Sex and Violence in Popular Culture

Sex and violence can be seen in many different ways in popular culture. It is not limited to the actions seen in everyday life. It can be seen in many different places. However, although sex and violence in popular culture is simply a manifestation of the populous’ evolution, it can still be seen to many as a problem for children because it forces them to grow up too soon.

Public broadcast on television portrays a great amount of sex and violence on a daily basis. It can be seen in seemingly innocent things like cartoons. There is no way that the superhero can capture the villain without exerting a certain degree of violence. Then there’s the super heroin that goes undercover and tries to seduce the villain with her body language. It may not be seen as much, and perhaps it isn’t a lot, but it is still there. Children may not be able to decipher this at an early stage, but the implantation is there for future incidents.

Cartoons are not the only ones that display a sexual and violent connotation on public broadcast television. There’s always that certain show that displays their cast members with very little clothing. Such shows are the ones that are based on beaches. There’s always the occasional, and sometimes not so occasional, slow motion takes. These can be seen as a tool to better emphasize the sexual connotation. Of course, no good show is complete without a struggle coming to a conclusion after a violent scene or two. This is where the children can better see the sexual and violent elements that happen in real life. This sparks the imagination in them.

A more common show on public television that children have quick access to are soap operas. Most soap operas revolve around the sexual connotation rather than the violent one. Many children are able to watch these shows with their parents and at a very early stage start to imagine that life on television can be very similar to real life. In turn, when they grow older, they try to repeat what they see on television.

Public broadcast is not the only contributor in television on sex and violence. Cable television does a more detailed job at doing that. Cable television provides access to premium channels. These show movies and series that are uncut and uncensored. These leave no room for imagination to the growing child. They see exactly what’s going on. Where public access channels cut off a bloody and gory scene, the premium channel will show in greater detail. The camera will move in on the blood and facial expressions. There is no voice-over on the foul languages. Again, the children are able to see what real life is most probably like. Where public access cuts off the sexual scene, the premium channel will show every move and record every moan. No room for imagination. It is all there.

Cable television does not contribute in sex and violence in today’s culture simply through movies. The music videos found on music television are great contributors. Many of the videos now display their casts in skimpy clothing. They dance in such a way that teaches the less rhythmically gifted children that dancing like this will increase their popularity and acceptance among their peers. Many children learn to dance from what they see on television. To some parents this form of dancing is not suitable for their children at their current age. However, since they learned it from the latest video, they know no other way of to do it.

Television is not the only way in popular culture that children are exposed to sex and violence. Comic books are an easy attainable product that accomplishes this task. Many of the heroines in today’s comic world now fight crime with only enough clothing to cover their unexposable areas. When the crime fighting comes to an end, the heroin goes back home and takes a shower. No nudity is shown, but the profile of her body is drawn on the shower door. The sexual connotation can be seen there. Then there is always the violence that comes with the struggle to defend mankind. Blood and gore is not censored in comics. The villain shoots someone in the head and when the page is turned there is the image of the victim in blood and with a hole in the head.

Comic books are not the only form of paper media that displays sex and violence in popular culture. Magazines are a good source of sexual connotation that under aged individuals have easy access to. This does not include the pornographic magazines. New “men magazines” are coming out to where the female on the picture does not have to be nude or performing any kind of sexual act. Their poses and minimum use of clothing is enough to imply all the sexual triggers found in a young mind. Sex is not the only thing displayed on these though. Then there’s the wrestling magazines that is full of violence. Although many know that it is not real violence, the younger individuals do not see it as that. These are their fans and heroes. These magazines are not intended for the younger population, but they do have easy access to them.

Yet another good source of sex and violence in popular culture is video games. As technology grew, so did the imagination and the graphic designs of video game programmers. Hence, the incorporation of sexy female characters was introduced to this entertaining pastime. Although nudity is not shown, the female’s tight shorts and shirt soon became a giant step in the advancement of females in video games. Now, there are games where the male hero can go into a bar after his enemy, and instead finds strippers. Again, they are not completely nude, but the sexual connotation is present. As far as violence, all action video games now require the use of guys and many other weapons to rip and destroy the enemy into a bloody pulp.

Many might say that there is too much sex and violence found all around that could disrupt a child’s upbringing, even though it is what the public is unintentionally asking for. Then there are others that say that there is not enough to do so. If there is or there is not, however, many think that perhaps it should be up to the parents to do their best to keep what they do not want their children exposed to away from their children.