From Skins to Gossip Girl, a Comparative Look at Teen Media in The United States and the U.K.

In Eyal and Kunkel’s (2008) study examining the effects of moral judgment felt by teenagers after viewing positive and negative sex scenes in teen media, their findings indicate the strength that negative outcomes of sex can have on viewers’ perceptions of characters. Teens who viewed two episodes that showed a negative outcome after premarital sex were slightly more likely than before to view premarital sex as immoral, as well as question the morality of the characters involved.  It’s Eyal and Kunkel who also tried to link this influx of sexual content, specifically in content directed to teens, as a possible contributing factor to why the United States has one of the highest (If not the highest) rates of teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases (2008).

                I can always believe in the idea that there is too much sex on television, and that in some sense, this contributes to a caustic media diet for teens and adolescents who may not have the cognitive level needed to understand the varied implications of sex. However, I also always wonder what else is there that may be contributing to the alarming rates of teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. Centers for concerned parents are quick to find shows that they think are far too sexual for teens, often contributing to the show censoring some aspects of its content, or even removing content all together. But is that enough? Is getting the teens away from sexy material actually going to change anything?

            Take for example one of the shows that seems to get a lot of attention from concerned parents over its blatant displays of sexuality, Gossip Girl. When Gossip Girl premiered during 2007, some of these parents wrote op-eds that were published in major papers warning others with young kids to avoid the show at all costs. So much was said that the producers of the show decided to take quotes from the article and place them on their ads as a tongue-in-check selling point.

(image from gawker.com)

Knowing what I do of the show, I can certainly see how many of the scenarios depicted might fall under the category of positive consequences of sex. The two leads in the show, Serena and Blair, have many partners through the six seasons this show aired. As Ward stated in her content analysis examining the context of sex on television, little is often said about healthy sexual habits such as contraception (2003), and Gossip Girl is certainly no exception. One of the only instances where I can remember any true instance of a possible negative consequence of risky sex happens early in the series, when Blair has a brief pregnancy scare.

                                   It’s clear that Gossip Girl may have some questionable aspects as far as sex and teen viewers go, and there exist quite a few studies linking teens’ and adolescents’ exposure to sex to their attitudes about sex. What always strikes me is where these attitudes lead to actual behaviors and how directly the link can be drawn between watching sex and viewing sex.

                                   For instance, in the same year that Gossip Girl aired in America to multiple complaints and controversies, Skins, a popular British teen show also premiered. Skins follows a group of six teens who actively take drugs, have sex, smoke, and do just about everything you probably wouldn't want your parents to know about. Skins is like a hyper-drive version of Gossip Girl in many ways, and what’s more, unlike Gossip Girl, most of the actors who played lead roles in the show were still teens themselves. Negative consequences tend to be seldom, with many characters often benefiting from having sex for the first time with the person they want to date or seeing sex as a positive turning point in their lives.

                                   Shows with this level of sexuality tend to be more common in British media, and while the U.K. does have a high rate of teen pregnancy as well, it’s still significantly lower than that in America. What’s more, most shows in Europe tend to be a little lax as far as controlling for sexuality in their television, and they fall far behind America in rates of STDs and unwanted pregnancies.

                                   The fact that there is a difference between our comparatively low-key sexua lmedia and our high rates of problems stemming from teens and adolescents engaging in unsafe sex has always struck me, and has lead me to believe that there must be something else there. I don’t doubt the role that media plays when it comes to the choices young viewers decide to take in their lives, but also must question what else is there that is seemingly giving them the final push to decide to make decisions that may have unfortunate results.

Work Cited:

Eyal, K., & Kunkel, D. (2008). The effects of sex in television drama shows on emerging adults' sexual attitudes and moral judgments.pdf. Journal of Broadcasting and Electric Medi,52(2), 161-181.
Ward, L. (2003). Understanding The Role Of Entertainment Media In The Sexual Socialization Of American Youth: A Review Of Empirical Research. Developmental Review, 347-388.

What Makes Wife Material????

What Makes Wife Material????

            The way men deliberate about relationships is relatively straightforward and simple. Men communicate with each other creating sexual scripts. This line of communication initiates building block as to how men think about females and if they are “relationship material” or not. The attached chart breaks down, in six sections, the qualities of a lady.  The X-axis displays how “hot” a woman is on a scale of 1-10.  The Y-axis reveals the amount of “crazy” a girl possesses.  The chart illustrates that any female under the 5 rating on a 1-10 scale, is a “no go” girl. In a man’s eyes, these girls are not attractive enough for any relationship. Once they move past the five on the “hotness” point, there are two options; either above or below the crazy line. As a girl becomes more attractive, the tolerance for “crazy” increases. Anything above the “crazy” line is in the “danger zone”. Listed under the “danger zone”, and at about a five on the “hotness” scale, is the date/fun/wife zone. The hotter a girl becomes and the less crazy, the rarer they are.  However, this portrays the female as better wife material. Even How I Met Your Mother uses the scale. 

            Breaking women down into these categories presents a stereotype that guys begin to think are “normal”. The media is creating sexual scripts that all men feel like they have to abide by. These scripts can be obtained through movies, television shows, social media, and many more. This table was posted from Facebook, but many movies, books, magazines, and television programs also follow this normative behavior. In movies, the guy, usually, only goes for the attractive girl. These are represented as normal, and although everyone has their own version of beautiful, guys are encouraged to not go for a lady below a five rating.

            Scripts are commonly used to obtain information.  As stated in the Social Cognitive Theory, people learn from observing.  When an action is rewarded and is demonstrated by an attractive character, the viewer is more likely to commit that action to memory.  The Social Cognitive Theory enforces behavior, such as saying thank you, as well as sexual scripts.  Hust, Brown, and L’engle state in their research that the more sexual content an adolescent is exposed to, the earlier that adolescent will start participating in sexual activities (Hust 5).  Graphs, like these, encourage the grouping of women and thinking about them in a sexual manner.  Sexual scripts and learning numerous amounts of information from media outlets, not only contribute to the natural progression of adolescent development, but also their views and opinions of women when maturing into adulthood.

 Works Cited:

Hust, S., Brown, J., & L'Engle, K. (2008). Boys Will Be Boys and Girls Better Be Prepared: An Analysis ofthe Rare Sexual Health Messages in Young Adolescent's Media. Mass Communication & Society.

Perpetuating Love Myths with T Swift

As hard as I try not to, I find myself listening to and singing along with every song Taylor Swift releases. Even if I wanted to, her music invades almost every radio station at least once an hour. She has a song for cheating boyfriends, facing jealousy, falling in love, getting over your ex, and any other relational situation imaginable. Her most recent radio single, "Style," describes her rollercoaster relationship with a boy who looks like James Dean, which, seeing as he is the iconic American bad boy, should have been a warning sign in the first place.

Lyrics:

Midnight,You come and pick me up, no headlightsLong drive,Could end in burning flames or paradiseFade into view, oh, it's been a while since I have even heard from you (heard from you)

I should just tell you to leave 'cause IKnow exactly where it leads but IWatch us go 'round and 'round each time 

You got that James Dean daydream look in your eyeAnd I got that red lip classic thing that you likeAnd when we go crashing down, we come back every time'Cause we never go out of styleWe never go out of style 

You got that long hair, slicked back, white t-shirtAnd I got that good girl faith and a tight little skirtAnd when we go crashing down, we come back every time'Cause we never go out of styleWe never go out of style. 

So it goesHe can't keep his wild eyes on the roadTakes me homeLights are off, he's taking off his coatI say, "I heard, oh, that you've been out and about with some other girl, some other girl." 

He says, "What you've heard is true but ICan't stop thinking about you," and I...I said, "I've been there too a few times." 

'Cause you got that James Dean daydream look in your eyeAnd I got that red lip classic thing that you likeAnd when we go crashing down, we come back every time'Cause we never go out of styleWe never go out of style 

You got that long hair, slicked back, white t-shirtAnd I got that good girl faith and a tight little skirtAnd when we go crashing down, we come back every time'Cause we never go out of styleWe never go out of style 

Take me homeJust take me home, yeah.Just take me home(out of style) 

You got that James Dean daydream look in your eyeAnd I got that red lip classic thing that you likeAnd when we go crashing down, we come back every time'Cause we never go out of styleWe never go out of style

In class we discussed how outdated the majority of the myths mentioned in "Media Myths in Popular Love Songs" were, however, Taylor Swift manages to cover at least half of them in "Style." Her descriptions of her and her lover's appearances scream James Dean in Rebel without a Cause and Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's, exemplifying the notions that actors and actresses are often like the romantic characters they portray and that the right mate "completes you" in the way that James and Audrey completed the picture of the perfect couple. The lines "He says, 'What you've heard is true but I/Can't stop thinking about you,'" embody the myth that the love of a good and faithful true woman can change a man. Because Taylor describes herself as having that "good girl faith and a tight little skirt," she is perpetuating the idea that not only does a woman have to look and act like a model to attract and keep a man, but that she must also appear innocent and untouched. The line "And when we go crashing down, we come back every time" demonstrates the myth that "All you really need is love, so it doesn't matter if you and your lover have very different values" as well as the myth that "bickering and fighting a lot mean that a man and a woman really love each other passionately."

Unlike movies and television, music offers listeners the opportunity to picture the things their favorite artists describe. This also means that they have an easier time placing themselves into the song. Taylor Swift's primary fanbase is preteen and teenage girls who generally consider her someone worthy of looking up to. The fact that this one song identifies with so many of the myths in "Media Myths in Popular Love Songs" is dangerous because these girls are at such a malleable age and also seeking societal confirmation. If Taylor Swift is chasing guys who continually hurt her while wearing short little skirts, these girls are likely to aspire to this type of relationship.

Shameful or Shameless?

I recently started watching the Showtime special, Shameless, which tells the story of a family of 6 kids and a father.  The father, Frank, is an alcoholic who is less than present as a father figure, leaving the kids to come together to take care of their home and each other.  However, the oldest child, Fiona, is a twenty-one year old mother figure and the glue to the mess that is their family.  In the show’s pilot, Fiona meets Steve, who courts her and claims she is the “girl of his dreams.”  Fiona is hesitant to settle down with him at first, but he is able to fight for her affection, and ultimately becomes a part of the family unit.  Last night, I watched an episode that reveals Steve lives two different lives.  In his life with Fiona, he works in Chicago and sells stolen cars.  In his other life, he is part of a family who lives in a wealthy suburb of Chicago, and also believes he attends the University of Michigan (go blue?).  In this episode, it appears as though Steve also has another girlfriend in his alternate lifestyle.

In the first 10 or so episodes of the season Steve appears to be a dream boy.  He courts Fiona and helps her take care of her family, despite her best wishes.  He takes her on special evenings out, he tells her he loves her, and needless to say, he’s beyond dreamy.  He seems to be a very likable character, which now feels very deceptive as I learn about his alternate life.  Fiona sleeps with men frequently.  It does not appear as though she allows herself to get very emotionally invested in the men she sleeps with due to her horrendous trust and attachment history (not to mention, she expresses she has more important things to worry about than dating).  However, with Steve, we as viewers are starting to feel as though she is finally opening herself up and letting him in. 

As a viewer, I have become very attached to their relationship, let alone their sex life.  The sex scenes between the two of them on Shameless are very revealing and steamy.  The passion that the two characters share is made very clear through their sex.  However, now that I have seen Steve’s (is that even his real name?) deception, I am concerned and worried about Fiona.  After reading The Effects of Sex in Television Drama Shows on Emerging Adults’ Sexual Attitudes and moral Judgments (2008) by Eyal and Kunkel, I am thinking more critically about Fiona and Steve’s relationship. Shameless portrays lying and deception between the two, which can eventually hurt Fiona.  This sends a clear message that you should not have sex with someone until you utterly and completely know your partner inside and out (or more simply put, don't have sex before marriage).

Now, I have a new perspective on what the media might be doing to us.  Shameless, for example, has truly made me fall in love with Steve and Fiona as a couple.  The show portrays Steve in an extremely positive light and it seems fairly impossible for any viewer not to like him.  And now, after seeing his deception towards Fiona, I hate him!  I’m mad at Fiona for sleeping with him in the first place.  Not to mention, I’m mad at the show and the producers for making me like him so much (don't get me wrong...I'm going to keep watching...the show is totally awesome).

Perhaps this is happening in the media all over the place.  Not only are we seeing negative consequences of pre-marital sex in television shows, but the media is also setting us up for disappointment.  Television shows are constantly raising our hopes, and letting us down through television relationships.  They made us like Steve, and then they break us.  But, as I write this, I’m pausing.  Do they really mean to do this?  Are they truly trying to tell us to wait until we’re married to have sex, or are they simply trying to tell an interesting story with sex and conflict?  We all know sex makes money, but so does conflict.  If there weren’t these consequences in television relationships, then every story would end with a “happily ever after,” which is just as unrealistic (in many people’s opinions) as getting to know someone fully before having sex with them.  Also, it's boring.  And I know that there are some people in this world who find comfort in seeing television characters go through break-ups and let downs after pre-marital sex.  Sometimes it can be nice to know that a lot of people go through post-sex disappointment, and maybe that’s what these stories are for.

Maybe Shameless really is a "shameless" version of the truth.  They say it how it is...or at least for a lot of people.

Works Cited:

Eyal, K., & Kunkel, D. (2008). The Effects of Sex in Television Drama Shows on Emerging Adults' Sexual Attitudes and Moral Judgments. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media,161-181.