Socially Constructed "Appropriate" Sex

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All of these images portray heterosexual relationships whether as a couple or a sexual encounter. The first image, Calvin Klein Jeans advertisement, is in stark black and white displaying a wet and dirty female whose eyes are closed. From her facial expression, hand positioning, and body positioning, she is displayed as vulnerable and in the throws of passion; however, she has all her clothing on. The male is also wet and engaged. His expression is hungry. His position indicates his masculinity through aggression. He is on top and displayed above her. Clearly, he is in the power role. The gender roles are stereotypical. The male is the aggressor, completely masculine, always wanting sex, and in power. The female is passive, vulnerable, always willing to have sex, and subordinate to the male. Another detail to take into account is that both people are youthful.
The second image is a Trojan advertisement. The advertisement makes a direct metaphor about men being pigs specifically that they are pigs unless they are wearing a Trojan condom. The background of the ad is a bar; the bar is packed full of pigs drinking beer. There are three single females surrounded by pigs and one female enthralled in intimate conversation with a man. In this advertisement, the woman is the aggressor. The male’s body position indicates a calm and collected persona. He is the alpha male and does not need to pursue; he simply has to accept the woman that engages him. His hand in his pocket indicates a laid back appeal. The woman’s body positioning is close, her hands are on his chest, she’s smiling, and there faces are close together. The positioning of the two of them indicates the intimacy and desire of the moment.
The last three artifacts are commercials. The first is a Dentyne Ice commercial. The princess finds her frog and once she kisses it, it turns into her prince. This is based off of the fairytale The Frog Prince. This once again displays the heterosexual relationship.
The second commercial is for KY intense. The commercial displays a heterosexual couple in bed. They discuss how they are having better sex with the KY intense. It never shows the couple engaging in intercourse but it does allude to the idea of the woman having an intense orgasm. After the scene indicating her intense orgasm, it shows the couple closer together, more intimate. This commercial alludes to the idea that sex is the only way to engage in intimacy.
The last commercial displays heterosexual couples on vacation. The couples are youthful or mature but not old. All these artifacts demonstrate that the socially constructed “appropriate” sex in our society must occur between heterosexual, young couples. They never “have sex”; the sex is assumed. It would be deemed inappropriate for the display of intercourse to be shown.