‘America The Beautiful’ Docu Examines The Sexualization Of Youth

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We all know the media impacts our lives in a way that no other form of communication does. But when you add porn culture, which is so readily accessible today via our mobile devices, tablets and anywhere the internet is available, and of course advertising which becomes more and more sexualized every day, and you have a recipe for disaster.

In essence it is as if these three industries are creating the perfect storm, one that will stunt a generation from living beyond the reaches of such powerful forces, that it is going to take a major intervention to break down what has been thriving off the back of human self-esteem and well-being for far too long.

Girls today grow up idolizing the “perfect” body shown on ads, TV, movies, and music although it is generally unattainable. Body image issues start when they cannot look similar and then young girls will neglect their health because of their desire to be thin.

It’s easy to talk about the media and advertising as these faceless industries, but the truth is there are human being driving it, and money is the end goal. We kinda see it like selling your soul to the devil, only this time the devil is money, and under certain conditions, people will do or say anything for money. But what if there was a movement from within the media that taught us to take a massive step back and process how this lethal mix of porn, media, pop culture and sexualization of youth is destroying our youth?

Society needs to create a positive image for these girls to look up to something that resembles their own bodies so then they can believe in themselves.

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One filmmaker is examining this and has been for a while. Darryl Roberts is the creator of the ‘America the Beautiful’ documentary series, and has just released his third installment ‘America the Beautiful 3: The Sexualization of our Youth‘.

The first film came out in 2007 and the most ironic part about this importance message, is that because of the explicit content it deals with, it has an R rating, meaning the targeted generation who need to see this, cannot just yet.

The issue of sexualization is complex one, because it goes much deeper than just self-esteem issues in a young girl. It fosters attitudes about sexual violence, aggressive behavior, and positions women especially to be seen in a largely objectified manner by men, essentially taking away their power and teaches men that they aren’t equal. People say that we can’t complain about video games, movies and pop culture being the cause of violent, aggressive sexual behavior, but when you see how Youtuber Anita Sarkeesian and a handful of female video game developers have been harassed, threatened and abused by men in the gaming community simply because they speak up about sexism, you have to wonder why are being told not to call into account the very products that shape our culture.

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If you were outraged at the representation of women in today’s American media in the ‘Miss Representation’ documentary released in 2012, then this is something you will want to watch, not just to be informed, but if you are a parent, to be equipped in ways to navigate the stormy waters that your young one will inevitably battle through at some stage.

What documentaries like this are showing our society is that we have a big problem, and we need to address it. It is everyday filmmakers like Darryl Roberts, and the all-female crew of the The Goddess Project, Dream Girl documentary and The Empowerment Project that are actively taking a stand against negativity and choosing to be the change, via the very medium that often destroys us.

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They are using the media to promote healthy body image ideals, show new definitions of success, empower a generation of girls to find careers that are not necessarily promoted by reality TV or the media, but are damn important in real life, and they are also helping shape a generation of men and women to redefine gender definitions in ways that are relevant, equal and autonomous, rather than being a carry-over from previous generations.

Here’s to filmmakers who choose to be the antidote, and who choose to use their platform to be willing to speak up where others fail. Check out the trailer for America The Beautiful 3: The Sexualization of our Youth’:


 

 

 

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