Negative Relationship in Media

Relationships in the media are warped and portrayed in negative ways. When was the last time you went to PerezHilton.com and saw him blogging about a healthy relationship. We talk about the power of the media and how celebrities have such a big influence on us. As the years progress, the ideas of monogamy and fidelity are being thrown away, sending a poor message to our youths.

First I wanted to point out the concept of fidelity in the media, or the lack there of. Celebrities, tabloids, and other forms of media make light of being faithful. Celebrities are exploited when they cheat and many tabloids make light of the situation. For example, Jon Gosselin from Jon and Kate Plus 8. Jon’s face is plastered over every tabloid magazine with a new girlfriend. He publicly humiliated himself by claiming his fame in a family industry and then completely going against the persona he had created. By him making the choice to publicly date, he is sending the message that he doesn’t care about his family and will due whatever he wants. He completely disregards the fact that his eight children are at home watching the television and reading the magazines that he is being featured in with someone other than their mother.

Another issue that negates the idea of positive relationship is the role of monogamy on television. Currently, the popular television shows consist of reality television. Many of the reality tv shows are of love and finding love. Although they are about finding one person, they create a completely negative standard. Shows such as Rock of Love, The Bachelor, and For the Love of Ray J depict a sense of polygamy. These shows portray one bachelor or bachelorette and a set of twenty suitors. The twenty suitors live in one house and go on a set of dates in order to win the suitors “love.” The contestants are competing for a relationship. The bachelor is seen kissing multiple women and some go as far as to sleep with the contestants.

The media portrays a negative idea of a relationship. How can our youth maintain healthy relationships when they are constantly surrounded by unhealthy ones?