I was listening to one of the most popular actors, writer, singers, directors of India's entertainment industry indicating that their society needed to scrutinize the messages their entertainment media was sending that, "commoditized," and "objectified" women. He was speaking out against the rampant violence against women in his country.
I understand, on an intellectual level and anecdotally believe that pornography and other sexually explicit or suggestive forms of media may desensitize individuals and activate criminal proclivities to commit crimes. Yet, I don't think that adequately explains the extent of the problem in India. Just as violent films and videos have not been shown to have a scientifically noticeable effect on violent tendencies, I suspect that sexually explicit mediums are used as excuses, just as the way a woman dresses is used, as an excuse to engage in criminal behavior against women.
Apparently, India has a very high per capital incident of rape, yet their entertainment industry is actually substantially more tame than the US's entertainment media. So is the media to blame in India? Is that easier to cope with then the fact that culturally there my be endemic problems that are harder to admit and more difficult to address?
Comment 1: Loren M. Lambert - Here's my thought--there is nothing inherently or per se wrong with either desiring a man for his ability to provide materially or desiring a woman for her sensuality (just as examples)--but it is desiring either at the exclusion or at the expense of every aspect of their humanity and thinking you have a right to deprive them of it through deceit or force or treating them like a uni or one denominational objects with no consideration for their own will and desires that is abhorrent. I think what I am saying is that we often think we can fix and arrest depravity by attempting to bury it and by ignoring the fact that we are material and sensual beings and then when society does not save us from our own worse proclivities by hiding all that tempts us we are excused from bad behavior. When I say "we," I mean the human race. India and our problems will not be solved just by removing from public view the more seedy side of entertainment--but by each individual taking responsibility for his and her choices.
Loren M. Lambert © April 28, 2013
I understand, on an intellectual level and anecdotally believe that pornography and other sexually explicit or suggestive forms of media may desensitize individuals and activate criminal proclivities to commit crimes. Yet, I don't think that adequately explains the extent of the problem in India. Just as violent films and videos have not been shown to have a scientifically noticeable effect on violent tendencies, I suspect that sexually explicit mediums are used as excuses, just as the way a woman dresses is used, as an excuse to engage in criminal behavior against women.
Apparently, India has a very high per capital incident of rape, yet their entertainment industry is actually substantially more tame than the US's entertainment media. So is the media to blame in India? Is that easier to cope with then the fact that culturally there my be endemic problems that are harder to admit and more difficult to address?
Comment 1: Loren M. Lambert - Here's my thought--there is nothing inherently or per se wrong with either desiring a man for his ability to provide materially or desiring a woman for her sensuality (just as examples)--but it is desiring either at the exclusion or at the expense of every aspect of their humanity and thinking you have a right to deprive them of it through deceit or force or treating them like a uni or one denominational objects with no consideration for their own will and desires that is abhorrent. I think what I am saying is that we often think we can fix and arrest depravity by attempting to bury it and by ignoring the fact that we are material and sensual beings and then when society does not save us from our own worse proclivities by hiding all that tempts us we are excused from bad behavior. When I say "we," I mean the human race. India and our problems will not be solved just by removing from public view the more seedy side of entertainment--but by each individual taking responsibility for his and her choices.
Loren M. Lambert © April 28, 2013
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