First comes love then comes…sex?

Although I have had a generous share of awkward moments in my lifetime, sitting next to my mother in the theater watching a couple share a steamy “intimate moment” definitely makes my awkward-top-ten list.

For a society that is so quick to condemn street prostitution and pornography as sinful and immoral, it is interesting to consider how we constantly rush out to see the latest cinematic productions. Rather than looking into the amount of vulgarity the film has to offer, we often use our own scales to measure the quality of a potential film: decent storyline? Check. Action? Check. Gerard Butler? Check. We are there. Do we worry about potential for sex and sexual innuendo? Not so much. After all, why are you reading this article? I bet the title had something to do with it.

These days, sex sells and Hollywood is trading sex for box office success. Does the industry worry about who may be watching these scenes? Definitely not. The more risqué the picture, the more media attention and controversy it stirs up. The greater the media attention given to the film, the more fame the director and actors receive. A movie without a sex scene just seems so…clean. Should we as Christians be concerned? Of course we should. However, should we stop there? What about the plot? Although sex provides the visual stimulation, idealized relationships set an unrealistic standard that we must be on the lookout for.

Consider the chick-flick. Boy meets girl, boy understands girl, they have sex, work through their issues, credits roll. If you are scoffing, consider the Notebook, Bridget Jones’ Diary, Atonement and Love Actually: popular movies no doubt, but sexualized. We are taught that in the heat of the moment, sex is inevitable and we are just following our human nature. After all, we reason, they are just two people in “love.” Apparently, sex is the logical next step. In the movies, if you have dated for months and not “done it,” there is something wrong with you. Living a life pleasing to God suddenly seems foreign in our post-modern society.

Too often, the chick flick distorts relationships, depicting a female protagonist who longs for love and her male counterpart as the epitome of understanding. As the romantic music resounds and everything turns out right in the film, we are left at an emotional high that, unfortunately, sells us on an image rather than reality. Think to yourself, did you leave Australia thinking about the flowers your boyfriend gave you last week? No, you were thinking about Hugh Jackman’s abs.

What can we do then to combat this problem? Well, if you decide not to opt for the Star Wars trilogy as Friday’s girl’s night entertainment, fret not, there is still hope for you. Start off with a little Internet research prior to heading to Blockbuster. Check out rottentomatoes.com or pluggedin.com for insight into the value of the film, as well as what others have to say about it. Next, ask around. With so many people in the Trinity Western community, chances are someone has seen the movie and can give you insight. Finally, if you have any energy left, watch the movie.