music videos, they portray women as stripers or bimbos. I think that this situation has to stop and that women should speak about this, "I'd love to see women rock stars speak out against violence against women" That would be a big step Don't you think?

Your claim that men have always been like this is questionable, and even so, just because something has always been a certain way does not make it right. We have come a long way from our ancestors, and to stop changing because "something has always been that way" would be to end progress.
Not all men are alike, and not all cultures support the idea that men are "naturally" the providers. For example, some Jewish settlements in Israel (called kibbutzim) do not believe that gender is relevant, and so they raise their children alike, regardless of their sex. In doing so, both the men and the women of this society have many of the same traits, and there are very few, if any, gender differences. But in our society, from the moment a child is born, his/her gender determines how the child will be raised: in a experiment in England during the 1980's, infants were dressed as either boys or girls, regardless of sex. Adults treated the "boy" children more roughly, while the "girls" were treated gently and tenderly.
I do agree that women's behavior can influence how men see them, but self-confidence and assertiveness doesn't come easily, believe me... At least we need to teach the next generation to be self-confident and respect one another, regardless of gender.

Jill ‡

Okay, well I don't even know where to start this, but I feel that i need to because of your comments about how boys needed to be raised. I have a younger brother that is 3 years younger than me and I have always taken care of him, we came from an abusive home. He is 15 now, and yes, while I do think that you are right with all the pressures that a guy faces about being "a man", you have to check yourself into reality and realize that it has always been that way since the dawn of time. Men were made to be "the providers". And, while I do think that part of the whole imagery and reason that we have these women that are perceived as "trashy" and "giving us a bad name" is lack of respect from men, respect is a two way street: you have to give it in order to get it. I think that the most depressing fact about this topic is that I know few girls/women that have any respect for themselves. There are more women and young girls now than there has ever been that are insecure about themselves and have self-esteem that has been shot to neverneverland. That, I cry over.
If a girl had enough self-respect and self esteem and confidence in herself then she is going to respect herself more. When someone respects theirself. they begin to silently demand it from others. They don't take no for an answer when it comes to that.
Don't you see????? It doesn't matter what someone else thinks of you, or how much a guy looks at a girl with disrespect. If a girl has that respect for herself. . .she doesn't even see that. And, if she does, she knows it's not true.

Heather
PLURCHIC18

About what was said about image and show business: I've seen plenty of movies with very few or no attractive male actors, and I still watched it and even enjoyed it. I think it's just stupid that there has to be some superficial oversexed bimbo in a movie to get guys to watch it. Same thing with other things in life. For example, I don't care about whether a politician is attractive or not; if I agree with his (or her) policies, I vote for that person. (And what's with criticizing female politicians based on their hairstyles or clothes, anyway??)
I have more of a problem with men who look down on women and expect them to conform to their expectations than "hootchie mamas" who market their sexuality. I do find them annoying and I somewhat despise them, however, because they don't seem to be making things any better for the women who prefer to keep their dignity and get power some other way. But boys need to be taught from a young age to respect women as fellow human beings, not as a nice butt and a pair of breasts to use for their selfish pleasures!
I also think that this negatively affects men in many ways as well. A lot of guys these days are told that they have to "be a man": be free of wussy emotions, be tough, reckless, like sports, get "hot chicks", watch WWF Smackdown... what's so manly about a bunch of long-haired men in tights getting on top of each other, anyway??!!! I get the feeling that a lot of guys find it stressful to try to match up to this image of "manliness". No wonder the number of males that get thrown in jail or attempt suicide in the U.S. is so much higher than females! Guys are always reminded that they have to act macho, or else they might be perceved as "gay"... but that's kind of a whole other topic...

Is it just me or is women's rights not only about letting them have the right to vote and become president but also about us having the right to do and say as we please just as much as men?!?!?!?! No one mentions that when Ricky Martin gets onstage in form-fitting, low-rising leather pants and shakes his "bon-bon" that it is a bad image for men, guys, and little boys everywhere. As a bisexual 18 year old woman in the US I can look at Britney Spears and both like and despise her image. Yes, it is appealing but still not a very responsible thing for her to wear when her main audience is teenagers (boys and girls) who look up to her as a role-model. The plain fat is that women's rights is about liberating women and giving them the freedom of choice, rather that choice be to wear a business suit to her law office every day or to preform in front of millions in short skirts and revealing tops.
Another fact that needs to be put into consideration here is that in the public of showbusiness not only does your talent sell but so does your image and your physical attractiveness rather you, I or Sally down the street like it. Think about this: if there were a movie coming out and you didn't see attractive people on the screen would you be any less tempted to shell out that $8.50 or so to see the premier? Everyone has a bit of aesthetic superficialness to themsleves, as human beings it is a natural thing to occur.
Instead of looking down on women for doing what they want and aspire, perhaps dream all of their life, to do, as believers and activists in women's rights today you should applaud them for realizing their dreams and acheiving their goals. Not only that, but also for celebrating their sexuality as females.

PLURCHIC18

you know what, its the dumb bimbos that give us that name. the single minded men only put us down because easy girls out there let them do that and don't know the meaning of self respect. the real women and ladies out there have to show these men out there what we really are, defenitely not hoochie mamas. stop blaming the one brain cell men. they are too savage to know wuzz up!