Goals
Brief description of the issue
According to the UQAM professor and sexologist Francine Duquet, we are currently witnessing a normalization and an “outbidding” of sexuality through some media, and many are worrying about the impact it can have on a young audience. This hypersexualization often plays on gender stereotypes in order to bring girls and boys to consume various products (clothing, music, magazines, etc.). Yet, the showcased models, in addition to being sexualized, are hardly achievable by children and can therefore have a negative impact on their self-esteem. Hypersexualization is also very often talked about when thinking about dress codes in schools.
The documentary film Sexy Inc. Our Children Under Influence, produced by Sophie Bissonnette, analyzes the hypersexualization of our environment and the noxious effects this has on young people. Are our children being rushed into adulthood too quickly? Psychologists, teachers and school nurses criticize the unhealthy culture surrounding our children, where marketing and advertising are targeting younger and younger audiences and bombarding them with sexual and sexist images. Sexy Inc. suggests various ways of countering hypersexualization and the eroticization of childhood and invites us to rally against this worrying phenomenon.
The film can be viewed on the National Film Board’s website by clicking here.
A facilitation guide comes with the film that can be downloaded in the Documents section below.
This film can be a very good to kickstart a conversation around dress code, or when presenting the school’s dress code, especially if there are very specific rules in it. It might be better followed by students if they understand some of the issues underlying it.