5. Final Words on Sex and Violence in the Media

In the 1^st post, the process of desensitization can be attributed to the evolution of media from a traditional ‘one-to-many’ mass communication to a ‘many-to-many’ new media form (Crosbie, 2002). The overwhelming amount of online information through new media has stifled sufficient censorship, providing relatively free reign over their consumption. This liberation of information, intensified by the onslaught of globalisation and its homogenisation of culture and media content, gives youths more opportunity to be desensitized. However, this evolution is a double-edged sword as the increased connectivity can also quicken the spread of awareness. Therefore, the evolution of new media cannot solely be blamed for the desensitization of youths since such attitudes require more than just quantity of information but also the quality of the roles sex and violence play in the media.

Bandura's famous Bobo Doll experiment shows that youths tend to elicit overt behaviours from external influence, showing that violence in media can play a part in shaping their innate aggression.

In the 2^nd post, the emulation of violence can be attributed to the Modelling Theory (Bandura, 1963). It is easy for youths to emulate the raw content and believe hyper-reality to be non-biased and non-sensationalised alternative of reality. As previously mentioned, genetic predisposition to aggressiveness may be the precursor to emulation and thus this does not apply to all children. However, this should not give media industry the excuse to broadcast these vices since the very practice may foster an ambivalent attitude in society. The inability to discern right from wrong will escalate chances of emulation.

An illustration depicting the censorship of media and the provocative roles women have been associated with. (Woman being subdued by Man)

In the 3^rd post, the media “re-presents” female gender as promiscuous and weak through Media Representation Theory. This warped perspective is more interesting, relegating reality in favour of fantasy. However, sex and violence are themselves basal needs and we can see that youths actively seek out mass media to satisfy their urges through the Uses and Gratifications Approach Theory of the media’s functions (Ruggiero, 2000). This means that the representation of female stereotypes is in line with biological need for sexual gratification, showing that media’ representations are accurate at times.

Through the Agenda-Setting Theory, news media are able to influence the salience of topics on public agenda, filtering and shaping reality in the process (McCombs, 2005). While sex and violence used to generate heated protests, it seems to have faded into the background in favour of more pressing issue such as media’s invasion of privacy. Without a proper and positive agenda, the public is not as informed about the detrimental effects. However, news media can only address so much and its choice of news content reflects the urgency of the problems portrayed. The careful selection of news content cannot be generalised as hidden agenda.

An illustration showing the mindset of media which is largely economics (Deviantart)

The media has been transparent and proactive in mediating the use of sex and violence. With the inclusion of censorship for movies by Singapore’s Media Development Authority (MDA) in 1991, the influence of media content was more controllable, reducing unintended messages towards youths. However, when the old R18 was introduced in 1991, it led to concerns over an influx of sex-exploitative films within the first month of the classification system’s inception. This shows that the addition of censorship can be viewed as a clever economic tactic to increase profits with previously-forbidden materials, giving a legitimate excuse to further justify their proliferation of vice. The shield provided by current R21 ratings create a psychological yearning to watch movies that are forbidden. Forbidden fruits taste the sweetest after all, especially so for youths who are beginning to explore their sexuality. However, MDA later updated its rating to R(A), signalling that only films of artistic merit would be allowed. Finally in 2004, a comprehensive censorship rating was created. This shows their willingness to adapt to changing mentality and that measures can be constantly improved.



Censorship ratings by Singapore's Media Development Authority (MDA) in 2004

 Personally, I feel that the attitude towards portrayals of sex and violence is questionable. If the media truly believes in the liberation of thought through fictional, exuberant displays of vice, then censorship is an obvious sign of contradiction in the industry. More should be done to bring about deeper awareness of the portrayal of sex and violence so that these vices are not misrepresented. One solution is to use soft approaches of moral suasion to educate the masses and embrace the fact that sex and violence are dark matters close to heart. By transforming passive viewers to active, discerning ones (just as new media did), sex and violence will not purely be by-products of the ebb and flow of media evolution but a proper media technique worthy of “high culture”.

Media is after all an extension of man and we should not become “extensions of media”.

An illustration depicting the annilhilation of culture through media (Deviant-art)

References

Bandura, A., Ross, D., & Ross, S. A. (1963). Imitation of film-mediated aggressive models. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 66, 3-11

Crosbie, V. (2002) “What is New Media?”

McCombs, M (2005). A look at agenda-setting: Past, present and future.  Journalism Studies 6 (4).

Ruggiero, T. (2000) Uses and Gratifications Theory in the 21^st Century.  https://umdrive.memphis.edu/cbrown14/public/Mass%20Comm%20Theory/Week%207%20Uses%20and%20Gratifications/Ruggiero.pdf

4 - Media Strikes Back: Media’s Defence for Sex and Violence

Dexter: Heavy emphasis on the implicit meaning of the show by showing the explicit portrayal of his life with his family and his sense of justice.

Implicit and explicit meanings of shows remains the defence for such exploits. Media defends excessively violent and sexual shows, believing that the implicit meanings are the intention of every director. Yet, youths are more likely to accept the explicit meaning in its entirety. The lessons learnt and the emotions portrayed should overwrite the actions that may seem unethical. After all, the power of storytelling often involves the portrayal of sins and immorality to question our sense of justice and ethics.

Sex and violence are integral parts of human nature. Though the portrayal may be exaggerated and dwells more towards the line of fantasy, the essence of such representation is still real and very human. Most media representatives will defend the sexual and violent content, believing truly in the emotional and inspirational values such depictions can evoke in viewers. Many of these scenes are not without its purpose and often act as critical elements to represent the particular era when both vices are commonplace, such as the Roman Empire and its treatment of slaves in Spartacus: Blood and Sand. Without these two components, the lack of realism will render the programmes amateurish and inaccurate.

Therefore, such depictions of sex and violence are not mere entertaining fanfare and devoid of  an objective purpose. The complex relationship between violence and reality inevitably justifies the need to portray violence in the media since violence as a form of deterrence can actively and consciously dissuade youths from emulating them. Studies have shown that the emotional drive evoked by violent video game play reduces the chance of a child actually exhibiting violent behaviour; the child’s fantasy play and imagined actions causes the child to have reduced urges to act out aggression in actual behaviour (Ivory, 2001). This routine desensitization of youths on violence can therefore have a positive effect on their disposition to sex and  violence.

However, the most provocative issue about feminine representation in media belongs to the Internet’s perverse role. The modernisation of pornography has redefined sex and the female body as senseless commercial entertainment rather than a sacred act of love. Women are often shown to be submissive and part of violent acts, such as rape, bondage and for voyeuristic pleasure. With increased connectivity and growing range of mediums, youths are more vulnerable to exposure to such vices.  According to one study, early exposure to pornography is related to greater involvement in deviant sexual practice, particularly rape. Slightly more than one-third of the child molesters and rapists in this study claimed to have at least occasionally been incited to commit an offense by exposure to pornography. (Marshall, 1988) . It is apparent then that pornography is purely an entertainment that hinges on the pure chaos of sex and violence and is absent of any learning point.

This shows that while racy and violent contents may do some good for viewers of new media, the contents must be sieved out to prevent the exploitation of sex and violence in the name of media exploration. As media continues to play a huge role in our lives, the accurate perception of the female gender must be reinforced or the manipulation of media may deviate us away from reality and towards a perverse fantasy where sex is viewed with disinterest and yawns.

References

W. L. Marshall (1988) "The Use of Sexually Explicit Stimuli by Rapists, Child Molesters, and Nonoffenders," The Journal of Sex Research 25

Ivory, James D. (2001) Video Games and the Elusive Search for their Effects on Children: An assessment of Twenty Years of Research, http://www.unc.edu/~jivory/video.html.

3 - Distorting Sex and Gender: Influence of Sex on Youths in the Media

Prints, such as well-known magazines Playboy, FHM, Maxim, using sex as a central theme

The media plays a crucial role in commoditising the female body and promoting the ideal physical appearance, influencing what we adopt today as the benchmark for perfection. As is the case with desensitization to violence, flamboyant displays of these sexual images in magazines and advertisements create a similar desensitization to sex.

The sanctity of the female body is degraded in vivid implicit and explicit portrayals of sex in television and movies. Sex scenes invade platforms of media, especially movies and games – a commercial tactic too often camouflaged as a primal representation of emotions. The Media Development Authority of Singapore intervened and banned the game Mass Effect in 2007, because of its controversial sex scene depicting lesbianism but reversed its ban after an uproar from gamers.

http://www.joystiq.com/2007/11/14/mass-effect-banned-in-singapore-over-lesbian-scene/

Television series promoting promiscuity in a light-hearted manner, from left : Gossip Girl, Vampire Diaries, The Tudors, Desperate Housewives, and Sex and the Ciy

Movies focusing on the superiority of males while females take a backseat as damsels in distress.
(From Top-down, left to right) Spiderman, Thor, Batman Begins, Superman Returns, Iron Man 2, Green Lantern)

The portrayal of women in films as the softer gender also indirectly promotes the stereotype of females as "media representations tell us who we are, who we should be and who we should avoid" (MacKinnon, 2003, as cited in Robertson, 2010).  Women are often portrayed as weaker and inferior, leading to misogynistic views that cause feminists to flip. This is evident in recent superheroes movies, as seen above. Central characters are men saving the world while women take the backseat, often only seen as 'eye candies', merely for visual pleasure. 

An informative video about the detrimental effects of the image of women in the advertising world, with significant amount of real-world examples and a effective passionate speaker.

The bombardment of these materials on so many platforms observed above can increase sexual callousness towards women, trivialising assaults and distorting perceptions of sexuality. Social dynamics between genders become shrouded in inaccuracies and unnecessary stereotyping, promoting in women the compliance and acceptance of their gender as truly secondary and weak. “We become what we consume, media-wise" (Salzman, Matathia and O'Reilly, 2005).

Female-centric roles (Left: Kate Beckinsale in Underworld 2, Right: Angelina Jolie in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider) continue to embody the image of sex symbols. Notice the similarity with Megan Fox in FHM (centre)

However, there has been a substantial rise in female-centric roles in the movies, such as Lara Croft: Tomb Raider and The Underworld, where masculine character traits are shared. Media has constantly revived its portrayal of the sexes depending on societal and cultural trends of the time and does not totally stereotype the female gender.

Entertainment value is unavoidably catered to the preferences of its viewers. While female protagonists command a certain level of respect and leadership, they usually still do it with a show of flesh.

(363 words)


References

Brown, J (2006). Sexual & Reproductive Health; Sexual content of media affects teens' sexual behavior. Health and Medical Week, April 27, 2006, p. 1651)

Robertson, E. (2010). Media gender stereotypes and interpretations by female Generation Y. Forum on Public Policy: A Journal of the Oxford Round Table.

Salzman, Marian, Ira Matathia, and Ann O'Reilly (2005). The Future of Men. New York, New York: Palgrave MacMillan.

2 - Emulating Violence: The Blurred Line between Fantasy and Reality

Today’s media envisions a world that fulfils fantasy and dreams. With such optimism comes a realisation that reality can reach greater heights, unaware that we are trying to reap more than we can sow. For the youth in particular, this blurred line between fact and fiction becomes even more ambiguous.

Violent snippets of gameplay in 'Call of Duty: Black Ops' that may be justified as themes of war but can be easily emulated; especially if the actions are accepted and 'ethical'

Children are likely to see 8,000 murders and at least 100,000 other acts of violence prior to leaving elementary school at 12 years (Huston et al., 1992). Murder is depicted as a normal outlet for the impulsive and emotional. Youths without a fully-developed sense of morality are at risk of emulating these fictional murderers, believing it to be justified because of the media's ambiguous acceptance of violence.

A fan-made trailer of Dexter. This shows the increased interactivity of viewers with new media, encouraging more participation and ownership of the video that can lead to a distortion of reality.

Dexter, a television series about a forensic investigator moonlighting as a serial murderer, focuses on the inner mind of a sociopath and his hunger for revenge-killing of criminals. This serial murderer-protagonist compels viewers to pity rather than criticise him as he struggles with his ‘dark side’.

A 17-year-old teen, Andrew Conley, reflected this very pitfall by murdering his younger brother, believing the hunger for killing existed within him. "Andrew stated that he watches a show called 'Dexter' on Showtime, about a serial killer," prosecutors said in an affidavit. "He stated, 'I feel just like him.'" [URL: "Prosecutors: Ind. Teen Felt Hunger To Kill".]

World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and its portrayal of violence as pure entertainment. Fights and moves are easily emulated and problems seem to be solved in the wrestling ring.

However, this blurred line between fantasy and reality is often mediated by the media’s active role of censorship. A motion picture rating system classifies films based on suitability for audiences. In Singapore, the range of ratings from General (G) to Restricted-21 (R21) reflects the careful analysis given to each film before distribution. This will greatly reduce the young’s exposure to violent materials. Furthermore, warnings before television shows such as ‘Please Do Not Try This At Home’ directly draw the line between fact and fiction, emphasising that there is a difference between the virtual and physical world.

Still, ratings like Parental Guidance (PG/PG-13) remain the responsibility of parents. While parents are important role models to their children, differing views on effective parenting may provide a less than unified response to media violence. This will be further elaborated in the fourth post where perspective of media takes a turn for the better.

(370 words)


References

Huston, Aletha C., Donnerstein, Edward,  Fairchild, Halford, Feshbach, Norma D., Katz, Phyllis A.,

Murray, John P.,  Rubinstein, Eli A., Wilcox, Brian L., & Zuckerman, Diana M. (1992). Big world, small screen: The role of television in American society. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press.

Tompkins A. , 2003, The Psychological Effects of Violent Media on Children, http://allpsych.com/journal/violentmedia.html Accessed February 14, 2012.

1 - Desensitization Demystified : The Influence of Violence in Media

A splash of pictures depicting violence in media materials associated with extensive violence

The onslaught of violence has been relentless especially in its portrayal in the mediasphere. Over sixty percent of television shows aired during prime time contain some form of violence (Tompkins, 2003).  Such brutality and savagery are celebrated extensively by the very idols that youths immortalise.

Violent movies ("Saw" and "Final Destination" Series) featuring intense gore. Ironically, they have both appealed to a niche market as their subsequent sequels are numerous and successful.

Morality is called into question as such portrayals of violence undermine the moral growth of youths – youths who are only beginning to solidify the foundation of their identities. Studies have shown that exposure to media violence increases the likelihood of physical and verbal aggression in both children and adults (C.A Anderson et al., 2003).

The trailer for Spartacus : Vengeance, a hit TV series that focuses on Spartacus and his struggle to abolish slavery. This series promotes extensive blood, gore and sex to 'realise' the actual circumstances in ancient Rome.

Spartacus: Vengeance, the second season to a series on Singapore’s local Channel 5, exemplifies the epitome of violence. The catchphrase “The Fight for Freedom is fuelled by Vengeance” and accompanying scenes of blood and gore immediately evoke the vehemence we have long grown accustomed to.

The movie '300' and its flamboyant display of blood and aggression. These posters can be seen everywhere during its screening, allowing masses to preview media violence in its full glory.

Through such constant exposure, youths gradually become immune to the media’s graphic content. Studies have shown that media violence decreases helping behaviour and desensitizing viewers to violence (Carnagey, Anderson, & Bushman, 2007). This lack of sensitivity propagates a culture of recklessness and immorality that can ultimately reverse the ethical progress of modern society.

The infamous gameplay in the first-person shooter "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2" allowing players to kill hundreds of innocents in an airport as an act of terrorism. (Massacre starts at around 1:35)

However, this is not entirely true. The correlation between media violence and aggression can reflect a variety of underlying causal relationships. It is possible that aggressive children are naturally drawn to violence or the genetic predisposition to aggressiveness leads to both the preference for violent shows and high aggressiveness. (Weiten, 2007) Our concern is therefore unfounded because this may apply only to children with innate aggressive tendencies.

Still, the broadcast of media is widespread so even a small consequence from media violence can have unintended repercussions. Its presentation can escalate into an actual emulation of the aggression.

(294 words)


References

Carnagey, N. L., Anderson, C. A., & Bushman, B. J. (2007). The effect of video game violence on physiological desensitization. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 43, 489-496 

Ivory, J. D. and Kalyanaraman, S. (2007). The Effects of Technological Advancement and Violent Content in Video Games on Players’ Feelings of Presence, Involvement, Physiological Arousal, and Aggression. Journal of Communication, 57: 532–555.

Tompkins A. (2003). The Psychological Effects of Violent Media on Children, http://allpsych.com/journal/violentmedia.html Accessed February 14, 2012.

Weiten W. (2007). Psychology: Themes and Variations, Eighth Edition, p. 263