Why Is Sex Selling Their Burgers? (my taking a stand essay for my college english class)

I always enjoy cuddling up with my husband on the couch on a cold winter evening to watch our favorite T.V. shows. That is, until out of nowhere I find myself looking at a woman on the screen wearing something similar to a thong while eating a hamburger. I am forced to cover my husband’s eyes, even though, I know that he has already caught a glimpse of this girl and I feel my heart sink, knowing that I could never be as attractive as her. This situation happens to me at least three times a day, and I know that I am not the only one. Sex in our media is a prevalent problem and is causing a downfall in our society. I believe that the multitude of sexually motivated ads and television shows are not only the cause for early teen sex, but also for many women’s psychological and physical problems.
The majority of television shows that currently air on prime time television have either sexual undertones or are blatantly sex driven. Here are some popular shows that serve as examples: The O.C., Will and Grace, Gossip Girl, Dirty Sexy Money, Sex in the City, Desperate Housewives, Las Vegas, Notes from the Underbelly, Big Shots, The Bachelor, Scrubs, 30 Rock, My Name is Earl, Friday Night Lights, America’s Next Top Model, and the list goes on and on. From this list we get a little taste of the truth that sex in the media is everywhere. Many of these shows only show suggestions of sex by what the characters are wearing, but nonetheless when people watch these shows they are being fed sexualized images left and right. It has been reported in studies that teens who watch 3 to 5 hours of T.V. each day witness about 2,000 sex acts per year (Roberts).
Not only are television shows a problem, but more than ever the commercials on T.V. are using sex to promote their products. We are all used to the sexy Victoria Secret commercials, but have we become accustomed to seeing a woman half naked, washing her car seductively, and eating a cheeseburger at the same time as in the Carl’s Junior commercial with diva Paris Hilton? I certainly haven’t. There is no tie between a cheeseburger and a naked woman. The only thing that these commercials are accomplishing are forming, “unrealistic sexualized role models-for both boys and girls” and unrealistic “expectations regarding the appearance and behavior of the opposite sex” (Tallim).
Many of the people behind the ads would argue that, “There can be no denying that sex sells” (Tallim) and that this is their way of bringing people to buy their product. It is appalling that businesses would sink to “selling sex” in order to sell a burger. They choose to ignore what these commercials are saying to our children and women, because as long as their burgers are selling than nothing else matters.
We have to realize the impact that these commercials and television shows actually have on our society. In this day and age television is a dominating force in our personal lives. U.S. News and World Report magazine surveyed 500 leading, high qualified professionals as to what was the most influential force in America. Television came in first (O'Callaghan). With television being such an influential factor in our culture we must acknowledge the connection between what we see on television and how we act or think in our own lives.
One of the popular themes in these commercials and television shows is women dressed provocatively or wearing barely anything at all. These women are also portrayed as the “sexy” woman that every man wants; meaning she is thin, blonde, seductive, and very big chested. Seeing these images of women affect real women all across America in a very real and negative way. A report of the American Psychological Association (APA) found evidence that, “the proliferation of sexualized images of girls and young women in advertising, merchandising, and media is harmful to girls’ self-image and healthy development.” The APA also states that, "sexualization of girls is linked to common mental health problems in girls and women—eating disorders, low self-esteem, and depression."
There are women out there that struggle with self-esteem and knowing their true value. They are told many times that ‘they are beautiful for who they are’ and ‘it is what is on the inside that counts.’ These statements that give these women some glimpse of self confidence are contradicted by what they see day after day on television. Shannon Getz from Boise, Idaho is a genuine, 43 year old wife, woman, and mother of three who says, “It makes me feel negative about my own body,” when speaking about these very commercials on television. She also states, “I don’t want my boys to think that is what a real woman looks like.”
Women are being portrayed in such a way that is degrading to actual women and is crushing to their own self worth. Speaking as a woman who does not look like these “commercial models” I know the affects that these commercials have had on me and my self- confidence. I can whole heartedly say that watching these women in the media that are considered “sexual goddesses” has had a negative affect on my value as a woman.
Not only are women being affected, but our youth are being influenced in big and life changing ways. These sexualized images and acts on television are proven to be linked to early teen sex. A recent study showed that 12- to 14-year-olds exposed to the most sexual content in multiple forms of media, including television, were 2.2 times more likely to have had sexual intercourse when re-interviewed two years later then their peers who had a lighter sexual media diet (Brown).
Teenagers get their role models and their ideas of how to live or be cool from the media. So, if the media if showing men and women that these teens look up to having sex or portrayed in a sexual manner then these teens are likely to follow in their footsteps. It has been reported that two-thirds of young people turn to media when they want to learn about sex (Sex and Relationships in the Media).
Many who do not have a problem with sex in the media might argue that early teen sex is none other than the parents’ fault. This is definitely a factor in teens’ sexual lives; however, at the age of 13-18 the majority of teens are prone to ignore and disobey what their parents say. They rather get their information about life from their peers and people they think are cool rather than their out-of-date parents, who don’t understand them. This leaves them very few sources for information on sex. The easiest place to see sex and sexualized images is the media, so that is where they go.
When seeing the affects that these commercials and television shows have on women and our youth why are they still airing? The negative affects out weigh the positive when it comes to how sex is portrayed in our media.
There is no question that we should be a nation that has morals, shows integrity, and tries to give each individual a sense of self worth and true value. Let’s build the character of the people of our country, not tear them down because they do not meet the “standard” that has been set of sexuality and beauty. These ad agencies need to start selling their products for what benefits they have, not what hot chick is holding it.
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Works Cited
Brown, J. Pediatrics, April 2006; vol 117: pp 1018-1027. News release, American Academy of Pediatrics.
Getz, Shannon R. Telephone interview. 04 Dec. 2007
O'Callaghan, Paul. "Sex, Pornography, and the Media." Orthodox Research Institute. 30 Nov. 2007 .
Roberts, D. (2000). Media and youth: Access, exposure, and privatization. Journal of
Adolescent Health. 27 (2), 8 –14.
"Sex and Relationships in the Media." Media Awareness Network. 30 Nov. 2007 .
"SEXUALIZATION OF GIRLS IS LINKED TO COMMON MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS IN GIRLS AND WOMEN—EATING DISORDERS, LOW SELF-ESTEEM, AND DEPRESSION; AN APA TASK FORCE REPORTS." APA Online. 19 Feb. 2007. American Psychological Association. 30 Nov. 2007 .
Tallim, Jane. "Sexualized Images in Advertising." Media Awareness Network. May 2003. 30 Nov. 2007 .