Sex is necessary for the continuation of a stable society, [human-on-human] violence is not.
Maintaining the status quo becomes more difficult if people get violent every time they disagree, both on an individual level, and on a societal level. Not only is it an ethical dilemma but it also causes more problems, which costs more time/money/effort, and overall is a greater threat to anyone who seeks to continue business as usual without any interference. Stability typically does not appreciate rule-breakers.
Regardless of any societal stigma surrounding sex, people can and will seek it out whenever and however they choose. Surely they must if a society is to continue. And although nudity in public form is usually frowned upon, I personally believe that overall society seems more open to talking about sex in all its forms than ever before. Increasingly references to it are found in music, television, movies, and even in everyday conversation.
The same is true for violence, the only difference being that members of a stable society ARE expected to engage in sexual activity whereas they are expected to NOT use violence. If they do choose to act violently they are in most cases acting outside the law, and therefore subject to punishment. The whole system of law (to me, at least) seems set up to prevent people from taking matters into their own hands (because that's a grey area that can get messy)..and instead encourages them to follow the rules based on the idea that if everyone does, everyone benefits.
So, if it is true that violent crimes are in general less common than in previous decades and/or centuries for various reasons...and if it is also true that the media fixates on violence as though such instances are more common than they really are...it seems to me that this fascination might be centered on the assumption that as humans we have an instinctive need for violence on some level.
I'm not asserting that assumption is true or not, mind you, but regardless...
If as citizens we are discouraged from acting violently in our own lives, perhaps it is thought that there is a need to have something with which to fill that gap. Whether it is fictionalized violence in movies/TV, or news of violence committed by others...indulging in either certainly seems less problematic than actually engaging in violent activity. Instead other more "acceptable" displays of aggression like sports and verbal harassment are encouraged as a way of acting out this hypothetical need for violence that we may or may not have.
In a lot of cases, the violence we see in TV/movies/video games seems to be glorifying the just, and villanizing the unjust. The same is true for news reports of crimes, where the victim is mourned for and the criminal is scorned. This might give the viewer the idea that violence is acceptable if it is for the sake of justice, but not acceptable if undertaken for any other reason. Such ideas would be beneficial to those in a position of power and authority for a couple reasons which start to veer off-topic...
But, if the media and/or the government were to actually encourage violence on any real level they would be making themselves more vulnerable in a number of ways. By proactively shaping our exposure to it, and simultaneously limiting the ways in which we can express it, they have a greater chance of protecting the status quo...and can make a quick buck on top of it.
Sex on the other hand...well I think its safe to say that regardless of what society, the media, or the government has to say about it...it doesn't make much difference to the individual. They will get it on however they see fit, even if it is considered deviant. I believe this is related to the fact that sex IS a basic human instinct, whereas I'm not entirely convinced that the same can be said for violence.
But who knows, I'm subject to the same propaganda that most others are, so I could have it all mixed up and not even know it.
EDIT: and just after I finished posting this I realized I had received an infraction for posting inappropriate images. Apparently a barely visible nipple and a bare ass cheek is considered pornographic, but felating bananas and jiggly-asses (as long as they are "covered" by thongs) is not. Lol rules.
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