There is no lack of sexual activity of unmarried people portrayed in the movies coming out of Hollywood these days.
And not surprisingly, however, rarely does a single film depicts its characters as having to live with the real and very often negative consequences of their casual sexual encounters.
A recent study conducted by the Institute for Child Health Research of Children’s Hospital in West Meade, Australia, did a survey of the top 200movies of all time based on box office profits. Of those, the Institute eliminated movies that were animated, released before the emergence of AIDS — for the study they chose 1983 — and rated “G” or “PG.”
Out of the 87 remaining films, over half contained explicit or implied sexual episodes between underage and or unmarried people. Additionally In those scenes, only one made reference to any form of birth control.
Though 98% of the sexual encounters might have resulted in unplanned pregnancy, not one these movie showed any consequence of having unprotected sex: no unwanted pregnancies, no one contracted any sexual diseases.
The study also focused on how drugs were depicted in those movies.
While illicit drugs were shown in fewer movies then that had depicted unprotected/casual sex, Institute researchers discovered drugs were most often often shown in a positive way.
A clear example was found in movies that featured the use of marijuana. In these, 52% portrayed marijuana use in a positive light, while 48% showed in a neutral light. interesting to note that none of them showed any negative aspects of using drugs.
Typical Hollywood movies Continue to ignore reality by failing to show cause and effect. By consistently and frequently portrayed unprotected sex and drug use in a positive way, movies promote these harmful practices in the minds of young viewers.
There are negative consequences for the wrong use of sex. There are negative consequences for any use of illicit drug Use. However as we all know, teams in particular are extremely vulnerable to peer pressure. but the effects of peer pressure are compounded exponentially when messages of sexual promiscuity are popularized by the media.
Now children are sexualized subliminally by their favorite television shows and by the actors whom they look up to in the movies.
Additionally the movie rating system has become archaic and as certainly started its progressive slide down the slippery slope of acceptable standards.
This is especially evident in many children’s films rated G. language such as “damn” or “crap” once for bidding to the G. rating are now commonplace.
Filmmakers and studios now feel that in order to make their movies more commercial they need to provide a more adult subplot or sugar points to their films in order to get parents to sit through children’s fare.
It’s reprehensible but it is what it is. As parents we can only show our displeasure by not taking our children to these sorts of films or what allowing our children to watch television that teaches them to become sluts.
