"Why is there never any real difference between the picture on the cover of Cosmo and the picture on the cover of Maxim?"-adele Lang & Susi Rajah

This is a photograph by Helmut Newton. He was a famous fashion photographer from the Cold War years. He's known for his nude studies of women in which women were portrayed in demeaning manners.

The Male Animal. This is the title of chapter twenty-two of Gil Reavill's book. What is interesting about this chapter is that Reavill confronts what could be called feminist paranoia. A lot of times feminists and others who speak out against the role of women in society are portrayed as being paranoid. Those people are portrayed as arguing that men are conspiring against women and create society in a way to put women down (in some cases these people are indeed arguing this). In some ways their paranoia may be fact.

Right away Reavill points out that our culture is all about men. Actually, "much of the cultural content circulating today is created by twentysomething males" (p.149). He explain that in the marketing world (and not just the sex industry's marketing world) the targeted gender is male and the specifically targeted age group is called "PAMs" (p.91) which is short for postadolescent males. So not only do they make the products but they also buy the products. PAMs are really into anything porn related, they're the consumers (p.91). "Sure, there was always a smattering of females. But to great or lesser degree (greater in the realm of smut, lesser in the realm of book publishing, with magazines falling somewhere in between), PAMs predominated. And more than that, PAMs set the tone for the enterprises" (p.91).

In the business world PAMs are everywhere. "PAMs do the grunt work not only for smut rags but also for mainstream magazines, on sitcom writing staffs, in MTV studios, and with advertising copyrights" (p.152). Because they dominate in all the major areas where today's culture is created Reavill suggests that "America has basically handed over the keys to its culture to the PAM" (p.152).

So if culture is directed and driven by a group that is obsessed with sex (they are young men after all and it is known that men think about sex more that you'd think) wouldn't it be a logical thing to assume that the culture they output is somewhat sexual. In many career areas, like writing for example, some characteristics of the author's personality will come out in the piece. Usually when pieces of literature are being analyzed a biography of the author is examined so that a better understanding of the literature can happen. The personality and the experiences of an author influence his or her writing whether it be through tone or opinion or what not. Therefore, shouldn't the personalities of the authors of today's culture be considered as influential to their product? Reavill thinks so. He believes that this is part of the cause of the barrage of sex in today's culture. Maybe feminists aren't so crazy after all.

***

A popular television show that can be found on multiple stations during prime time is Family Guy. Personally I find it to be nothing less that mindless humor. Unlike the Simpsons, which is a satire masterpiece, I don't believe there is any hidden message or critique behind the show. Nevertheless, it does do a fantastic job at portraying popular beliefs. In the link to the video below is a clip from an episode on the current war. As usual the episode makes fun of a popular reason as to why the war exists: to spread Democracy. Specifically look at the video starting at about 1:48 and consider how 'Democracy' is being applied.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlIm-riMN6Q&feature=related

"If men are so into sports, why is the biggest selling issue of Sports Illustrated the swimsuit edition?"-Adele Lang & susi Rajah

Advertising is a rather troubling industry in this nation. It pushes the lines between acceptable and obscene. The government has tried to step in and deal with the issue but the results were just a handful of blunders. Chapter thirteen of Smut: A Sex Industry Insider (and Concerned Father) Says Enough is Enough, titled Ad Nauseam, confronts this issue.

Gil Reavill starts off by pointing out that advertising is everywhere. But advertising today doesn't just consist of simple ads for movies or the latest dress from a top designer, it consists of porn (p.87). Many billboards are indeed X-rated (p.88). You can find them in all major cities and not just in towns known as being risque. "Raunchy signage is popping up all over the country" causing the public space to become overcrowded with sexual imagery (p.91).

There really is a problem with advertising, but what can be done about it? The Bill of Rights allows these companies to market whatever they want. But the Bill of Rights isn't given to people who hinder the rights of other people. Many people consider the barrage of sexual advertising a violation of their rights as citizens. Reavill does have a suggestion for this issue. "...I don't believe in censorship. I don't think the government has any business telling me what I can and can't watch in the privacy of my own home. ...I nevertheless believe it has a place in our society. We can't deny the fact that sexually explicit entertainment is an incredibly popular multibillion-dollar industry, that people like it, or that adults, both men and women, consume it and voluntarily star in it. ... So, yes, porn has its place. I just don't think that pace is looming over a public street..." (p.89).

Being an insider in the sex industry he knows all the marketing tricks. He writes that when creating ads companies go out of their way to create something sexual. "I don't like to be so crudely manipulated, and I don't like the fact that advertisers know they can get to me by presenting certain images" (p.90). With this situation in mind, what can/will women do to fight this since advertising focuses on them?