The word sex has long been used to interpret several different ideas/notions/ meanings/concepts. Some of which can be seen as contradictory. The first being the act of two people coming together physically to engage in sexual intercourse. The second is a way of separating and labeling organisms into two separate groups; male and female. Although these are varying interpretations, it can be agreed upon by all that sex plays a major role in the media today. Shame directed by Steve McQueen follows Brandon, a 30 year old advertising executive living in New York City who struggles on a daily basis to deal with his hidden sex addiction. The film Purple Rain directed by Albert Magnoli highlights "The Kid (Prince)" and the struggle of an aspiring singer to make it in the misc industry. He quickly learns that it requires more than pure talent to make a name for him. Like the word sex these two films follow very different story lines, but after further examination "The Kid" and Brandon struggle with similar issues; the power of sex and the control it can have on your everyday life.
Let's first take a look at the movie Shame. Brandon the main character in the movie is a successful guy but has a serious problem. He is a serious sex addict and it shows. Throughout the movie you can see that he has a problem. At work he is masturbating in the bathroom and watching porn on his computer. At home he is masturbating and watching porn on his computer. He is going out with women and he is always the one in control. He picks what he wants to do with these women sexually. He doesn't know when or even how to stop. In, "Purple Rain," Prince has issues as well. He struggles with abusive mental and physical behavior going on amongst his parents. He is also struggling trying to get his music career off the ground as well as dealing with the ups and downs of being in a relationship with a woman named Apollonia Kotero.