Goon, Thug, or Scumbag, if you are against them! Enforcer and Policeman, if you are trying to glamorize them! Fighter, if you’re doing neither. Whatever your opinion of these warriors, and your stance on fighting in Pro and Junior leagues is, one cannot dispute that the fights not only have a negative and nasty physical tool, but often a debilitating mental long term effect.

With three self administered deaths, in the off season (2011-2012), of three of the best hockey fighters, there has been concern raised when talking about the role of an enforcer. Wade Belak and Rick Rypein committed suicide, and Derek Boogaard died of an accidental overdose, a lethal combination of alcohol and prescription pain pills. This is not the first time that a fighter struggled with suicide, drugs and alcohol. In fact, it happens more often than one may think. The hockey fans and the casual fans, more often than not, do not realize the toll these players put on themselves, and the potential preexisting mental illness that these players may have. Whether it is the fact that we as fans are not exposed to the fighters often, seeing how 95% of enforcers score fewer than five goals a year, the media is not knocking down walls to get interviews.

Bob Probert was the godfather in the golden area of fighting. Probert had a total of 342 fights and 3,300 penalty minutes in his career (40 fights in his Minor and Junior career, and 302 fights in his NHL career). Probert left his home shortly after the death of his father to start his hockey career, just a few years later he would suit up for the Detroit Red Wings. Probert, while a very nice guy, (bought NHL tickets for young people who could not afford them, and ironically helped a young man become sober while he himself struggled with similar issues) had a fair share of legal issues, most stemming from his abuse of drugs and alcohol. Several times he had violent altercations with police. For example, in June 2004 Probert allegedly parked his BMW on the wrong side of the road and got into an altercation with bystanders reportedly over drugs. The police showed up and had to taser Probert, he was later acquitted of all charges. Just one year later in July of 2005, Probert was arrested again for breaching the peace, resisting arrest, and assaulting a police officer. While these two incidents occurred after his retirement, and are fairly big legal issues for Probert, they would not compare to the troubles he would have during his playing career. During the 1989 season, Probert was arrested for trying to smuggle 14 grams of cocaine across the Canadian/USA border in his underpants. Probert served three months in a US federal prison in Minnesota and three more months in a halfway house, and was suspended indefinitely by the NHL, to boot. This was not the only time during Probert’s career that he would have trouble with law enforcement. In 1994, Probert wrecked his motorcycle in Bloomfield township, Michigan. Probert had a blood alcohol level three times the legal limit.

Years later, Probert would eventually clean up his life and become clean of drugs and alcohol. It is said that one of the major factors contributing to his new found sobriety was his children. On July 5th, 2010, (exactly five years after his last violent encounter with the police) Probert was vacationing with his children and in-laws when he developed severe chest pains. At 2:00 pm, Probert  collapsed, his father-in-law (Chief of Police) attempted CPR. He was rushed to Windsor Regional Hospital with no vital signs, where he was later pronounced dead.

John Kordic, another enforcer with 201 fights in his career (125 in the NHL, and 76 in minor and junior leagues) would have his life cut short with drugs being a central factor. Kordic played for four NHL teams in his short career, and won a Stanley Cup with Montreal in 1986. On August 8th, 1992, Kordic overdosed on drugs and was involved with a struggle with police at a Quebec City motel. After being rushed to the hospital, Kordic was pronounced dead due to lung failure resulting from a heart malfunction. The police found several unused syringes, cocaine, and anabolic steroids in the motel room. Kordic had several emotional problems, and it was reported that he had made the comment to his fiancée “I hate myself for hurting others.” Kordic’s parents disapproved of his fighting, his father especially, and John once made the comment to reporters that he was “drowning his anguish in a sea of vodka” over his father’s disapproval. Kordic was not a guy who liked to fight, in fact he hated it, but he knew the only way he could play the game was to use his fists to keep his livelihood. There are even reports that Kordic and a teammate were snorting coke when a coach walked in and made a comment along the lines, “I did not see that” before he turned and walked back out the door. John was only twenty seven when his tormented life came to an end.

Mike Danton who had 59 fights in his career (18 in 87 games in the NHL, and 41 in the minor leagues) was arrested on April 16th, 2004 on conspiracy to commit murder. On July 16th, 2004, Danton pled guilty to attempting to hire a hitman, who was actually an undercover police dispatcher, to kill his agent David Frost. Danton was sentenced to seven and a half years in federal prison. Frost denies that he was the intended target. During a taped conversation that Danton made after his arrest, Frost can be heard forcing Danton to say “I love you”, which made several people believe that the two had a romantic relationship. (Which should be noted, that this is denied by both parties). Frost was charged and acquitted of 12 counts of sexual exploitation of minors, three females and four males, which was alleged to have occurred during the time he was coaching Danton’s Junior league team. Danton claims that his time abusing prescription drugs led to his paranoia, along with the stress that comes with a NHL career.

Trevor Ettinger had 181 fights in his hockey career (6 in the NHL, and 175 in the minors and junior leagues). Ettinger was found dead on July 26th, 2003 with a single gunshot to the head at the home of his mother in Upper Kennetcook, Nova Scotia. Not many details of the incident are known, other than Canadian officials have declared it a suicide and closed the case.

Marc Potvin had 210 fights in his hockey career (71 in the NHL, and 139 in the minor and junior leagues) and was a former Detroit Red Wings draft pick in 1986. After his playing career, Potvin became a coach and took over the helm of the Adirondack Frostbite, United Hockey League (UHL) team. After a night of drinking, Potvin hung himself with his belt from a shower curtain. Potvin’s suicide came amidst a season, and a game had to be postponed.

In order to see a true success story, we must look at the case of Jordin Tootoo, the first Inuit player to reach the NHL. As of the current date, in an on going season, Jordin has 149 fights (76 in the NHL, and 73 in the minor and junior leagues). On December 27th, 2010, he entered himself into the NHL/NHLPA’s Substance Abuse and Behavioral Health program, for treatment of an alcohol problem. Jordin would return later that year to play in the playoffs. Jordin did not have to go very far to see where his drinking could lead him. His older brother Terence Tootoo, who had a very successful, yet extremely short minor league career, committed suicide at the age of 22, in August 2002, shortly after a drunk driving arrest. Only time will tell if Jordin is in the clear, he has a long career ahead of him, but he seems to be on the right path.

When an NHL enforcer is too old or becomes a liability, he is thrown away for someone younger and stronger, so that they can do the same to the newcomer in the years to come. There is no doubt that these players often (but not always) suffer from a certain pattern of drug/alcohol abuse and/or mental illness. What is to happen to some of our favorite fighters when their career takes a down spin? Will they end up like Wade Belak who committed suicide after retiring?

Fighting is so ingrained in hockey culture that it is hard to see it being taken out. The commissioner has even made several comments along the lines that he would rather have fights than players using their sticks in ways he sees in other mostly European leagues, where there is very little fighting. He claims that if you take away the fighting, you will see more sticks being used as weapons. However, he must not realize that HE has the power to suspend or expel players from the league. If you remove fighting, and someone hits another player with his stick in the head, then you suspend that player for 41 games, which is half a season. And depending on the player, that could mean millions in financial losses.

You have blowhards (who will go unnamed) who will fight tooth and nail to keep this archaic machismo in the game. In truth, fighting is exciting. But think of the after effects, the chipped teeth, the concussions, the broken cheek and orbital bones, the lacerations, the stitches, the drugs, the suicides. You can say that these guys know the risks, they are doing it to themselves, but tougher drug testing should be in place, and there is a lot of blame to go around. Instead of blame, do something. Three enforcer deaths this off season alone, and little to nothing has been done. Years ago when Kordic died, there were calls for stiffer drug testing, but little was changed. With the NHL still playing highlights of Kordic’s fights, along with fighting being allowed in junior leagues, with players ages 15-21 allowed to fight, change is as likely as walking from the Earth to the Moon. There is no end in sight.

After driving around the block of an upper middle class neighborhood, I see the numbers “4567” and am greeted with a nice and quaint home made of the finest red brick, with a nice fenced in backyard, to which I am very certain that there is an in-ground pool. I nervously walk up the small steps and look for a door bell. Seeing how I am in the big city, I feel the need to look for such things, else I might give these poor people a heart attack and be greeted with a baseball bat.

As soon as the bell was pressed, I heard the sounds of dogs from inside, small dogs, the sound of the kind of yelping ankle biting dogs. Moments later, I hear the garage door rattle a little. Initially rattled by the strange noise that you do not hear much of out in the country side, I realize the door is opening. I back off the steps nervously and find an attractive woman peeking out the half open door, just as curious of me as I am of her.

Olivia introduced herself and instructed me to follow her through the garage. In the garage were loads of nice things, including one heck of a nice ride. My nerves were at their highest when I followed Mrs. Olivia up a set of stairs and into a tiny baby blue painted room with a set of seats and several pictures of religious figures and artifacts. Seeing the alien like picture Virgin Mother being surrounded by light on the wall only added to my nervousness. Olivia excused herself for a moment, and left me alone in the dimly lit room. During this time, I recall the first time I spoke to Mrs. Olivia just one day before on the phone, when she told me to bring pictures of loved ones that have passed, or any items that belonged to them. A little bit of doubt crept into my mind at that moment, slightly degrading her skill in my mind, but a promise is a promise, and I would go forward with this appointment.

I was awakened from my thoughts as Olivia made her way through the door, a little yappy four legged fellow behind her. After she mushed this little guy from the room, she sat across from me and took up a pad and pen. She asked “Have you ever done this before?” I answered with a no, and explained that I have wanted to for some while now. She said “Well then I could be the biggest quack in the world then!” she said with a laugh. Not the thing I’d have chosen to say to a semi-skeptical client.

Olivia took my hands and cast her head downward and began to pray aloud. The words “protect us” and “commune with the spirits” were all I heard. She began to tell me that anyone can do what she does, and that she offers classes on it if I am interested in the future. Olivia closed her eyes and took several deep breathes and then opened her eyes. She looked at me and told me, “There are two older men here.” She said they are coming off as cantankerous and good humored. She went on to describe both men as tall and rather large. She told me both had grey and white hair, one was older and larger, while the other was not as large and was younger yet no spring chicken. She asked me if this sounded about right to me. I told her it sounded familiar, without giving away too much detail. She told me that they were my grandfathers, even though there were slight inconsistencies in the description.

Olivia asked me of my father’s health, if he was unhealthy. I nodded that he was rather unhealthy, but did not mention the triple bypass he was just one year removed. She said that the older man was expressing concern for my father, and also my health. She said he felt like he robbed himself of a few more years on the mortal plane with his unhealthy lifestyle. She said that he was urging me to change my lifestyle and become healthier. Olivia took a break from communing with the spirits of my so called departed grandparents and went on to give me some very helpful health tips. Olivia returned to the spirits and said that the younger grandparent was coming through with more passion and energy now. She said that he was urging me to get out more, and lay off the video games. Again Olivia broke away from the communion to verify that I play video games. I do. I did not mention that I hardly have time for video games anymore. She returned to my younger grandfather, and said that he is strongly urging me to get out and mingle with people that I am far too shy.

Finally Olivia asked me if I had anything to say to my grandparents before they depart once more. I abruptly told her to tell them the first thing I am going to do once leaving my present situation was to eat three Big Macs, and an ultra big side order of fries. Olivia and I shared a laugh before she moved on to suggest that I join a gym, where I can be around people and get the exercise I apparently am in desperate need of. Damn, even ghosts think I’m out of shape.

Next Olivia contacted the spirit of what she described as a athletic boy, she would go on to ask me if I had a young friend who had passed away. Before I could answer, she hushed me and told me it was a close relative, and then asked if I had a brother that had passed away. I nodded that I indeed had. She asked if I had noticed my iPod or music player ever turn up loudly. She said that it was him playing tricks. She was a little disheartened when I told her that I have not noticed these things.

The final spirit she would contact during this session was the spirit of a dog. As if on command, as soon as she mentioned the word dog, one of her own dogs that were in another room immediately barked. Coincidence? Maybe. Strange? Definitely. At this point is when I looked at the clock to see that the session had gone over a half an hour longer than expected. He left with a joke that he no longer has to wear a helmet when he rides bikes, must be a lot of comedians on the other side; in fact I might take Mrs. Olivia’s class so I can get myself some new material!

Olivia concluded the session with a final word of advice, I must be very careful when finding a psychic because there are a few in this town who have been known to prey upon people’s fears and extract thousands of dollars from them. I only wish that she would have been so kind to let me know not to take that right turn which lead me to downtown Oldstown.

I left with the same semi-skeptical belief I had when I first arrived, although it was an experience, and she did give some pretty good advice, in fact the session felt more like what I would imagine therapy would be like. I will not forget the session, I left with lots of good information, including returning to college for a new career possibility.

[box]Got something you’d like to say? Check out our Writing for EC page for details on submitting to EdenCafe for a gift card![/box]

On February 16, 2004, Colorado forward Scott Moore laid a hit on the then leading point scorer Markus Näslund of the Vancouver Canucks. The hit was to the head, and would knock the Canucks player out for three games with a minor concussion and a chip in his elbow. While the hit was not penalized, many found it to be a dirty hit, especially the Colorado players and coaches. Canucks forward Brad May went so far as to issue a bounty on Scott Moore’s head. The next time the two teams met, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, and the NHL’s disciplinarian Colin Campbell attended the game, no major incidents occurred.

On March 8, 2004, the Colorado Avalanche and Vancouver Canucks would play once again. In the first period Colorado forward Matt Cooke would go on to challenge Vancouver forward Scott Moore to a fight. Scott Moore accepted, and the two fought and received five minute penalties each (eligible to return to the game). Vancouver felt that this was not enough, and added that the score was 8-2 in Colorado’s favor. Things would take a tragic turn when Todd Bertuzzi began to follow Scott Moore around the ice, trying to incite a fight from Moore. Moore refused to fight and ignored Bertuzzi. So Bertuzzi, who was skating behind Moore, pulled on Moore’s jersey (sweater) and sucker punched him in the back of the head. Moore fell unconscious onto the ice, Bertuzzi on top of him, driving his head into the ice. Soon a mixture of Colorado and Vancouver Players were on top of the pile. Moore was taken off the ice on a stretcher, and suffered career ending injuries that include fractured vertebrae in his neck, a grade three concussion, vertebral ligament damage, stretching of the brachial plexus nerves, and several facial cuts.

Bertuzzi would go on to release an emotional and tearful apology to Scott Moore and his family. The punishment was swift, and Todd Bertuzzi would be suspended indefinitely, one day after his press conference. On August 8, 2005, the NHL announced that Bertuzzi would be allowed to play again at the start of the 2005–06 NHL season. Bertuzzi forfeited $501,926.39 in salary, and lost around $350,000.00 in endorsements.

This was the first time that a hockey altercation would be taken into the courts; where after accepting a plea bargain, Bertuzzi pled guilty to an assault charge. He was given a conditional discharge and one year’s probation. Canadian law stipulated that after the successful completion of the probation, Bertuzzi would no longer have a criminal record.

Fast-forward seven years, and an almost identical situation took place, with different repercussions.

On February 2, 2011, with 16.3 seconds left in a game between New York Islanders and Pittsburgh Penguins, Islanders Goaltender Rick DiPietro would throw up his stick and blocker into Pittsburgh Penguins, rough and tumble (sometimes called dirty), Matt Cooke. Matt Cooke went down and slid into the corner, where several Islander players mistook his actions, and attempted to pummel him. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh Goaltender Brent Johnson skated across the center ice, upset at what he felt was a dirty shot by fellow goaltender DiPietro, and challenged the Islanders goaltender to a fight. The two met up near the blue line of the Islanders zone. The two grabbed a hold of one another, and with one punch Brent Johnson knocked down and broke DiPietro’s cheek bone. The rest of the game would go on without incident.

On February 11, 2011, Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Islanders would meet in a rematch at the Nassau Coliseum, on Long Island. New York Islanders would go on to fill their roster with several minor league enforcers (fighters Mat Martin, Micheal Haley, Zenon Kenopka, and Trevor Gillies). The game started off physical, but did not feature its first of eight fights until the middle of the first period when a Penguins forward was manhandled in a fight with Islanders forward Micheal Haley. Eric Godard would fight Trevor Gillies a few minutes later. But things would not hit their boiling point until midway through the second period, when Matt Martin would skate behind Penguins forward Maxime Talbot, who was not aware of Martin’s presence; Martin dropped his gloves and attempted to sucker punch Talbot. The punch just missed, but created a line brawl. The referees were quick to react, and kicked every skater (excluding the goalies) out of the game.

Moments into the third period, Michael Haley got into his second fight and put a beating on Talbot, then afterward skated his way to the Penguins’ net minder and challenged the goalie to a fight. Penguins’ enforcer Eric Godard jumped over the bench and came to his goalies aid. Trevor Gillies would go on to elbow Pittsburgh forward Eric Tangradi, knocking him out, and while he was laid face first on the ice, Gillies would throw several punches to the unconscious player’s head. When Tangradi regained consciousness, Gillies would mock the dazed Tangradi. After the game was finished, the stat sheet showed a total of 346 penalty minutes and 10 ejections, not including the 10 minute penalties that effectively tossed players that received said penalties with less than ten minutes to go.

Due to Eric Godard leaving the bench, he would receive a total 10 game suspension. The NHL would go on to give Gillies a 9 game suspension, Martin 4 games, and Haley received no suspension or punishment. The NHL also fined the Islanders $100,000 for failing to control their players.

The Hall of Fame Player and Owner of the Pittsburgh Penguins would speak out, and thrash the league over its lightweight punishments, and its failure to protect the players, his comments:

“Hockey is a tough, physical game, and it always should be. But what happened Friday night on Long Island wasn’t hockey. It was a travesty. It was painful to watch the game I love, turn into a sideshow like that.”

“The NHL had a chance to send a clear and strong message that those kinds of actions are unacceptable and embarrassing to the sport. It failed.”

“We, as a league, must do a better job of protecting the integrity of the game and the safety of our players. We must make it clear that those kinds of actions will not be tolerated, and will be met with meaningful disciplinary action.”

“If the events relating to Friday night reflect the state of the league, I need to re-think whether I want to be a part of it.”

On the other side, Islanders Coach Jack Capuano, and Islanders GM Garth Snow, stated they were proud of the way their team performed.

Hall of Fame and Legendary Player, Wayne Gretzky wrote in his Autobiography “Hockey is the only team sport in the world that actually encourages fighting. I have no idea why we let it go on. Fights probably bring more people into the buildings. But how many people do they keep out of the building? I’ve met people in L.A who said, ‘Well we don’t go to the game because it is too violent.’ Too me that’s just sad… Every time I bring it up to the league, they point out these studies about how many people want fighting”

What we saw on the 11th of February was a travesty, and an embarrassment to Hockey. The league continues to fumble situation like these, and remains inconsistent. Colin Campbell has become a laughing stock when it comes to professional sports. Maybe it is time to remove fighting from hockey. Lots of hockey supporters (which used to include, yours truly) will make bogus statements like “If you take away the fighting, you will get people using their sticks as a weapon”. Well my solution is, you suspend players for that also.

How far do things have to go in order for change? Does someone have to die on ice? Matt Martin, and Todd Bertuzzi could have very easily have killed someone with their actions. Sooner than later someone will die due to fighting. Wait a moment, someone already has. On December 12, 2008, in a Senior Hockey league game. Dunlops defenseman Don Sanderson took part in a fight, during which his helmet was dislodged, and when Sanderson fell to the ice, he struck his head. Sanderson would go into a coma, and three weeks later he would die due to the injuries sustained in the fight.

Often hockey fighting supporters will point out the Hockey code. There is no clear definition of said code, and everyone seems to have their own interpretation. To most, it is “No fighting skilled players; no punching while your opponent is in a vulnerable position or on the ground, and finally; the fight must be coessential”. Unfortunately, not very many enforcers follow this code.

As things stand right now, players like Eric Godard (Colton Orr, Jared Boll, Geroge Parros, etc.) are essential, and are there to protect the stars. Unfortunately, some players go beyond the call of standing up for those who cannot, and we get thugs like Trevor Gillies. If the NHL would suspend any player for participating in a fight, you would effectively rid the league of enforcers. If the league would suspend the agitators and instigators, like Matt Cooke, Sean Avery, Scott Hartnell, and Chris Pronger, for the dirty actions they frequently perpetrate (slashes, cross checks, blind-side hits, slew-foots, tripping, etc.), hockey could be one of the prettiest sports, showcasing the amazing talent from players all over the world. Yet too often, several leagues allow this stuff to go on. The recent incidents make the NHL look like a garage league.

Part 4

When you see or think of a tattoo what do you think or feel? Do you find them a form of artistic expression? Or does a more negative thought come to your mind? The thing is, tattoos have been around for millennia, well before the Hells Angels and Mara Salvatrucha. In September 1991 in the Schnalstal glacier in the Ötztal Alps, near Hauslabjoch a naturally preserved mummy was found with 57 carbon tattoos, and later named Ötzi the Iceman (also known as Similaun Man, and Man from Hauslabjoch). These tattoos mostly consisted of sequences of dots that some speculate may have been used for pain relief, a primitive form of acupuncture. Ötzi the Iceman is not the only mummy that was discovered to have tattoos; a Scythian chieftain whose mummy was discovered at Pazyryk, Russia also had many tattoos, these a bit more extravagant. There were also several tattooed mummies discovered in Egypt.

In Japan, the Meji Government would ban tattoos, a ban that would last 70 years, well after the Meji Government fell in 1912, it finally was repealed in 1948. Today some business owners in Japan ban anyone from bearing large tattoos in an attempt to keep away or prevent the yakuza from entering their place of business. The yakuza is famous for their full body tattoos, which are done in the traditional Japanese tattooing style called Tebori.

In the United States many street gangs use tattoos to identify themselves with a certain gang, and also to pay homage to dead brothers in arms. Street gangs also use tattoos to indicate what crimes they participated in and also how long they served in prison, similar to the patch system that many biker gangs use. Law enforcement has begun to photograph and document tattoos of suspected gang members in order to get a better intelligence on street gangs.

To dispel the negativity, let us talk about tattoos that the men and women in the Armed Forces have. Not only is this common among the branches of the United States Armed Forces, but also is very common in the British Armed Forces. These tattoos can specify what branch, how many battles (or specific battle), and/or also how many kills the wearer has. I once knew an older gentleman who served in the Navy in the 1950s, on his arm was a tattoo of a naked woman in a navy hat, which since, had to be covered up with a bikini due to a getting a job at a major retailer. Not all military men and women have tattoos, for example, my eighty year old grandfather who served in the Korean War, has absolutely no tattoos.

Let’s move on to some of the light hearted and humorous tattoos. I have come across a tattoo on a woman, just above the pubic hair, was a stick mowing figure with a lawnmower. I have also come across a similar tattoo on a woman, just above the pubic hair, was the saying “Lucky You” with tattooed hearts around it. I have even come across a tattoo of the Pillsbury dough boy having sex with Betty Crocker! Topping that, I came across a woman with an Octopus tattooed all around her vagina, the under part (or where the beak) would be, was the woman’s vagina. I also have come to find many women with tattoos of Cats right above their pubic bone.

Here is a short list of some other humorous and/or sexual tattoos I have come across.
1. A Green M&M just above the pubic bone
2. A Georgia Peach that is on (and slightly just above) the vagina.
3. Ribbons above the vagina.
4. Neck ties.
5. Flowers on the pelvic bone.
6. Bicycle handle bars on a woman’s rear-end.
7. Two crisscrossing Lollipops just above the pubic bone, accompanied by the words “How many licks?”
8. A Dragon on the penis, wings on the pelvic bone. In full color!
9. Taz, Sylvester the cat, and Daffy Duck on the pelvic bone, with Bugs Bunny on the penis.
10. A tattoo of a Native American man on the lower abdomen and pelvis, whose beard and moustache is made out of pubic hair.
11. A woman with the word “Daddy’s” on the back of one thigh and the word “Girl” on the back of the other.

We are in a world where wearing the wrong colors and Tattoo while walking the streets can get you killed. I do understand however that many are forbidden by their Religion to wear tattoos and I also understand where some of the negativity can come from, but should the color Red also have same negative condemnations because it is the color of the street gang The Bloods? It is just a color after all.

Tattoos can have many meanings, they are like books. Books have been banned by some countries and people as well as tattoos, and they can also tell a story. Tattoos can be serious or meant to bring fear and insult, and they can also be light-hearted, humorous, and even a tribute to a dead (or living) loved one. Tattoos are deeply instilled in modern popular culture (and even historical culture) I do not see them going away anytime soon.

Often referred as the “Kiss of Death” the AO (Adults Only) ESRB rating keeps video game companies from making such games, and keeps production companies from financing such games. This is due to the fact that Wal-Mart, Target, and Best-Buy refuses to sell AO rated games (which is their right), thus making the market too small to make a well designed and high production AO Game. Compounding the problem, major companies like Microsoft and Sony refuse to allow any such game to be developed by their associated studios.

Recently the state of California has been taken to the Supreme Court over Schwarzenegger v. Entertainment Merchants Association. The law in question was passed in 2005 that would forbid the sale or rental of violent video games to minors. On the surface, I think this isn’t really a horrible Idea, but I got to wonder what impact this law would have on the gaming industry. I am already an admitted hypocrite, I played violent video games in my youth, but I am not so sure I’d like kids to play games with decapitations. I do not think it really affected me, and I know that violent video games have been given a bad rap over the years and been the scapegoat for a lot of violent acts committed by minors. I despise people like John Bruce “Jack” Thompson who is an American activist and former Florida attorney, whom goes out of his way as much as humanly possible to blame video games on every misdeed under the sun. The same guy who was disbarred for making defamatory and false statements and also attempted to humiliate, embarrass, harass, and even intimidate some people; which ultimately led him to being disbarred. If this law succeeds will the M for Mature games end up being too much of a big risk for major retailers to sell?

Not all AO video games feature graphic nudity and explicit sex. On June 19, 2007 Manhunt 2 received the AO rating from the ESRB for having gratuitous violence. The Untied States was not the only country to block sale of the game, as the United Kingdom’s ratings board, the BBFC also prevented it from being sold in the UK. While in the United States, Take-Two (The games developer) has since censored the game and the ESRB has since changed the rating to a M for Mature. In the United Kingdom however, it took almost a full year for the legal matters to clear before the game could be released.

AO games do exist in the United States, most are imported and translated from Japan, and some are home-cooked so to speak. By home-cooked I mean the games created in the United States that are not meant to be sold in major stores. They can be like ThriXXX video games “3D sex Villa”, “3D Gay Villa” and “3D Slut” which are not sold in stores and can only be downloaded via their websites. These games run on a subscription basis. There are even games being created by men and women in their homes in their off time, via flash.

3D Sex Villa is a true sex simulator, and I have yet to play any other game that comes as close as this does. The game is played online; however it is a single player game with no interaction with anyone. The Game is constantly updated and new outfits and accessories become available for purchase via the games marketplace. For the most part there really is no dynamic story; however there is a story mode that lets you answer questions in certain scenarios, such as a doctor/nurse, and a student/teacher scenario. There is also a “create your own story mode” which I find to be too difficult to even deal with. So basically I will be discussing “Free Mode” which despite its name, is not free at all. The game has a monthly subscription. In “Free Mode” you can select a pre-made or one of your custom characters (male or female), and engage in multiple sex acts in multiple locations. You can have a three way on a private airplane whilst being decked out in full BDSM gear, or you can be in the middle of a Jungle/Aztec ruins wearing elegant dress. Those of course are the stranger combinations (You can also wear Jungle Gear in the Jungle and BDSM Gear in the BDSM studio); you can wear whatever you want, where ever you want, and you can even mix and match. You can manually control a hand, multiple different vibrator/plugs/etc, and even a tongue as you fulfill your fantasy. You can control the motions, the thrusting of the male pelvis, or you can leave it on as automatic. You do not have to have a Male character in every scene; you can have two females, one in which will use a strap-on. There are so many variations that make this game very fun, if you are willing to shell out that is.

Flash Games come in all variety and you do stand to be offended if you are in the market for these (mostly) free games. There are so many, featuring almost every sex act, every taboo, and every fetish. Some flash games are done with expert skill, one such game is SimGirl. The object of SimGirl is to attract one of the three dateable women, and the final prize is sex. The game has an intricate RPG system, with stats including Strength, Intelligence, and Charm. You can use your charm to become a salesman and earn money for gifts for the girls, or you can use your intelligence to become a tutor to earn money. If you want to take the bad boy approach then you can use your strength to become a drug dealer. While being a drug dealer will earn you the most money, it comes with the unfortunate downside of occasionally being fined or even jailed. Not only does this have a cool system where you can go to the gym, school, and Shopping mode, but you are also given a stylish phone that is a critical key to becoming successful in the game. Once you get the girl of your desires she will give you her cell phone number and throughout the game (seemingly random) she will call you. If you ignore her, she will become angry; if you answer the phone you are given the chance to charm her. Eventually you will work your way up to dates, where you try to make it a “Dream Date”. If your are successful you will be invited over to the females house.

Not every flash game is as well designed, for there are many games that are just pure trash and are filled with typos and graphical errors. I will give them an A for trying but boy are they not very good. Some are disturbing, which I refuse to download or load up.

There are many sexual oriented games that come out of the country of Japan, they are easily available through amazon.com. One such game has a rather peculiar name, and uses even more peculiar technology. I am speaking of course about the game Tech48 which was developed by the company Teatime. The game uses webcam technology and can read the emotions of the player, which comes into play within the game-world. There are even some fan made translations of games that are only available in Japan, however I do not know the legality of such games do to international copyright law.

So while it is disheartening and sad that there are no mainstream AO Games available in the United States, there are plenty of non-mainstream games at your finger tips, all you have to do is be willing to pay or search through a lot of garbage to get a gem!

“So its : Sidestep left, sidestep right, sidestep left, step backward, step forward, spin two times, step forward three times, step backwards two times, and then a forwards jump turn?”

“Yep!”

“Nope, doesn’t work!”

The first ever, and possibly the only video game sex symbol, Lara Croft has captured a lot of hearts over the years, even earning herself 6 Guinness World Records.  Ms. Croft burst on the seen in 1996 in the video game titled “Tomb Raider”, her large bust leading the way.  Not long after, Tomb raider gained a lot of attention because of rumors of a “Nude” code.  Many hours were spent trying different sequences of moves to unlock or remove Ms. Croft’s clothing.  There however was never a code that would achieve this, so officially you can never see Lara Croft naked.  The key word being “officially”, this hasn’t stopped gamers though; nude patches have been made by fans of the series.  Tomb Raider would put nude patches on the map.

Games like The Sims 2 have several nude patches, for both men and female, and all types of body types (small to large).  One type of patch removes the censor that blurs (and scrambles) the naked bodies while the Sims are showering, bathing, and using the restroom.  While there are no female nipples or genitalia on these characters, and is more consistent of a Barbie doll, there are patches that actually implement nipples, vaginas, and even penises.  In my opinion the up side is that it makes the game more realistic, ironically this is also one of the downsides.  Of course there is a downside; Removing the of censor, removes all the censors from the game revealing the bodies of ALL ages (Even if they are more or less Barbie doll-esque, no nipples and est.).  Which in my opinion is not a good thing, that part might add realism but I would not like to view it (Good news, I do not have to, I can chose not to).  Unfortunately in order to use any other nude mod you must remove the blurs in order to view any nudity.  There are also some compatibility issues with patch versions that may break your game, and some may not feel comfortable viewing naked bodies.

On July 22, 2005, former Florida attorney Jack Thompson accused Electronic Arts (The Production Company of The Sims 2) of promoting nudity, and said that genitals (particularly the labia and penis) became visible through the use of a cheat code or mod.  Electronic Arts issued the following statement:

“This is nonsense. We’ve reviewed 100 percent of the content. There is no content inappropriate for a teen audience. Players never see a nude Sim. If someone with an extreme amount of expertise and time were to remove the pixels, they would see that the sims have no genitals. They appear like Ken and Barbie.”

In RPG (Role Playing Game) games like Neverwinter nights 1 & 2, and The Elder Scroll series focus on building your own personal avatar and making your own decisions that shape the game’s world.  Both of these games also come with a toolkit, which allows players to implement new content, and even create their own adventure game (The Elder Scrolls to a lesser extent).  There are several fan made nude patches for each of these games.  I find that it adds a sense of realism to these types of games.  In real life, if I take all my clothes off, I am not covered by mystical wrappings that cover my no-no parts.  It also adds a nice touch to those who actually want to “role play”.  Just like with almost every nude patch, there are some compatibility issues, and some other downsides.

Several games now have nude patches; several have multiple nude patches.  So, does this objectify men and women?  Second question for you, does this feed the “ultimate body” stereotype?  Before you answer this question, I’d like to point out that not all nude patches are for the sculpted model-like characters, some depict naked plus-size bodies.  My last question, does this enhance or degrade the game?

Here is a short list of several video games that have nude patches for them.

1. Aion
2. Blood Rayne 1&2
3. City of Heroes
4. Diablo 2
5. Dragon Age: Origins
6. Fable
7. Half-Life 2
8. Neverwinter nights 1&2
9. NBA Live 98
10. Mass Effect 1&2
11. Prince of Persia
12. Resident Evil 4
13. The Elder Scrolls 4 – Oblivion
14. Tomb Raider (Every one in the series)
15. World of Warcraft

That is a lot of games, and that is the extremely short version of a huge list of games that have nude patches.  I have tried playing several games with a nude patches, I find the novelty wears off pretty quickly.  I typically find myself deleting the patch after just a few minutes of gameplay.  Sometimes, it is just too distracting, other times I just have had enough nudity for one session.

I am not going to speak for everyone that chooses to use a nude patch, but only for myself.  When I use them I am not objectifying men or women, I typically am using it to add a sense of realism, and even then I rarely use them.  I have tried the ones, for what I feel that only undresses female characters solely for their looks, but I do not care for them.  Why is he/she naked in the middle of a gun fight or why is he/she naked when zombies are attacking? At that point, to me, it is just about getting a good look at breasts (or penises) and it really does nothing for me.  There are several reasons why people use them, some just want to add another element to one of their favorite games, and others might just want to view their favorite characters naked.  I can see where some may feel that we are objectifying men and women, but I can also see where this is a form of art.

I do find it very interesting what some artists can come up with, some of these nude patches can pass as artwork, some are very pleasing to the eye and took the artist several hours to create, and then there are some that appear to be quickly done and unattractive to the eye.  Ultimately, I feel that most of this is a form of art, and if you are not comfortable with works of art that depict nudity, then you probably will not be comfortable with a nude patch.

As a parent, are you afraid that your child might get a hold of one of these patches?  Nude patches are relatively easy to find, download, and install.  The only sure fire way of preventing your child from downloading one is to monitor everything your child does online.  I know this is easier said then done, but it is the only sure fire way.  You can also look into a “Net Nanny” type program which helps block out inappropriate content found on the internet.

Tomb Raider was one of the first games to have a nude patch and it won’t be the last.  It seems that after every big release more and more games are receiving the same treatment.  The tools that help make a nude patch have been refined over the years and are now easy to find, making it so that almost anyone with the artistic skill can make a nude patch.

Five years ago video games were the center of a major controversy, and this was not the first time. The Game “Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas”, a game that is often described as too violent was all the sudden being called out for being too sexual.

When a file found on the internet that is now infamously known as “Hot Coffee” unlocked a hidden mini-game that involved two consenting adults engaging in sexual practices. Before you could download the file on your ultra fast internet, we have politicians practically throwing themselves at cameras. The people in power and the candidates were quick to throw out negative comments on not only the video game, its developers and its publisher but also video games in general. They screamed “Out kids! Our kids!” But wait… This is “M” Rated Game. Those of you that do not know the ESRB rating system, “M” stands for mature. Youths and Teens are not allowed to even buy this game in the store. So who is buying “Our Kids, Our Kids” these games? Why many of them are the same people that were so outraged. This is the same game that allowed you to beat a cop over the head with a dildo (ironically the dildo can be found in the showers of the police station in the game). I get it, being a parent is tough work, and those little blessings can be persuasive, but lets put away those pitch forks down for a moment, and ask ourselves “How are these games getting into the hands of our children?

A similar incident happened not too long after, this time the PC version of “The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion” was the focal point of an indecent controversy. No this time there wasn’t a sex mini-game. This time, with a file that you could download off the internet, you can remove the breast coverings of gamer’s female character. Only a year removed from “Hot Coffee” we find ourselves in a different yet similar situation. This time the only real outcry was from one California Assemblyman who criticized the ESRB ability to function correctly. The ESRB caught the “problem” early and re-issued a new “M” rating, and assured everyone that the game developers would release a patch that would render the topless skin inaccessible. All this over a bare chest? Without the internet download you would not even be able to view the naked breasts, so how does this factor into the rating? The game company made it so that you can not view it, so you are making a conscious decision to “modify” the files in-order to see pixilated breasts. Which makes me think; shouldn’t we be monitoring what our children do online? I do not believe for a minute that a child could decode a bunch of information and modify some files and all of the sudden little Johnny is viewing the “filthy” female form. Which brings up more questions, why are breasts so “filthy”? Now do not get me wrong, I am not advocating that you go and give little Johnny a playboy, but there is nothing filthy, or disgusting about the female form.

Almost two years go by before our next big video game scandal. Just like “Hot Coffee” scandal, this involves sex. Unlike the aforesaid scandal, this one was brought to life on completely false statements bordering on malicious slander! This time, a sci-fi video game by the name “Mass Effect” was front and center in a sex fueled controversy. Blogger Kevin McCullough's article "The ‘Sex-Box’ Race for President” would set this controversy into motion. McCullough made several false statements such as "Mass Effect can be customized to sodomize whatever, whomever, however, the game player wishes," and "with its ‘over the net’ capabilities virtual orgasmic rape is just the push of a button away.” Apparently forgetting that Mass Effect has no “over the net capabilities” and is completely an offline adventure. The player can not rape or sodomize anyone, however a player can build a deep relationship with a character of the opposite sex or a relationship with the mono-gendered alien species called the Asari (Feminine in appearance). This was met with outrage by a lot of video gamers and McCullough issued an apology by saying, "I DO apologize to the gaming universe!" He went on to say, "I still do concur with my original position that the objectionable content in Mass Effect is still offensive.” The damage however seemed to have been done, and soon Fox News would only add more fuel to the scandal.

On January 21, 2008 Fox New ran the segment “The Live Desk With Martha MacCallum" which discussed Mass Effect with the heading "'SE'XBOX?’ New video game shows full digital nudity and sex”. I suppose this was the directors attempt to make a cute play on words for “Xbox”. MacCallum went on to state that the game "leaves nothing to the imagination" and features "the ability for players to engage in full graphic sex" and that the player can dictate how things happen (I suppose she meant you could chose a sex position), she then went on to cite critics by saying that the Mature-rated game is marketed to children and teenagers, and read a rebuttal from publisher Microsoft stating that the company “abides by rating systems and provides monitoring tools for parents.”. After reading the rebuttal we are introduced to a Psychology specialist and author by the name Cooper Lawrence and video game journalist Geoff Keighley, each being interviewed. Lawrence would go on by describing sexual content in this video game as actively teaching users, mostly adolescent boys, to consider women as objects of desire. Miss Lawrence was far from done spewing nonsense; she went on to add some more false statements about how the game's player character is a man who decides how many women he wants to be with. Keighley would counter this by saying that the player can chose to be either male or female. Keighley went on to say that the romance in the video game was completely optional and not the main focus of the game.

Later after Miss Lawrence admitted to never playing the game and only was told about the game’s supposed content went on to state that she has since watched someone play the video game and commented that she “has seen episodes of “Lost” that are more sexually explicit." As a Response from many video gamers, several of Lawrence’s books she had written received one-star ratings on her Amazon.com page. Many of the reviewers made comments that “They never read the book, but some one told them it was bad, so it must suck”.

I love video games, and Mass Effect is one of my all time favorites, it is a shame to seen such a masterpiece negatively impacted by slanderous and spotty journalism. A game that has a deep and evolving story is now known because of some false statements made by people who never played the game. I personally like my video games to have more “adult” content, as I am an adult and I can legally own this kind of content. I hate to criticize the parents, being a parent is hard work (I am not a parent, but I see that it is very hard), and things are bound to slip through the cracks. I will fully admit this here and now, I played violent video games when I was young. My parents were not aware of the content in the video games. Skimming over a game’s cover makes it is easy to miss the ratings and the sometimes cartoony artwork can lead parents to not even glance at the rating. The rating system is not perfect by any means, but before we attack video games, we MUST read the rating on the front of the box.

What do the movies “Hollow Man”, “Deliverance”, and “An American Haunting”, “High Plains Drifter” all have in common? All of these movies feature, in one way or another, rape. Otherwise good movies, ruined for me with the inclusion of rape. In my opinion it has absolutely no place in film. In this article will go over some of these movies, and discuss my views on the subject.

A Sci-Fi thriller featuring great actor Kevin Bacon, “Hollow Man”, a story about Dr. Sebastian Caine (Kevin Bacon). Caine, a brilliant but megalomaniacal molecular biologist striving to create an invisibility serum for the U.S Military. Once he created the invisibility serum, his task was changed to try and make a reversing serum. After successfully turning a Gorilla invisible and returning it to its normal state, the team moves toward human trials. Dr. Sebastian Caine would be the first human to test out the serum. After he was turned invisible, they learned that the reversing serum was not viable for humans. After some time of being isolated in the lab Caine’s patience begins to wear thin, and his mind becomes clouded. Disobeying his colleague’s orders he returns to his apartment. While at his apartment he is shown spying on his female neighbor, seconds later he takes off his mask and strips naked so that he is fully invisible. Seconds later they show the neighbor’s apartment, and then she is attacked and raped by an invisible intruder. This is where I stop watching this horrible movie.

In the thriller “Deliverance”, four buddies take a vacation from the lives of businessmen and voyage to the Cahulawassee River in the remote Georgia wilderness. They decide they would rather go canoeing and take in the sights rather than their usual golf trip. Ed (played by Jon Voight) and Lewis (played by Burt Reynolds) are the most experienced in outdoors in the bunch of four, while Bobby (played by Ned Beatty) and Drew (played by Ronny Cox) are novices. The four make a stop in a small village, in the village, Drew and one of the villager boys connect through their talents with musical instruments. The two play a bluegrass number, and after the song was concluded, Drew said “God damn son, you sure can play that banjo” which offended the boy. After leaving the village the four would spend a day canoeing down the river. After an uneventful night the group would set out again, however this time the two canoes would become briefly separated. Bobby and Ed encounter a pair of unkempt and gun wielding locals. After Bobby offends the men with comments about moonshine, one of the gun wielding men begin to harass and ultimately rapes Bobby. Minutes later Lewis would arrive and rush in; shooting an arrow from his bow, killing the rapist while the other man would escape. Somehow this movie would be nominated for many awards.

The feature film “An American Haunting” would turn the great American ghost story of “Bell Witch Haunting” into a shabby, low down excuse of a movie. The biggest atrocity with this film would be the portrayal John Bell Sr. They would turn this man into an incestuous rapist, when there was not a shred of evidence or even a wild claim of such happened. The movie starts off strong, but soon falls flat on its belly. What starts off as what the family feels was a curse placed upon them by Katt Batts whom John Bell Sr. had offended, turns out to be something far more sinister. Later we find out that John Bell (who is played by Donald Sutherland) had molested Betsy Bell, his daughter. Along with the others watching this movie, I was disgusted, disgusted on many levels. While we were more disgusted with the rape, we were also upset with the slanderous claim that this film was based on true events. Yes, some of the story was based on true events, but when you deviate so far from the original story that you are portraying a never documented or alluded to rape, then you have gone too far.

One of my favorite actors is Clint Eastwood, who was famous for such roles as “Harry Callahan”, unfortunately Clint Eastwood also played in the movie “High Plains Drifter”. A western movie about a mysterious drifter who arrives in the town of Lago, a town of which is overrun by criminal scum. Three criminal gunmen taunt the stranger as he enters the local barbershop. While in the barbershop, one of the gunmen grabs the barber chair and spun him around while taunting, however when spun around , the drifter would shoot all three men dead. The stage was set for a great aloof action hero! Not exactly… Minutes later the drifter walks from the barbershop, outside of which the attractive Callie Travers would bump into him. Callie would then mock and insult the drifter. The drifter grabs her by her arm and takes her into the livery stable and raped her. One of the best actors, in a role with such great potential, and it was ruined for me with this despicable act. The drifter could have been a great action hero, he did not have to love everyone, but heroes and heroines do not commit such an atrocious crime. There is nothing this character could do to redeem himself. I really do not care about his past life alter ego that was beaten to death with whips in the same town by scum while the townsfolk watched on. Actually I am glad now they beat him in his past life to death! Any sympathy that the viewer could have had for this drifter was all lost in this one act of barbarism.

There are hundreds of movies that involve rape, and sexual assault, from slasher films like “The Hills have Eyes” to classic war movies such as “In Harm’s Way”. I am not comfortable with portrayals of rape. The act disgusts me, and I do not want to view it, even if it is just simulated. I would not have any problem if it was used an educational way, but still would prefer not to view any explicit scene. In conjunction with movies based on true stories, it is acceptable; however you do not need to be show a brutal scene. It is this ones opinion that showing the aftermath, the mental scares would make more of an impression.

Shows like “Law and Order: Special Victims Unit” portray some of the most heinous crimes, one crime this show has more than any other is rape. The show often shows the aftermath. I personally chose not to watch this, because the show is usually a little bit depressing, and I would rather live in my bubble of splendor. While I personally disagree with showing graphic rapes or assaults, from what I have seen the show depicts the aftermath quite well, and helps raise awareness.

What do I suggest? I struggle with this question, on one hand I am support artistic expression and freedom of speech; on the other hand I do not feel that rape is a form of art or protected as a form of speech. Censorship? I can see how this might enrage some, some may say “Do not like it, do not watch it!” While I can understand that, what about those who are not aware of the scene, or those whose children happen to view it by accident? A lot of children sometimes replicate what they see on television. It would be easy to say “The parent should not allow the child to watch such things”, and I would agree; however in a day and age like this it is not an easy task. Parents can set blocks on their TV and computer, but some parents do not have the necessary knowledge to do so. Rape, sexual assault, violence, and gore are common in films. You may say that it is accepted in today’s society to include these themes. I disagree, rape is not tolerated, and neither are some other practices in which are so aggrieves we do not show (for example, bestiality) on the wide screen, so why should we show and depict rape?

In concluding, yes rape occurs daily in this world, and education is the key to help solving this problem. Do you think we are hurting anti-rape education with all the graphic scenes of rape we see on TV? Do you disagree with me and feel that it is actually providing more awareness?

Sex is everywhere; it is in video games, movies, books, ads, and music. Sometimes it is only hinted at or alluded to; sometimes it is showcased without shame. It can be tastefully done, and sometimes it can be tasteless. Even the things we hold most dear to us have tinges of sexual goings-on, whether it be “The Holy Bible”, “The Kamasutra” or other religious doctrine, sexuality is heavily laced into many religions.

Recent video games have sparked intense conversation about the portrayal of sexuality and violence. In some games romance plays a key part in the game, in some it is just an optional choice in which the character can play out. There are even hundreds of games that are intended for adults in which the main object of the game is to have sex or make your virtual partner reach orgasm. Some conservative and even some of the more liberal politicians have shown their dislike of such games. The issue about sex in video games is not new by any means, upon its creation there were several “adult oriented” games, such as the infamous video game “Custer’s Revenge” which was released on October 13, 1982. The object of this game was to cross a field of flying arrows to a naked Native American woman, once there Custer would rape the naked Native American woman. This game was heavily controversial and drew much criticism. There is no doubt sexuality will remain a part of video games going into the future, hopefully though we will not have to sit through another like “Custer’s Revenge”.

Many mainstream movies have pushed the envelope over the years in regard to sexuality. Not long after its creation in the1880s, the “Moving picture”, would show nudity and sexuality for the first time in 1915 when Audrey Munson appeared nude in the 1915 film “Inspiration”. Many of the films produced in the silent films era would have nudity, mostly presented in a historical or religious context. While the times have changed, something remained the same, there is still a large amount of mainstream films being produced in which not only have nudity but strong sexual content. As our society grows to become more accepting of sexuality we may see more films with artistic nudity.

Books have always been a source of sexuality and depictions of nudity. Of course not every book has sex, sexuality, or nudity in them. From a very successful and popular book that details adolescent relationships at a magical private school, to the kind of dime store romance novels that are available. The aforementioned which tip-toes around the issue but acknowledges relationships, while the latter uses sex and sexuality as its main focus. Throughout time, since humans began to put thought on paper, sexuality has been a mainstay in literature, for example sexual cave paintings of prehistoric man and women, to the tale of Romeo and Juliet. With many genres of novels, there are a lot to choose from. Whether an author is describing the mating habits of an ancient civilization, or mesmerizing readers with a tale of sexual fantasy, sexuality and sex are prevalent in many works of literature, now and then.

Sexual ads blanket magazines of today, some are advertising cologne and perfumes, and others are cigarette ads. Sex and partial nudity is a very effective marketing tool, and it is heavily used. Companies from video game producers, to milk advocates use sex or images that entice sexuality. Many ads project a stereotype of the perfect, sometimes said to be setting an unhealthy body image.

Several popular comedic television shows often use sexual humor in their episodes. One in which a male lead has many promiscuous sexual encounters with gorgeous women, while the other male lead has very few. Classics such as “The Beverly Hillbillies” and “Gilligan’s Island” even had sexual edge, with Donna Douglas as Elly May Clampett from “The Beverly Hillbillies”, and Tina Louise as Ginger Grant and Dawn Wells as Mary Ann Summers from “Gilligan’s Island”. Donna Douglas would become a popular sex symbol, making men’s jaws drop. In “Gilligan’s Island”, Ginger and Mary Ann would use their sex appeal to attempt to get their ways. Ginger often tried to seduce Gilligan and the Skipper with her good looks, occasionally kissing and hugging them. Mary Ann was more subtle but still used her good looks to her advantages. In the 1990s “Married with Children” would use a lot of sexual humor, Peg and Al would taunt one another about each others sexual performance or lack thereof, while their daughter had many sexual encounters would constantly fight with her abstinent brother. From old reruns of “Three’s Company” to new shows like “Two and a Half Men” sexuality is common place, and is here to stay.

Many musicians often sing about sexual encounters, beautiful lovers, and wild parties. Some even describe their encounters in great detail. Many artists use sensual images in their music videos. One of my favorites, Shakira, uses exotic and the sensual dance called “Raqs Sharqi” (also known as the belly dance). With so many music genres and styles, sexuality in music and its videos are common.

In conclusion, one does not have to look far at all to find sexuality in our lives. It is everywhere, from billboards to TV commercials. It is impossible to go to the market without seeing at least one thing that is not remotely sexual or sensual in nature. Is this a good thing or a bad thing? In my opinion, it has been like this forever, however now we have expanding technology which allows for a much larger audience. I believe there is good and bad with everything, and this is no exception. Second question I have for you to ponder, does the media push an unhealthy stereotype of the perfect body? I believe that, in many cases it does, the only way to combat this is education. It is not just young females that these body image stereotypes are being forced on. There are increasing numbers of younger men now that are facing the same issues as the young women when it comes to the complex issue of body image. I feel that schools and other outlets need to start to hold educational classes or at least devote some time to the topic.