Sexuality and TV

Sex sells! Most commercials on TV and in magazines use sex and sexuality to sell their products even when these products have nothing to do with sex. 
Some of the most shocking commercials are Carl's Junior famously having very sexy slim almost naked big breasted girls moving and talking very seductively, opening their mouths very widely to bite on the burger as if they are having oral sex with the burger. Some commercials use sexual phrases like “it will BLOW your mind” next to the model open mouth indirectly referring to a blow job. Moreover, the burger juice and dressing drip and smears all over the model’s face and sometimes body. 

The commercials added a strong sexual desire to the burger as if the strong fat desire is not enough. This sexuality targets and attracts all males of all ages. It also targets female trying to convince them they will look that sexy when they eat the burger despite the facts they will actually get fat and less attractive. The commercials defy any logic. It is impossible for such slim models to be in love with eating those fat burgers because if they were, they would have never been that thin or hot anymore. 

Most beer commercials depict gorgeous sexy girls in bikinis on the beach smiling seductively and being attracted to the guy who is drinking or offering them the beer. This implies drinking beer will get guys surrounded by beautiful girls and will make girls drawn to them. The irony is drinking beer on the beach is illegal in most states especially in California, and it can get you arrested. Also, in reality drinking beer and getting buzzed does not make beautiful girls like guys more but it just makes guys perceive girls as more attractive.


TV has always censored scenes and talks related to sex in the past. Not long time ago even the words, sex, bitch, ass, boobs could have never been heard on TV networks like ABC or NBC. By the early nineties, the TV became more open to expression of sex even homosexuality may be on shows like Seinfeld, Friends, and Will and Grace. Recently I was shocked to see men kissing and in an apparent homosexual act on the episodes of “How to Get Away with Murder” on ABC. The scene did not include frontal nudity or genital exposure, but it was a clear admission to homosexuality as a regular part of some peoples’ lives. 

“Masters of Sex” on Showtime is the true story of Johnson and Dr. Masters research in the 1950s. Considering it is a cable channel it almost had pornographic scenes but in a very acceptable manner for the sake of medicine, science, and knowledge. The episodes also discuss sex, sexuality, and homosexuality in a very open and scientific way. It was very educational for 2013.

TV has used sex scenes very frequently but not yet not as a regular part of life. The way it is portrayed is still unnatural and for obvious seduction. As far as I know from friends and family who live abroad, in Europe and Australia, sex and nudity are on regular TV. Nudity does not have that of a taboo impact on people like in the U.S. In Europe women are topless on every beach and on TV. In the U.S. it was a disaster talked about for years when Janet Jackson showed one breast with a covered nipple possibly by accident. The number of breasts equals the number of people! Yet, the American society is obsessed with breasts in an unhealthy way. Even people continuously debate whether to show or not to show breasts during breastfeeding.

Appropriate sex education is crucial in the upbringing of the future generations. In the past, information and knowledge about sexual facts were not available. Religion approach to sex is negative. This leads to generations believing in myths, suffering from guilt, and missing out on the enjoyment of sex. Nowadays, society is suffering from a different problem related to the availability of sex education as well. 

Sex comprehensive education is declining in the American school system, and the internet is more and more available as the source of information about sex. This is good and bad in many ways. It is good because knowledge became available to everyone and none has to wonder about or believe in the myths about sex anymore. However, it is hazardous since the sources are usually porn sites and the information is not scientific. When searching for information about sex, often several pages of porn pop up first. 

Porn does not address sex from a scientific factual point of view but usually from a nonrealistic perverted or even pathological point of view to shock the viewers and entertain them. First experiences and first impressions about sex in a person’s life are very influential. When the very young or teenagers’ primary education about sex is porn, they might associate sexual needs, fulfillment, and desires with the extraordinarily unrealistic and sometimes diverted sexual fantasies. Like substantially sized penises, huge breasts, erection, and intercourse lasting for hours, or unrealistic expectations of sex in unusual circumstances, situations or by impossible people. Not to mention, the extreme crazy fetishes including feces, cockroaches, and other things that are considered abnormal for most people. Unless a person understands porn is not the norm but just a fantasy, a person might feel incompetent or inadequate regarding his or her sexuality, performance, size of genitalia or breasts, or longevity of the act. 

A person may act up towards others believing that porn fantasy could apply in reality. Also, several observations demonstrated porn can be addictive, and it alters the perception of sexual reality. On the other hand, there are numerous scientific sites with beneficial information about sex online as well. If the online sex education guarantees trusted sources, it would have been a priceless treasure for sex education.

References; Funny Commercials. [2017, August 12]. The Best 14 Carl’s Jr & Hardee's Burgers Too Hot For
TV Commercials [Video file]. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ku2D_eAtTMg Skip Ad. [2017, December 5]. Most Interest Commercial (Direct TV, Carl's Jr. Doritos and
Much More) [Video file]. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mQhR9jPS40&list=PL0-r-m6dIOhtZ_LTNTVKg0gOwAQXyHG8K