Growing up in the restrictive 50’s and 60’s, much of what I wanted to do was off-limits. Wasn’t allowed to wear makeup—not even lipstick.  Cursing, too, was frowned upon; even telling my sister to “shut up”  got me a scolding. Among the universal taboos: tattoos and marijuana, drugs of any sort.

And considered over-the-top suggestive, swinging a crossed leg, wearing pants to school, donning skirts/dresses that fell even an inch above the knees. Out, too: noticeable bra straps and/or cleavage, skimpy attire, sitting on a boy’s lap…

Fast forward to today…

Nowadays, TV ads treat us to such “unmentionables” as erectile dysfunction, feminine products, and leaky bladders. Some sing about prescription drugs with the potential to kill, while others ooze sex to sell everything from perfume to burgers.

Supplement manufacturer Garden of Life even posed a woman sitting on a toilet with the tag line, “The #1 probiotic that helps women #2.”

How did we get to this place?

Many say our collective loosening started back in December 1953 when Hugh Hefner published his first issue of Playboy Magazine, Marilyn Monroe on its cover. Though pretty much an overnight sensation, during the early years, the publication was kept under wraps, hidden from view, often under mattresses.

Meanwhile, The New York Times credits Playboy with “promoting a sexual revolution by normalizing and objectifying the female body from a sexual point of view.”

And there’s been no turning back…

On June 6, 1998, Sex and the City hit the airwaves drawing millions into the lives of four single women who wondered out loud if females could have sex like men—uncommitted, pleasure-seeking hookups—and acted on it.

Fast forward to today when even pornography has gone mainstream–eye-opening, no holds barred–so much so that some 40 million Americans–58%–say they’d viewed it at some point: 44% of men and 11% of women.

And our kids are watching, too.

A September Common Sense Media survey of 1,358 13-to-17-year-olds found that:

  • 15% saw porn for the first time when 10 and even younger.
  • 41% said they’d seen images of nudity and sexual acts while online at school.
  • 75% had viewed online porn by age 17, first exposure at 12.
  • 58% came upon porn accidentally while surfing the Web, on social media clicking on ads, etc.
  • More than 50% had seen porn depicting such violent acts as rape, choking, or someone in pain.
  • More than 50% said they felt guilty and/or ashamed after watching porn.
  • 45% said the porn they’d watched provided helpful information about sex, especially LGBTQ teens who learned more about their sexuality.
  • Only 33% said they seen content where consent was first requested.
  • More than 25% thought the porn accurately depicted sex.
  • Almost 50% said the porn provided them with valuable content.

So much for childhood… ~ Carol