Sex and nudity are ABSOLUTELY FINE as long as it contributes to the narrative and makes sense within the story. Like if you want to show that the two main leads are very much in love, maybe adding a little scene of them getting frisky will be cool. The problem is when they overdo it to a gratuitous level. Then it gets kinda annoying and weird. Also doesn't help the fact that some directors force actors and actresses to strip down in front of the camera despite the actors discomfort. Edit: Also yes, I'm in my celibacy area.
idk but the problem I see with sex scenes/I have with them, is a) when the 'sex sells' aspect makes the plot secondary and you KNOW it's just there bc "oh look, boobs" b) 'nudity' often just referring to the female characters, including sex scenes that essentially only show the woman's body c) violence against women being sexualized, even when the context is non-sexual, but also of course those lovingly-lingering shots on the body of women experiencing sexual violence (though of course, I think it's impossible to film violence against women in a way that some misogynist won't get off to, but yk) d) we still today have actresses come forward to talk about how uncomfortable they were during sex scenes, how pressured they felt or even how they were lied to. e) violence against women doesn't need as high a rating as showing female pleasure does??? f) a lot of sex scenes...are not filmed well? There should be a difference in filming quality between a hollywood movie and random amateur porn Basically sex scenes themselves are fine but they don't exist in a vacuum, there needs to be more done about the safety of (everyone but especially) women involved (and an awareness of existing power dynamics). Nor should they exist just to glorify violence against women or for the objectification of women. Also, there are absolutely ways to incorporate sex scenes and nudity in ways that are plot and/or character relevant. And ngl, these tend to be way more watchable and even memorable. ALSO also, sometimes a few tasteful shots can be way sexier and more intimate than a full-frontal sex scene.
I totally agree that sometimes the sex scene does add to the story. SOMETIMES. It seems like some people in the positions of power (such as directors) like to use and abuse their crew to live out some dirty fantasies vicariously through their work and THAT is the problem. This is also a problem in the adult industry too. Otherwise I am more than happy to watch them knowing that it was all consensual for everyone involved + especially if it does drive the plot forward.
Nudity and sex in animated media is less disturbing to me than live action. Knowing that was an actual person, and the possibility of exploitation is very disturbing. Feminism in Hollywood is especially important, and I think actors of all genders would benefit from a safer and more fun environment 💪💪.
It's a storytelling device just like graphic violence and gore. If you know how to use them, they'll enhance your story. If you don't, then they won't.
a good example is sense8 or hannibal! in sense8 sex is the moment where everyone in the cluster is completely united in every sense (plus it looks like art, it's really well shot). in hannibal the one scene in s2 is a foreshadow for the relationships that will form in s3 and how they all influence one another even during such intimate settings even if they aren't together
Agreed!! 1. It removes the awkwardness of having to watch a s3x scene/“questionable” scene with your parents. 2. It would greatly reduce the risk of your parents walking in during the one “inappropriate” scene in the movie.
But you can skip them? And I understand if it's uncomfortable to watch for you, but imagine a murder scene, maybe you don't mind watching it but someone else does, should there be a skip option for that scene as well? I feel like if you don't like some type of scene you shouldn't watch that movie or show and watch something you can actually enjoy
@@Lucia-ct2sj A lot of movies do not mention that there will be nudity or sex scenes present at all, so the whole ''don't watch it!" hold no ground. I myself have watched many teen shows that suddenly show nudity when it was mentioned nowhere at all, unless you go look up specific reviews several weeks after the movies release. Murder however is usually warned before hand or hugely expected as those movies are ALWAYS tagged with ''thriller'' or ''horror'' or ''grotesque'' type of tags. Movies with sex or nudity are just in the teen category, or romance category a LOT of the time. Nowadays a lot of teen content also gets insanely sexualized, which it already was (pretty little liars), but more openly now. A lot of teens don't expect to see it, and some watch it with their parents as it is just shown to be for teens. I myself never cared about sex scenes, but it is undeniable that it is becoming over-done to the max and never has warnings. A lot of people even called out Euphoria for more so being relatable to college students and not highschoolers, and literally showing 1 of the girls who is insecure because she is fat, go into kinks and make calls with p*do's! The movie Heartstopper even had a chunk of people hating on the movie saying it was TOO ''PG" for NOT showing sex between teenagers because it ''is always part of teens exploration'', completely ignoring the fact that not all teens immeidately jump into sex, asexuals existing, or a movie for teens just not wanting to show it and focus on acceptance of once sexuality. People genuinely get mad for there NOT being sex in teens movies at this point, which is harmful as so many people already get shamed for being virgins at the age of 18 or up. Which is sad as the age of losing ones virginity has been going UP in many countries. Sex is fine, IF it is important for the plot line and appropiate. It is definitely not a necessity, and it is impossible to skip for many because there are rarely any warnings at all. For teens who watch with their parents, it naturally isnt something easy to skip when neither of you know its there, whilst murder is something one can expect just from seeing the genre ''Thriller'' or ''Horror''.
@@yulana990 On Common Sense Media, they have lists of movies/shows to see if they show any form of nudity/alcohol/drugs/etc :), so I just use that beforehand (gore makes me feel icky, so that’s why lol). But yes, I agree they should put a warning in at least the info part of a movie or show.
Every time I went to the movies with my family I had to check IMDb for content warnings. Nothing more humiliating than watching a prolonged sex scene in a crowd. It’s so friggen awkward and makes everyone fidget uncomfortably waiting for it to end.
I wish I had done that. I went to see the first Deadpool movie with my best friend…AND MY DAD. We were all adults but I had no idea what Deadpool really was before seeing it and the beginning of the movie was so awkward 💀
@@mondlichts2064 I’m pretty sure most people will agree with me that watching a sex scene with your parents is awkward but watching something violent is not awkward. It can be shocking, sure, but not awkward.
@@VioletRaven. violence is perceived as shocking, and sex is perceived as taboo, in a western society that views nudity as something to be shameful about (thats why we wear clothes, mostly).
yeah, I uh, made the mistake of going to Matrix II with my mom in the theater when it came out and she's a very prudish fundie so of course when the Neo/Trinity sex scene and accompanying orgy came on--it was some of the most AWKWARD minutes I've had in a theater!
5:56 A fact about the Hays Code: It was so strict that married characters can not be shown lying in bed together fully clothed and had to be in separate beds. Overall, Hollywood self-imposed the Haze Code on themselves to avoid the government doing it first and it’s the reason why queer-coded villains was a thing.
@@isidoooora As Lightbowimo said, queer people were not allowed to be shown on screen in an explicitly positive manner, but queer characters being shown as evil or getting killed (the bury your gays trope) was perfectly fine as anything queer was punished
i just find it disturbing that so many teen shows (like euphoria) that try to depict teens in an overly sexual or straight up nude way. i get that promiscuity can be part of a storyline or even sexual trauma but at least don’t make me watch it every 5 minutes when the character is literally supposed to be underage.
Sam Levinson seems like a _huge_ creep to me. Like, casting a 🌽 actress in your show because she played an underage character _you wrote_ in an adult parody (which you totally just happened to find by accident) is not normal. No hate to the actress herself, but that’s _weird._ Plus every time I see him his dead-eyed stare creeps me tf out 💀
Also in the first episode, the (teen) characters literally shame a 16 year old character (I think Kat? Or maybe Rue?) for not having sex like??? Not every teen has sex and that’s okay I think it can potentially be harmful to have sex scenes in every teenage show since it kinda sends the message that you have to have sex as a teenager to be normal/cool
the phrase “reinstating the hays code” is crazy to me bc i did a whole project on it last year and obviously it was rly homophobic and racist (ik that’s not what they mean but still weird lol)
yeah, i see people advocating for bringing back heavy censorship rules for media like the Hays Code or the Comics Code and i just don't get it. heavy censorship is never a good thing, as it walks all over people's right to free speech with minorities and marginalized people getting it the worst. not only do these codes not allow for creatives and artists to authentically represent themselves and create art they can be truly proud of, but it also greatly restricts what stories are allowed to be told. heavy handed censorship is a big no from me, especially in creative fields! the fact that someone would actually suggest reinstating the Hays Code because they think sex scenes are icky is wild.
The term phobia of homosexuals is new naturally you will not find at that time anyone who supports these homosexual relationships and even now there are people who do not accept the existence of this type of relationship
they can literally say after a scene "and they had sex that night" or "they did" or tell us what happened but they want us to see everything, and I always wonder if they want to give more reality so also show when they go to the bathroom and poop, they are unnecessary things.
FR THO ITS SO DISGUSTING euphoria, big mouth, and other shows like tht need to become lost media and the ppl who made it need to go to jail for a longgg time
ok but what if you're telling a coming of age story where a teenager explores their sexuality? these are important stories about universal experiences. the correct way to do this is have adult actors play teenagers, ie sex education, pen15. if it's not harming actual children why the moral outrage? again, people write these stories because this is actual stuff teenagers go through
@@simoneglasgow5187 probably because grown men get off to this stuff and the idea of having a minor character doing these on screen understandably get uncomfortable
im asexual so i dont care all too much about sex scenes, but yeah sometimes it does add to the plot. and imo it would be worse for media to be censored than for it to be exceedingly sexy. (i also possess a magical tool called fast forward)
Yeah, I feel the same too. There’s a balance to everything, and I can always find the important plot relevant dialogue during sex scenes online or a summary of the whole episode to get the part I missed if I do fast forward or skip it.
I'm definitely in the 'graphic sex scenes make me uncomfortable' camp. However, my advice to fellow prudes is just to check content warnings online. Really solves the whole issue
It’s hard to find reliable ones sometimes. Common Sense Media will sometimes forget to mention when and where sex scenes are present in shows, and you only get to know if somebody HAPPENS to comment below their “official” report.
Or, just don’t watch live action adult movies ever! Problem solved! And you also get the satisfaction of not watching awful movies! (All adult live action movies suck)
For me, nudity in itself is not sexual, because it just isn't, we're all born naked. But bodys have been sexualized so much that nudity is automatically conflated with sex. Growing up, I realized that in French or more independent movies, nudity didn't feel as scandalous because people showed themselves naked outside of sexual settings, different than what Hollywood does, where skin always means something sexual. Some people say, sex scenes in romantic movies or which further the plot are fine, but over the years, I realized how inflationarily such scenes where included into movies of all sorts and often are supposed to represent the characters' interest in each other or love or whatever. Especially as an asexual person, I see this as an unfortunate development because we are taught love and affection is mostly shown through sex. Two characters' connection is only real once they've had sex. Seriously? What kind of message is that? It's usually exploitation of some sort, and rarely anything more than that. Sometimes less is more.
Yeah, it seems to be a vicious circle. Nudity = sex, and sex is age restricted, so if they want to keep a certain rating, they're limited to a certain amount of nudity. And if there's this limit, they're certainly not gonna waste it on non-sexual nudity, amirite???? ehh. So, to be fair, there should be *more* nudity - non-sexual nudity. It always feels so refreshing to see it.
Im German and yeah sometimes in a German movie someone just has their tits out, sometimes you even see genitals but no one gives a shit I'm ace too and I totally agree with ur points
totally agree, bodies aren’t sexual, and sometimes even literal sex scenes don’t feel like that because of the way the bodies aren’t sexualized by the camera, so it’s possible to include spicy times while being relevant to the plot and not dehumanizing the actors
I think it depends on context, romance movies? I think it's fine. But for some reason so many horror movies have the most unnecessary sex scenes ever... When i'm watching a horror movie I wanna see a weird looking creature, not butts and wiggling
this is such a great point!! I love watching horror from the 70s-80s and there is an expectation that teenagers will always have sex at some point. I just like the monsters man 😭
In defense of some horror films (emphasis on some here a lot of horror films are just horn dogs) sex is used as a way to show the characters in a vulnerable way to juxtapose against when they get attacked. Unfortunately it then just became a marketing tool for teen boys and every film had to have at least one scene shoved in there along with multiple topless ones lol
They can definitely add to the movie though. Think about the sex scene in Jennifer's Body for example. It was an artistic choice to show the contrast between what Jennifer and Anita are going through at the time. Or at least that's how I interpret it. It definitely wasn't like, a full on sex scene, but it was a depiction of sex.
I do really hate the amount of sex scenes in literal teen shows. Like uno its a lot of underage people watching it and they get the image that you're not normal if you didn't get laid yet by 17. I found it really disturbing to see characters younger than me act as if sex was the only thing that mattered to them. Thry act as if any teenager is a sexcrazed beast, while i know more virgins than people who've actually had sex. Also, as someone who used to watch a lot of K-drama's and then USA series, I remember how shocked I was when I saw tits and a$$ onscreen. There are sex scenes in Korean movies, they are just more heartfelt and less forced upon the viewer. Why cant the American industry take notes?
That's such a good point about K drama and other East Asian media that I've been exposed too. I usually feel a real connection between there characters much more so from their story telling than American story telling, so when the characters do have sex, all I need is a bit of kissing, a shirt off, and a bed to indicate where this is going. I'm far more satisfied for the characters and the development of their relationship than I am with American characters knowing each other for all of a hot minute, aggressively attacking each other with their mouths, baring all, and proceeding to smooth their parts together in slow motion. It actually feels meaningless at this point.
Personally I wouldn't mind sex scenes at all if there was an option to automatically skip them when I'm watching with my parents caus it ends up being way too awkward
@@negligible_reality skipping manually is a pain in the butt. I always either skip too little or too much. also, you don’t always anticipate a sex scene coming up. I think that a skip popup would be a godsend for people who would use it, but would take people that don’t care out of the moment, which can be very annoying.
@karessa lew well someone brought something up under another thread which you'd have to take into consideration. sometimes during smeze scenes there's important dialogue. for example: one character has a secret the other doesn't know about and mid smeze scene character 1 tells character 2 the secret they've been hiding. it would be confusing to skip over that and then in the next episode see them being cold and mean to eachother. it'd be like listening to a song for the first time and accidently skipping to the chorus.
i'm asexual, and sex scenes are just kinda awkward for me to watch with other people, but i think that's how it is with everyone. like, usually if I'm watching it by myself I'll skip ahead because ethere's really no point in watching it, but if i feel like it will add to the plot in some way, then I'll watch it. but sometimes i wonder if people actually watching those scenes (if you know what I'm saying) when I'm watching it with others, and that kind of makes me uncomfy tbh
ace gang 💪💪 I agree, it depends on the movie itself and usually I just skip it. I also think websites having information about the media is very useful and can even help prepare for that scene, or can give you an educated decision when selecting a movie to watch with others.
@@ViVi-ev2cn yeah i agree with when you said that they should have something to help us prepare for it, because if it just kind of jumps out it can be a bit jarring if it's out of no where
Totally. I usually just skip over it too, and if I'm watching with other people I will just focus on something else. If it really bothers someone there are websites that can tell you when it happens and you can put in headphones or something.
The main thing I've been loved in kdrama is that they don't have so much sex in there and I like more.. clean romantic stories but nowadays kdramas become more bold (And i think it still looks more appropriate than in many western series) omg my language is so bad im sorry
So true! Even when Asian dramas have sex scenes… they’re really non-explicit and tasteful (usually). I feel like that’s the happy medium more shows and movies should aim for. You can still have the sexiness but not have it be gratuitous and exploitative.
The first time I saw someone kiss for real in an Asian drama not like that weird kiss they used to do where the lips touch but no one moves, I was so blown away lol
Came her to say it, since I started watching K-drama, I noticed how American tv shows are obsessed with sex and most relationships are based of sexual attraction only. Like the main love characters meet and then declare they love each other after spending two days and get to sex immediately. Whereas, in K-Drama, you actually see characters love development and it’s built off emotional attraction not sexual, so even if they just touch hands, it’s much more sensual than a sex scene with nudity.
I feel the same way. Like…I just watched The Glory and I was watching with my twelve year old sister and we were met with boobs with no warning 🥲 it’s definitely the Kdramas that are created for Netflix in mind that are like this. There are still all lot of recent dramas that are made by Korean broadcasters that aren’t like that.
I have my own issues with sex, so I avoid most sex scenes all together, especially rape. It's almost never necessary to the plot and takes me out of the story I was invested in. I avoided shows like Game of Thrones because from what I saw, that's what most of it was. It's sad cause I've actually heard GOT is a great show but I personally can't handle all the sex scenes. That being said, people can watch what they want, people can make what they want. We don't need to ban sex scenes all together but I think we could tone it down a bit. Thanks for talking about this. ♥
I agree. Sex scenes rarely add anything to the plot of a movie or show and are often gratuitous for no reason. I think I can count on one hand the number of shows/movies I’ve seen with sex scenes that ACTUALLY added to the plot
I absolutely can't watch rape scenes, hate them so much!! And nowadays it's not uncommon that sex scenes are vulgar and explicit and done with the intention to be arousing (even though it's not 18+ movies), makes me uncomfortable, even if it has to be a part of the story it could be more subtle... Also why do they have to be in soo many movies and series? Another related thing is that promiscuity, casual sex or cheating are so common in movies, these things have an influence on people, I don't believe that they don't, especially young people, so why don't we think more about which values are being taught through media?
@@romancandleofthewild sex can be seen as narrative cohesion but it's mostly rather used as a appeal for fantasy or visuals element of the film rather than a plot device. Sex doesn't always have to be a strictly only "plot device" of the film, it just honestly depends on the context of the film. Nevertheless, if you're not comfortable with sex scenes than you can always skip it or fast forward towards it or just ignore it
@@deadcorpse69 honestly you’re right. There can be a lot of aesthetic appeal to a sex scene and it can add to the atmosphere of a movie. I guess I just want sex scenes to serve some purpose? I recently watched X and the sex scenes in that were really well done and integral to the film. I think if sex scenes similarly to any element of a film that just seems out of place and unnecessary.
It's interesting to me that a common argument is that we don't need to include a sex scene, just cut from the moment before to them buttoning up their shirts or whatever, but I don't think I've ever seen the same argument used regarding violence. We don't actually need to see someone pull a trigger. We can see them holding a gun and then cut to them walking away from the other person lying on the ground. You still know it happened even if you don't see it, but I never see the argument used that all films and shows should do that unless they absolutely HAVE to show the actual violence. Why is that? Why are people so.much more okay with seeing graphic violence than even farely tame depictions of a normal, harmless thing that people do every day?
Because this is the topic. I'm sure if you go to parenting sites you'll find what you see. I sure have seen that. More parents specifically are targeting overly violet content, especially videogames. I think what happens is that violence as shown in movies (like war or superheroes) is just very out of reach, it seems very far from our every day lives. On the other hand, sex is right in our phones, all day every day. So it seems appropriate to discuss it more
@@wendyheatherwood Kind of a stupid question. Most the time violence actually drives the plot forward. What benefit do sex scenes have besides getting the viewers to masturbate?
Honestly, in the majority of cases based on what I've seen, I think it's much more impactful in a way that contributes to the story when sex is eluded to rather than outright shown. When it's done with consideration, it depicts not only the physical but emotional intimacy and connection between characters really well.
i'm a sex repulsed asexual so sex scenes are a big no-no for me and i always skip those scenes because it makes me feel terrible and i find it disgusting lol. i'd love to have an option to just skip those scenes like intros in netflix shows
I think sex scenes or other things like violence shouldn’t be used because you want them in the media, use them to actually contribute to the plot, you know?
Exactly. I don't care for sex scenes, but if the sex scene is important and it's filmed well, I don't care. But most sex scenes are garbage and serve no purpose in the story.
I disagree. This is an opinion I used to have. But now, I believe that it is more at the artist liking. If a filmmaker want to have a sx scene that has no attachment to the general plot, it is his artistic choice. In the end, and no matter how many people get upset hearing it, sex can be an aesthetic element and nothing more than that. (Not just a plot device.) And that's fine if some people don't like it. But it is still a valid artistic choice.
@@Screenfunfacts Dude I agree so much. I used to watch a lot of French films and those guys love sex scenes, but they usually didn't contribute to the plot as much as they contributed to the aesthetic. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't. It's a carefully crafted piece of art and if the artist thinks a sex scene or two is needed then go for it man
@@Screenfunfacts An artist has the freedom to choose to do whatever they want with their creation. But if they choose to sacrifice narrative cohesion for fulfilling their own fantasies, then they shouldn’t get mad when people say their narrative isn’t cohesive.
Bringing back the haze code kind of reminds me of the sailor moon censorship where two girls were obviously a couple but in the English version they decided to replace it as them being cousins! And we’d have lines like “I’m so lucky that you’re my cousin”😭💀 like please
I agree with the whole "actor/actress being uncomfortable doing these scenes" part so much, especially since some writers have made their actors do some of these things (*cough* Sam Levinson...) Slightly related, and this has happened in the romance genre, but I hate the trope of "sex fixes trauma" trope, especially when character is shown to have past trauma related to sex/SA. I forgot the name of this movie I had seen, but the male character was acting really abusive towards the woman they were with, he said he had childhood trauma (which doesn't excuse his abuse), and instead of going to therapy, he has sex with this woman and suddenly his trauma/PTSD is ~magically cured~
There’s def huge pressure to not complain or say no for fear of a bad reputation in Hollywood. Without intimacy coordinators, closed set sex scenes can be really hard to film and many actresses have to adopt the, “open your legs and think of Britain” mindset which really sucks. It is actually hard to film them - speaking as an actor. It’s usually not directed to be an honest form of plot and character development but titillating thus the pressure and discomfort is there
I think a majority of the time, sex scenes are VERY unneeded. Like a characters best friend all of the sudden getting it on with their best friends bf. It's unneeded and it pisses me off.
im hypersexual and sex scenes make me uncomfortable. could be because i'm gay, or because i'm sexually frustrated and other things.... my point is, i'm wayyyyyyy into sex but sex in movies still feel really weird to me. it's like, am i supposed to get turned on now? am i only allowed to view this artistically? what do i do? and seeing it with someone else just makes it even worse but i have a social phobia so whatever
i feel you, difference being that i don't get uncomfortable watching by msf. another thing that bothers me is: okay, let's assume they want us to be turned on. but if you get me horny, no way i'll be ok with just going back to normal mode after two minutes. like, wtf. now you better give me thirty minutes of that, otherwise i'll just be FRUSTRATED and not pay attention to your story. same happens with books, but book sex (made to be sexy, not for the story) is almost always boring, when not funny or disgusting. actually, that's the same motive why i don't mind watching sex scenes. they won't get me horny when they're so ??? so it's like any other thing on the screen to me (all of that is assuming they serve nothing to the story).
Exactly, I remember watching American wolf in London with my bf and his mate, at one point in the movie there is actual full on porn in a porn theatre, I had to sit with my bf and his mate watching porn, it literally had nothing to do with the movie, they could've been in the theatre without it panning to the porn, but boobs and ass. I'm quite insecure about my body too so watching my boyfriend watch that just makes me feel gross, he knows it makes me uncomfortable and doesn't care to look anyway but it still annoys me, especially when a movie seems alright and they gotta go cheapen it
I’ve been thinking too. I don’t mind sexual content sometimes. If I feel like it I actively go looking for it, but when I’m watching a movie or reading a book I’m definitely not in the mood for that so I don’t think I would ever be okay with seeing a sex scene unprompted. And I’ve read it in a book too where I have to go back to a normal scene and had to put the book down to process what I read, so I feel like there’s no point in making it graphic enough to make the audience feel something.
This is a great and timely video! I have no problems with sex scenes, sexual themes, or sexual content in TV or film, but I understand we all have different things we're comfortable with. I hope media with possibly disturbing or obscene content are labeled in a way where people can choose whether or not they want to view it instead of being surprised or caught off guard by it. I also find a lot of Americans fascination with wanting to ban or restrict nudity and sex interesting, but rarely does this same conversation (with the same depth) happen with gore, blood, or extreme violence. I think it still shows how conservative of a country the US is overall when it comes to sex and nudity and this is not going to change overnight.
I think it has to do with how violence is tied to the story more often than sex scenes are. there are genres that wouldn't be the same without the gory, scary, and jarring nature of violence. and that's what the viewers sign up for when they agree to watch a scary movie, or crime show. sex scenes and nudity on the other hand are mostly intrusive and unnecessary, often given more importance than is werented in the media they show up in. sure, some people have a problem with violence, and that's fine, and most times it's easy to steer clear of it in extreme forms by not watching certain genres. the same can't be said for those who don't like sex scenes, cuz you can find them in pretty much any genre, sometimes even without warning
@@septanine5936 - I don't know if I necessarily agree with that. I think violence is something many people from the US are desensitized to, so even when there's gratuitous violence and unnecessary plotlines with heavy violence, I think people in the US (and possibly other countries, but I can only speak to the US) tend to complain about it less because there's always some other justification for it whereas sex is still seen as a taboo topic that has less justifications for being present in media. I would argue both are definitely a part of life and both can be present in media that portray life in unnecessary or appropriate amounts, but just like how you justified why over the top violence is needed in some genres or some media to "complete the story" rarely do I see that justification for sex, even if it is relevant to the plot. The US's fascination with violence always perplexed me. Some people rather see someone bleeding out from a gunshot than a nipple and I just don't see why one is more graphic than the other.
I prefer less intense sex scenes tbh, I hate when I’m chillin watching a show then 2 characters practically make a prono on screen, just keep it short and sweet to further the plot please
What definitely matters most is the actors consent and comfortability. Second is, [personally] graphic gRape scenes are absolutely unnecessary and can always be implied/portrayed in different ways that are just better for general audiences.
I hate sex scenes in shows, it just makes me feel so uncomfortable. I feel like I'm not supposed to be there and it just makes me cringe to an intolerable level. Im not trying to watch porn :(
Same I absolutely hate it lmao. ESPECIALLY when watching with family. I like it more when they just show foreplay and imply it it gets the point across. If I wanted to watch porn I’d go watch porn, I don’t need it in the movie I’m watching with friends, family, or even alone lol
Saaaame idk how people keep excusing it, like, there's so many ways to tell a story without showing anything, you can just imply it or smth, I've seen so many movies and shows that do it, and get the point across without freaking traumatising me, so idk in what way it would contribute to the plot, I seriously don't understand, and the worst part is that they're literally EVERYWHERE, and I can't watch anything anymore because it is in everything
@@tamm3710 I mean idk that's kinda like saying you should make a movie without swearing cause it makes you ucnomfy. I think it's okay if it's done in a healthy way and has relevance to the plot or the interpersonal relationship between characters.
@@gabrielgray2345 There are sooooo many movies and shows that over use swearing to a laughable degree. I love my sentence embellishments lol but damn, who uses “fuck” 10 times in one sentence? Apparently everyone under the age of 40 according to poorly made straight to streaming movies and shows lol.
Yeah I feel like it’s never really necessary. You can show that people have had sex without filming it directly. To me, it’s only acceptable when it’s a few seconds of the characters just doing a quickie and it wouldn’t fit with their personalities/ plot to talk ab it later.
"Criticizing the oversexualization of women and children in media is not being puritanical. I hate that people will simplify the argument to that and dismiss the actual issue being acknowledged" From another commenter It's not that we don't want sex scene, it's that we want sex scene with chemistry, with respect, with sensuality, with consent, with love between the character. Not violent, disrespect, non-consenual, basically torture p*rn 🤬
And can we have sex scenes from only characters who are considered old enough to consent? I cannot stand all of the underage team sexualisation. It really bugs me.
@@shireads2954exactly. it is so disgusting how many “teen shows” are like this. I don’t understand why these Ricerdale or Euphoria type shows can’t take place in a college setting when the characters are actually old enough, especially when these plot lines literally do not make sense in a high school context.
I think this issue is pretty layered. I think Americans are very puritan in thought when it comes to sex in film compared to things like violence. Both can be gratuitous and uncomfortable yet we only really complain about sex despite it being a more natural, common, part of life. Obviously, I’m not saying violence doesn’t happen, but the level of violence we’re constantly shown in TV and film is not normal in day to day life yet we don’t bat an eye at it. However, I think what puts Americans off to sex and nudity is that it’s used pretty frivolously in media and often disrupts the flow of what you’re watching. It’s like American screenwriters are incapable of building relationships in film without sex scenes (and often don’t develop the relationship at all in their race to get to the sex scene). It often feels like we’re stopping the plot to have sex. I’ve seen some amazing media here where it’s obvious that the sex scenes are adding value and providing context and character building but I feel like that’s not always the case. You can make the same argument against violence, but again, Americans are desensitized to that, so violence being gratuitous is better tolerated. I don’t think sex scenes being included is bad but there is also an actor and an industry behind them to consider. It’s not great ethically that actors may feel pressured to be naked or they won’t get work for certain types of movies or shows, especially the way American media frames sex, and even more so with the way the industry treats women. I think sex and nudity are shown in more organic ways with less sexualized framing in other countries so that may be why it tends to be better tolerated in foreign films. I don’t think sex and nudity are bad or something we should necessarily see less but I think the way that it’s framed in American media needs to change a bit.
This. As an foreigner, I have the pungent feeling that Americans tend to act as if they are the norm, the standard in the western world, when in fact they are not at all. "American Puritanism" is a common saying in my country, because Puritanism is just so connected with America in our minds.
I think its okay when it is ACTUALLY RELEVANT to the story. And then, it should be filled with intimacy and love. The problem is that most movies just go from "a wave and smile while walking past each other" to "rawdogging each other with no respect or human decency". As a man, i would love to see the men ACTUALLY put in effort and do the bare minimum before. It is not hot AT ALL!!!! Edit: Yuhhh im in my celibacy era.
what movies are you watching?? like, genuinely not being sarcastic, what recent movies have graphic sex scenes between characters that just met? everybody's talking about this like the film industry is one more exposed boob away from being hardcore porn, but i feel like outside of a couple of hbo shows (most of which were mentioned in this video) movies have never been less horny. if you watch movies from like the 70s and 80s there were sweaty sex scenes left and right, but nowadays i honestly can't remember the last new movie i saw that had gratuitous nudity that wasn't played for laughs. everything feels very sterile.
@@friday13thirteenyeah I don't get that everyone says it's worse now but I disagree, I haven't watched the teen dramas last one I did was riverdale although they sexualise "teenagers" which is gross they've not gone far enough to show anything full on, I'd like to know what people are talking about. My bf likes to act like the 80s had more respect but over the past few years I've pointed out how grotesque a lot of them are. There was a director who literally said "women on screen should be naked or dead, ideally both" after I heard that I have no respect for any movie with sex scenes unless it clearly isn't meant to be borderline porn
in terms of fictional media rather than adult content or anything, i see a lot of "it's fine if it contributes to the plot" in these comments, but i feel like that's an easy POSITION to take rather than being practical advice. like, easier said than done. how do we define something that contributes to the plot? movies and shows aren't just a series of plot points strung together, there are "unnecessary" moments that still inform the way the audience sees the world and the characters. some shows are quite literally based on the idea of a status quo that almost never changes. sex scenes are just as much a type of romance scene as pining scenes, or dating scenes, or break up scenes. they can be deeply impactful to a story, or they can not be. trying to police this kind of thing in terms of "necessary" feels like a very slippery slope. and then there's stuff about how it's linked to exploitation, especially for women. this is true, obviously, but at the same time i feel like it's another side effect of a wider problem rather than the root cause, which is the industry itself. with actors who are comfortable, and intimacy co-ordinators if need be, and a safe working environment on the whole, sex scenes should be no more problematic than any other type of scene like non-sexual nudity, or violence. the people involved are the exploitative ones, not the practice. and you could argue that it's easier to remove the entire practice if there are people who would compromise it, but that doesn't stop those exploitative people from doing it, because they find other ways like inserting specific fetish content that gets past censors or using costumes/makeup to objectify women or toeing the line of "softcore" just enough that they get away with it, or just straight up harassing and assaulting the women on set because fewer people ask questions that way than if you record it for the world to see. overall, i just think while there are some instances of blatant exploitation and directors abusing power that audiences should be ready to call out (cough cough the idol cough) the majority of cases are much more of a grey area and we should be careful not to over-police a lot of that grey area content
I personally think that in the majority of cases, film sex scenes are needlessly graphic. Russian doll proves that sex scenes can exist and don't have to be entirely in your face. Of course some scenes need to be graphic, like Fleabag or The wolf of wall street, both using depictions of nudity and sex as a reflection of the characters and dynamics. Season 1 of You, I believe, needed nudity and sex on screen as it highlighted Joe's disturbing stalking and also made the viewers intentional vouyers. For me, the problem is less soo sex itself but the way in which nudity is used in sex. I also agree with your take on consent, you can easily not watch a sex scene in a movie. Great video.
Hot Take: Nudity and Sex scenes really don't add much to the show or movie their in nowadays and actively take away from any momentum the story builds because everything becomes oddly voyeuristic. And these scenes are even harder to get through on rewatches. It's a much more mature and tactful task to walk through intimacy in the story without having people get naked and rub over each other on screen for an uncomfortable amount of time
some people just can’t fathom that fictional characters are FICTIONAL, they’ll act as if fanworks are violating some kind of boundary they have, like rarepairs involving characters in canon relationships, or they’ll even think that watching something or saying something inappropriate about ADULT characters is immoral even though the characters can’t be at all affected by it
As someone who hates sex scenes but loves Slasher movies, I am in a never ending dilemma. I think that sex scenes can be done with dignity, we don’t need softcore 🌽, you could just show them lying in bed after the deed is done
Unless there is something I missed most slashes I have seen when the show sex scenes are often short and quickly ended with the two people being brutal murder.
@@jessica5470 When it comes to slashers which came into their own in the early 80s is that sex is bad and more in important women who have sex are bad and get punished for their sin. Of course there is the classic non fiction men, women and chainsaws that explore gender and horror movies deeper than I have, I have to admit.
You're completely on point about the main problem with sex scenes in film being not the scenes themselves, but the gross directors. When it comes to the scenes themselves, let's establish something real quick: *not everything in the story is there to forward the plot or to benefit the narrative*. If that's what you're after, you might as well read the summary and be done with it. Sex scenes can be so different and versatile. You can use them to show a character in a new light, to reveal their vulnerabilities, to establish different relationships and power dynamics between the characters. I could go on and on. And yes, sometimes it's completely gratuitous and self-indulgent. So long as the actors are fine with it and there are no assholes on the set (...I don't mean literal assholes, that's homophobic or something lmao), it's all good. Not my thing, but why not. Also, can I just point out that a man taking a woman's story about SA and turning it into a male sex fantasy is so freaking meta you just couldn't make it up. Sucks for the story, but it's also like the 5th layer of the narrative breaking the fourth wall type shit. The "I thought it was from The Onion turns out it's real life" kind of situation.
I know it took me a month to comment, BUT, for me personally, I think implied sex scenes do just as much, if not more (in some cases) than the long drawn out, and sometimes, unnecessarily detailed ones. For example, in the Sailor Moon manga and most likely in the final movies coming out in June, it’s heavily implied that the main couple, Mamoru and Usagi, sleep together the night before their wedding. Instead of focusing on the sex itself, though, it actually focuses on how happy the two are, after having to fight so long just to live together happily, and it just warms your heart and shows you how much they love one another. On the other hand, most sex scenes in books, movies and shows (at least in my experience) are more focused on the act itself, and how attractive the characters look, rather than why the act itself is taking place. There are exceptions, of course, but I’m just speaking on the majority.
i feel like sex scene are sometimes so unnecessary, but when they’re not, ion rlly mind them lol although…i’m often watching netflix w my mom in the room and i’m just like “i rlly hope she’s distracted enough by what she’s doing rn”💀💀
I think Zoe Bee said it best in talking about our obsession with the importance of efficiency and how sex scenes are often seen as a waste of time. I don’t think it necessarily has to “advance the narrative”, however you define that. Sometimes a scene like that can tell you something about the characters. It can show an intimate connection in a literal “show don’t tell” sort of way. I generally think they are a neutral entity that can be used effectively or ineffectively. Also, our society is really prudish and you’ll have 7k upvotes for a comment saying you should be able to skip a sex scene but you’d never see someone saying something like that about a murder scene with that much support. Sex is so taboo in comparison to violence and death and it’s ridiculous
I'm one of the people who see sex scenes as a waste of time. It's like watching commercials. I think a scene can say the same thing with a kiss or seeing them wake up the next morning in the same bed. I don't need "commercials" getting in the way. And it's true, I do have a "get to the point" attitude in general. In my case it's not about being prudish, but if I want to see sex, I'll watch porn. I expect a regular film to focus on the relevant and discard the irrelevant.
@@octavianpopescu4776 I think that's a very shallow view of it though. I think the way people engage in sex can tall you a lot about them or about their relationship. It's an incredibly personal act that makes you put a lot of your cards on the table when you engage in it. I think using porn is actually a really neat way of looking at it because for a lot of people, they don't like most porn because they're more interested in seeing the act as a culmination of events as opposed to merely the event itself. In the end, I don't think I'll convince you but I think it worth pointing out that saying it can never be relevant is a very reductive and shallow view of the topic And this will sound a little demeaning and I apologize but I think the commercials analogy is a terrible one. Commercials have a complete disconnect and are actively despised by almost everyone. They do nothing to engage with the story the characters, or the narrative.
@@xanman2003 It's ok. Don't worry. You have your view, I have mine. We can still respectfully, disagree. The internet has way too much poop flinging, no need to add to that. And I get what you're saying, it can tell you things about relationships, however... I'd ask, how often is it used like that? I stopped watching films a while ago, precisely because of how... stereotypical and flashy many films became. Sex is more often than not used like filler. Then there's my personal preference for dialogue. This is what I loved about the first seasons of Game of Thrones, not the nudity, but scenes with 2 people just talking. Even though towards the end of the show it got too Hollywood-ey, the earlier dialogues are what made me love that show. "Chaos is a ladder" or Varys' riddle to Tyrion about power (his question about a rich man, a priest and a king all ordering a sellsword to kill the other two in their group)... that's what established way more in my eyes regarding relationships than any sex scene ever did for me. I'm just sorry they didn't include Septon Meribald's monologue from the books about war and broken men... absolutely exceptional writing. How he describes the gradual descent of a good, decent person into villainy, broken by war. I re-re-re-read that over and over again when I first read it. Or... that's what I want to see on screen.
The "dosnet dirve to plot forward" argument always really annoys me because a movie is more than just a way to tell someone the plot. Just read the wikipedia synapsis then.
i don't mind sex scenes; it's just the fact that i live with my parents and it is exactly like the first skit 😭 they always walk in at the wrong times too and i'm too old to be embarrassed about it 💀
I recently realised I'm asexual and have now fully embraced skipping past sex scenes. Even prior, I had long considered the majority of sex scenes to be just basically porn. That's fine if it's skinemax, but otherwise dispense with the pretence if you're actually trying to convey that you're crafting a story. There are sometimes - very few time - it can be useful for character or plot development, but even then establishing it shouldn't go for several minutes. I get it, they're banging - let's move on.
I can't think of any sex scene that actually added to the story and I've watched a lot of stuff, off the top of my head there was Wallander and it was a prostitute getting murdered and they didn't sexualise at all, they didn't use it as an excuse to show off a weird rape fantasy, as soon as a movie has a sex scene I turn it off, I lose all respect for it when they use women's bodies just for a quick buck, porn already exists, they don't need to force it in anywhere they can
Sex scenes are not inherently bad, but they make the media worse in 99% of the time they are used because in most media that use them they are completely unnecessary. Like, as much as people hate 50 shades, at least sex scenes in that movie make sense since the whole movie's purpose is just softcore 🌽. But most media that utilizes them does so for no other reason than to make the maIe director's wee wee hard. It honestly makes my eye roll AND it creates a dangerous cuIture in hollywood where femaIe actors will be essentiaIIy bIackIisted if they arent comfortable with being nude. And thats not ok.
I prefer implied sex versus seeing the actual act. Show the couple walk into the bedroom and then walk back out with messy hair and buttoning their shirts. Everyone who's old enough, knows what happened in that room - nobody needs to see the actual act itself.
I wish they would do this with teen shows. Then they can take care of the whole “adults playing teenagers” issue that they always use those scenes as an excuse for.
Idk I feel like I am in the minority here lol, but I think sex scenes don’t need to advance the plot to be justified, think about it, so normal people only have sex with their partner because “it advances the plot” of their lives or for some super important life changing reason? No, not really, they do it because they enjoy it and even sometimes it is about more than just pleasure but an intimate connection they share with that person during the act (ex.: people in BDSM, leather community, explaining it is more about the trust and connection built and how it is not always just sex). Now, that doesn’t mean all sex scenes are well done or necessary, it is more so I believe they work in adult media/for mature audiences when they don’t break the pace of the narrative or what is being shown, and also, no I don’t mean romance needs sex to imply connections between characters, but I think it is okay to show adult characters can be comfortable with that side of themselves, I don’t think p*rn levels of visuals are necessary to convey a good sex scene, but I also think people are becoming a bit obsessed with the over sanitization of media, it’s okay to not like sex scenes or to feel uncomfortable with them whether you are ace or not, but that doesn’t mean they are always bad, just like when they show gay characters being really sexual, it isn’t a bad, some gay people are very sexual and open about their sexuality, it shouldn’t be a point to shame (but yes not recognizing boundaries is a thing to be criticized) just like I feel adult media for mainly an audience of women are more enjoyable (to me), when the characters are comfortable about their sexuality or they explore it and break away from the stigma that comes with women and being sexual. In conclusion, Imo sex scenes are good as long as they know how to not break the pace of what is being shown and the narrative, but they don’t need to be deep or “for plot points” to always be justified, just like nudity should be recognized as a natural thing (I myself enjoy when nude women with different body types in media are shown because it makes me feel normal about my body too), and I feel it mostly comes from how some media and society has stigmatized this things, just like women being openly sexual has had a big stigma in adult media.
I think this whole discourse stems from the fact that nudity in general is so shocking/scandalous to many Americans. The female body in particular is seen as inherently sexual in the US, in contrast to the attitudes of much of Europe. Any scene in a film that shows a naked body is automatically seen as sexual, and sex scenes themselves are exaggerated and over the top, rather than portrayed as something natural, and often unremarkable/awkward. Of course everything is exaggerated in film to some extent, and it is natural for us to want to see uncommonly attractive people having uncommonly exciting sex. But I really do wonder why sex in general is seen as far more scandalous than all the excessive violence we see on film.
What pisses me off about the entire situation is that these advocates are making their waves entirely for clout chasing: being on the right side of history and nothing more. They want the satisfaction of having "made a difference" that is the stark opposite of what they object to. It's just as bad faith a position as they're purporting to fight. It's shallow, superficial, and smug.
This! Most the time I hear someone say “sex scenes are unnecessary…it makes me uncomfortable…we dont need to see all that…wah wah wah”, it just looks like performative femininity! I think a lot of people (mainly women) feel that distancing themselves from sex is somehow virtuous.
@@devilsadvocate7059 For a while now I've thought that a lot of sex-positivity politics had more to do with attacking The Patriarchy's ability to judge women for sexual behavior than actually de-stigmatizing it. Because women still shame the hell out of each other over sexual behavior that they chastize men for judging them for. They can't even bother to throw away the old standards, they just want to repurpose the grip to fit their hands instead of the previous owner's.
sex scenes can be good in romances because often as relationships develop, physical intimacy does too, so having a sex scene good be a good way to portray that. but, placement is also important to convey that, just throwing a sex scene in where it feel's unexpected or random is not gonna have the effect it could have. like emily said, when it's used just for shock factor it's pointless and uncomfortable.
Lets take promising young woman 2019 vs blond 2022. tow movies dealt with mature themes but executed differently. The former really explored the subject with explicit scenes without sexualizing nor glorifying them. While the ladder did the exact opposite.
Sex is a natural part of life, so I don’t think we should remove it. Why can’t society normalize sex instead of removing it from media. Taboo topics like rape should be in tv and movies, but represented respectfully. If we remove them entirely, we will just be ignoring a problem that needs to get attention, and since movies, tv and social media is the way we gather an opinion and perspective on the world, it needs to represent the actual world; uncomfortable topics and all. Also, there are intimacy coordinators on set who help the actors be comfortable when doing sex scenes. They offer padding for intimate areas and make sure that the actors feelings are in focus when filming something inherently uncomfortable.
i think what makes me more uncomfortable is that nudity always is more centered in feminine nudity, i lost count of how many times i saw breasts and v*g*n*s on a movie, on the other side, we never see more than a shirtless man on tv, it sounds a lot like objetification, also thinking that the majority of the directors are male, it just dont sit right with me
Honestly, I think if something is geared towards adults, then there being adult themes should not be a problem. When I was a child, I didn't want to be treated like a child, so it is bewildering to me that now there are adults that want to be treated like children.
I was SAd as a child, my mum was also shit and didn't shield me from anything just let me watch anything she was, I get a visceral reaction from them now, I feel gross dirty and ashamed, I don't want to be treated like a child, I just don't want to be reminded of that feeling, there's no need to be rude just because you don't understand.
Jesus the way my chest felt when i heard you say people suggested bringing back the Hays code, anyone who’s done an even a little research on how it effected queer cinema should know how awful that’d be, that code is the whole reason we still have the “ kill your gays “ trope in media today, Christ.
So aroace person here, I do find it uncomfy to watch sex scenes period no matter what relationship they have to the plot. I can fast forward, but I get tired of having to fast forward on what feels like every show and movie unless I only watch kid's content. I just wish there were more options that aren't kid's content that don't have sex scenes.
It's how absurd they are that bothers me, it can be done in a non-gratuitous way, but in my experience its like 1 in 20 films that can do a non gross uncomfortable(made for perverts from perverts) sex scene. Idk what director it was but one from the 80s literally said "women in movies should be naked or dead, ideally both"
This actually just happened to me, I was at work with my client who has schizophrenia, I take care of him as his PCA and I put on the movie What’s Love Got to do With It the Tina Turner story and there is a violent grape scene that may have been the most uncomfortable 20 seconds of my life. When it was finally over I audibly gasped “JESUS” and I’m not even a believer.
Everyone talks about how the new generation is more progressive than ever and is gonna save us- …no. No, man. The “progressives” of the new generation are literally embracing the kind of sexual politics you’d expect from a conservative Christian under the guise of feminism.
I remember watching 'Born on the Fourth of July' with my mom and older sister. When the sex scene came up, my mom yelled "NO!" in a demonic voice and proceeded to fast forward.
Netflix is capitalizing on the "Netflix and Chill" culture we have created. Just because they make some people uncomfortable doesn't mean sex scense are unpopular.
I don't mind sex scenes but when it gets too intense it takes me out of the story- because I can't help but think how awkward it is for the actors to be doing that lol But an example of a great sex scene is in Deadpool- it's not only funny but it's also used to show the passage of time within the relationship Also The Last of Us has a beautiful moment between 2 characters that showcase vulnerability and intimacy without a sex scene So I feel like it's less about sex scenes and more about bad directors (inserting sex scenes or prolonging sex scenes when it's not necessary)
for me personally, i just dislike how american sex scenes seem to be mostly focused on female nudity, usually dont drive the plot at all, and last WAY too long. Like i don't mind mild sexual content, i don't even mind sexual content when it serves a purpose. But it literally feels like they throw in long and involved sex scenes for no reason most of the time. Its super uncomfortable to watch, I don't know anybody who enjoys sex scenes. They make them so long too, and its like why? Why cant they imply sex, or give other clues? It doesn't always have to be "closeup of jiggling boobs for 10 minutes while the girl moans loud and gets railed in 4 different positions". I definitely dont think im a prude either, but something about Americas approach to sex scenes is ....... excrutiating, awkward, and very forced. Ive watched lots of european films with nudity and sexual content and it just isnt the same as the pornified sex scenes of american media.
I was gonna say a thing that basically agrees with you but I will add that the idea that only things that drive the plot forward are necessary/valuable is a very narrow perspective. Sex can add to a story without driving the plot, it can contribute to theme, character, aesthetic etc. Plot is not the only valuable part of the story. But that being said, a lot of sex scenes don't seem to do that either. But things don't need to be valuable to exist- even though I would probably prefer if there were fewer sex scenes in the world. I'm not sensitive to them but they can make me very uncomfortable.
Ever since I was young I was exposed to movies that were more adult leaning, but I always made sure to leave the room or cover my eyes and ears because I knew I didn’t want it was not suppose to see it. Now I have no issue with sex scenes unless they are awkward or violent. If I get uncomfortable, I skip. And that what a lot of people need to do. If something makes you uncomfortable in a movie you can always skip, watch something else, or leave. No one is forcing you to watch it and no director is just going stop adding such scenes in their work just because people dislike it. You have a choice. Doesn’t mean you can’t be upset or uncomfortable, it just means you can’t be a prude about an issue that you have control over whether you see it or not.
Something I wish more people acknowledged is that sometimes sex scenes can be really…impowering if done right. Like as a disabled person I’m still waiting for a sex scene with a visibly disabled person in it. Sex is so taboo around people like us, and most people like to pretend we don’t even have it at all. Representation doesn’t just exist in one way, it’s in all aspects of life. Including sex.
The consent thing is stupid because that's what the RATING OF THE FILM IS FOR AT THE BEGINNING OF THE FILM AND IN THE DESCRIPTION????? I also love how people want sex taken out or have the movie being r rated but violence in a pg-13 film or less is absolutely ok... sex is perfectly human and natural but violence is the one they are more comfortable with 💀
This is part of why I love No Country for Old Men so much. Llewelyn and his wife loving each other is made clear through his interactions with her, without a sex scene. The whole movie is great story telling but I think the depiction of their relationship is an underrated aspect of the story.
The consent argument is so weird. Like, the characters don't consent to getting shot in the face either. Let's remove all violence. They also didn't consent to having their secrets publicly revealed, so better cut out any private conversations too.
I thought that it only applies to the actors of characters. When people say that about the characters themselves, it just sounds dumb. If we get to an absurdist degree you can say characters don't consent to be characters, which mean no characters should exist ever.
@@tomato5499already saw people saying in this very comment section that sex scenes without love, involving violence or rape (rape isn't sex, but you get it) should never exist lol. also saw people saying the same for cheating and hook-ups. HOOK-UPS.
everyones saying they're okay with sex scenes as long as it adds something to the plot, did it add something to the plot last time yall shagged someone I cant personally say Ive ever fucked anyone to progress a narrative but if advancing plot points is the primary reason to have sex with someone you do you IG
One time my dad tried to skip a sex scene, and made it worse because it paused on the part where they were completely naked and it lasted longer than the original scene. 😢
I think having sex scenes and nudity are valid when it contributes to the story, and often even when it doesnt. People have sex, and including it for aesthetic value is usually fine. My issue is in shows like Euphoria that highlight sex as a part of the characters lives even if it doesnt make too much sense for the character--especially since teengagers are having less sex in this generation. That kind of thing kinda reveals something about the directors views of sexual expression and/or what they're willing to include to make their show raunchy and profitable. I think it would be more valuable to explore nudity in non-sexual contexts since American media--whether about teens or adults it's always so sexually charged, even in innapropriate situations (finding ways to justify exploiting a character sexually for absolutely no reason). And all people have bodies so I see nothing wrong with nudity per se, but a lot of male directors find a way to sexualize even someone just sitting naked in a bathtub just relaxing
The title of the show is literally EUPHORIA. The show is about how these characters look for pleasure and validation in unhealthy ways. They're all chasing a high and wondering why they're still upset. Nate looks for sexual dominance because he's afraid he'll be targeted by someone like his dad if he appears weak. Cassie is afraid of disappointing people and thinks the only thing she has to offer is her body. Kat wants to be desired. Maddie has conflicting views on who the real her is and feels guilty when she seeks pleasure, but also feels a need to put on an air of confidence. Jules, also, wants to be desired and explains that she feels like she can conquer all the forces that are against her with sex. Rue can barely get anything pleasure or excitement out of anything because of her depression, so she tries to squeeze it out of anything she can. Whether that be through drugs, sex, liquor, deceit, violence, fear, anger, or whatever else excites her. Lexi wants to have her daydreams validated so she can feel her perceptions of the events of the story are correct, even if that means hurting some feelings along the way. She also envies her sister for being desired, but feels like her sister wastes her "power", which is just her sister being victimized.
@@muntu1221 I think the main critique as far as sex scenes go in euphoria is that it’s uncomfortable for people to watch ppl who are supposed to be portraying minors having sex (that’s literally shown rather than implied) that’s what a lot of people in here are mostly complaining about and I agree! I shouldn’t be seeing someone who is playing a teenager naked. It doesn’t sit right with me so unfortunately I’m missing out on such a good show but I just can’t support that lol. I understand what u mean and I appreciate your take on it of course.
totally agreed. sex scenes are fine even if they don't add to the plot. sometimes, people just wanna watch a show full of sex, just like people may watch horror just to see dumb people running from murderers, or gratuitous blood. it's not that deep. the problem only comes when there's exploitation of actors, normalization/erotization of rape, misogyny, acting like minors' lives revolve around sex, etc.
the director of Euphoria is absolutely just a sketchy guy - i know sydney sweeney has spoken about how uncomfortable she was on set and various cast members have said how unnecessary a lot of the nudity was. unfortunately the actors were young and weren't big names yet so couldn't risk too much disagreement with him at risk of being kicked off the show (minus zendaya and her no nudity contract, as she was already a prominent actress at the time)
Sex and nudity are ABSOLUTELY FINE as long as it contributes to the narrative and makes sense within the story. Like if you want to show that the two main leads are very much in love, maybe adding a little scene of them getting frisky will be cool.
The problem is when they overdo it to a gratuitous level. Then it gets kinda annoying and weird. Also doesn't help the fact that some directors force actors and actresses to strip down in front of the camera despite the actors discomfort.
Edit: Also yes, I'm in my celibacy area.
That’s a good point
Yeah! This is what I was thinking
agree with this completely
yeah my main issue with it is actors/actresses being exploited like you mentioned, that’s so common in the industry
exactly - i dont want it if it's not relevant to the plot because then it's just unnecessary and tasteless
In movies they always be tearing about the whole damn house 💀
it’s like a tornado went through the room fr
Seriously, it's not sexy because like I'm just thinking how they're gonna have to tidy afterwards.
@@notevenemily LMAO
esp in the movie mr and mrs smith like they literally tore the whole house LMAOO
that literally happened on buffy 😂
idk but the problem I see with sex scenes/I have with them, is
a) when the 'sex sells' aspect makes the plot secondary and you KNOW it's just there bc "oh look, boobs"
b) 'nudity' often just referring to the female characters, including sex scenes that essentially only show the woman's body
c) violence against women being sexualized, even when the context is non-sexual, but also of course those lovingly-lingering shots on the body of women experiencing sexual violence
(though of course, I think it's impossible to film violence against women in a way that some misogynist won't get off to, but yk)
d) we still today have actresses come forward to talk about how uncomfortable they were during sex scenes, how pressured they felt or even how they were lied to.
e) violence against women doesn't need as high a rating as showing female pleasure does???
f) a lot of sex scenes...are not filmed well? There should be a difference in filming quality between a hollywood movie and random amateur porn
Basically sex scenes themselves are fine but they don't exist in a vacuum, there needs to be more done about the safety of (everyone but especially) women involved (and an awareness of existing power dynamics). Nor should they exist just to glorify violence against women or for the objectification of women.
Also, there are absolutely ways to incorporate sex scenes and nudity in ways that are plot and/or character relevant. And ngl, these tend to be way more watchable and even memorable.
ALSO also, sometimes a few tasteful shots can be way sexier and more intimate than a full-frontal sex scene.
absolutely agree w everything you said
The women being most of the nudity is so true, like come on, bring out the cock and balls too!
This comment right here, you hit the nail on the head with this one and summed it up beautifully
EXACTLY!
This is the exact opinion I have.
I totally agree that sometimes the sex scene does add to the story. SOMETIMES. It seems like some people in the positions of power (such as directors) like to use and abuse their crew to live out some dirty fantasies vicariously through their work and THAT is the problem. This is also a problem in the adult industry too. Otherwise I am more than happy to watch them knowing that it was all consensual for everyone involved + especially if it does drive the plot forward.
Nudity and sex in animated media is less disturbing to me than live action.
Knowing that was an actual person, and the possibility of exploitation is very disturbing. Feminism in Hollywood is especially important, and I think actors of all genders would benefit from a safer and more fun environment 💪💪.
It's a storytelling device just like graphic violence and gore. If you know how to use them, they'll enhance your story. If you don't, then they won't.
a good example is sense8 or hannibal! in sense8 sex is the moment where everyone in the cluster is completely united in every sense (plus it looks like art, it's really well shot). in hannibal the one scene in s2 is a foreshadow for the relationships that will form in s3 and how they all influence one another even during such intimate settings even if they aren't together
i’m not against them, but on streaming, you should be able skip them like you can tv show intros.
Agreed!!
1. It removes the awkwardness of having to watch a s3x scene/“questionable” scene with your parents.
2. It would greatly reduce the risk of your parents walking in during the one “inappropriate” scene in the movie.
Exactly. S$x scenes are in every show/movie now and it starts to get annoying because i’m just trying to watch the show not a p0rno shoot!
But you can skip them? And I understand if it's uncomfortable to watch for you, but imagine a murder scene, maybe you don't mind watching it but someone else does, should there be a skip option for that scene as well? I feel like if you don't like some type of scene you shouldn't watch that movie or show and watch something you can actually enjoy
@@Lucia-ct2sj A lot of movies do not mention that there will be nudity or sex scenes present at all, so the whole ''don't watch it!" hold no ground. I myself have watched many teen shows that suddenly show nudity when it was mentioned nowhere at all, unless you go look up specific reviews several weeks after the movies release. Murder however is usually warned before hand or hugely expected as those movies are ALWAYS tagged with ''thriller'' or ''horror'' or ''grotesque'' type of tags. Movies with sex or nudity are just in the teen category, or romance category a LOT of the time.
Nowadays a lot of teen content also gets insanely sexualized, which it already was (pretty little liars), but more openly now. A lot of teens don't expect to see it, and some watch it with their parents as it is just shown to be for teens. I myself never cared about sex scenes, but it is undeniable that it is becoming over-done to the max and never has warnings. A lot of people even called out Euphoria for more so being relatable to college students and not highschoolers, and literally showing 1 of the girls who is insecure because she is fat, go into kinks and make calls with p*do's!
The movie Heartstopper even had a chunk of people hating on the movie saying it was TOO ''PG" for NOT showing sex between teenagers because it ''is always part of teens exploration'', completely ignoring the fact that not all teens immeidately jump into sex, asexuals existing, or a movie for teens just not wanting to show it and focus on acceptance of once sexuality. People genuinely get mad for there NOT being sex in teens movies at this point, which is harmful as so many people already get shamed for being virgins at the age of 18 or up. Which is sad as the age of losing ones virginity has been going UP in many countries.
Sex is fine, IF it is important for the plot line and appropiate. It is definitely not a necessity, and it is impossible to skip for many because there are rarely any warnings at all. For teens who watch with their parents, it naturally isnt something easy to skip when neither of you know its there, whilst murder is something one can expect just from seeing the genre ''Thriller'' or ''Horror''.
@@yulana990 On Common Sense Media, they have lists of movies/shows to see if they show any form of nudity/alcohol/drugs/etc :), so I just use that beforehand (gore makes me feel icky, so that’s why lol). But yes, I agree they should put a warning in at least the info part of a movie or show.
Every time I went to the movies with my family I had to check IMDb for content warnings. Nothing more humiliating than watching a prolonged sex scene in a crowd. It’s so friggen awkward and makes everyone fidget uncomfortably waiting for it to end.
I wish I had done that. I went to see the first Deadpool movie with my best friend…AND MY DAD. We were all adults but I had no idea what Deadpool really was before seeing it and the beginning of the movie was so awkward 💀
@@mondlichts2064 I’m pretty sure most people will agree with me that watching a sex scene with your parents is awkward but watching something violent is not awkward. It can be shocking, sure, but not awkward.
@Mondlichts I prefer there to be violence in a movie rather than nudity or sex 💀
@@VioletRaven. violence is perceived as shocking, and sex is perceived as taboo, in a western society that views nudity as something to be shameful about (thats why we wear clothes, mostly).
yeah, I uh, made the mistake of going to Matrix II with my mom in the theater when it came out and she's a very prudish fundie so of course when the Neo/Trinity sex scene and accompanying orgy came on--it was some of the most AWKWARD minutes I've had in a theater!
5:56 A fact about the Hays Code: It was so strict that married characters can not be shown lying in bed together fully clothed and had to be in separate beds. Overall, Hollywood self-imposed the Haze Code on themselves to avoid the government doing it first and it’s the reason why queer-coded villains was a thing.
Thank you for this!
i don't get the connection between self-imposing the haze code before the government and creating queer-coded villains?
@@isidoooora if i remember correctly the haze code kind of banned the showing of queer people so film makers made their villains queer-coded
@@isidoooora As Lightbowimo said, queer people were not allowed to be shown on screen in an explicitly positive manner, but queer characters being shown as evil or getting killed (the bury your gays trope) was perfectly fine as anything queer was punished
Jsyk, it's Hays Code.
i just find it disturbing that so many teen shows (like euphoria) that try to depict teens in an overly sexual or straight up nude way. i get that promiscuity can be part of a storyline or even sexual trauma but at least don’t make me watch it every 5 minutes when the character is literally supposed to be underage.
Sam Levinson seems like a _huge_ creep to me.
Like, casting a 🌽 actress in your show because she played an underage character _you wrote_ in an adult parody (which you totally just happened to find by accident) is not normal. No hate to the actress herself, but that’s _weird._ Plus every time I see him his dead-eyed stare creeps me tf out 💀
@@anerrorhasoccurred8727 And that new show he’s making with The Weekend and Lily Rose 🤢
same!!
Also in the first episode, the (teen) characters literally shame a 16 year old character (I think Kat? Or maybe Rue?) for not having sex like??? Not every teen has sex and that’s okay
I think it can potentially be harmful to have sex scenes in every teenage show since it kinda sends the message that you have to have sex as a teenager to be normal/cool
No one’s making you watch anything. lol.
the phrase “reinstating the hays code” is crazy to me bc i did a whole project on it last year and obviously it was rly homophobic and racist (ik that’s not what they mean but still weird lol)
yeah, i see people advocating for bringing back heavy censorship rules for media like the Hays Code or the Comics Code and i just don't get it. heavy censorship is never a good thing, as it walks all over people's right to free speech with minorities and marginalized people getting it the worst. not only do these codes not allow for creatives and artists to authentically represent themselves and create art they can be truly proud of, but it also greatly restricts what stories are allowed to be told. heavy handed censorship is a big no from me, especially in creative fields! the fact that someone would actually suggest reinstating the Hays Code because they think sex scenes are icky is wild.
It is special weird when you remember all those filmmakers who hated it and had to find ways to slip around it to make movies.
The term phobia of homosexuals is new naturally you will not find at that time anyone who supports these homosexual relationships and even now there are people who do not accept the existence of this type of relationship
The way they even add sex scenes for underaged characters in shows 🤢
they can literally say after a scene "and they had sex that night" or "they did" or tell us what happened but they want us to see everything, and I always wonder if they want to give more reality so also show when they go to the bathroom and poop, they are unnecessary things.
FR THO ITS SO DISGUSTING
euphoria, big mouth, and other shows like tht need to become lost media and the ppl who made it need to go to jail for a longgg time
literally like it’s so gross and they just cast adult actors to play teenagers to get around the rules
ok but what if you're telling a coming of age story where a teenager explores their sexuality? these are important stories about universal experiences. the correct way to do this is have adult actors play teenagers, ie sex education, pen15. if it's not harming actual children why the moral outrage? again, people write these stories because this is actual stuff teenagers go through
@@simoneglasgow5187 probably because grown men get off to this stuff and the idea of having a minor character doing these on screen understandably get uncomfortable
im asexual so i dont care all too much about sex scenes, but yeah sometimes it does add to the plot. and imo it would be worse for media to be censored than for it to be exceedingly sexy.
(i also possess a magical tool called fast forward)
Well staying in the middle is always the best
nothing more nothing less
But sometimes they also have important dialogue and plot-relevant stuff during the sex scenes? So it’s not always possible to just fast forward
Yeah, I feel the same too. There’s a balance to everything, and I can always find the important plot relevant dialogue during sex scenes online or a summary of the whole episode to get the part I missed if I do fast forward or skip it.
@@dylanrodrigues I've always hated thatt
ace gang ace gang 💪💪💪
I totally agree, fast forward and IMDb is a godsend when it comes to this stuff
I'm definitely in the 'graphic sex scenes make me uncomfortable' camp. However, my advice to fellow prudes is just to check content warnings online. Really solves the whole issue
It’s hard to find reliable ones sometimes. Common Sense Media will sometimes forget to mention when and where sex scenes are present in shows, and you only get to know if somebody HAPPENS to comment below their “official” report.
i'm not gonna miss out on watching a good movie for a few scenes lol
Or, just don’t watch live action adult movies ever! Problem solved! And you also get the satisfaction of not watching awful movies!
(All adult live action movies suck)
@@pemanilnoobthat’s a stretch
@@aroujekldjust use the IMDB parents guide
For me, nudity in itself is not sexual, because it just isn't, we're all born naked. But bodys have been sexualized so much that nudity is automatically conflated with sex. Growing up, I realized that in French or more independent movies, nudity didn't feel as scandalous because people showed themselves naked outside of sexual settings, different than what Hollywood does, where skin always means something sexual.
Some people say, sex scenes in romantic movies or which further the plot are fine, but over the years, I realized how inflationarily such scenes where included into movies of all sorts and often are supposed to represent the characters' interest in each other or love or whatever. Especially as an asexual person, I see this as an unfortunate development because we are taught love and affection is mostly shown through sex. Two characters' connection is only real once they've had sex. Seriously? What kind of message is that? It's usually exploitation of some sort, and rarely anything more than that. Sometimes less is more.
Yeah, it seems to be a vicious circle. Nudity = sex, and sex is age restricted, so if they want to keep a certain rating, they're limited to a certain amount of nudity. And if there's this limit, they're certainly not gonna waste it on non-sexual nudity, amirite???? ehh. So, to be fair, there should be *more* nudity - non-sexual nudity. It always feels so refreshing to see it.
Im German and yeah sometimes in a German movie someone just has their tits out, sometimes you even see genitals but no one gives a shit
I'm ace too and I totally agree with ur points
All of this!
Nah. Exposed midriff and appendectomy scar is very PG-17 madam.
totally agree, bodies aren’t sexual, and sometimes even literal sex scenes don’t feel like that because of the way the bodies aren’t sexualized by the camera, so it’s possible to include spicy times while being relevant to the plot and not dehumanizing the actors
I think it depends on context, romance movies? I think it's fine. But for some reason so many horror movies have the most unnecessary sex scenes ever... When i'm watching a horror movie I wanna see a weird looking creature, not butts and wiggling
this is such a great point!! I love watching horror from the 70s-80s and there is an expectation that teenagers will always have sex at some point. I just like the monsters man 😭
Same. Romance movies I don't exactly mind it.
In defense of some horror films (emphasis on some here a lot of horror films are just horn dogs) sex is used as a way to show the characters in a vulnerable way to juxtapose against when they get attacked. Unfortunately it then just became a marketing tool for teen boys and every film had to have at least one scene shoved in there along with multiple topless ones lol
They can definitely add to the movie though. Think about the sex scene in Jennifer's Body for example. It was an artistic choice to show the contrast between what Jennifer and Anita are going through at the time. Or at least that's how I interpret it. It definitely wasn't like, a full on sex scene, but it was a depiction of sex.
*ahem* american horror story *ahem*
“The *characters* didn't consent to this sex scene” has gotta be the Most Chronically Online Take of the Week ™️
I do really hate the amount of sex scenes in literal teen shows. Like uno its a lot of underage people watching it and they get the image that you're not normal if you didn't get laid yet by 17. I found it really disturbing to see characters younger than me act as if sex was the only thing that mattered to them. Thry act as if any teenager is a sexcrazed beast, while i know more virgins than people who've actually had sex.
Also, as someone who used to watch a lot of K-drama's and then USA series, I remember how shocked I was when I saw tits and a$$ onscreen. There are sex scenes in Korean movies, they are just more heartfelt and less forced upon the viewer. Why cant the American industry take notes?
It’s the pervert director/screenwriter projecting their own fantasies onto idealised teens.
That's such a good point about K drama and other East Asian media that I've been exposed too. I usually feel a real connection between there characters much more so from their story telling than American story telling, so when the characters do have sex, all I need is a bit of kissing, a shirt off, and a bed to indicate where this is going. I'm far more satisfied for the characters and the development of their relationship than I am with American characters knowing each other for all of a hot minute, aggressively attacking each other with their mouths, baring all, and proceeding to smooth their parts together in slow motion. It actually feels meaningless at this point.
i mean, i really want to have sex, and im a teen, so i'd say i AM sexcrazed, just a virgin IDHEHJFEFJF
Unrelated but are u an atiny
@@imfreefallingnow how'd you figure ;)
Personally I wouldn't mind sex scenes at all if there was an option to automatically skip them when I'm watching with my parents caus it ends up being way too awkward
fast forward exists btw
@@negligible_reality skipping manually is a pain in the butt. I always either skip too little or too much. also, you don’t always anticipate a sex scene coming up. I think that a skip popup would be a godsend for people who would use it, but would take people that don’t care out of the moment, which can be very annoying.
@karessa lew well someone brought something up under another thread which you'd have to take into consideration. sometimes during smeze scenes there's important dialogue.
for example: one character has a secret the other doesn't know about and mid smeze scene character 1 tells character 2 the secret they've been hiding. it would be confusing to skip over that and then in the next episode see them being cold and mean to eachother.
it'd be like listening to a song for the first time and accidently skipping to the chorus.
That's a good idea
I always check the parents guide first in imdb if I'm watching a movie with my parents
i'm asexual, and sex scenes are just kinda awkward for me to watch with other people, but i think that's how it is with everyone. like, usually if I'm watching it by myself I'll skip ahead because ethere's really no point in watching it, but if i feel like it will add to the plot in some way, then I'll watch it. but sometimes i wonder if people actually watching those scenes (if you know what I'm saying) when I'm watching it with others, and that kind of makes me uncomfy tbh
ace gang 💪💪
I agree, it depends on the movie itself and usually I just skip it. I also think websites having information about the media is very useful and can even help prepare for that scene, or can give you an educated decision when selecting a movie to watch with others.
@@ViVi-ev2cn yeah i agree with when you said that they should have something to help us prepare for it, because if it just kind of jumps out it can be a bit jarring if it's out of no where
@@ViVi-ev2cnace gang 💪🏽
Totally. I usually just skip over it too, and if I'm watching with other people I will just focus on something else. If it really bothers someone there are websites that can tell you when it happens and you can put in headphones or something.
The main thing I've been loved in kdrama is that they don't have so much sex in there and I like more.. clean romantic stories but nowadays kdramas become more bold (And i think it still looks more appropriate than in many western series) omg my language is so bad im sorry
I agree, they usually fade to black (in my experience) and you get the idea. I prefer that honestly over explicit sex scenes.
So true! Even when Asian dramas have sex scenes… they’re really non-explicit and tasteful (usually). I feel like that’s the happy medium more shows and movies should aim for. You can still have the sexiness but not have it be gratuitous and exploitative.
The first time I saw someone kiss for real in an Asian drama not like that weird kiss they used to do where the lips touch but no one moves, I was so blown away lol
Came her to say it, since I started watching K-drama, I noticed how American tv shows are obsessed with sex and most relationships are based of sexual attraction only. Like the main love characters meet and then declare they love each other after spending two days and get to sex immediately. Whereas, in K-Drama, you actually see characters love development and it’s built off emotional attraction not sexual, so even if they just touch hands, it’s much more sensual than a sex scene with nudity.
I feel the same way. Like…I just watched The Glory and I was watching with my twelve year old sister and we were met with boobs with no warning 🥲 it’s definitely the Kdramas that are created for Netflix in mind that are like this. There are still all lot of recent dramas that are made by Korean broadcasters that aren’t like that.
I have my own issues with sex, so I avoid most sex scenes all together, especially rape.
It's almost never necessary to the plot and takes me out of the story I was invested in.
I avoided shows like Game of Thrones because from what I saw, that's what most of it was.
It's sad cause I've actually heard GOT is a great show but I personally can't handle all the sex scenes.
That being said, people can watch what they want, people can make what they want.
We don't need to ban sex scenes all together but I think we could tone it down a bit. Thanks for talking about this. ♥
nah GoT was mid, be happy you didn't waste time watching it
I agree. Sex scenes rarely add anything to the plot of a movie or show and are often gratuitous for no reason. I think I can count on one hand the number of shows/movies I’ve seen with sex scenes that ACTUALLY added to the plot
I absolutely can't watch rape scenes, hate them so much!! And nowadays it's not uncommon that sex scenes are vulgar and explicit and done with the intention to be arousing (even though it's not 18+ movies), makes me uncomfortable, even if it has to be a part of the story it could be more subtle... Also why do they have to be in soo many movies and series? Another related thing is that promiscuity, casual sex or cheating are so common in movies, these things have an influence on people, I don't believe that they don't, especially young people, so why don't we think more about which values are being taught through media?
@@romancandleofthewild sex can be seen as narrative cohesion but it's mostly rather used as a appeal for fantasy or visuals element of the film rather than a plot device. Sex doesn't always have to be a strictly only "plot device" of the film, it just honestly depends on the context of the film. Nevertheless, if you're not comfortable with sex scenes than you can always skip it or fast forward towards it or just ignore it
@@deadcorpse69 honestly you’re right. There can be a lot of aesthetic appeal to a sex scene and it can add to the atmosphere of a movie. I guess I just want sex scenes to serve some purpose? I recently watched X and the sex scenes in that were really well done and integral to the film. I think if sex scenes similarly to any element of a film that just seems out of place and unnecessary.
I never understood why the only problem was sex scenes and cussing but someone can be bleeding barrels of blood and it's rated E for everyone
It's interesting to me that a common argument is that we don't need to include a sex scene, just cut from the moment before to them buttoning up their shirts or whatever, but I don't think I've ever seen the same argument used regarding violence.
We don't actually need to see someone pull a trigger. We can see them holding a gun and then cut to them walking away from the other person lying on the ground. You still know it happened even if you don't see it, but I never see the argument used that all films and shows should do that unless they absolutely HAVE to show the actual violence.
Why is that? Why are people so.much more okay with seeing graphic violence than even farely tame depictions of a normal, harmless thing that people do every day?
@@youtubesupportsfascism Nah you are way off on that you can’t speak for all men like that
Because this is the topic. I'm sure if you go to parenting sites you'll find what you see. I sure have seen that. More parents specifically are targeting overly violet content, especially videogames. I think what happens is that violence as shown in movies (like war or superheroes) is just very out of reach, it seems very far from our every day lives. On the other hand, sex is right in our phones, all day every day. So it seems appropriate to discuss it more
@@wendyheatherwood Because graphic violence is more fun to watch.
@@wendyheatherwood Kind of a stupid question. Most the time violence actually drives the plot forward. What benefit do sex scenes have besides getting the viewers to masturbate?
Honestly, in the majority of cases based on what I've seen, I think it's much more impactful in a way that contributes to the story when sex is eluded to rather than outright shown. When it's done with consideration, it depicts not only the physical but emotional intimacy and connection between characters really well.
I'm in my celibacy era. Since birth.💅
same
same
same
Same
same
i'm a sex repulsed asexual so sex scenes are a big no-no for me and i always skip those scenes because it makes me feel terrible and i find it disgusting lol. i'd love to have an option to just skip those scenes like intros in netflix shows
Same here
Excatly
Yeah me too lol
Damn Emily is posting a lot more regularly it seems, is this even Emily?
No, it's not even Emily. 😉
@@ladyofrage22 LOL
Its not even Emily at this point!
never has been 😔
Who knows ?
I think sex scenes or other things like violence shouldn’t be used because you want them in the media, use them to actually contribute to the plot, you know?
Exactly. I don't care for sex scenes, but if the sex scene is important and it's filmed well, I don't care. But most sex scenes are garbage and serve no purpose in the story.
I disagree. This is an opinion I used to have. But now, I believe that it is more at the artist liking. If a filmmaker want to have a sx scene that has no attachment to the general plot, it is his artistic choice. In the end, and no matter how many people get upset hearing it, sex can be an aesthetic element and nothing more than that. (Not just a plot device.) And that's fine if some people don't like it. But it is still a valid artistic choice.
@@Screenfunfacts Dude I agree so much. I used to watch a lot of French films and those guys love sex scenes, but they usually didn't contribute to the plot as much as they contributed to the aesthetic. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't. It's a carefully crafted piece of art and if the artist thinks a sex scene or two is needed then go for it man
@@Screenfunfacts
An artist has the freedom to choose to do whatever they want with their creation. But if they choose to sacrifice narrative cohesion for fulfilling their own fantasies, then they shouldn’t get mad when people say their narrative isn’t cohesive.
Movies aren't just about plot, it's about visuals and sex and violence can definitely be important parts of that.
Bringing back the haze code kind of reminds me of the sailor moon censorship where two girls were obviously a couple but in the English version they decided to replace it as them being cousins! And we’d have lines like “I’m so lucky that you’re my cousin”😭💀 like please
I agree with the whole "actor/actress being uncomfortable doing these scenes" part so much, especially since some writers have made their actors do some of these things (*cough* Sam Levinson...)
Slightly related, and this has happened in the romance genre, but I hate the trope of "sex fixes trauma" trope, especially when character is shown to have past trauma related to sex/SA. I forgot the name of this movie I had seen, but the male character was acting really abusive towards the woman they were with, he said he had childhood trauma (which doesn't excuse his abuse), and instead of going to therapy, he has sex with this woman and suddenly his trauma/PTSD is ~magically cured~
Holy crudler that’s an actual TROPE??? That’s utterly insane.
There’s def huge pressure to not complain or say no for fear of a bad reputation in Hollywood. Without intimacy coordinators, closed set sex scenes can be really hard to film and many actresses have to adopt the, “open your legs and think of Britain” mindset which really sucks. It is actually hard to film them - speaking as an actor. It’s usually not directed to be an honest form of plot and character development but titillating thus the pressure and discomfort is there
I think a majority of the time, sex scenes are VERY unneeded. Like a characters best friend all of the sudden getting it on with their best friends bf. It's unneeded and it pisses me off.
I think there's nothing wrong with sex scenes but only if it was rare. They are really overdoing it to the point I'd be okay with no more sex scenes.
You should watch west european movies if you think American movies have a lot.
Pruuuudddee
@@Blindinglights25I think she would spontaneously combust 😂😂😂
Overdoing it? What are you talking about? I can think of only 2 movies with sex scenes, from 2023
im hypersexual and sex scenes make me uncomfortable. could be because i'm gay, or because i'm sexually frustrated and other things.... my point is, i'm wayyyyyyy into sex but sex in movies still feel really weird to me. it's like, am i supposed to get turned on now? am i only allowed to view this artistically? what do i do?
and seeing it with someone else just makes it even worse but i have a social phobia so whatever
i feel you, difference being that i don't get uncomfortable watching by msf. another thing that bothers me is: okay, let's assume they want us to be turned on. but if you get me horny, no way i'll be ok with just going back to normal mode after two minutes. like, wtf. now you better give me thirty minutes of that, otherwise i'll just be FRUSTRATED and not pay attention to your story. same happens with books, but book sex (made to be sexy, not for the story) is almost always boring, when not funny or disgusting. actually, that's the same motive why i don't mind watching sex scenes. they won't get me horny when they're so ??? so it's like any other thing on the screen to me (all of that is assuming they serve nothing to the story).
Exactly, I remember watching American wolf in London with my bf and his mate, at one point in the movie there is actual full on porn in a porn theatre, I had to sit with my bf and his mate watching porn, it literally had nothing to do with the movie, they could've been in the theatre without it panning to the porn, but boobs and ass. I'm quite insecure about my body too so watching my boyfriend watch that just makes me feel gross, he knows it makes me uncomfortable and doesn't care to look anyway but it still annoys me, especially when a movie seems alright and they gotta go cheapen it
I’ve been thinking too. I don’t mind sexual content sometimes. If I feel like it I actively go looking for it, but when I’m watching a movie or reading a book I’m definitely not in the mood for that so I don’t think I would ever be okay with seeing a sex scene unprompted. And I’ve read it in a book too where I have to go back to a normal scene and had to put the book down to process what I read, so I feel like there’s no point in making it graphic enough to make the audience feel something.
Go to Ghana.
You disgust me
This is a great and timely video! I have no problems with sex scenes, sexual themes, or sexual content in TV or film, but I understand we all have different things we're comfortable with. I hope media with possibly disturbing or obscene content are labeled in a way where people can choose whether or not they want to view it instead of being surprised or caught off guard by it.
I also find a lot of Americans fascination with wanting to ban or restrict nudity and sex interesting, but rarely does this same conversation (with the same depth) happen with gore, blood, or extreme violence. I think it still shows how conservative of a country the US is overall when it comes to sex and nudity and this is not going to change overnight.
I think it has to do with how violence is tied to the story more often than sex scenes are. there are genres that wouldn't be the same without the gory, scary, and jarring nature of violence. and that's what the viewers sign up for when they agree to watch a scary movie, or crime show. sex scenes and nudity on the other hand are mostly intrusive and unnecessary, often given more importance than is werented in the media they show up in. sure, some people have a problem with violence, and that's fine, and most times it's easy to steer clear of it in extreme forms by not watching certain genres. the same can't be said for those who don't like sex scenes, cuz you can find them in pretty much any genre, sometimes even without warning
@@septanine5936 - I don't know if I necessarily agree with that. I think violence is something many people from the US are desensitized to, so even when there's gratuitous violence and unnecessary plotlines with heavy violence, I think people in the US (and possibly other countries, but I can only speak to the US) tend to complain about it less because there's always some other justification for it whereas sex is still seen as a taboo topic that has less justifications for being present in media.
I would argue both are definitely a part of life and both can be present in media that portray life in unnecessary or appropriate amounts, but just like how you justified why over the top violence is needed in some genres or some media to "complete the story" rarely do I see that justification for sex, even if it is relevant to the plot. The US's fascination with violence always perplexed me. Some people rather see someone bleeding out from a gunshot than a nipple and I just don't see why one is more graphic than the other.
I prefer less intense sex scenes tbh, I hate when I’m chillin watching a show then 2 characters practically make a prono on screen, just keep it short and sweet to further the plot please
Right like what are we doing here 😅
What definitely matters most is the actors consent and comfortability. Second is, [personally] graphic gRape scenes are absolutely unnecessary and can always be implied/portrayed in different ways that are just better for general audiences.
I hate sex scenes in shows, it just makes me feel so uncomfortable. I feel like I'm not supposed to be there and it just makes me cringe to an intolerable level. Im not trying to watch porn :(
Same I absolutely hate it lmao. ESPECIALLY when watching with family. I like it more when they just show foreplay and imply it it gets the point across. If I wanted to watch porn I’d go watch porn, I don’t need it in the movie I’m watching with friends, family, or even alone lol
Saaaame idk how people keep excusing it, like, there's so many ways to tell a story without showing anything, you can just imply it or smth, I've seen so many movies and shows that do it, and get the point across without freaking traumatising me, so idk in what way it would contribute to the plot, I seriously don't understand, and the worst part is that they're literally EVERYWHERE, and I can't watch anything anymore because it is in everything
@@tamm3710 I mean idk that's kinda like saying you should make a movie without swearing cause it makes you ucnomfy. I think it's okay if it's done in a healthy way and has relevance to the plot or the interpersonal relationship between characters.
@@gabrielgray2345 There are sooooo many movies and shows that over use swearing to a laughable degree. I love my sentence embellishments lol but damn, who uses “fuck” 10 times in one sentence? Apparently everyone under the age of 40 according to poorly made straight to streaming movies and shows lol.
Yeah I feel like it’s never really necessary. You can show that people have had sex without filming it directly. To me, it’s only acceptable when it’s a few seconds of the characters just doing a quickie and it wouldn’t fit with their personalities/ plot to talk ab it later.
As a man, I hate sex scenes in movies. Just get back to the plot! A little kiss and cut away/fade is fine but I don't need to see the climax lmao.
Agreed. It’s cringe
As a man I disagree.Some of my favorite movies have sex and or nudity.
@@stephennootens916sad for you
@@stephennootens916 Might as well watch porn.
@@stephennootens916he said just the scenes not the movies, you can like the movie without liking the grim parts
"Criticizing the oversexualization of women and children in media is not being puritanical. I hate that people will simplify the argument to that and dismiss the actual issue being acknowledged"
From another commenter
It's not that we don't want sex scene, it's that we want sex scene with chemistry, with respect, with sensuality, with consent, with love between the character. Not violent, disrespect, non-consenual, basically torture p*rn 🤬
And can we have sex scenes from only characters who are considered old enough to consent? I cannot stand all of the underage team sexualisation. It really bugs me.
@@shireads2954exactly. it is so disgusting how many “teen shows” are like this. I don’t understand why these Ricerdale or Euphoria type shows can’t take place in a college setting when the characters are actually old enough, especially when these plot lines literally do not make sense in a high school context.
The idea of characters in a super serious drama breaking the fourth wall to say "don't worry guys! We totally consent to this"
I think this issue is pretty layered. I think Americans are very puritan in thought when it comes to sex in film compared to things like violence. Both can be gratuitous and uncomfortable yet we only really complain about sex despite it being a more natural, common, part of life. Obviously, I’m not saying violence doesn’t happen, but the level of violence we’re constantly shown in TV and film is not normal in day to day life yet we don’t bat an eye at it. However, I think what puts Americans off to sex and nudity is that it’s used pretty frivolously in media and often disrupts the flow of what you’re watching. It’s like American screenwriters are incapable of building relationships in film without sex scenes (and often don’t develop the relationship at all in their race to get to the sex scene). It often feels like we’re stopping the plot to have sex. I’ve seen some amazing media here where it’s obvious that the sex scenes are adding value and providing context and character building but I feel like that’s not always the case. You can make the same argument against violence, but again, Americans are desensitized to that, so violence being gratuitous is better tolerated. I don’t think sex scenes being included is bad but there is also an actor and an industry behind them to consider. It’s not great ethically that actors may feel pressured to be naked or they won’t get work for certain types of movies or shows, especially the way American media frames sex, and even more so with the way the industry treats women. I think sex and nudity are shown in more organic ways with less sexualized framing in other countries so that may be why it tends to be better tolerated in foreign films. I don’t think sex and nudity are bad or something we should necessarily see less but I think the way that it’s framed in American media needs to change a bit.
probably the most balanced take on this discourse that i've come across; i wholeheartedly agree!
Most balanced take here. Thank you
@@youtubesupportsfascism ...?
This. As an foreigner, I have the pungent feeling that Americans tend to act as if they are the norm, the standard in the western world, when in fact they are not at all. "American Puritanism" is a common saying in my country, because Puritanism is just so connected with America in our minds.
well said!
I think its okay when it is ACTUALLY RELEVANT to the story. And then, it should be filled with intimacy and love. The problem is that most movies just go from "a wave and smile while walking past each other" to "rawdogging each other with no respect or human decency". As a man, i would love to see the men ACTUALLY put in effort and do the bare minimum before. It is not hot AT ALL!!!!
Edit: Yuhhh im in my celibacy era.
what movies are you watching?? like, genuinely not being sarcastic, what recent movies have graphic sex scenes between characters that just met? everybody's talking about this like the film industry is one more exposed boob away from being hardcore porn, but i feel like outside of a couple of hbo shows (most of which were mentioned in this video) movies have never been less horny. if you watch movies from like the 70s and 80s there were sweaty sex scenes left and right, but nowadays i honestly can't remember the last new movie i saw that had gratuitous nudity that wasn't played for laughs. everything feels very sterile.
@@friday13thirteenyeah I don't get that everyone says it's worse now but I disagree, I haven't watched the teen dramas last one I did was riverdale although they sexualise "teenagers" which is gross they've not gone far enough to show anything full on, I'd like to know what people are talking about. My bf likes to act like the 80s had more respect but over the past few years I've pointed out how grotesque a lot of them are. There was a director who literally said "women on screen should be naked or dead, ideally both" after I heard that I have no respect for any movie with sex scenes unless it clearly isn't meant to be borderline porn
My main issue is that more often than not, sex scenes are just another way to abuse actresses.
THAT part!
THIS !!!! So true !
in terms of fictional media rather than adult content or anything, i see a lot of "it's fine if it contributes to the plot" in these comments, but i feel like that's an easy POSITION to take rather than being practical advice. like, easier said than done. how do we define something that contributes to the plot? movies and shows aren't just a series of plot points strung together, there are "unnecessary" moments that still inform the way the audience sees the world and the characters. some shows are quite literally based on the idea of a status quo that almost never changes. sex scenes are just as much a type of romance scene as pining scenes, or dating scenes, or break up scenes. they can be deeply impactful to a story, or they can not be. trying to police this kind of thing in terms of "necessary" feels like a very slippery slope.
and then there's stuff about how it's linked to exploitation, especially for women. this is true, obviously, but at the same time i feel like it's another side effect of a wider problem rather than the root cause, which is the industry itself. with actors who are comfortable, and intimacy co-ordinators if need be, and a safe working environment on the whole, sex scenes should be no more problematic than any other type of scene like non-sexual nudity, or violence. the people involved are the exploitative ones, not the practice.
and you could argue that it's easier to remove the entire practice if there are people who would compromise it, but that doesn't stop those exploitative people from doing it, because they find other ways like inserting specific fetish content that gets past censors or using costumes/makeup to objectify women or toeing the line of "softcore" just enough that they get away with it, or just straight up harassing and assaulting the women on set because fewer people ask questions that way than if you record it for the world to see.
overall, i just think while there are some instances of blatant exploitation and directors abusing power that audiences should be ready to call out (cough cough the idol cough) the majority of cases are much more of a grey area and we should be careful not to over-police a lot of that grey area content
I personally think that in the majority of cases, film sex scenes are needlessly graphic. Russian doll proves that sex scenes can exist and don't have to be entirely in your face. Of course some scenes need to be graphic, like Fleabag or The wolf of wall street, both using depictions of nudity and sex as a reflection of the characters and dynamics. Season 1 of You, I believe, needed nudity and sex on screen as it highlighted Joe's disturbing stalking and also made the viewers intentional vouyers. For me, the problem is less soo sex itself but the way in which nudity is used in sex. I also agree with your take on consent, you can easily not watch a sex scene in a movie. Great video.
Hot Take: Nudity and Sex scenes really don't add much to the show or movie their in nowadays and actively take away from any momentum the story builds because everything becomes oddly voyeuristic. And these scenes are even harder to get through on rewatches. It's a much more mature and tactful task to walk through intimacy in the story without having people get naked and rub over each other on screen for an uncomfortable amount of time
✨⭐️ in my permanent asexual era ⭐️✨
✨Aroace era✨
@@faenene PERIOD
✨Denial era✨💀
@@duckman2480 glad that you’re exploring how you feel!
@@duckman2480ah yes. You are in your denial of aces era, thanks for telling
some people just can’t fathom that fictional characters are FICTIONAL, they’ll act as if fanworks are violating some kind of boundary they have, like rarepairs involving characters in canon relationships, or they’ll even think that watching something or saying something inappropriate about ADULT characters is immoral even though the characters can’t be at all affected by it
As someone who hates sex scenes but loves Slasher movies, I am in a never ending dilemma.
I think that sex scenes can be done with dignity, we don’t need softcore 🌽, you could just show them lying in bed after the deed is done
Unless there is something I missed most slashes I have seen when the show sex scenes are often short and quickly ended with the two people being brutal murder.
@stephennootens916 the fact they focus on the women's naked murdered body is mainly the problem
well i hate gore but i’m not asking for it to be removed from media
@@stephennootens916have you seen Madman lol?
@@jessica5470 When it comes to slashers which came into their own in the early 80s is that sex is bad and more in important women who have sex are bad and get punished for their sin. Of course there is the classic non fiction men, women and chainsaws that explore gender and horror movies deeper than I have, I have to admit.
You're completely on point about the main problem with sex scenes in film being not the scenes themselves, but the gross directors.
When it comes to the scenes themselves, let's establish something real quick: *not everything in the story is there to forward the plot or to benefit the narrative*. If that's what you're after, you might as well read the summary and be done with it.
Sex scenes can be so different and versatile. You can use them to show a character in a new light, to reveal their vulnerabilities, to establish different relationships and power dynamics between the characters. I could go on and on.
And yes, sometimes it's completely gratuitous and self-indulgent. So long as the actors are fine with it and there are no assholes on the set (...I don't mean literal assholes, that's homophobic or something lmao), it's all good. Not my thing, but why not.
Also, can I just point out that a man taking a woman's story about SA and turning it into a male sex fantasy is so freaking meta you just couldn't make it up. Sucks for the story, but it's also like the 5th layer of the narrative breaking the fourth wall type shit. The "I thought it was from The Onion turns out it's real life" kind of situation.
Especially when it’s 99% heteros sex scene. I don’t want to see that
LMFAO
Same ngl (as a socalled halfhetero)
🌈🌈🌈
me af 😂🌈
@@karin1636 just like me fr
I know it took me a month to comment, BUT, for me personally, I think implied sex scenes do just as much, if not more (in some cases) than the long drawn out, and sometimes, unnecessarily detailed ones.
For example, in the Sailor Moon manga and most likely in the final movies coming out in June, it’s heavily implied that the main couple, Mamoru and Usagi, sleep together the night before their wedding. Instead of focusing on the sex itself, though, it actually focuses on how happy the two are, after having to fight so long just to live together happily, and it just warms your heart and shows you how much they love one another.
On the other hand, most sex scenes in books, movies and shows (at least in my experience) are more focused on the act itself, and how attractive the characters look, rather than why the act itself is taking place. There are exceptions, of course, but I’m just speaking on the majority.
i feel like sex scene are sometimes so unnecessary, but when they’re not, ion rlly mind them lol
although…i’m often watching netflix w my mom in the room and i’m just like “i rlly hope she’s distracted enough by what she’s doing rn”💀💀
I think Zoe Bee said it best in talking about our obsession with the importance of efficiency and how sex scenes are often seen as a waste of time. I don’t think it necessarily has to “advance the narrative”, however you define that. Sometimes a scene like that can tell you something about the characters. It can show an intimate connection in a literal “show don’t tell” sort of way.
I generally think they are a neutral entity that can be used effectively or ineffectively. Also, our society is really prudish and you’ll have 7k upvotes for a comment saying you should be able to skip a sex scene but you’d never see someone saying something like that about a murder scene with that much support. Sex is so taboo in comparison to violence and death and it’s ridiculous
I'm one of the people who see sex scenes as a waste of time. It's like watching commercials. I think a scene can say the same thing with a kiss or seeing them wake up the next morning in the same bed. I don't need "commercials" getting in the way. And it's true, I do have a "get to the point" attitude in general. In my case it's not about being prudish, but if I want to see sex, I'll watch porn. I expect a regular film to focus on the relevant and discard the irrelevant.
@@octavianpopescu4776 I think that's a very shallow view of it though. I think the way people engage in sex can tall you a lot about them or about their relationship. It's an incredibly personal act that makes you put a lot of your cards on the table when you engage in it. I think using porn is actually a really neat way of looking at it because for a lot of people, they don't like most porn because they're more interested in seeing the act as a culmination of events as opposed to merely the event itself. In the end, I don't think I'll convince you but I think it worth pointing out that saying it can never be relevant is a very reductive and shallow view of the topic
And this will sound a little demeaning and I apologize but I think the commercials analogy is a terrible one. Commercials have a complete disconnect and are actively despised by almost everyone. They do nothing to engage with the story the characters, or the narrative.
@@xanman2003 It's ok. Don't worry. You have your view, I have mine. We can still respectfully, disagree. The internet has way too much poop flinging, no need to add to that.
And I get what you're saying, it can tell you things about relationships, however... I'd ask, how often is it used like that? I stopped watching films a while ago, precisely because of how... stereotypical and flashy many films became. Sex is more often than not used like filler. Then there's my personal preference for dialogue. This is what I loved about the first seasons of Game of Thrones, not the nudity, but scenes with 2 people just talking. Even though towards the end of the show it got too Hollywood-ey, the earlier dialogues are what made me love that show. "Chaos is a ladder" or Varys' riddle to Tyrion about power (his question about a rich man, a priest and a king all ordering a sellsword to kill the other two in their group)... that's what established way more in my eyes regarding relationships than any sex scene ever did for me. I'm just sorry they didn't include Septon Meribald's monologue from the books about war and broken men... absolutely exceptional writing. How he describes the gradual descent of a good, decent person into villainy, broken by war. I re-re-re-read that over and over again when I first read it. Or... that's what I want to see on screen.
As a gay person, straight sex scenes have made me uncomfortable since forever. But like, I can just skip them. It’s no biggie.
The "dosnet dirve to plot forward" argument always really annoys me because a movie is more than just a way to tell someone the plot. Just read the wikipedia synapsis then.
i don't mind sex scenes; it's just the fact that i live with my parents and it is exactly like the first skit 😭 they always walk in at the wrong times too and i'm too old to be embarrassed about it 💀
I recently realised I'm asexual and have now fully embraced skipping past sex scenes. Even prior, I had long considered the majority of sex scenes to be just basically porn. That's fine if it's skinemax, but otherwise dispense with the pretence if you're actually trying to convey that you're crafting a story. There are sometimes - very few time - it can be useful for character or plot development, but even then establishing it shouldn't go for several minutes. I get it, they're banging - let's move on.
Yessss! Like I don’t mind a sex scene now and then, even if they kinda ick me out, but do they have to take up like half the runtime
I can't think of any sex scene that actually added to the story and I've watched a lot of stuff, off the top of my head there was Wallander and it was a prostitute getting murdered and they didn't sexualise at all, they didn't use it as an excuse to show off a weird rape fantasy, as soon as a movie has a sex scene I turn it off, I lose all respect for it when they use women's bodies just for a quick buck, porn already exists, they don't need to force it in anywhere they can
@@jessica5470you realize women have sex and like it too?
Sex scenes are not inherently bad, but they make the media worse in 99% of the time they are used because in most media that use them they are completely unnecessary. Like, as much as people hate 50 shades, at least sex scenes in that movie make sense since the whole movie's purpose is just softcore 🌽. But most media that utilizes them does so for no other reason than to make the maIe director's wee wee hard. It honestly makes my eye roll AND it creates a dangerous cuIture in hollywood where femaIe actors will be essentiaIIy bIackIisted if they arent comfortable with being nude. And thats not ok.
I completely agree.
babe wake up emily just posted 😌
I prefer implied sex versus seeing the actual act. Show the couple walk into the bedroom and then walk back out with messy hair and buttoning their shirts. Everyone who's old enough, knows what happened in that room - nobody needs to see the actual act itself.
I wish they would do this with teen shows. Then they can take care of the whole “adults playing teenagers” issue that they always use those scenes as an excuse for.
That 50 shades of grey joke Emily 😂
Also celibacy eraaaaa 🥳
Idk I feel like I am in the minority here lol, but I think sex scenes don’t need to advance the plot to be justified, think about it, so normal people only have sex with their partner because “it advances the plot” of their lives or for some super important life changing reason? No, not really, they do it because they enjoy it and even sometimes it is about more than just pleasure but an intimate connection they share with that person during the act (ex.: people in BDSM, leather community, explaining it is more about the trust and connection built and how it is not always just sex).
Now, that doesn’t mean all sex scenes are well done or necessary, it is more so I believe they work in adult media/for mature audiences when they don’t break the pace of the narrative or what is being shown, and also, no I don’t mean romance needs sex to imply connections between characters, but I think it is okay to show adult characters can be comfortable with that side of themselves, I don’t think p*rn levels of visuals are necessary to convey a good sex scene, but I also think people are becoming a bit obsessed with the over sanitization of media, it’s okay to not like sex scenes or to feel uncomfortable with them whether you are ace or not, but that doesn’t mean they are always bad, just like when they show gay characters being really sexual, it isn’t a bad, some gay people are very sexual and open about their sexuality, it shouldn’t be a point to shame (but yes not recognizing boundaries is a thing to be criticized) just like I feel adult media for mainly an audience of women are more enjoyable (to me), when the characters are comfortable about their sexuality or they explore it and break away from the stigma that comes with women and being sexual.
In conclusion, Imo sex scenes are good as long as they know how to not break the pace of what is being shown and the narrative, but they don’t need to be deep or “for plot points” to always be justified, just like nudity should be recognized as a natural thing (I myself enjoy when nude women with different body types in media are shown because it makes me feel normal about my body too), and I feel it mostly comes from how some media and society has stigmatized this things, just like women being openly sexual has had a big stigma in adult media.
I think this whole discourse stems from the fact that nudity in general is so shocking/scandalous to many Americans. The female body in particular is seen as inherently sexual in the US, in contrast to the attitudes of much of Europe. Any scene in a film that shows a naked body is automatically seen as sexual, and sex scenes themselves are exaggerated and over the top, rather than portrayed as something natural, and often unremarkable/awkward. Of course everything is exaggerated in film to some extent, and it is natural for us to want to see uncommonly attractive people having uncommonly exciting sex. But I really do wonder why sex in general is seen as far more scandalous than all the excessive violence we see on film.
What pisses me off about the entire situation is that these advocates are making their waves entirely for clout chasing: being on the right side of history and nothing more. They want the satisfaction of having "made a difference" that is the stark opposite of what they object to. It's just as bad faith a position as they're purporting to fight. It's shallow, superficial, and smug.
This!
Most the time I hear someone say “sex scenes are unnecessary…it makes me uncomfortable…we dont need to see all that…wah wah wah”, it just looks like performative femininity!
I think a lot of people (mainly women) feel that distancing themselves from sex is somehow virtuous.
@@devilsadvocate7059 For a while now I've thought that a lot of sex-positivity politics had more to do with attacking The Patriarchy's ability to judge women for sexual behavior than actually de-stigmatizing it. Because women still shame the hell out of each other over sexual behavior that they chastize men for judging them for.
They can't even bother to throw away the old standards, they just want to repurpose the grip to fit their hands instead of the previous owner's.
@@devilsadvocate7059 I could say the same about your views.
sex scenes can be good in romances because often as relationships develop, physical intimacy does too, so having a sex scene good be a good way to portray that. but, placement is also important to convey that, just throwing a sex scene in where it feel's unexpected or random is not gonna have the effect it could have. like emily said, when it's used just for shock factor it's pointless and uncomfortable.
Lets take promising young woman 2019 vs blond 2022. tow movies dealt with mature themes but executed differently. The former really explored the subject with explicit scenes without sexualizing nor glorifying them. While the ladder did the exact opposite.
Sex is a natural part of life, so I don’t think we should remove it. Why can’t society normalize sex instead of removing it from media. Taboo topics like rape should be in tv and movies, but represented respectfully. If we remove them entirely, we will just be ignoring a problem that needs to get attention, and since movies, tv and social media is the way we gather an opinion and perspective on the world, it needs to represent the actual world; uncomfortable topics and all. Also, there are intimacy coordinators on set who help the actors be comfortable when doing sex scenes. They offer padding for intimate areas and make sure that the actors feelings are in focus when filming something inherently uncomfortable.
i think what makes me more uncomfortable is that nudity always is more centered in feminine nudity, i lost count of how many times i saw breasts and v*g*n*s on a movie, on the other side, we never see more than a shirtless man on tv, it sounds a lot like objetification, also thinking that the majority of the directors are male, it just dont sit right with me
yeah i like graphic nudity and sex but if u go for that apply it equally
Honestly, I think if something is geared towards adults, then there being adult themes should not be a problem.
When I was a child, I didn't want to be treated like a child, so it is bewildering to me that now there are adults that want to be treated like children.
I was SAd as a child, my mum was also shit and didn't shield me from anything just let me watch anything she was, I get a visceral reaction from them now, I feel gross dirty and ashamed, I don't want to be treated like a child, I just don't want to be reminded of that feeling, there's no need to be rude just because you don't understand.
@@jessica5470Then don't watch shows with that shit in?
@@6171bootsthen we’ll all be stuck watching kids cartoons and the hallmark channel..ffs
Jesus the way my chest felt when i heard you say people suggested bringing back the Hays code, anyone who’s done an even a little research on how it effected queer cinema should know how awful that’d be, that code is the whole reason we still have the “ kill your gays “ trope in media today, Christ.
So aroace person here, I do find it uncomfy to watch sex scenes period no matter what relationship they have to the plot. I can fast forward, but I get tired of having to fast forward on what feels like every show and movie unless I only watch kid's content. I just wish there were more options that aren't kid's content that don't have sex scenes.
Exactly what I'm talking about.
It's how absurd they are that bothers me, it can be done in a non-gratuitous way, but in my experience its like 1 in 20 films that can do a non gross uncomfortable(made for perverts from perverts) sex scene. Idk what director it was but one from the 80s literally said "women in movies should be naked or dead, ideally both"
I was waiting for someone to talk about this, thanks and love u ♥️
Also in my celibacy Era - thriving ✨️
I've never watched a film and thought to myself "That film really needed a sex scene".
This actually just happened to me, I was at work with my client who has schizophrenia, I take care of him as his PCA and I put on the movie What’s Love Got to do With It the Tina Turner story and there is a violent grape scene that may have been the most uncomfortable 20 seconds of my life. When it was finally over I audibly gasped “JESUS” and I’m not even a believer.
when i was in school they showed us that movie. i was like 14 or something but im still scarred by that scene
Fictional character watch consent? Haze Code renaissance? REALLY??? I'm a Gen Z too but WOW this getting out of hand lol Imagine nuance💀
it's so interesting seeing purity culture coming back
I don't even think liberals ever had a purity culture. I thought we were supposed to be against that all stuck up business.
i doubt it ever really left :(
she never left :/
it's not "purity culture" to think sex scenes are stupid.
Everyone talks about how the new generation is more progressive than ever and is gonna save us- …no. No, man. The “progressives” of the new generation are literally embracing the kind of sexual politics you’d expect from a conservative Christian under the guise of feminism.
“50 shades of Gray? What, is the movie in black and white?” Okay that was pretty funny 😭
I remember watching 'Born on the Fourth of July' with my mom and older sister. When the sex scene came up, my mom yelled "NO!" in a demonic voice and proceeded to fast forward.
Queen my whole life has been my celibacy era!
Netflix is capitalizing on the "Netflix and Chill" culture we have created. Just because they make some people uncomfortable doesn't mean sex scense are unpopular.
I don't mind sex scenes but when it gets too intense it takes me out of the story- because I can't help but think how awkward it is for the actors to be doing that lol
But an example of a great sex scene is in Deadpool- it's not only funny but it's also used to show the passage of time within the relationship
Also The Last of Us has a beautiful moment between 2 characters that showcase vulnerability and intimacy without a sex scene
So I feel like it's less about sex scenes and more about bad directors (inserting sex scenes or prolonging sex scenes when it's not necessary)
That tweet about characters = concern trolling.
for me personally, i just dislike how american sex scenes seem to be mostly focused on female nudity, usually dont drive the plot at all, and last WAY too long. Like i don't mind mild sexual content, i don't even mind sexual content when it serves a purpose. But it literally feels like they throw in long and involved sex scenes for no reason most of the time. Its super uncomfortable to watch, I don't know anybody who enjoys sex scenes. They make them so long too, and its like why? Why cant they imply sex, or give other clues? It doesn't always have to be "closeup of jiggling boobs for 10 minutes while the girl moans loud and gets railed in 4 different positions". I definitely dont think im a prude either, but something about Americas approach to sex scenes is ....... excrutiating, awkward, and very forced. Ive watched lots of european films with nudity and sexual content and it just isnt the same as the pornified sex scenes of american media.
I was gonna say a thing that basically agrees with you but I will add that the idea that only things that drive the plot forward are necessary/valuable is a very narrow perspective. Sex can add to a story without driving the plot, it can contribute to theme, character, aesthetic etc. Plot is not the only valuable part of the story.
But that being said, a lot of sex scenes don't seem to do that either. But things don't need to be valuable to exist- even though I would probably prefer if there were fewer sex scenes in the world. I'm not sensitive to them but they can make me very uncomfortable.
Ever since I was young I was exposed to movies that were more adult leaning, but I always made sure to leave the room or cover my eyes and ears because I knew I didn’t want it was not suppose to see it. Now I have no issue with sex scenes unless they are awkward or violent. If I get uncomfortable, I skip. And that what a lot of people need to do. If something makes you uncomfortable in a movie you can always skip, watch something else, or leave. No one is forcing you to watch it and no director is just going stop adding such scenes in their work just because people dislike it. You have a choice. Doesn’t mean you can’t be upset or uncomfortable, it just means you can’t be a prude about an issue that you have control over whether you see it or not.
Something I wish more people acknowledged is that sometimes sex scenes can be really…impowering if done right. Like as a disabled person I’m still waiting for a sex scene with a visibly disabled person in it. Sex is so taboo around people like us, and most people like to pretend we don’t even have it at all. Representation doesn’t just exist in one way, it’s in all aspects of life. Including sex.
i remember when there was a love scene with a disabled person in the show “sex education” and people really liked it!
@@notevenemily oh really? Cool I’ll have to check it out thanks
The consent thing is stupid because that's what the RATING OF THE FILM IS FOR AT THE BEGINNING OF THE FILM AND IN THE DESCRIPTION?????
I also love how people want sex taken out or have the movie being r rated but violence in a pg-13 film or less is absolutely ok... sex is perfectly human and natural but violence is the one they are more comfortable with 💀
My problem is how graphic the scenes are especially in teen media.
This is part of why I love No Country for Old Men so much. Llewelyn and his wife loving each other is made clear through his interactions with her, without a sex scene. The whole movie is great story telling but I think the depiction of their relationship is an underrated aspect of the story.
6:19 Hollywood shoulda been less focused on fixing their image and more focused on treating their child actors better
There's nothing wrong if it lasts 15/20s, but FIVE MINUTES OF SOMEONE DOING IT? BRO, I'M WATCHING A MOVIE NOT PORN
What if I don’t wanna dive into a sex scene???
The consent argument is so weird. Like, the characters don't consent to getting shot in the face either. Let's remove all violence. They also didn't consent to having their secrets publicly revealed, so better cut out any private conversations too.
I thought that it only applies to the actors of characters. When people say that about the characters themselves, it just sounds dumb. If we get to an absurdist degree you can say characters don't consent to be characters, which mean no characters should exist ever.
@@tomato5499already saw people saying in this very comment section that sex scenes without love, involving violence or rape (rape isn't sex, but you get it) should never exist lol. also saw people saying the same for cheating and hook-ups. HOOK-UPS.
@@onlyfrog That's just purity culture at its finest.
Yes, more Emily videos. Love u ❤
GoT, OITNB and Euphoria are my binges
everyones saying they're okay with sex scenes as long as it adds something to the plot, did it add something to the plot last time yall shagged someone I cant personally say Ive ever fucked anyone to progress a narrative but if advancing plot points is the primary reason to have sex with someone you do you IG
Don't walk into an r-rated movie if you're not prepared for an r-rated movie. We already HAVE a solution that pleases everybody
One time my dad tried to skip a sex scene, and made it worse because it paused on the part where they were completely naked and it lasted longer than the original scene. 😢
I think having sex scenes and nudity are valid when it contributes to the story, and often even when it doesnt. People have sex, and including it for aesthetic value is usually fine. My issue is in shows like Euphoria that highlight sex as a part of the characters lives even if it doesnt make too much sense for the character--especially since teengagers are having less sex in this generation. That kind of thing kinda reveals something about the directors views of sexual expression and/or what they're willing to include to make their show raunchy and profitable. I think it would be more valuable to explore nudity in non-sexual contexts since American media--whether about teens or adults it's always so sexually charged, even in innapropriate situations (finding ways to justify exploiting a character sexually for absolutely no reason). And all people have bodies so I see nothing wrong with nudity per se, but a lot of male directors find a way to sexualize even someone just sitting naked in a bathtub just relaxing
The title of the show is literally EUPHORIA. The show is about how these characters look for pleasure and validation in unhealthy ways. They're all chasing a high and wondering why they're still upset.
Nate looks for sexual dominance because he's afraid he'll be targeted by someone like his dad if he appears weak. Cassie is afraid of disappointing people and thinks the only thing she has to offer is her body. Kat wants to be desired. Maddie has conflicting views on who the real her is and feels guilty when she seeks pleasure, but also feels a need to put on an air of confidence. Jules, also, wants to be desired and explains that she feels like she can conquer all the forces that are against her with sex. Rue can barely get anything pleasure or excitement out of anything because of her depression, so she tries to squeeze it out of anything she can. Whether that be through drugs, sex, liquor, deceit, violence, fear, anger, or whatever else excites her. Lexi wants to have her daydreams validated so she can feel her perceptions of the events of the story are correct, even if that means hurting some feelings along the way. She also envies her sister for being desired, but feels like her sister wastes her "power", which is just her sister being victimized.
@@muntu1221 I think the main critique as far as sex scenes go in euphoria is that it’s uncomfortable for people to watch ppl who are supposed to be portraying minors having sex (that’s literally shown rather than implied) that’s what a lot of people in here are mostly complaining about and I agree! I shouldn’t be seeing someone who is playing a teenager naked. It doesn’t sit right with me so unfortunately I’m missing out on such a good show but I just can’t support that lol. I understand what u mean and I appreciate your take on it of course.
totally agreed. sex scenes are fine even if they don't add to the plot. sometimes, people just wanna watch a show full of sex, just like people may watch horror just to see dumb people running from murderers, or gratuitous blood. it's not that deep. the problem only comes when there's exploitation of actors, normalization/erotization of rape, misogyny, acting like minors' lives revolve around sex, etc.
the director of Euphoria is absolutely just a sketchy guy - i know sydney sweeney has spoken about how uncomfortable she was on set and various cast members have said how unnecessary a lot of the nudity was. unfortunately the actors were young and weren't big names yet so couldn't risk too much disagreement with him at risk of being kicked off the show (minus zendaya and her no nudity contract, as she was already a prominent actress at the time)
People also go for a shit, we don't usually need to see them go for a shit to know they shit
I don’t personally enjoy sex scenes but I don’t really care when I’m alone. when I’m watching with someone, it makes me massively uncomfortable