Over the last five years, and most noticeably the recent 12 months, the media (TV, Radio, billboards, movies, magazines, and virtually any other form you can get your hands on, or scan your eyes over) seems to have developed an intense dependency upon sexual references of all kind - to draw attention, to shock, to create curiosity, to increase market share, to tease and tempt new audiences, new consumers, etc.
Back in the "70"s there was a heavy use of nakedness - generally of women, sometimes of men - used to get attention and, in keeping with the times (the “free love” movement and huge changes in society back then) the intention seemed more about beauty, freedom, love and daring.
Today, it seems we can't go anywhere without seeing a body - generally again, its women - in various states of undress.
That, in itself, is not a bad thing. Nakedness is a natural expression - after all, underneath our fashion statements we're all butt naked.
What is becoming increasing apparent, and very significantly more worrisome, is the message that is often attached, the image that is often created, with the vision of near (or complete) nakedness that we're being exposed to.
The messages are often more about raunchiness, about sex without love, about women presenting their bodies for men to lust over. The images are highly-sexed:
To sell beer, we see women undressing.
To sell shampoo, we see naked women in showers.
To sell lingerie we see naked women being dressed in skimpy bra and pants.
Its not that we don't see near naked men. It's the ratio that is out of kilter, and it's the message in the masculine ads that is so different.
He is allowed to be butch, macho and ridiculous.
She has to be willow thin, sexy, with curvaceous butt and a substantial bustline. She has to be naughty, a seductress, and yet has to also be domestic, family oriented and loyal.
Even so, it is not this presentation that is cause for concern. It is the “butterfly” effect this is having on our children, young women and men, in fact on our whole society's mentality.
We see young men (aged from teenage to 30's) who don't want to commit to a relationship because the impression society gives is that sex is out there, and why settle for one relationship when there is always another woman to have sex with? Young women are becoming equally desperate, giving themselves sexually, overtly wearing the “Come F**k Me” clothing of extremely short skirts, tight tops that reveal as much bust line as possible (what are their parents thinking??), makeup on girls as young at 12, all in a bid to score “love” from some guy who hasn't learned from society what love and respect is. We're losing our morals, our self-worth and self-esteem. It's too much to lose.
We're not teaching good principles to our children when we allow society's view of sex and overt promiscuity to rule the street.
It is not up to the government, or the church, or the school. It is up to us, the citizens, the parents, the community to challenge the ad companies, the big businesses, by deciding exactly how we want our children's world to be presented.
One person can influence many and make a stand - look at the likes of history's Mahatma Ghandi, or even Mr Mandela today.
We owe it to our kids to make a better, safer, more loving world.
