|
5 October 2005
Hollywood Movies Anything But Healthy 
Now pay attention 007, here's your exploding pen, your cufflink camera and laser beam tie clip, oh, and let's not forget a supply of condoms. We've never seen condoms included on the super-spy's equipment list and that's just the problem, say Australian health experts who have slammed the movie industry for its depictions of unsafe sex and drug abuse. The researchers, led by Dr Hasantha Gunasekera from the University of Sydney, compiled their study by examining 87 of the most popular films from the past 20 years. The study, appearing in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, identified repeated scenes of unprotected sex, drug use, smoking and alcohol abuse in popular films. The authors criticized film makers for depicting unhealthy behavior without mentioning the potential consequences. James Bond was mentioned as a particularly bad example, with the researchers finding that he had three sexual encounters in the film "Die Another Day" in which condoms and birth control were not referred to at all. The thriller "Basic Instinct" also rated poorly, with six sex scenes without a suggestion of condoms or birth control, while "American Pie 2" contained seven unsafe sex scenes. The only negative consequence mentioned was social embarrassment. Only one movie, "Pretty Woman", suggested condom use. The researchers said that drug use in movies was often treated with levity, with scenes involving cannabis not depicting any negative consequences at all and many portraying the drug as positive. "The most popular movies of the last two decades often show normative depictions of negative health behaviors," the researchers said. "The motion picture industry should be encouraged to depict safer sex practices and the real consequences of unprotected sex and illicit drug use." Source: AFP
Talk About This Article In The Forum...
|
