Sex & Violence in the Media Essay -- Essays Papers

Sex & Violence in the Media On February 1, 2004, millions of Americans sat down around their television sets with their family and friends to watch the biggest sports event of the year: Super Bowl XXXVIII. Inside the Reliant Stadium of Houston, Texas, the New England Patriots beat the Carolina Panthers 32-29 in one of the closest games in recent history; but this year it wasn’t the football game or even the commercials that had people talking. It was an incident that occurred during the halftime show that involved pop singers Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake that ended in millions of Americans having the privilege to see the left breast of Janet Jackson for a few moments. This single issue may not have been a huge ordeal in itself, but it brought to surface some very pertinent questions about how far was too far in the media, what the government should do to control it, and what effects sex and violence in the media were having on American culture. The events that took place during the halftime show of the Super Bowl may have shocked and angered many parents for exposing such sexual behavior and nudity to their children, but there were also a great number of people who questioned why people were so upset over a few seconds of screen time that Janet Jackson’s left breast received. After all, it was simply part of the female anatomy. Many people argued that it wasn’t just nudity, that it was â€Å"softcore† pornography because of the sexual conduct that was behind the performance. It is understandable that Jackson and Timberlake’s routine was full of sexual innuendo, but the majority of young children usually don’t pick up on such behavior and thus a simple â€Å"wardrobe malfunction.† Whether the performance during the halftime ... ...ildren, teenagers, and adults in many different ways. While some people were outraged by the Super Bowl incident and others believed it was merely an accident that could have been prevented, the event put to the test some fundamental questions concerning how much power the media should have. Because the FCC is on a rampage right now trying to put an end to these problems, many networks are implementing new features such as the ten second delay, and others are trying to promote the use of V-chips (prevent children from viewing objectionable material) and reminding Americans of the rating system that is on the television. But the fact is, television is free to the public, and the public is watching. As sex and violence increasingly fill our television sets, our minds become more adjusted to such behaviors and we forget to grasp reality and focus on the important things.