Movie Question For The Ladies

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Wild Things (This girl I watched this with in college made me rewind it over and over as she kept exclaiming “Yessssss!”)
LOL!!!!!

Just remember everyone: there is no market for male nudity. Hee!



The trick is not minding
LOL!!!!!

Just remember everyone: there is no market for male nudity. Hee!
I still remember her excitement over Kevin’s, erm, bacon. She literally wasn’t interested in the movie until that shower scene and she was all like “Wait! Did….did they just show his penis?? Rewind it!”
*minutes after rewatching it*

“Yesssssss! Rewind it again!”

I can’t recall, but she might have paused it, as well. lol. College. Good times.




It's been PROVEN, guys! PROVEN! Guys will want to see a movie until they find out there's a p-p-p-p-penis in it! LOL.

I'd like to think this wasn't true, but I've known a lot of guys over the years who would consider a movie having too much dick in it to be a deal breaker. Especially if they know before hand. I think there are worries that in such a case, people might suspect they went to the movie BECAUSE of the promise of wang.


It's a ridiculous and gross charade that unfortunately I even danced along with when I was a teenager. I remember a friend once renting a porno which, as we watched it, quickly shocked us when suddenly all the men started blowing each other. My defence against such a thing was to put my hands in front of it so not to see anymore. But more importantly, so my friends would see I had quickly protected myself from it. Like seeing such a thing would be enough to have me labelled gay to others in my school. That my hands would shield me from any homosexual lust transmission. I was already suspect enough amongst friends in that I never had much interest in pornography to begin with. Me getting caught with the reflection of a cock party in my eyeballs and I would have been done for.


It's of course all so shameful now. But it felt so important at the time, not only to be straight, but to continually prove it. I don't know how prevalent it still is, but there once was such a painful fragility surrounding a lot of male hetereosexuality, that there are no end of little infractions that could rob you of the title.Back then simply staring at the spot on a television screen where a dick might suddenly appear was definitely one of them. Pathetic, but fairly true.



Thankfully, in regards to helping my enlightenment along, it would turn out that friend who rented that movie was in fact gay (and to this day still denies renting such a porno intentionally), and I would end up spending most of my twenties in gay bars with him. Places where gay porn would be filling every TV screen available, and I would sit watching it all with the similarly glazed over expression I probably give to football when I'm in a straight bar. Just something to stare at while I wait for my next drink. And while those cock fears all seem so distant now, they were very real at the time. And very childish. And very harmful. And according to the comment you posted, still being hidden behind by men who can't face the possibility of being mistaken for being gay, even for the briefest of moments.



This nonsense runs deep.



I'd like to think this wasn't true, but I've known a lot of guys over the years who would consider a movie having too much dick in it to be a deal breaker. Especially if they know before hand. I think there are worries that in such a case, people might suspect they went to the movie BECAUSE of the promise of wang.
It's true, and I wrote and deleted something about how sad it makes me that guys have such a precarious relationship with a huge subset of human bodies just out of deep-rooted homophobia. And by extension, that men don't see themselves in films as having genuine erotic potential. Like, the idea that men are socialized to see their nude bodies as either (1) comical or (2) threatening is generally upsetting to me.

Now that said, I think it's still kind of garbage to suggest that male nudity should be kept off screen out of deference to the homophobes. That's like saying we should keep non-white people out of leading roles lest we alienate the dollars of the racists.

This nonsense runs deep.
It absolutely does.

I think that my posts sometimes suggest I'm just desperate for more male nudity on screen. I'm actually often pretty indifferent to nudity (of either gender). But I generally think that seeing a wider range of bodies on screen would be a good thing for a lot of people. I remember watching a film whose name escapes me, and an older woman was shown nude and people in the theater actually went "Ugh!" or "Ew!". And this was, like, an art-house crowd!



Better Living Through Movie Quotes
[quote=Takoma11;2274356 how sad it makes me that guys have such a precarious relationship with a huge subset of human bodies just out of deep-rooted homophobia.



[/quote]


This is your complete explanation for why male full frontal nudity is rare in film and judged harshly by ratings agencies, male deep-rooted homophobia?



This is your complete explanation for why male full frontal nudity is rare in film and judged harshly by ratings agencies, male deep-rooted homophobia?

Indeed, I object. It's not homophobia, but old-fashioned sexism and objectification of the female form.



Victim of The Night
While we’re on the topic of exposed penises depicted in film, and as heterosexual male who has no issue with it, off the top of my head, I know I’ve seen the peen in The Man Who Fell to Earth (like, 3 different guys?), Wild Things (This girl I watched this with in college made me rewind it over and over as she kept exclaiming “Yessssss!”), Eastern Promises, Forgetting Sarah Marshal, The Crying Game….Yeah, that’s all that comes to mind without thinking too hard (pardon the expression) on it.
Well, this is a good point. I bet one thing we've never seen in a film that wasn't rated at least NC-17 is an ERECT penis.
Like, you can slip one into an R movie as long as it's flaccid. But once that thing gets excited, whoah!, look out MPAA!!!



Well, this is a good point. I bet one thing we've never seen in a film that wasn't rated at least NC-17 is an ERECT penis.
Like, you can slip one into an R movie as long as it's flaccid. But once that thing gets excited, whoah!, look out MPAA!!!
To be fair, it was pointing right at them. They felt threatened.



Victim of The Night
...men don't see themselves in films as having genuine erotic potential. Like, the idea that men are socialized to see their nude bodies as either (1) comical or (2) threatening is generally upsetting to me.
To be fair to myself, because that's absolutely how I feel, I work with dozens of women I am friendly with and several of my closest friends are women and they basically all sing the same refrain all the time:
"Nobody wants to see y'all's junk!"

And you hear that enough you start to feel like it's probably true and another irreparable division between men and women exists.



Victim of The Night
To be fair, it was pointing right at them. They felt threatened.
Damn thing could go off any second!



Well, this is a good point. I bet one thing we've never seen in a film that wasn't rated at least NC-17 is an ERECT penis.
Like, you can slip one into an R movie as long as it's flaccid. But once that thing gets excited, whoah!, look out MPAA!!!


I could do without seeing the private parts of any actors in serious movies unless it serves an artistic purpose above base sensuality. It's debasing and tends to reduce the actor to the level of a prostitute. If we're going to go there, let's please have a good reason. For base sensuality there is an entire genre dedicated to it which does it better than R-rated fare.



Better Living Through Movie Quotes
Well, this is a good point. I bet one thing we've never seen in a film that wasn't rated at least NC-17 is an ERECT penis.
Like, you can slip one into an R movie as long as it's flaccid. But once that thing gets excited, whoah!, look out MPAA!!!

Exactly. The line between art and eroticism can be blurry with regards to depiction of the female form because the state of sexual readiness is not as evident (unless we get all Larry Flynt) as it is in the male.


With men, it is cut and dry: Erect phallus = eroticism. Non-erect phallus = not eroticism.


The objectification of the female form is not restricted to strait men. We need only browse briefly though any fashion magazine like "Vogue" to see a sensual, semi-erotic presentation of the female form. Thus, objectification of the female form is driven as much by women as men.



Seeing full fronting nudity of men in film is simply shocking. There are several reasons, with homophobia taking a back to seat to most of them:


1. Seeing full frontal nudity in men is rare and it pops off the screen when we see it simply because it is rare.



2. Parents. When adults have a child, their view of the world can be fundamentally altered where they are highly sensitized to providing a safe and wholesome world for their children to live in. Parents with pre-pubescent children commonly don't like adult nudity in this world as they want to control how and when their children are introduced and exposed to strictly adult themes, especially sex.


3. On a related note, sexual repression stems from the idea that sex is a base instinct and not particularly safe or wholesome. Thus, sexuality is suitable only in very private and intimate circumstances. How far these tolerances are taken in art and media varies with the degree of guilt and repression of any individual. Male nudity strum these tight wires and therefore their images on screen will be met with varying degrees of discomfort as we are getting into deep waters where a lot of people simply are not prepared to deal with, especially from their entertainment. .


4. Sexual repression is transmitted vertically. Parents frequently want to transmit their attitudes on sex to their children in a highly controlled fashion. Sexual imagery and attitudes transmitted via the media will be met with substantial resistance by those parents who want to control how sex is presented in society at large. Nudity can be an issue for them.



With regards to homophobia, Kinsey saw a full spectrum of sexual flexibility even in males. But, homophobia is not triggered by the male phallus, especially a non-erect one, but images of homosexual emotional and physical intimacy. Viggo's junk in "Eastern Promises" is not going to tweak any but the most extreme homophobe, while the tender scenes of making out between men will send a shudder to a greater swath of an audience, male and female.



To be fair to myself, because that's absolutely how I feel, I work with dozens of women I am friendly with and several of my closest friends are women and they basically all sing the same refrain all the time:
"Nobody wants to see y'all's junk!"
Well, certainly not in a non-consensual context.

Like, what is the context in which they are saying that? I know a lot of women (and some men) who talk positively about male nudity in films. But these same people do not appreciate being flashed by drunks or being sent unsolicited pictures.

It would take me like pages and pages to unpack what I think are unfortunate dynamics between men and their own bodies, men and the bodies of other men, and between women and the male body (where the male body is seen as an object of aggression and not one that is passive or to be enjoyed). And since I'm not a man, a lot of it would just be me working from what I've observed and what I've been told by the subset of men who are my friends who are open about such topics (about half of whom are gay, which obviously adds another layer).

Suffice it to say, wherever the messaging is coming from about the male body being either a joke or a weapon, I think it's too bad. I think it doesn't serve men and I think it doesn't serve women.


Well, we've turned a thread called "A Question for the Ladies" into a conversation about men's feelings, so, uh, mission accomplished, eh?

WARNING: spoilers below
(This is not directed at you--or any poster--specifically, I obviously helped steer this conversation in this direction).


I leave you to it, bros!




Victim of The Night
I could do without seeing the private parts of any actors in serious movies unless it serves an artistic purpose above base sensuality. It's debasing and tends to reduce the actor to the level of a prostitute. If we're going to go there, let's please have a good reason. For base sensuality there is an entire genre dedicated to it which does it better than R-rated fare.
But should it be debasing?
I mean, what's wrong with us as a society that nudity is "debasing" and reduces people "to the level of a prostitute"?



Victim of The Night
Well, certainly not in a non-consensual context.

Like, what is the context in which they are saying that? I know a lot of women (and some men) who talk positively about male nudity in films. But these same people do not appreciate being flashed by drunks or being sent unsolicited pictures.

It would take me like pages and pages to unpack what I think are unfortunate dynamics between men and their own bodies, men and the bodies of other men, and between women and the male body (where the male body is seen as an object of aggression and not one that is passive or to be enjoyed). And since I'm not a man, a lot of it would just be me working from what I've observed and what I've been told by the subset of men who are my friends who are open about such topics (about half of whom are gay, which obviously adds another layer).

Suffice it to say, wherever the messaging is coming from about the male body being either a joke or a weapon, I think it's too bad. I think it doesn't serve men and I think it doesn't serve women.
Well, we've turned a thread called "A Question for the Ladies" into a conversation about men's feelings, so, uh, mission accomplished, eh?

WARNING: spoilers below
(This is not directed at you--or any poster--specifically, I obviously helped steer this conversation in this direction).


I leave you to it, bros!

No, it's not so much any of that as women constantly telling me that mens' genitalia are "gross" and other similar adjectives. And I mean, LOTS of women, I've probably had that exact conversation with no fewer than 30 different women in my lifetime and probably lots more. Imagine if the opposite sex was constantly telling you that your genitals were GROSS. Instead of literally the most desirable thing on Earth to them.

And I don't think we've turned a thread "for the Ladies" into one about men's feelings, I think that's rather an unfair portrayal of the mere inclusion of men's perspective and questions actually, five pages in, that was absolutely topically relevant to the direction the larger conversation we were having had gone.
But we "bros" will miss you.



No, it's not so much any of that as women constantly telling me that mens' genitalia are "gross" and other similar adjectives. And I mean, LOTS of women, I've probably had that exact conversation with no fewer than 30 different women in my lifetime and probably lots more.
That is depressing. I don't know what's wrong with people.

And I don't think we've turned a thread "for the Ladies" into one about men's feelings, I think that's rather an unfair portrayal of the mere inclusion of men's perspective and questions actually, five pages in, that was absolutely topically relevant to the direction the larger conversation we were having had gone.
But we "bros" will miss you.
It was mostly a joke, but isn't it interesting that a thread asking for a female perspective has so quickly become male dominated in terms of both who is posting and what we are posting about?

I appreciate the perspective (especially yours and Crumbsroom's), but this is now a conversation about men and how they relate to their bodies in reality and on screen. The only female perspective that I can offer here is to say that I don't think men should be shamed for their bodies and that I think it's messed up that they get that message (from women or from other men). The conversation is welcome to continue, because it's where the thread went on its own. You guys are more qualified to hash out the conversation than I am, and that's fine. I just don't think it's a conversation I want to participate in as the only woman. And I'm sorry if me trying to be glib/funny in exiting was hurtful.