American Adolescence

Today’s discussions left me wondering about something.  We were discussing particular examples of media from our adolescence that we remember having served as memorable sources of potential “sexual socialization.”  The thought lingered in my mind, “What specific example from my adolescence stands out most in my mind whilst trying to answer the aforementioned question.  At first nothing significant came to mind, but later the question crept back into my head and my firsts thoughts were of the film American Pie.

I was in middle school when this film was released.  I can remember many of my friends and classmates talking about how “sweet” the movie was, the basis of this opinion resting primarily on the fact the we were all underage and the film was rated R, as well as the widely publicized news that Shannon Elizabeth and other girls get naked throughout the film.  I can’t say to what degree, if any, this played a part in shaping my own, or any other adolescent’s, notions of what constitutes normal or desirable sexual attitudes and behaviors.  However, it does serve as a great example upon which to apply principal themes of analyses from our studies, specifically those of Kim and others in the 2007 article entitled From Sex to Sexuality: Exposing the Heterosexual Script on Primetime Network Television.

The film follows a group of high-school boys nearing the end of their senior year.  They make a pact amongst themselves that each of them will lose their virginity by the end of their senior prom.  The shenanigans that follow are little adventures and mishaps they all experience in pursuit of their common goal.  Immediately, the theme of “Sex as Masculinity,” comes to mind.  The basis of the whole story essentially revolves around the idea that these boys are constantly obsessed with sex and willing to go to ridiculous lengths to have it.  Elements of female objectification are rampant throughout.  For the most part, all sexual situations in the film feature men as the sexual initiators or aggressors, while simultaneously portraying the female characters as sexual gatekeeper figures characteristic of the “Good Girl” code.  Additionally, elements of both “Masculine and Feminine Courting Strategies” are inherent throughout the majority of male-female interactions in this film (Kim et al., 2007).  The male characters employ a wide variety of behaviors, often devious, bold, or compassionate in nature, along the course of their exploits, while the female characters explore their newfound power over boys through provocative clothing and suggestive behavior or language.  Basic themes encompassed by both male and female commitment and homophobia codes can be observed as well.  The male character’s attitudes often reflect a lack of emotional attachment regarding sexual encounters.  Meanwhile we see the female characters reinforcing the usual attitudes that they require the intense devotion and monogamy that they aspire for in a relationship.  The homophobia related codes are sporadically dispersed throughout the film, many times assuming the form of Steve Stifler’s crude remarks.

This film and the following sequels paint a very detailed picture of the sexual experiences typical of late high school, then college, and so on.  Its primary sexual themes coincide with those discussed in class, however, it is unique in its portrayal of potentially embarrassing or painful sexual mishaps of confused adolescents, usually demonstrated by Jason Bigg's character, Jim and the awkward father son talks the inevitably follow.  The central themes of the films themselves revolve around these unfamiliar new experiences and the sticky situations that can arise along the way.  Assuming limited existing knowledge on the subject, any adolescent viewing the events of this film could arguably absorb any of the various sexual messages presented throughout.  In a way it almost functions as a guide or example for inexperienced and impressionable individuals, especially those approaching that time period in their lives.  The examples set forth by this film, just preceded my high school career, and I can confidently say that they definitely served as previews of the general events to expect in the future, however unlikely some might be.  Eventually, as I approached the end of my senior year of high school, the unfamiliar notion of what to expect from college and life afterwards began to set in, luckily I had the newest sequel to fill me in.