Does the media promote certain social mores and lifestyles?

[Old's Cool]

Promote? Maybe.
I had a friend from college who had a gay relationship because he was in the theatre, and it was acceptable, if not promoted, that he "try it". He had to go into counseling. It messed him up.

[edith clarke]

Does the media "expose" people to different social mores and lifestyles-yes. It's hard to say whether the media promotes social mores/lifestyles, as the majority of the media is about entertainment-so it will often change drastically it's focus to get the public's attention and keep the public's interest. Of course, specific media groups are totally into promoting their social mores and lifestyles-such as political groups, religious groups, and some social groups. I think it's still too controversial for mainstream media groups to "promote" homosexuality. It's much more acceptable to promote nationalism and religious values, and mock/demonize gays as being sissies and sexual predators. In public school, anytime you want to diss someone, you just say they're being "so" gay.

btw: I've known lots of people who had sex with heterosexuals and even married them, as they were pressured into it and had to have years of therapy-because they'd spent a lifetime ignoring who they really were attracted to and loved.