When most people are looking for something to watch on Netflix they scroll through the newest TV shows or re-watch their favorite episodes of The Office, but for anyone looking to venture outside their normal habits Netflix recently added a new documentary. “Liberated: A New Sexual Revolution” is something all college students should watch because it honestly shows what hookup culture at college is like. If you’re someone that thinks everything documentary is boring or too long, this should convince you to give watching this one a try.
It shows the other side of spring break.
Sure, we all look forward to a week on the beach at a tropical resort as a way to forget the stress of papers and pop quizzes, but this film showed how important it is to be aware of what to expect when you arrive. For guys on spring break, the combination of alcohol, freedom and a seemingly endless array of pretty girls to choose from puts college women in an extremely vulnerable position. This documentary shows that firsthand and does not sugarcoat the outcome of a worst-case scenario.
It does not glorify, nor shame casual hookup culture but seeks to understand it.
Interviewing college students from across the country and even some international ones provided a completely accurate depiction of what it is like to try to date or form some sort of physical relationship among young adults. Without much probing by the filmmaker, it was clear that finding intimacy and actual affection in this modern world of hookups is near impossible and damaging when it often encourages people to treat a sexual encounter as just another exploit to brag about.
The women interviewed voiced the same fears we all have.
Hearing college-aged girls talk about their fears of something being put in their drink and the pressure to only want casual relationships in college is not isolated. It is something that we can all attest to when it comes to the college hook up culture. Having to put on a certain persona to attract guys and worry about their ulterior motives while simply trying to enjoy ourselves is a burden solely carried by women, and this film shows the unfairness of putting women through that constant struggle.
It doesn’t shy away from the fact that masculinity is a part of the problem.
The way the men are depicted encouraging one another to exploit women simply as a way to impress their friends was disgusting. Proving you’re “man enough” becomes the ultimate goal for these young men and they find the easiest way to do that is to violate, either through verbal harassment or worse, the autonomy of women, who they find to be easy, vulnerable targets. The worst part being that this behavior is so widely accepted and expected that it is nearly impossible for girls to escape some form of mistreatment.
It couldn’t be more timely.
It paints a portrait of the type of behavior, constantly being encouraged and promoted, that creates an environment centered around casual hookups which is more confusing, more complicated and riskier than the dating world of older generations. In light of the hundreds of stories coming to light of celebrities and everyday people alike enduring sexual abuse and a whole array of injustices, this film serves as a reminder that the problem is deeply rooted, and will take time to fix, though people continue to take strides to end sexual violence.