We’ve all had some sort of sex talk with our parents. Whether that be not to have it at all or how to be safe, it’s still an uncomfortable conversation to have no matter what the case. However, there’s still another difficult talk to have with your partner beforehand: consent.
Consent can be a tricky topic for anyone to talk about, and there's so many factors that play into it: alcohol and drugs, whether that person truly wants to have sex or is too afraid to say no, outside pressures and many more. And today’s TV shows and movies can make basic consent confusing to understand.
One example of this is the movie 365 Days. The movie features an Italian mobster who kidnaps a Polish woman and gives her one year to fall in love with him. While the film may sound appealing to some, it has been accused of glamourising sexual assault and partner violence. It presents many sex scenes where questionable consent is an understatement, but shows the kidnapper Massimo in a romantic light simply because he’s good-looking.
Instagram influencer Mik Zazon posted about how misogynistic culture has led to people not questioning these elements of the film.
“Watching abusive behavior romanticized in pop culture makes it more real and accepted as romantic when it actually happens in real life,” Zazon said.
Not only does the movie send a negative message to adults, but it’s also influencing young kids, most of whom probably aren’t mature enough to understand sex and consent yet. The #365dayschallenge went viral on TikTok, with the videos ranging from movie clips to pictures and videos joking about abusing women.
Movies like 365 Days are portraying violent and abusive men as charming and powerful, and it is teaching young girls and boys to do the same. It is teaching young girls that abusive tactics like those shown in pop culture are not only okay, but they are romantic and passionate.
Other movies like Fifty Shades of Grey have also been accused of glamourising violent sex and abusive relationships. The movie’s main character Anastasia Steele does give consent in all of the scenes, but it is questionable based on the fact that she’s only having sex because she’s in love. She is not doing it because she wants to.
Just like Massimo in 365 Days, Christian Grey in Fifty Shades of Grey was abusive but is being portrayed as powerful and romantic. And just like Massimo, Christian Grey was an attractive man so he can get away with it.
It is not just sexual abuse that is being glorified, but so is physical abuse. In HBO’s Euphoria, characters Maddy and Nate struggle with their abusive relationship throughout the series. The show features Nate choking and pushing Maddy, but she still takes him back every time.
And while the show demonstrates that Nate’s actions are not okay, many young girls still romanticize the abusive relationship on social media. Thousands of girls disregard the character’s previous actions, just because he’s attractive.
The pattern with all of these characters is that they all are good looking. This becomes problematic when young girls look up to these characters and become accustomed to these kinds of behaviors. This also makes young boys believe that these abusive behaviors are okay because women do not know better.
More than one-in-three women will experience rape, physical violence and/or stalking by a partner. And this mentality starts when these relationships are normalized in pop culture. We see these behaviors in TV shows and movies, and it eventually leads to the confusion of consent.
We need to stop glamorizing these kinds of relationships or else this cycle of violence against women will continue. And not having consent is considered an abuse of power and sexual violence. So even though it’s an uncomfortable conversation, make sure to have it. Otherwise, these tv show and movie events will become a reality.
Hannah Campbell is a freshman studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Do you agree? Tell Hannah by tweeting her at @hannahcmpbell.
