"Folk Devils": Violence and Sex in the Media

There is no denying the fact that our media has become saturated with violence and sex. It seems that movies these days can get away with a lot more violence and nudity in pg-13 movies. The question is what does this say about our society? And what effect does this have on society?

I believe one of the main reasons we find sex and violence in the media is because sex and violence sells and the media industry is all about profit. But why is that this is what audiences want to see? Maybe it is because it seems thrilling and takes us away from what seems like our mundane everyday lives. Maybe it is an easy way for us to escape. In the news media the shock and awe aspect of violent news draws many viewers. Maybe it is that phenomena not wanting to look at something so horrible, but at the same time you can't seem to look away. Whatever the case it seems that the huge amount of images of sex and violence in the media has become a scapegoat for larger social issues, that may have some correlation, but are not fully to blame. Many try to claim that violence in the media is making children more violent. However, I believe this view completely disregards the agency of the audience. Even though people may enjoy watching violence in a movie or playing a violent video game most children are taught from a young age how to discern from right and wrong. I believe that most people are very aware of the implication in video game versus in the real world. In fact, video games and other media may be an outlet for feeling of anger that would otherwise be expressed in the real world. I think perhaps an issue that might be of more relevance, is not that we are becoming a more violent society, but that we are becoming more desensitized to the violence. Even by just watching the news we are exposed to so much violence, and the question that many people have asked is how can you people watch something so terrible on the news and then sit down to eat their dinner like any other night? We see so much death and destruction on the news and we begin to feel so helpless in the midst of it all. We have to cut off our emotions when we see the violence and suffering that is happening around the world.

Sex in the the media also gets blamed for teenagers being more sexually active and for more teen pregnancies and so on an so forth. Although, there is a lot of sex in the media and children and teenagers often to have misconception about the realities of sex because of how it is portrayed in the media, I think that they are more influenced by their peers and the environment they grow up in. I think peer pressure factors in a lot and teenagers will listen more to what their friends have to say or the people they look up to then what they see on the media. Thus, although it is hard to escape sex and violence in the media, people should be wary of placing too much blame on the media to avoid addressing the real problems in our society.

On a side note, I recently read an article in The New Yorker about Mr. Skin and his popular website at skin.com. It just shows you how much nudity really is a part of movies and what does the popularity of this website tell you about our society? Especially its portrayal of women as sex icons in the media? Anyways, here is a little more information on the website: