Despite gaining no legal or religious sanction, the adult movie industry is one of the biggest and thriving contributors to culture and economy. Here, adult movie is defined as that whose content is majorly comprised of implicit or explicit sexual acts (of various orientations) and action movies that are adult certified due to excessive violence or profanity. In other words, the term ‘adult movie’ is interpreted in this essay to include hardcore and soft-core pornography, as well as those that are legally permitted but contain sexual content, violence or profanity. In polite societies and in family environments mere mention of pornography can elicit embarrassment, shock or disgust from people. But interestingly, such reactions are not pronounced in response to violence and profanity, although these are equally harmful influences. Nevertheless, while people hesitate to talk about indulgence in pornography in the public space, it continues to be a part of their private lives. (Nutt, 2010, p.91) This is not a universal rule, of course, but applies to a majority of adult male population. The degree of patronage of adult women is lesser compared to that of men. Also, adolescents of both genders watch pornography on a regular basis. Uncontested as these facts may be, they are not openly acknowledged or discussed. This essay will argue that despite muted mention of adult movies in public lives of people, it does affect them deeply in many aspects.
One of the problems thrown open by the Internet is the increased chances of inadvertent exposure to pornography. Peer-to-peer networking software, which facilitates easy and quick transfer of movie files among Internet users, is proving to be the chief mode of pornography consumption among adolescents and adults alike. But the issue arises when pre-teens get accidental exposure to advertisements and landing sites for pornographic material. Considering that pornography accounts for a majority of Internet traffic, it is near impossible for a regular user of the Internet to evade this deluge. In unfortunate cases where children get exposed to it, they can become adversely affected both psychologically and physiologically, leading to problems in their family, social and academic lives. (Nutt, 2010, p.91) Psychologist Patricia Greenfield has done extensive research on the influence of adult movies on the behavior and attitudes of children and adolescents. Her findings are consistent with the stated thesis of this essay, as there is hardly anything benign about this influence. For example, in her testimony to the Congressional Committee on Government Reform, she notes that inadvertent exposure to pornography when children and adolescents utilize peer-to-peer file sharing networks on the Internet, can lead to a range of adverse consequences.
In her assessment, pornography and related sexual media such as music videos and R-rated movies available in the Internet does influence “sexual violence, sexual attitudes, moral values, and sexual activity of children and youth.” (Greenfield, 2004, p.743) For example, “A number of surveys, from junior high to college, indicate that exposure to MTV (MTV-style music video files are very common on peer-to-peer networks) and R-rated films are correlated with premarital sexual permissiveness. Experimental studies confirm that exposure to music videos such as those seen on MTV can actually liberalize attitudes toward premarital sex, and this is particularly true for girls.” (Greenfield, 2004, p.743)
Further, a field experiment study revealed that those adolescents (males) who viewed adult movies that hinted at positive effects of sexual aggression such as the sexual arousal of the woman, made them more accepting of aggression in sexual and non-sexual contexts. Similarly, video depictions of
“sexual relations between unmarried partners – in all-pervasive characteristic of pornography—affected 13- and 14-year-olds’ moral judgments concerning premarital and extramarital sex: Their judgments became more accepting after viewing video portrayals of sexual relations between unmarried partners. In contrast, video portrayals of sex between married individuals had no effect on moral judgments. There was, however, no spillover effect of viewing sexual relations between unmarried partners into nonsexual areas of moral judgment, such as judgments concerning criminal or antisocial behavior.” (Greenfield, 2005, p.745)
At the crux of debates concerning adult movies is their influence on children and adolescents. Seeing violence and sexual transgressions can have several malefic effects on adults, especially if such movies are viewed on a regular basis. But what can be bad for adults can do acute damage in the formative minds and physiologies of children and adolescents. The early memories of exposure to sexual media can leave a lasting impact on children and adolescents, making it a big concern for educators and parents alike. In a survey conducted to ascertain early emotional responses to sexual content, the topmost identified emotions were “disgust (24.5%), shock or surprise (23.6%), and embarrassment (21.4%; Cantor et al., 2003). Other negative emotional responses were anger (18.4%), fear (11.2%), and sadness (9.2%). Only three positive emotions were mentioned (interest, amusement, and happiness or pleasure); in contrast, eight different negative emotions received mention.” (Greenfield, 2005, p.746) Such statistics prove beyond doubt adult movies’ potential to significantly deter healthy psychological development of boys and girls. Moreover, the psychologist interviewed for this essay illuminates on how pornography affects the two genders differently:
“For example, for men, it might lead to frigidity, especially for those who are addicted to porn movies because they require more effort to be sexually excited. Women, on the other hand, might become obsessed with being like a porn star to attract men. However, there are effects applicable to both genders such as conveying the wrong message about how sex life should be, or showing apathy toward homosexuality and sexual deviation, etc.” (Interviewed Psychologist, 2011)
Although adult movies were made for an adult audience, adolescents show greatest interest in such content. This is a natural tendency, for they perceive it as a stepping stone to adulthood. But over-exposure to adult content at an earlier age can have several negative repercussions. For example, toddlers who have been exposed to images and videos of violence increase their chances of delinquency and violent behavior in high school. Even cartoon programs, which are directed to children, can contain sequences of violence. Especially because, younger viewers try to understand video content with an ‘exploration approach’, they actively seek for meaning in the content. Vividly colored characters, quick movements, “rapid changes of scene, and intense or unexpected sights and sounds” are what attract toddlers’ attention. (Josephson, et. al., 1995)
Usually, action/adventure genre movies are rated ‘universal’ and are directed to a general audience. But some movies that depict extreme violent acts and show excessive blood-shed are rated ‘adults only’. Exposure to violence through such movies can interact with the personal behavior of the viewer, adult or otherwise. As a society, both through television and movie exposure to violence, we are getting more aggressive and hostile in our personal interactions.
Children and adolescents are most vulnerable to growing aggressive tendencies watching violent video content. But even for mature adults with ability to exercise discretion over their thoughts and actions, there is risk of behavior modification following frequent exposure to sexual or violent content onscreen. Even consumption of movie promotions such as theatrical trailers and sneak-peeks can make a subliminal impact. For example, studies have shown “evidence for an indirect role of sexual and violent imagery in movie marketing…even a subtle manipulation of sexual or violent content appears to have strong effects on audiences’ expectations of what the previewed film will be like.” (Oliver, et. al., 2007, p.596)
Further, it appears that previews can have more deleterious effects by extrapolating shown content and increasing viewer anticipation with regard to sex and violence in the full-length feature. For example,
“the presence of sex and violence in the preview increased perceptions that more sex and violence would be encountered when the actual feature film is seen in its entirety. In this regard, viewers seemed to assume that the content of movie previews is representative of the subject matter depicted in the full-length movie and consequently, they appeared to have used the material portrayed in movie previews as the basis for their thoughts about what to expect from the movie.” (Oliver, et. al., 2007, p.596)
Hence, the overall effect of previews is to accentuate violent and sexually aggressive behavior on part of the viewer by showing condensed, yet intense, acts of violence and sex on screen. That movie-goers see plenty more trailers and advertisements compared to full-length films results in the promotion of these negative consequences. While this form of marketing tactics might help ‘sell’ the movie product, they bring forth an array of social and ethical issues. For example, the use of violence and aggression as “a means of marketing entertainment is fraught with a host of problems, including potential risks of increasing aggression, of exposing viewers to materials that they may find distressing, and of contributing to desensitization, among others. As a result, regardless of whether or not violence is an effective selling tool, other means of selling entertainment that are similarly effective at increasing viewer interest and anticipated enjoyment are worthy of research attention.” (Oliver, et. al., 2007, p.596)
Hence, adult movies have to cut down on the amount and intensity of violence and sex that they show. Recent surveys already show that audience are getting disillusioned with the commercialism rampant in the industry and are looking for alternatives. For example, the recent booming of foreign language movies (shown with English subtitles) is an indication of the growing discontent with mainstream fare in general and an indictment against its obsession with sex and violence. Movie critic Michael Medved, whose association with Hollywood spans many decades, sums it up neatly when he says that romantic notions conventionally associated with Hollywood are over. Instead, most of the fans have woken up to the sad reality that “the entertainment industry no longer represents a source of enchantment, magical fantasy, uplift, or even harmless diversion. Popular culture is viewed now as an implacable enemy, a threat to their basic values and a menace to the raising of their children. The Hollywood dream factory has become the poison factory.” (Michael Medved, 1993, p.79)
Finally, one of the constructive measures that parents and school administrators can take to contain the problem of adult movie exposure, is through awareness programs. As the psychologist interviewed for this essay notes, “It (awareness program) is beneficial and it plays an important role in teenagers’ life because teenagers feel lost during adolescent. Thus, they need awareness and guidance. I would suggest to start guiding children from their early ages because children communicate with the outside world more than their family – this is especially true of this generation. So, they need to be advised and directed to the right path.” (Interviewed Psychologist, 2011)
Works Cited
“Facts That Should Change the World: America Spends $10Bn Each Year on Porn-More Than It Spends on Going to See Hollywood Movies and the Same as on Foreign Aid.” New Statesman 7 June 2004: 15.
Medved, Michael. “Hollywood’s Poison Factory: The Movies’ Twisted Image.” USA Today (Society for the Advancement of Education) Sept. 1993: 79+.
Nutt, Timothy G. “”Somebody Somewhere Needs to Draw the Line”: Deep Throat and the Regulation of Obscenity in Little Rock.” The Arkansas Historical Quarterly 69.2 (2010): 91+.
Oliver, Mary Beth, Sriram Kalyanaraman, Chad Mahood, and Srividya Ramasubramanian. “Sexual and Violent Imagery in Movie Previews: Effects on Viewers’ Perceptions and Anticipated Enjoyment.” Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media 51.4 (2007): 596+.
Applied Developmental Psychology 25 (2004) 741 – 750
Patricia M. Greenfield, Inadvertent exposure to pornography on the Internet: Implications of peer-to-peer file-sharing networks for child development and families, Children’s Digital Media Center and Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA, 2005, p.570-580, retrieved from http://forums.newspeakdictionary.com/img/Inadvertent_exposure_to_porn.pdf on 23rd March, 2011
Wendy L. Josephson, Ph.D., Television Violence: A Review of the Effects on Children of Different Ages Summary of Recommendations, Report of the Department of Canadian Heritage, Feb. 1995, Republished with permission the Minister of Public Works, retrieved from < http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/resources/research_documents/reports/violence/tv_violence_child.cfm> on 23rd March, 2011