Gender Differences In Pop Culture
Sexual script theory posits that our sexual behaviours are dictated by a band of “scripts” that consolidate sexual encounters into understandable conventions (Simon & Gagnon, 1986). The question then becomes, how are sex scripts learnt? Contemporary popular culture is ripe with content that depicts and often encourages sexual behaviour (Garcia, Reiber, Massey, and Merriwether, 2012). This includes scripts for premarital and uncommitted sex – i.e. hook-up culture (Garcia et al., 2012). It is important to note that these scripts are gendered. As Oliver & Hyde (1993) suggest, gender differences in sexual behaviour scripts and attitudes toward casual sex are pronounced. That is, hookup culture affects men and women differently. Women are far more
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likely than men to get a bad reputation for how they conduct themselves in the hookup culture. Women can get a bad reputation for many different things, including: how often they hook up, who they hook up with, how far they go sexually during a hookup, how they act during hook-ups, and how they dress when they go out on a night where hooking up may happen. Men who are very active in the hookup culture may be called a “player”; women, on the other hand, get labeled “sluts” (Garcia et al., 2012).
Despite a recent increase in strong female characters in films – for example, Katniss Everdeen in the Hunger Games – women continue to be depicted in a highly sexualized fashion in films (Murphy, 2015).
Furthermore, the portrayal of women as objects of sexual desire and pleasure is a pervasive theme in contemporary films (Murphy, 2015). Films such as No Strings Attached and Friends With Benefits, in fact, are predicated on the idea of sexual relationships. These films depict women as highly sexual beings, who – contrary to traditional gender stereotypes – are unaffectionate and aromatic. In essence, these characters possess masculine traits of antipathy towards romance and an unquenchable thirst for sex. This is reflective of the nature of hook-up culture, since hook-ups are grounded in these values of aromanticism and masculinity. For example, as Villa (2016) states, not getting emotionally attached is a rule of hooking up. Why, though, is this important (these films are created for entertainment value, right?) Not entirely! Films have many latent functions and do not simply imitate social interaction – they reify a socio-cultural phenomenon that has specific gender and class implications. That is, media representations are symbols that can impact norms of acceptable sexual behaviour (Stinson
2010).
likely than men to get a bad reputation for how they conduct themselves in the hookup culture. Women can get a bad reputation for many different things, including: how often they hook up, who they hook up with, how far they go sexually during a hookup, how they act during hook-ups, and how they dress when they go out on a night where hooking up may happen. Men who are very active in the hookup culture may be called a “player”; women, on the other hand, get labeled “sluts” (Garcia et al., 2012).
Despite a recent increase in strong female characters in films – for example, Katniss Everdeen in the Hunger Games – women continue to be depicted in a highly sexualized fashion in films (Murphy, 2015).
Furthermore, the portrayal of women as objects of sexual desire and pleasure is a pervasive theme in contemporary films (Murphy, 2015). Films such as No Strings Attached and Friends With Benefits, in fact, are predicated on the idea of sexual relationships. These films depict women as highly sexual beings, who – contrary to traditional gender stereotypes – are unaffectionate and aromatic. In essence, these characters possess masculine traits of antipathy towards romance and an unquenchable thirst for sex. This is reflective of the nature of hook-up culture, since hook-ups are grounded in these values of aromanticism and masculinity. For example, as Villa (2016) states, not getting emotionally attached is a rule of hooking up. Why, though, is this important (these films are created for entertainment value, right?) Not entirely! Films have many latent functions and do not simply imitate social interaction – they reify a socio-cultural phenomenon that has specific gender and class implications. That is, media representations are symbols that can impact norms of acceptable sexual behaviour (Stinson
2010).