Mixed Signals

2017-05-20 21:54:58 Anthony Liu

Whaaaaat!? Jennifer Lawrence. Pole dancing. While drunk.

I recently read an article about a video that has gone viral depicting actress Jennifer Lawrence pole dancing at a club. She appears intoxicated while celebrating a friend’s birthday. It is a brilliant public relations move on Lawrence’s part that she has responded to the attention with humor. She posts on her Facebook page that she thinks her dancing is “pretty good. Even with no core strength.”

Lawrence’s post has received over 5,000 comments on her Facebook page. Opinions are mixed. Some encourage her for having fun and embracing her sexuality.  Others describes her actions as inappropriate, as she serves as a role model for younger girls.  The sheer attention the video has garnered gestures toward the existence of society’s mixed messages regarding sexuality.

The media portrays women who overtly express their sexuality as demonstrating a form of female empowerment. In contrast, women also receive the signal that if they do so, they may be considered less “pure” in potential future relationships.  Teen girls are aware of these signals from the media and their peers.

To complicate matters further, teen girls may experience pressure from their boyfriends to have sex.  Social media, in addition, acts as a platform in which teen girls compare their images of themselves to others’. Insecurities surrounding body image is prevalent. In this environment, it is easy for teen girls to question their self-worth or their identity in relation to sexuality.

Open and honest discussion can take away the stigma from complicated issues in regards to sex. To help teen girls navigate through their formative years in regards to sexuality, CPCC will be offering a six-week discussion group, “Girls & Sex" based on Peggy Orenstein's book by the same name.

Marriage and Family Therapy interns Makenna Clements and Mackenzie Sodestrom will facilitate the group. The group will feature Peggy Orenstein’s New York Times bestseller, “Girls & Sex.” Space is limited. See flyer for more information.

Sexual Recovery, Children and Teens, Women, Mental Health, Sex, Addiction, Technology, Millennials