Media and Sexuality

Historical Connections

The connection between media and sexuality must be understood within a historical perspective. Motion pictures produced during the 1930s through the 1960s [Page 445]were largely governed by the Hays Code. Will Hays was appointed the head of a commission designed to ensure that motion pictures maintained basic family values. Content was screened for offensive language, explicit images, and adult content. Films had to focus on clean content without any hint or entendre of sexual activity or sexual intention. The advent of the 1960s featured such films as The Graduate and Easy Rider. Success of these and similar films led to the message that sexuality was a potent element in attracting larger audiences. Such was the case when movies were criticized for excessive violence. The motion picture studios showed that films needed to utilize sexuality to maintain a consistent audience. Television media followed the same pattern. Development of the television media from the 1940s to 1960s relied on nationally televised programs reflecting middle-class families and their contrived everyday lives. Leave It to Beaver, I Love Lucy, and Father Knows Best were some of the programs concerned with nuclear family structures and a seeming disinterest in sexual expression. This theme changed when the innocence of the 1950s was replaced by a coming of age during the 1960s. Television dramas and family comedies incorporated sexual images and more powerful themes. Married couples no longer slept in single beds or chose to disrobe to a certain degree. As time went on, partial nudity became more permissible.

Changing Social Standards

The connection between media and sexuality is reflected by a constantly changing social landscape. Nudity and blatant sexuality became a mainstay on cable television. Films and television programs could be shown uncensored for language or nudity because such fare was provided on a paid subscription basis. The Sopranos on HBO would be one such case. The explanation is that consenting adults voluntarily chose to watch such programming. But there are still some contradictions. Janet Jackson's “wardrobe malfunction” is still the subject of heavy fines levied by the Federal Communications Commission. However, both daytime and nighttime television historically contain partial nudity or explicit or double-entendre language (e.g., Jerry Springer as a daytime show and such programs as NYPD Blue or Three's Company). The same concerns can be expressed for the depiction of sexuality on daytime serials (otherwise known as soap operas).

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