I have a confession to make: “My Humps” is my favorite song of all time. Yes, I’m talking about the one by the Black Eyed Peas with Fergie singing about her “lovely lady lumps” and how she’s got all the guys “spending all [their] money on [her].” These aren’t the most witty or poetic rap lyrics, and AllMusic.com described the song as “one of the most embarrassing rap performances of the new millennium.” But before you laugh, you’ve got to admit it’s hard to resist the catchy chorus and seductive lyrics.

I’m not the only one who loves this song. Back when it was released in 2005, “My Humps” was a major hit and a top single on Billboard’s charts. It even won a Grammy for “Best Pop Performance”! The music video shows Fergie dancing erotically around jewelry, Louis Vuitton luggage and men, while seductively rubbing and flaunting her breasts and butt. She brags, “The boys they wanna sex me….Tryin’ a feel my hump hump, lookin’ at my lump lump.”

If we listen to what Fergie is saying and watch what she’s doing, she makes it clear that all any woman should want is to be wanted by others—in this case, by men. I get it. Beauty (in the form of barely-clad bodies) is appealing, which is why sexy female and male bodies are used in music videos and advertising. Who doesn’t want to be desired? But music videos, like “My Humps,” consistently show us a distorted view of sexuality, where women are just objects to be desired—like Louis Vuitton luggage—and where men are “pimps”!

But isn’t there so much more to sex? Teens need real information about sexuality and sexual health to counter images in the media that give us unrealistic ideas about sex and make us feel bad about our bodies.

Photoshopped Perfection

It’s not just music videos that are sending the same old message about beauty and sex. It is virtually impossible to go through one day without coming across a provocative magazine, poster or commercial with sex written all over it. Ads from Victoria’s Secret, Calvin Klein, Guess and even Nikon cameras show bare-naked images of stick-thin models. One leading fashion brand, French Connection United Kingdom, or FCUK (see the connection?), has even launched a commercial that begins with two women arguing and ends with them kissing. (How does this relate to clothing?)

Most of the information we get about what our bodies should look like come from advertisements. These ads glamorize ninety-pound women, some of whom miraculously have watermelon-sized breasts and J-Lo butts, and men with big, rock-hard biceps and gleaming abs of steel. And, in case you didn’t know, 99 percent of these ads are Photoshopped! They’re not even real! More importantly, they leave ordinary people feeling bad about their perfectly healthy and normal bodies.

If you think about it, these are even worse than cigarette ads—at least those have the surgeon general’s warning on them! These ads should say, in big, bold letters, “Caution: These images are fake and may induce low self-esteem.”

Hollywood Hype

Hollywood has also had its fair share of sexualized movies. Popular films such as Superbad, Wedding Crashers, Old School, and Forgetting Sarah Marshall depict sex as fun, cool and glamorous, but never show what it takes to be responsible with your sexual health—or the consequences, if you aren’t responsible, like teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).

Demand Better Sex Ed

From fashion to movies, Playboy to the restaurant Hooters, sex has been used to sell products for decades. You’ve heard it before: Sex sells. But while sex is busy selling, young people receive very little honest, accurate information about their bodies, STDs, pregnancy, birth control, sexual orientation, relationships and making decisions about whether they’re ready for sex. This is a major problem. Luckily, the solution is quite simple, and it begins with you.

Super-sexual images in the media, including the latest sexy music video, aren’t going to teach you about STDs, birth control or how to properly use a condom. But that doesn't mean you have to stay in the dark—get educated about sexual health! If your school doesn’t already have a comprehensive sex education program, demand one!

In the meantime, there's no need to wait for the information you need and deserve. Sexetc.org is a great place to start learning about sexuality today!