I saw this t-shirt for sale in H&M yesterday.
The slogan is ‘Life is too short, have sex, be safe’. It made me quite mad actually. We live in a world where people don’t like others’ beliefs rammed down their throats and here was I quite innocently going about my business when I was confronted with this ‘world view’ emblazoned in front of my eyes. According to the media (including t-shirts) one of the most important things you need to be doing to be fulfilled is to be having sex.
I think this is wrong. I see that many of the world’s problems (family breakdown, poor mental health, substance misuse, abortion, disease) have a strong link to people having sex or not having it when they believe they should be having it. I believe that we are designed to share sex with just one person. When you go against this design then there are negative consequences.
As a youthworker it is wrong for me to force my beliefs onto the young people I work with. Fair enough. But what frustrates me is that through music, TV, film, clothing, magazines, radio etc. young people are forced to absorb the value that they must have sex as much as possible yet nobody seems to care. Nobody actually does anything about the influence of the media on vulnerable minds. Just take all the stripping, sex obsessed acts that were paraded on ‘wholesome family entertainment show’ Britain’s Got Talent as a prime example.
What really shocked me, as I searched for an image of the t-shirt, is that the t-shirt is part of a range that is meant to be fighting AIDS! Don’t get me wrong, I understand people will have sex and need to be constantly reminded to make sure they are safe. However, the slogan on this t-shirt has got it all wrong and definitely gives out the message – life is too short to worry about consequences and responsibility, just make sure you have loads of sex (and while you’re busy at it try and stay safe).
nathan the alien 