How Sexuality Is Portrayed In The Media

The topic of sexuality is widely explored in the media. The media exposes common, bad, and even shameful aspects of sexuality because human being engage in sexual behaviors. The purpose of this write up is to examine various aspects of sexuality including same-sex relationships, rape, and premature ejaculation among others as portrayed in the media. 

Rape 

The article in the Independent by Emily Shugerman on 15 October 2017 explores the issue of rape, particularly the #me too movement. The movement started with a tweet by the actress Alyssa Milano when she asked people who had experienced sexual violence to reply “me too” to her tweet. Milano argued that if women who had been sexually assaulted wrote “Me too” as a status, people would understand the magnitude of the problem. The tweet became viral with almost 2 million tweets in less than a month, and now the ‘Me too’ movement is synonymous as a social movement against rape and sexual assault. 

In the article, rape and sexual assault are shown as a pervasive issue in the society. Most of the victims of sexual assault are women, including celebrities who wanted to share their experiences to show the magnitude of the problem. The 'me too' movement occurred around the same time when movie mogul, Harvey Weinstein was accused of sexual assault by many women in Hollywood. The message in the article is that rape is more common than we think, and it affects women across low and upper social classes. From the article, celebrities such as Gwyneth Paltrow, Lady Gaga, Angelina Jolie, and Reese Weatherspoon among many others came out to join the movement because they are victims of sexual assault. 

The article shares the message in a manner that it encourages victims of rape by letting them know that they are not alone. The article attempts to get the reader to understand the magnitude of the problem and change the readers’ attitude towards rape. The article shows that the me-too movement used the power of social media to educate the society on the magnitude of rape and sexual assault cases, and the readers can make a difference too. 

Premature Ejaculation 

The advert for KY Duration Spray for men is a humorous advert that uses humor to explore the issue of premature ejaculation. In the advert, a young man is making out passionately with a woman in a bed. As they are making out, his grandmother comes into the room whipping something in a bowl probably to distract the young man from ejaculating prematurely. The young man tells his grandma he is good because he has KY Duration Spray on his nightstand. 

The adverts were created by Havas in 2016 to promote KY Duration Spray. KY Duration Spray is a remedy for premature ejaculation in men, which is a common problem for men. The advert shows the unconventional methods used by men to avoid premature ejaculation such as changing positions or thinking of their grandmothers. The fact that man in the advert uses unconventional ways before buying KY Duration Spray shows that men are embarrassed by premature ejaculation, and they are willing to do anything to last longer in the bedroom. 

The main message in the advert is that premature ejaculation can affect men’s self-esteem and confidence in the bedroom, but it can be addressed with KY Duration Spray or some unconventional methods for those who are not using KY Duration Spray. The advert uses humor to make fun of a serious issue that most men deal with while offering a solution at the same time. The advert is created in a manner that many men will resonate with, unlike those serious adverts that paint premature ejaculation as some disease. The advert also shows viewers that premature ejaculation is a common problem that also affects young men and not just old people. 

Breastfeeding 

The article by Ana Tovey on 14 March 2018 addresses the issue of breastfeeding in public. Tovey writes about the Australian Breastfeeding projected founded by Sarah Murnane in 2015 where photographers take pictures of breastfeeding mothers in different locations. The perpetual stigma against breastfeeding in public puts mothers in a weird place because they want to feed their children, and yet they are afraid of being judged by those who argue that breastfeeding in public is wrong. 

The article features numerous pictures of breastfeeding moms dressed in white. The mothers choose to take part in the project for a number of reasons, mainly because they were tired of the ‘evil odd eyes’ they get from strangers in public when they breastfeed their children. The purpose of the article is to show that public shaming is a real concern for breastfeeding mothers and some of them choose not to breastfeed their children or not to take their breastfeeding children in public places. While many women want to breastfeed in public, they still have the fear that something might happen. The project normalized breastfeeding while showing the diversity of ways in which mothers can breastfeed their children. 

The newspaper article is challenging public shame associated with breastfeeding. It portrays breastfeeding as a natural act of nurturing a child. The author uses the Australian Breastfeeding Project photos to show professional images of breastfeeding mothers with the aim of normalizing breastfeeding in public. The article is educational, and it inspires the readers to avoid judging breastfeeding women because they are feeding their babies. The article has the potential to change attitudes towards breastfeeding by confronting the public shame associated with breastfeeding. 

Same-sex Relationship: Male 

The film Love, Simon is an American teen comedy characterized by the typical high school secrets, gossip, and unrequited love. The main character is Simon, an everyday suburban boy next door comes from a loving family. Everything seems perfect for Simon, apart from the fact that he is yet to come out to his family and friends as gay. Simon does not dare to come out to his family; instead, he dates girls and pretends to be straight. 

Simon’s sole confidant is an anonymous pen pal called Blue*, another boy at his school who is also gay. The two share a lot through emails, but Simon’s curiosity gets the best of him, and he wants to find out the real identity of Blue. In his attempt to find Blue, another classmate finds Simon’s chats with Blue and uses it to blackmail him. In the end, Simon comes out after someone leaked his emails. The film has a happy ending as Simon comes to terms with his new reality, and because of the acceptance from his family and friends. 

The film is entertaining and educational, to say the least. In the modern era where LGBTQ members enjoy almost equal rights as straight people, it is a shame that being straight is the default sexual orientation. Simon struggled with coming out to his family and friends and pretended to be straight for years. The 2018 film shows that many gay young people still find it hard to come out, and the society does not make it any easier for them. The context for the film is high school, and Simon shows that high school is never short on drama. Parents, schools and the society, in general, should make it easy for gay people to come out because coming out is one of the hardest decisions for them. 

Same-Sex Relationship: Female 

Nancy Garden’s Annie on my mind was published in 1982. It is one of the first lesbian coming-of-age novels about two teenage girls whose friendship blossomed into love. The story is an extended flashback by Liza, who is a college freshman thinking about Annie instead of focusing on college. Liza writes many letters reminiscing the time with Annie though she does not send them. As the book progresses, Liza talks about her first kiss with Annie. Just like any young adults book, there are complications for the two lovebirds. The self-righteous school secretary Ms. Baxter finds them and exposes their relationship. Liza and Annie face an immense backlash from family and friends. 

The context of the book is the 1980s conservative society. Liza and Annie are two young teenage girls trying to discover their sexualities. Liza vividly describes her relationship with Annie while exploring her feelings, questions, and confusion that came with falling in love with a woman. In the end, Liza accepts that she has no control over her feelings for Annie and begins relishing in the powerful feeling of love. 

Garden’s book is one of the first fiction that captured what it means to be in a same-sex relationship. The goal of the author was to explore Liza’s experiences from her perspective which is why she used the voice of a teenage girl in love. Annie on My Mind is entirely different from the modern same-sex young adults fiction. The 1980s society was very conservative, and yet Liza was courageous enough to fight for love. The author uses Liza’s tone to narrate the story in an exciting manner that makes the readers feel her emotions and root for her. 

Transgendered 

The Danish Girl is a moving biopic of the transgender artist Lili Elbe, who was the first person to undergo a gender reassignment surgery. The film features a loving couple, Einar and Gerda are artists living in their blissful artistic world. Gerda is an artist, and when her female model runs late, she dresses her husband in the model’s costume with a wig and make-up to make it look believable. The experience is adventurous for the couple, and Gerda is turned on by Einar dressed as a woman. The one-time experiment makes Gerda question his identity, and he begins his transformation. 

The transformation is hard for Einar until she makes peace with the fact that her husband identifies as a woman, but it is even harder for Gerda who has to change his/ her whole identity in the conservative 1920s society. In the early 20th century, transgender people were considered mentally unstable. In the end, Gerda goes through the risky gender reassignment surgery and dies in the process. 

The film is Oscar-worthy; it manages to capture the real emotions of Gerda and Einar. Gerda’s journey is traumatic, painful, and sometimes beautiful. Gerda is finally free to be her real self even it is for a short while. The film delivers the message well by making the views sympathetic to the transitioning process. Gerda’s journey was traumatic, but the acceptance from Einar and her childhood friend Hans made it possible. The film influences the attitude and beliefs of the viewers towards transgender people by humanizing them and showing how painful the transitioning process can be when they do not have the support. 

Sexual Fetish 

Fifty Shade of Grey normalized sexual fetishes. The film is a softcore depiction of sadomasochism in cinema, and the viewers are responding positively because sexual fetishes are common these days. In the movie, Anna, a young and naïve college girl crosses paths with Christian, a rich, handsome man with odd sexual preferences. Christian likes Anna because she is different from the girls he has been in the past. 

The film juxtaposes the main characters as they enter the relationship on uneven playing fields. As the film progresses, Christian tells Anna about his sexual preferences. Anna is shocked that she has to sign a contract before engaging in any sexual activities with Christian. Christian has a Red Room with sex toys such as whips and handcuffs because he has a dominance fetish. The viewers get to see Christian spanking Anna before they make love. The film ends in suspense with Anna reconsidering her decision to be in a relationship with Christian. 

Fifty Shades of Grey was a popular film in 2015 because the sexual-fetish message appealed to many viewers, especially women. However, the film does not capture the real BDSM relationships where two people are enjoying it. Anna gives in because she loves Christian, but if it were up to her, she would not want to engage in Christian’s sexual fetishes. The film adds romance to create a storyline to appeal to a broader audience. The film made it possible for people to talk about kinky sex in mainstream media while insisting on the need to be safe and to engage in consensual sex. The viewers learn that sexuality is a broad concept, and people are open to trying new experiences in the modern society. 

Domestic Violence 

The New York Times article on domestic violence by Gaia Pianigiani explores the domestic violence issue in Italy. The article starts with the story of Antonietta Gargiulo who was a victim of continuous abuse. Antonietta tried to keep her abusive husband away, who was a police officer through the legal system, but it did not work. Her husband was violent to her, to her family, friends, and colleagues who tried to defend her. Antonietta was in the courts almost every day, and yet the commander of police refused to reprimand her husband or take away his gun. In the end, Antonietta’s husband shot Antonietta and their two children before killing himself. The gruesome murders of the young children brought attention to the chronic national problem of domestic violence. 

The article is arguing that domestic violence against women is rampant in Italy and that the legal system does not provide a refuge for women. According to Pianigiani (2018), approximately 150 women are killed annually in Italy by their abusive partners, while many others live with regular physical, sexual, and emotional abuse. Domestic violence is also high in Germany and the United Kingdom. Despite the rise of feminism and advocacy against domestic violence, women continue to be abused and killed because the police fail to take action. Police do not believe the abused women, and sometimes they tell them to go home and solve their issues at home. 

The article expounds on the failures of the legal systems to protect women from domestic violence. The article is educational, and it shows the extent of the problem of domestic violence in Italy and Europe. There is a need to change the legal system and patriarchal cultures to protect women from continuous abuse in the hands of their spouses. 

Pornography 

The film Don Jon is about a guy who is addicted to pornography. The main character is nicknamed Don Jon because of his ability to get any woman he wants, but that is not enough to satisfy him. Don Jon sits on his computer every day looking for the perfect video clip, and he does not touch himself until he finds it. Don Jon sleeps with beautiful women regularly, and in the middle of the night, he goes into the living room to watch some porn. Jon goes to the club with his friends, and she sees a beautiful woman, Barbara, but she turns him down. Jon pursues him until she agrees to be his girlfriend, but that is not enough to keep Jon away from porn. Barbara finds Jon watching him porn after sex, and she is so appalled such that Jon promises never to watch porn again. Jon cannot keep his promise and views pornographic films from his phone while in class to avoid Barbara finding it out. In the end, Barbara breaks up with Jon because he cannot stop watching porn. 

The message from the film is that pornography is very addictive. Jon probably started his habit of fun thinking he could stop watching porn anytime he wants to, and yet his relationship ended because of his addiction to porn. Porn addiction is a widespread problem worsened by technology. The anonymity of the internet and portable smartphones have increased porn addiction. Jon struggled to stop watching, and he will probably continue watching porn even when he has a girlfriend who loves him. The film warns views against the dangerous habit of watching porn. 

Gay Parenting 

The TV show Modern Family has popularized a gay family setting among other family arrangements. The Modern Family started in 2009, and that is the year that viewers met Cam and Mitch, a gay couple living together. Cam and Mitch were not married when the series started because California was yet to legalize gay marriage. In season 1, Cam and Mitchell announce to the rest of the family that they are adopting a baby. Cam and Mitch adopt a Vietnamese baby, and they raise the young girl like any other family. Viewers get to watch the gay couple as they parent the young girl (Lily). The gay couple has the same experiences as heterosexual parents raising the young girl; they are scared when the baby is sick, they celebrate small milestones, and they are hoping that their child grows up healthy. 

The TV show depicts gay characters to show what makes up gay parenting. Gay parenting is not the primary focus of the show as there are other families involved, but Cam and Mitch are essential characters in the storyline. The TV show is currently on season 10; Lily is grown, and Cam and Mitch have been parenting for almost a decade. The TV show shows that Lily is a well-adjusted kid, and having gay parents have no adverse implications for the child. Cam and Mitch fight like normal couples, but they love each other and want the best for Lily. They provide, care and love Lily the same way heterosexual couples care for their children. 

Oral Sex 

The article by Sarah Buchanan on the daily star was written on 14 June 2016. The article is based on two research studies conducted at the State University of New York and the University of Liverpool. The research participants were 293 female students sharing their sexual lives. The study concluded that performing oral sex can improve mood and can help fight depression. When women pleasure their partners without condoms, they promote their mental and physical health. The study compares sperm as nature’s anti-depressant as the participants who engaged in oral and unprotected sex had elevated mood, affection, and slept better than those who used condoms. The studies also referenced other studies that show that women who come in contact with semen have better concentration and perform better in cognitive tasks. 

The article attempts to present oral sex as a positive and healthy sexual activity to encourage more people to engage in oral sex. Most people, mainly couples who have been together for quite sometimes do not participate in oral sex as much as other forms of sex. The author uses the mental health benefits of oral sex to encourage both men and women to engage in oral sex. The participants in the two studies talked about the gap in oral sex, whereby women were given oral sex to men, but they were not returning the favor. 63% of men received oral sex, and 44% of women received oral sex during the last sexual encounter. The article uses the results of the two studies with the aim of influencing positive attitude and behaviors. 

Infidelity 

Take This Waltz is a comedy and drama film centered on the lives of Margot and Lou, a happy couple married for five years. When Margot meets Daniel, their new neighbor, their chemistry is intense, but Margot suppresses her attraction. Margot cannot keep away from Daniel; they steal sweet moments with each other throughout the Toronto summer. Still, Margot attempts to restrain herself because she is married and loves her husband. Margot begins questioning her love for her husband and leaves him to be with Daniel. Lou is heartbroken and accepting because there is nothing he can do about it. The film shows a montage of Margot’s new life with Daniel, including a few sex scenes. Margot is happy for a moment; then she regrets her decision of cheating on her husband with Daniel. 

The film romanticizes infidelity; it argues that cheating is caused by our culture of restlessness and wanting something new. Much of the excitement in the film lies in the unfolding of Margot’s decision to sleep with Daniel. The suspense and their stolen moments with Daniel make him look interesting in comparison to his husband of five years. Daniel is appealing to Margot because she is so “restless” such that she is always looking for excitement. The film makes infidelity appear as a result of personal choice and personality, and not necessarily caused by dissatisfaction in marriage. Margot and Lou have been married for five years, and they love each other, and this was not enough for Margot. The film warns viewers against the temptation to cheat on their partners with someone new and exciting as there will always be someone new. 

Monogamy 

The New York Times article by Lauren Petersen makes a commentary on monogamy. Petersen narrates her six-week experience with Michael. Petersen met Michael six weeks ago on Bumble, a dating app where women make the first move. They had the first date in a café; both of them were not looking for a relationship, they figured they would have fun. Six weeks into the relationship*, Petersen could not help herself as she wanted more than meeting Michael one-night in a week. Petersen asked Michel to send her his playlist to give him hints that she wanted a serious relationship, before asking him to go to the Grand Canyon with her over spring break to which Michael replied that he would be busy by then. At that moment, Petersen knew that whatever was going on between Michael and her was over because she crossed the line by wanting to be in a serious monogamous relationship. 

The article portrays monogamy as something rare in the age of dating apps. The next date is just a swipe away; people are spoilt for choice such that monogamy is no longer appealing. Petersen began her dalliance with Michael knowing that it was not a serious monogamous relationship. Six weeks later, Petersen had feelings for Michael, but Michael was not ready for monogamy, and just like that Michael and Petersen ended things. The topic of monogamy was brought up in passing as the main issue is online dating. With the popularity of Tinder, Bumble, Ok Cupid among other dating apps, monogamy is no longer appealing to young people like Michael and Petersen. However, Petersen warns those already using or planning to join dating apps about the unwritten rules of dating people from the apps as most of them are not looking for anything serious. 

Sexually transmitted disease- Gonorrhea 

The article on Chicago Times by Anna Edney examines the rising cases of sexually transmitted diseases in the US. The CDC statistics show that STDs have risen for five consecutive years, with Chlamydia rising to almost two million cases. However, gonorrhea cases are beginning to worry health professionals. There is an increasing trend of antibiotic-resistant gonorrhea. Since 2013, gonorrhea cases increased by 67% to 555,608 in 2017. Most STDs go undiagnosed and untreated for a while, and gonorrhea is now resistant to all classes of antibiotics except ceftriaxone. According to the CDC, gonorrhea will eventually wear down the last effective antibiotic. There is a need to explore other options for treating gonorrhea. Gonorrhea cases have doubled in men, and increased by 18% in women. Lack of awareness of the increasing incidents of gonorrhea and the dangers are the main reason for increasing gonorrhea cases. 

The article uses CDC statistics on STDs to show the increasing cases of gonorrhea in the US. The primary focus of the article is to show the dangers of disease given its resistance to antibiotics. Soon, it will be impossible to treat gonorrhea unless other treatment options are availed. The message from the article is that people should be more careful; they should go for STDs screening to know their status and use protection to avoid contracting STDs. The article uses statistics to show how common STDs, particularly chlamydia and gonorrhea are in the US, and as per the trend, the numbers are bound to increase in the near future. The author aims to change attitudes and behaviors so that they will practice safe sex. 

15. Cyber-sex/ Sexting 

The newspaper article in the New York Times by Perri Klass (2018) discusses the topic of sexting. According to Klass (2018), our lives are intertwined with digital devices. Young people, particularly teenagers are addicted to technology, social media, and not-so-great aspects of technology like cyber-sex. In the article, Klass (2018) seeks the opinion of experts on how to handle cyber-sex among teenagers. According to Sheri Madigan, a psychologist, sexting is a normal aspect of teen sexual behavior, and she advises parents to talk with their children about sexting. The CDC statistics show that teenage sexual activity in high school is decreasing, but digital sexual activity is on the rise. Young people are sending sexually explicit images, videos, and messages regularly. 

The main focus of the article is sexting among teenagers. Sexting among teenagers is as common as sexting among adults, but teenagers’ sext because they are curious about nudity and their bodies. The article combines statistics on sexting among teenagers and expert opinion as to why teenagers sext to educate parents on how to react to their children engaging in cyber-sex. The topic is portrayed as something common, and harmless when handled correctly. Parents should engage in discussions with their children about cyber-sex and how to approach the issue. The article influences the behaviors and attitudes of parents by informing them that sexting among teenagers is common, and they should talk with their children instead of ignoring or yelling at them. Teenagers cannot handle cyber-sex gone wrong scenarios such as leaking of nude photos or cyber-stalking, which is why parents should address the topic of cyber-sex as early as possible. 

Childbirth 

What to Expect when you are expecting is a film is about a group of individuals whose lives are turned upside down by the challenges of the impending parenthood. One couple is over the moon about starting a family, while another mother to-be cannot handle the pregnancy hormones that ravage her body. Another couple is Holly and Alex who cannot have a baby naturally, and Holly wants to adopt, but Alex is not sure about it. Alex joins a “dudes” support group where new fathers talk about parenthood. The film shows the pregnancy experiences of the couples, before ending in childbirth. In the end, everyone is in the hospital as the ladies get into labor. Wendy is the only one who requires an epidural and a C-section, while the other two have natural births. Alex and Holly adopt a baby, while Jules and Evan get a baby girl yet they were expecting a boy. The film ends happily as the couples begin their new lives with their babies. 

Pregnancy and childbirth are the two important themes in the film. The main message in the movie is that pregnancy and childbirth are complicated, and one can never be prepared enough for childbirth. Wendy is a baby-crazy author and advocate who has a pregnancy class, and when she becomes pregnant, she cannot keep up with the things she advises other pregnant women to do. Wendy’s childbirth is the most difficult, and she requires an epidural and a C-Section in the end. The film teaches parents that pregnancy and childbirth can be extremely challenging, but when they support each other, they will get through the challenges of pregnancy and childbirth. 

Menopause 

In the episode titled, “Clair’s Liberation” on the Cosby Show, Clair is going through menopause. Clair goes to the doctor, and when she comes home, she tells her children she’s fine, and the doctor said she is on menopause. Her children began talking about the stereotypes surrounding menopause such as forgetfulness and hot flushes. Clair and Cliff decided to play a joke on their children by pretending that she is going through all the terrible symptoms of menopause. Clair pretends to forget her children’s names and other things when she says “the red stuff” instead of ketchup. Clair pretends to be so emotional; then she pretends to have hot flushes and goes and puts her head in the freezer before reminding her children not-so-gently that they are idiots for making assumptions that all menopausal women have hot flushes, confusion, and crabbiness. 

The episode stereotypically portrays menopause to make fun of popular assumption about menopause. Menopause is one of the taboo subjects because the society does not like engaging in issues affecting older women. In the TV show, Clair makes fun of the assumptions towards menopause as a satire to society’s perception of menopause. The episode aims to educate the viewers that not all women in their menopause experience the extreme menopausal symptoms. The most important message is that women do not like it when people make assumptions and make fun of them when they are at menopause. The episode aims at changing attitudes and beliefs towards menopause. Not all women experience the apparent symptoms of menopause, and most importantly, women do not want to be reminded and made fun of because they are on menopause. 

Masturbation 

In one of the most exciting episodes of Broad City , viewers watch Illana engage in her pre-masturbation ritual. Most films and TV shows often show men engaging in masturbation, but Broad City challenges the norm. In the episode, Illana starts by lighting candles, before applying makeup and setting the mood right in her apartment. She puts on porn on her computer while she masturbates with her blue vibrator. Illana is deeply engrossed in her process and she is not ashamed about it. As she is in the process of masturbating, Illana realizes that she knows the guy in the pornography video that she is watching. The guy is also masturbating. 

The episode is humorous; Illana approaches masturbation differently in comparison to other females in TV shows. She is not in her bed, and she is masturbating during the day. Illana spreads a mat in her living room, before setting the mood right because she plans to enjoy herself. She has nice lingerie, she wears earnings and puts on lipstick because she wants to look good. 

The episode drives home the point that masturbation is not something to be ashamed about. Illana is a young woman in her twenties, she is sexually active, but she takes time to pleasure herself. Illana enjoys masturbating; she even puts up a mirror so that she can watch herself. Illana changes the attitudes of women towards masturbation, and challenges women to go all the way when masturbating. Women should set the mood right so that they can enjoy masturbation. 

Sex toys 

In one episode of Being Mary Jane, the main character Mary Jane is talking to Lee. Mary Jane (MJ) is a news anchor, and she is going through some of her old story ideas from her archives. Lee brings up a swirly magenta-colored vibrator from one of MJ’s boxes, and MJ says, “Oh, Nick.” MJ calls her vibrator Nick, and it has been a constant companion to her. The fact that MJ’s vibrator has a name, specifically a male name makes it interesting. Later, MJ and Lee visit a sex shop; the two go through aisles of pastel-colored plastic penises, anal beads, and kinky outfits. Lee confesses that he likes some kinky stuff involving sex toys. 

The episode shows that sex toys are now everyday items in a woman’s home. MJ tells Lee that Nick is a constant companion. In other episodes, viewers see MJ using her vibrator to pleasure herself. Sex toys and masturbation are brought up in passing, but the show does that in a way that makes them appear normal. MJ and her friends have sex toys, and they are open about owning and using them. The way the show portrayed sex toy usage and ownership among women aim at changing society’s attitudes towards sex toys. MJ is a successful news anchor with a vibrant dating life, but she is a liberal woman who uses sex toys to pleasure herself occasionally. Sex toys are no longer taboos, and women should not be embarrassed about owning and using them. 

Prostitution 

The article in the Guardian on 30th April 2018 by Julie Bindel focuses on the issue of prostitution. According to Bindel (2018) legalizing sex work normalize the use of vulnerable women bodies. Bindel analyzes the latest move by New Zealand immigration service of adding “sex work” to the list of employment skills. Adding sex work to employment skills can be taken advantage by sex traffickers. New Zealand argues that by acknowledging prostitution as legal work, there would be less violence due to regular inspections by government officials. Since the legalization of prostitution, the opposite has happened with brothel owners, mostly men, taking it as a nod from the government to continue selling and mistreating women. 

The article shows that prostitution is a global problem affecting all nations. In most countries, prostitution is illegal, but it is legal in progressive states such as the Netherlands, Germany, and New Zealand. In the article, Bindel critiques the arguments uses by governments to legalize prostitution. According to Bindel, legalizing prostitution implies that the government endorses women being used as vessels for male sexual consumption. The article is against prostitution, but the reality remains that prostitution is here to stay. The article educates the readers on the sad realities of women in prostitution. The main message of the article is that governments need to change its approach towards prostitution. Legalizing prostitution is not the answer as women working in legal brothels still face sexual violence. 

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