Comparing two ads from 'durex'condoms company - Research Paper Example

W e all seem to live in a modern world filled with cell phones, television and access to millions of facts, figures and any questions you may have onthe internet. We are no longer reliant on relatives or close friends to get the answer to things you have been wondering about ever since you were ten years old but were too afraid to ask your parents, such as: What is sex? Some may say that living in the information age has brought forth children who grow up too quickly and some may say that lining in the information age has changed our views and opinions about most things… but not all things.

In order to see whether people’s attitudes have matured towards sex one will have to look at the types of sexual literature, information and public displays that were available in the past against that which is available now. The advertisement of condoms seem to be more popular and acceptable than it was in the eighties; the first condom ad was aired by Fox television in 1991, afterwards three other major TV networks followed, but prohibited the ads from being displayed at certain times as well as to directly focus on the use of condoms as a means to prevent pregnancy ((Changing standards of condom advertising) The reason for the increase in the willingness by the media to advertise condoms are related to the increasing sexual nature of television shows as well as the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

(The changing standards of condom advertising). Even though the advertisment of condoms have increased way in which condoms are advertised always stray form the actual act of sex; most Durex ads seem to cater more to the humorous side of sex and to the consequences. One of the visual ads shown by Durex displays a crib with a price tag of $420. Another ad shows two blown up condoms in the form of people having sex in a very promiscuous position and another one has a picture of Scottish men standing in their kilts with a byline saying: Durex XL (nextround.net).While all of these ads shown by Durex are according to me very creative and humorous, one has to wonder why Durex seems to be forced to display the humorous side of sex most of the time.

Maybe we are not living in such modern times as we think?Most Mothers and Fathers are not comfortable discussing or even watching a TV program about sex with their children, and this to me is completely understandable, but most parents seem comfortable referring to the consequences of having sex like HIV and pregnancy. In a study on parent-child talks about sex it was founded that 40%of children had already had sex before their parents decided to talk to them about it |(Parents sex talk with kids).

In conversation with acquaintances everyone seems at ease to make sexual jokes, but very few people would actually sit around at a social gathering and seriously discuss how to have sex or which positions are the best or- unless if you are really close.The Internet off course made a huge contribution to the availability of sex in our modern times. Even though people feel the need to be discreet towards sex in the public, they do not feel that need in the privacy of their own homes. Every second 28,258 internet users are looking at pornography and every 39 minutes a new pornography video is being created in the USA (Internet pornography statistics).

It would seem as if people in our modern world have become more obsessed with sex, when in fact sex has just become more easily accessible. The adverts mentioned above which are made by Durex displays peoples modern attitudes towards sex; no one minds to have a laugh about the humor- filled side of sex with someone you barely know, but telling an intimate detail about sex in front of a stranger will have you blushing away in no time. This leads me to believe that even though sex has become more acceptable and accessible in society, society has not yet accepted the actual act of sex, but only the light side to it.

If one would take away the whispering, indirect phrases and giggling about sex, would there be fewer obsessions and experimenting? Or is sex just what our mothers have always thought it to be; an intimate bond between two people? Does the humor shown every time sex is advertised or talked about take away the seriousness and the reason for the actual act? Studies show that one in every eight girls aged sixteen in the USA has used the morning after pill (Teens rely on morning after pill). Maybe children would be less inclined to experiment with sex if they knew how serious the action is and that the only consequence is not only pregnancy, but that there are countless other physical and psychological causes that need to be considered (Teengrowth.com). Even worse; there are countries who go to extremities as they see sex as a sin and if sex is carried out in a way that they deem inappropriate there are vile consequences.

Some women in the Middle East still get stoned for having sex before marriage and if a Saudi man breaks the Islamic code by talking openly about sex he will face either 20 years in jail or between 13 000 to 20 000 strikes with a horse whip (Talk openly about sex and risk jail). If we look around the world and see the attitudes and views of different cultures on sex, they range either from too extreme and strict to too careless. The fact that we as a Society are not yet comfortable to be direct about sex and need cartoons and metaphors to refer to an actual act or product of sex shows that we are not fully matured when it comes to sex.

We still see sex as something which should be whispered and giggled about, and some see it as something purely related to sin. When will the time come when all will be able to see sex as something that is not dirty, shameful or sinful , but something which is a physical and biological need.Works Cited:1. http://nextround.net/2009/08/15-durex-ads-so-clever-they-almost-make-you-want-to-buy-condoms2. “Changing standards of condom advertising” kaisernetwrok.org. N.P. 19 06 2001. Web. 8 November 2010 http://www.

kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?DR_ID=53093. Jerry Ropelato. “Internet pornography statistics” Toptenreviews. Web.8 November 2010. http://internet-filter-review.toptenreviews.com/internet-pornography-statistics.html4. Alice Park. “Parents sex talk with kids: too ittel too late” Time CNN. Web. 8 November 2010. http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1945759,00.html5. Steve Doughty. “Teens rely on morning after pill” Daily Mail. Web. 8 November 2010 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-300031/Teens-rely-morning-pill.html6. What are the emotional consequences of having sex?

“Teen growth.com” N.P. Dec 08 2010. Web. 8 November 2010. http://www.teengrowth.com/index.cfm?action=info_advice&ID_Advice=23967. “Talk openly about sex and risk jail” International News 24/7. N.P. July 30 2009. Web. 08 November 2010. http://observers.france24.com/content/20090730-talk-openly-about-sex-risk-jail-saudi-arabia-mazen-abdul-jawad