> On Thu, 11 Apr 1996, Jonathan Epstein wrote:
>
> > OK. Good question
> > Think about what feminism has
> > to say about the politics
> > of "identity."
> > Jon
> >
> > On Thu, 11 Apr 1996, elizabeth ann simmons
> > wrote:
> >
> > > Well, I'm here and I thought I'd get the ball rolling. Let's talk about
> > > this whole femenism thing. I didn't quite follow the train of thought
> > > past defining it in terms of postculturalism. Any takers?
> > >
> > > betsy
> > >
> >
> all right, i thought of another example of how medis is a political forum
> and this also has to do with changing view of women's roles.
>
> i don't know if any of you have seen that series of commercials where
> it's mostly a highschool aged girl talking about how she's so busy in
> school what with homework, and cheerleading, and student government and
> zits and stuff and that;s why she doesn't have time to worry about sex
> b/c she can do w/o the worries of teen pregnancies and stds. and the
> closing slogan on these commercials is "you're worth waiting for"
> anyway it;s interesting how media can number one: be a tool of resurgence
> for some political views that have been less popular for awhile until
> they get media support. my point is notice that for the last five years
> the focus has been sex ed a year younger up into junior high, the
> distribution of condoms and safe sex because it;s more realistic than
> absitnence and so on. but now there is a definite part of the population
> that's saing hey, this isn't working, we are going to offer the less
> popular opinion as a possible remedy and gain support through media. this
> leads to the next thing that media does... it lets people know how their
> views are in relationship to socitey, it;s almost like an account. the
> more support they realize the media gives their views, the more they feel
> that's what other people;s actual responses are, and the more they will
> feel comfortable vigorously supporting thier ideas. this is how entire
> national outlooks are changed.
> my next question is this however, are the producers of these
> commercials aware that they are implying that it is somehow a girl's
> responsibility to make the choice, define the stopping point, of sexual
> relations btw/ two individuals? that seems like a lot of pressure on a
> sixteen year old.
>
To answer your question, you must remember that if a sexual encounter
occurs between 2 young people, it is the girl who is stugmatized as being
"sexually active." Therefore, the logical person to target with that ad
ist he girl. In a perfect world, the boy would have a commercial of his
own, but I'm not sure if we'll ever see that. betsy