Influence of pornification

Influence of pornification
—  Porn has moved out of its previous hiding places to
gain mainstream acceptance and social value,
—  The imagery, values and aesthetics of porn are now
embedded in all areas of popular culture.
—  Representations of girls and women in sexual poses
are commonplace.
—  Advertising, music videos, video games, commercial
films and other cultural products are all a vehicle for
this aesthetic, particularly in products targeting
younger audiences.
According to Tolman (2002)
—  Girls are encouraged to adopt a sexy appearance and
behaviour before they are able to understand
sexuality, feel sexual desire or have the critical ability
to make responsible decisions over the risk of sexual
intimacy.
Lolita
The sexy nymph
invades the social
imaginary
Start them
early…
Toddlers in tiaras
Baby shoes
Toys for girls
Bratz
Disney princesses
New Legos for girls
Fashion for little kids
Miss Bimbo Game ad
—  Become the hottest, coolest most intelligent and
talented bimbo the world has ever known!
—  Miss Bimbo is a dress up game where you look after a Bimbo
character as she goes through life.
—  To progress in the game you have to get her a hot boyfriend, a
— 
— 
— 
— 
cool place to live, and find her a great job.
You can also style your Bimbo and show her off to other players.
You can compete with other Bimbos to see who's the best dressed
and most popular.
MissBimbo is a free to play dress up game, so try it now!
Are you ready to become Queen of the Bimbos!?!
Media influence on children
From studies published by Pediatrics
—  High media consumption has been linked to : aggressive behaviour, early
sexualization, drug and alcohol consumption, unhealthy food choices,
childhood obesity, negative self-image and negative school performance.
—  Early sexualization is linked to unwanted pregnancies and a rise in
sexually transmitted infections (STIs)
—  Sexual initiation before the age of 13 has been linked to: use of weapons,
interpersonal violence and experimentation with drugs and alcohol.
—  Early sexual initiation is inversely correlated to the use of coercion: the
younger a girl is at sexual initiation, the higher the chance she has been
forced or coerced.
—  Sexually precocious boys have high self-esteem, sexually precocious girls
low self-esteem
Consequences
—  The erotization of images contributes to the
fetishization of girls in the media
—  The representation of girls as legitimate sex objects
might encourage their sexual exploitation
—  Girls learn to see and value themselves as sex objects
—  Erotized and passive images of girls encourage a
devaluation of their contribution to society.
Sexuality in a context of sexualization
—  The experience of sexuality is dictated by porn
—  What you look like is more important than who you
are.
—  The value of the sexual act is associated to the
symbolic status it confers.
—  Teens underestimate the consequences of sexuality
Elements of a healthy sexuality
§  Mutual respect between consenting partners
§  Equality
§  Intimacy that fosters the development of significant bonds and
shared pleasure
§  Respect for each person’s rhythm
§  Doing things for mutual pleasure rather than because a girl
feels that she has to pleasure men
What can be done to help kids?
—  Believe in and reinforce their resilience and capacity to resist
social and peer pressure to conform
—  Dialogue with them and help them contextualize experiences
including identifying their own needs and values around sex
—  Teach them media literacy and help them develop a critical
understanding of their culture and what consumer society tries
to sell them.
—  Help them improve their self-esteem and self-image
—  Support them in their choice of health-enhancing projects
—  Protect them when necessary
Rare example of non sexist advertising
Guide for parents of preteens
—  Sexy Inc: Our Children under
Lilia Goldfarb
lgoldfarb@ydesfemmesmtl.org
514 866 9941
(295)
www.ydesfemmesmtl.org
Influence (S. Bissonnette and NFB)
—  Staying Real: Teens Confront Sexual
Stereotypes (S. Bissonnette and NFB)
—  Street Stories and Choose your Way
(girls and gangs) (Ramz Media/YWCA
Montreal)
—  Prevention of sexualization: Activity
Guide
—  Guide for parents of preteens
—  Trainings, etc.