Assignment task:
As you watch "American Pie", I want you to consider the tone of the film in its discussion of different sexual behaviors. The movie shows a number of examples of coercive sexual behavior (sexual aggression, sexual harassment, post-refusal sexual persistence). Take note of each of these examples. For each of them, what is the attitude portrayed in the movie
towards these coercive sexual behaviors (disgust, amusement, acceptance, tolerance)? Remember that sexual harassment consists of 1) the abuse of power for sexual ends or 2) Creating a hostile environment. Post-refusal sexual persistence can consist of manipulation and deception, sexual arousal, exploitation of the intoxicated, or physical force to block someone's exit.
The question that I want you to consider for the paper is the following: Do we as a society treat some coercive sexuality as acceptable, or even desirable? In what way do the attitudes towards these mirrors the attitudes of our society in general?