Pornography in the media
It started by way of messengers and a scribe, evolved through the presentation of newspapers and radio, brought us together with television, and now serves us worldwide via the ever-popular Internet. It is the mass media, and even from the earliest days of its existence, it has contributed greatly in ways that both enlighten and enrich society, and ways that deteriorate and perplex it. It is not a surprise to learn, then, that the mass media is the most powerful source of information we have, and nothing else in today's world influences public perception quite as heavily.Unfortunately, however, most of what is broadcast or transmitted in the news today is with reference to the chaotic condition of our planet, or something else that society as a whole sees as detrimental or damaging. But the news on television is not the only type of media taking the criticism of society. Other forms of mass media, specifically movies and television programs containing pornography and violence have been heavily criticized. The underlying concept to be debated here is that society is negatively influenced, specifically, by these images of pornography. But who is to blame for the pornographic images? The key is that the
Howitt, Cumberpatch. Mass Media, Violence and Society. London: Elek Realistically, the only way to prevent women from being seen as sex objects is for them to be seen as other things as well; but to say that women are not sexual beings would be misleading because both men and women are very much sexual (Christensen 1990:42). Similarly, to say that women are singled out in the media is misleading due to the many examples of media where men are seen catering to the needs of women; something known as chivalric sexism (Christensen 1990:42). Take, for instance, a recent television ad portraying young men groveling at the feet of supermodel Cindy Crawford, almost begging to be the "one" to cater to her needs. No one seems to think that this may be stereotyping men. However, when a woman goes into a bookstore and buys a gushy romance novel, which depicts males as sexual objects just as pornography depicts females as sexual objects nothing is ever said. Christensen F.M. Pornography. New York: Praeger. 1990 Harmon, Check. Role of Pornography in Woman Abuse. (City unknown). Although it is obvious that pornography is largely a male interest, a noted increase in female interest would certainly cause an increase in the amount of pornographic material geared for women; this relates to the laws of the business world (Christensen 1990:50). "If women practice the sexual options that have been offered to them by society, they reproduce the structures inherent in patriarchy they have fought to change. However, if women are asked not to engage in these sexual practices, then the very freedom that has been gained is obviated", as said by Lynn S. Chancer. American Commission on Obscenity and Pornography. 1988
Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 2190
Approximate Pages = 9 (250 words per page double spaced)
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