So, apparently, "sex sells".
I've heard the phrase often enough, usually in reference to promotional advertising. Marketing types, it seems, believe (perhaps I should say know) that a little skin is enough to make many people lose control of their higher reasoning centres and blindly buy whatever type of car, alcohol, or shoes they are peddling. Movie producers and television show promoters know that a scene involving naked movie star action in a trailer will have legions flocking to the theatre or the television to watch more.
In this day and age, the use of sex (blatant, subtle, or otherwise) has become not only a promotional tool, it has almost become an expectation.
Seriously, do you follow a television series that seems to test (and continually push further) the limits of what is decent...to the point you may as well call it porn? Or have you ever been enjoying a movie or show, and then one lonely little and rather desperate sex scene - that just ends up feeling awkward and out of place - is tossed in at a seemingly random moment...like an afterthought?
Yeah, I tend to think that was just stuck in there so they could put it in the trailer and lure in those who can no longer be entertained by anything less than a movie with at least one full on sex scene - and all of the associated on-screen moaning and heavy breathing.
And then there's actual pornography. Another money maker...don't even get me started on what I think of that...exploitation and evil are two words that come to mind.
Enough said.
Now, if any of you have been following along on this journey of mine, you'll know that I am in the process of trying to declutter - clean up, clear out - my brain. Also, if you've been reading along, you'll know that I'm trying to filter out much of the nasty stuff that is thrown at me daily based on a few simple questions...one of which is...
"Is this any of my business?"
And I tend to feel that what is going on in someone else's pants and/or bedroom is absolutely not.
Oh, I know that some out there will call me repressed, a prude. I once wrote my thoughts on how I felt this brave new hypersexualized world (I can't find it now but it was about sex education in schools) was affecting kids, and someone wrote in to comment, told me I had an unhealthy view of sex, that sex is natural, beautiful...blah, blah.
I was labelled, "vanilla".
At that time, I remember having to look it up...lol. Urban Dictionary definition: "A member of the boring sexual majority...unexciting, normal, conventional, boring". Kind of vague, really...because what the hell is "normal"? And who, exactly, is the judge of what is "boring"?
I never did respond to that comment...refused to justify my own sex life...nor will I do so here and now...because...
it is nobody else's business!
Besides, if having enough common sense to avoid being manipulated into a shopping frenzy by sexual references, images, and innuendo makes me too "conventional", call me vanilla.
If feeling a bit awkward when a graphic sex scene comes on while I'm watching a movie with my Mother or children is too "boring", call me vanilla.
And if feeling that people getting paid to film fake sex for profit is decidedly unnecessary is too "unexciting", then yes, I am vanilla.
So be it...
Since becoming more mindful about what I let into my...well...mind, I have come to believe that some things should just never be allowed into my consciousness....because once there, they stick and fester. Once allowed in, I believe, certain images or sounds or words simply can't ever be completely deleted or removed.
Avoiding sexual content is almost impossible these days, but I'm trying.
Picking more family oriented or educational shows and books certainly helps. As for those shows and movies that I enjoy despite the sexual content...the fast forward function on my PVR certainly helps, as does flipping pages when it comes to books.
Call me whatever flavour you want, but I'm just so past the fact that sex has somehow managed to become a modern spectator sport...and I simply don't feel like spectating any longer.