I came in too late on this thread, but I just want to throw my two cents in. Most people hit it on the head with their responses, and there's nothing I really can say that hasn't been said in previous posts. But one thing I can say is, it really, really gets me mad when people make fun and call characters like Frodo and Sam/ Aragorn and Boromir/Legolas and Aragorn/Merry and Pippin/any LotR character gay. As stated, these people that say that have never known a true loving friendship. I can see where some people might crack a joke once in a blue moon at a Frodo and Sam scene. Whatever, life goes on. But to actually think that about these characters and be serious about it is ridiculous.
It's sad how it is here in the US, everyone was pretty accurate with the "Man Laws". Here, if you talk to your best friend on the phone for a while (of course this doesn't apply to a girl talking to a girl) people probably make fun or crack a joke. That's just one of the examples. People should learn from The Lord of the Rings and really get a deep understanding of friendship and the sacrifices that come along with it.
It is true that, at least in the US, sex is everywhere, and this is all teens (High Schoolers in particular) see. They are also growing and learning about all this sex stuff, so obviously it's gonna be on their mind often. Face it, it's on almost everybody's mind often. It may be the media, because all that is on TV is dating games with brainless women picking from 4 desperate guys in a van ...(just one of the examples
) It could also be plain old hormones, like someone previous had said, enhanced by all the sex on the media.
The whole situation is pretty sad.