In the 1950s, Elvis Presley emerged on the music scene. His swiveling hips and outlandish outfits thrilled teenage girls and horrified their parents. This was only the beginning of a media that takes the statement that sex sells quite seriously.
Elvis came out in a time when TV shows like I Love Lucy were on the air. The show depicts the two main characters, Lucy and Ricky, sleeping in separate twin beds. How their baby was conceived remains up to the viewer's imagination, I suppose. Today Elvis would be considered relatively tame compared to singers like Ricky Martin, with his ceaselessly wiggling "bon bon" and leather pants. Or more recently, like Usher, who makes a point of ripping of his shirt and even stripping down to his boxers during concerts.
Rap singers rap about "Big Pimpin'" and the hoochies and hoes they get with. The videos show half naked women pouring out of fancy cars. Even rappers just hitting puberty, like Lil' Bow Wow, are presented dancing with bikini clad women twice their age. And that's merely the male singers and rappers.
Female singers seem to be getting younger and more provocative. Singers today delight in sweaty videos (such as "I'm a Slave For You" by Britney Spears). Others, such as Lil' Kim, have forgone clothing altogether. The media stresses that to be exciting and hot, a star must be revealing and sexually explicit.
On TV shows such as Temptation Island and the Real World, sex is not only glorified, but also constantly discussed and in some cases almost shown to viewers. In this jaded society, most don't even care. There are of course the parents who don't allow their children to watch R-rated movies until they are 17, but now they are considered the exception, not the rule.
The media's glorification of sex also influences clothing styles and trends. Anything that famous people are wearing seems to fly right off the store shelves. For girls, low pants and midriff tank tops are in style. Even 12 and 13 year old girls have picked up on this fad.
Personally, at my age, I don't have a problem with the openness of the media. I feel I am mature enough to deal with the promiscuity I see. I am able to choose what I do and do not want to watch or which styles to follow for that matter. But there are certain problems. These include problems for families with children of different ages. There are little girls today who aspire to be like Britney Spears or Christina Aguilera. They see their older brothers and sisters watching MTV and observe them singing pop songs. Because they admire their older siblings, they then begin to imitate the singers and movie stars their brother or sister likes. The stars of today are not positive role models.
One could argue that the singers are not supposed to be role models. They are only intended to sing their music. Today, however, a singer's image has become more important than their music. Bands such as ONSync and O' Town come in a nice package, but can any of them besides the main singer actually sing? Their music hardly compares to that of bands like The Beatles or Aerosmith.
The media has found an instrument that works. Through the use of sex, they can make money by appealing to everyone's most prurient nature. This is fine in that the media has discovered a way to profit even more off the naive consumer. Yet it is a shame that it feels like the media is moving even farther in this direction. How far will it go?
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