I didn’t watch the MTV Video Music Awards, but I’ve heard plenty about them. The first thing I heard about was Britney Spears’ performance. There was plenty of talk about it on the news the next morning. However, one thing I did not hear about on the radio, but read about later that week was that some of the performances featured “stripper poles” with scantily clad women dancing. I watched part of a repeat of the show and verified the presence of these “dancers.”
This blatant exploitation is just another example of the increasing sexualization of our society. Rap/Hip-Hop music (one of the most popular and money making forms of music today) if full of lyrics and imagery that demeans and exploits women. In addition, we are seeing a rising acceptance of “pimp” culture; it is fairly common to hear people addressing each other as pimp, ho, and bitch in day-to-day conversations. A prime example of this acceptance is the Al Kapone song It’s Hard Out Here For A Pimp from the movie Hustle and Flow, which one the 2006 Oscar for Best Original Song. Here is a sample of the lyrics (source http://www.iast.net/documents/lyricstoitshardouthereforapimp.pdf):
Chorus: You know it’s hard out here for a pimp (you ain’t knowin)
When he tryin to get his money for the rent (you ain’t knowin)
For the Cadillacs and gas money spent (you ain’t knowin)
[1] Because a whole lot of bitches talkin shit (you ain’t knowin)
[2] Will have a whole lot of bitches talkin shit (you ain’t knowin)
Television shows such as The Girls Next Door are also contributing to this trend. By portraying the daily live of Hugh Hefner and three of the Playboy Playmates who live with him, the show is helping to normalize the work of pornography. Another contributing factor to the increased sexualization is the internet. It has made pornography and the commercial sex industry accessible with a simple mouse click. Indeed we are seeing more and more internet sites giving “ratings” of brothels around the world and live sex shows which can be viewed from the “privacy” of your own home.
With this trend of increased sexualization, is it any real surprise that we are seeing an increase in sexual exploitation through prostitution, sex trafficking and other venues within the legalized sex industry? As society allows itself to become desensitized to sexuality, it is easier to justify and accept that the entertainment industry isn’t exploitive or harmful but simply a means of expression. We see this in areas of the world where prostitution is legal and through the voices saying that sex work is a legitimate business that allows a woman to exercise control over her life. Unfortunately, this is not true as most people involved in prostitution (and other areas of the sex industry) have little or no control over the things they are involved with. In reality, the sex industry commodifies all those involved, turning them into a product and not a person.
The work of NCAP and many other organizations all around the world are working to stop this trend. They seek to educate society to the exploitation of the sex industry and to provide a way out for those involved. Let us join the fight and reclaim our sexuality, which is something to be cherished not put on display for all to see.

*For an interesting look at the connection between pornography and sex trafficking, watch the video Constance through this You Tube link - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTGMuJOmM-0 – or go to www.youtube.com and search for Constance (director’s cut).