Sex Sells: The Media's Journey from Repression to Obsession

by Rodger Streitmatter

In 1953 when Lucille Ball became pregnant, the censors required the characters on "I Love Lucy" to say only that the wacky redhead was "in the family way"-they feared the word "pregnant" might conjure up, in the minds of viewers, images of a man and woman having sexual intercourse. Now, some fifty years later, from giant billboards featuring nearly nude models in Times Square to Bill Clinton's creative definition of sex to Madonna and Britney's prime-time...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0813342481
• ISBN13: 9780813342481
• Release Date: September 2004
• Publisher: Westview Press
• Length: 283 Pages
• Weight: 1.20 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.4" x 9.4"

Customer Reviews

Amazing

So basically, this book, in addition to being factual, is also facinating. The information has helped me greatly and the whole book kept my attention for more than a week. A great find and a great read!

Sex Sells? I'll take 2 please.

I recently chose this book for an English paper in my Comp II class. Had I never had that assignment, I never would have read the book and I would have missed a lot. Streitmatter does an excellent job at taking an issue, sex in the media, that is generally looked down upon, and giving it a positive outlook. This book focuses on Americas exceptance and openess of sexuality, and the steps that took them there. From topics such as birth control, so sex in music and The Doors, and from Cosmo to Reality TV. Streitmatter covers them in a very educational way. All these things influenced what the media is today.

Streitmatter gets straight to the matter

This book is the final outcome of years of research and hard work... and using his students as guinea pigs for it. Streitmatter in this work, as in most of his writing, is insightful and presents facts in a tounge-in-cheek and humorous yet academic way so that you don't even realize that you are reading what some might use as a textbook. Read it to learn, read it for fun, but definitely read it.