Why do you seldom see nude people in american movies? (1 Viewer)

[DaveBB]

Between about 1500 and 1800, Europe shipped many of their arch-conservative religious types over to the US (Our history books paint them as horribly picked on, but having met the modern day versions, I don't feel so bad for them ). You know, the ones who think dancing and any kind of happiness is the road to hell? So here we are, 400 years later, and they're still running our lives through their ancestors.

Probably the best short answer I've seen. For as wild and crazy as our country is portrayed; there is still a decent sized portion of the population that is conservative.

Why all the questions Jens? Are you seriously curious or are you trying to point out how messed up America is?

 

[Dennis Reno]

Excellent post Jeff! I guess we can blame the French yet again
I've never understood America's obsession with preventing nudity and the ho-hum attitude regarding violence. We are all born naked, we (if you bathe) see nudity daily, yet we are supposed to find it bad??? I have family members who don't object to their kids seeing some really violent movies, but God forbid if a nipple is shown. Very confusing.
American movies had quite a bit of nudity in the 70's and 80's. It seems that the 90's brought us less nudity, but a major increase in violence overall.
Nipples/genitals = BAD
Violence/blood/brain matter = GOOD

 

[Julie K]

Violence/blood/brain matter = GOOD

Well, as a fan of brain-munching zombie movies - YOU'RE DAMNED RIGHT ABOUT THAT!
But I think everyone should stop teasing Jens and give him the real answer. He just needs to extend his arguments from other threads - nude people aren't shown in American films because no one in America is nude.

 

[Bhagi Katbamna]

I don't want my kids to see nudity or violence on TV so I am glad there isn't nudity in prime time ads, etc...

I can control what they watch as far as programs go but I don't want my 6 yr old seeing naked women in an ad on a family show.

 

[Richard Kim]

I can control what they watch as far as programs go but I don't want my 6 yr old seeing naked women in an ad on a family show.

And yet there's lots of violence on US cartoons and Saturday morning TV shows.

 

[CharlesD]

I am curious to know what harm will be done to a 6 year old from seeing a naked woman (assuming a non-sexual context)

 

[Malcolm R]

Is it time for us to start asking about "crazy Swedish customs" yet???

Nope. Someone already tried that, the thread was closed.

 

[Jens Raethel]

Why all the questions Jens? Are you seriously curious or are you trying to point out how messed up America is?

Im just curious, I dont say that America is messed up, even though I never been to America I think its a great country in many ways!!

Most of the impressions that I get from America is from either movies/TV or my cousin who lives in San Fransisco.

I know that movies are movies and that real life is something else, but some things I see over and over, and it makes me wonder. I dont say that you do things wrong in the way you are doing it.

I dont mean to offend anybody, if I did Im sorry!

jens

 

[Shane Gralaw]

There's a clothing optional park at the lake here in Austin. It attracts every perv within 12 counties of it. I don't see nudity as purely sexual, but our culture's prudish objectification of it has made it so. Now girls can't go to this park without a bunch of childish morons surrounding them for a peek. It's sad. And some idiots wander around with cameras and camcorders so they can presumably go whack off to the images at home, which has caused some fights where the unwilling "model" wanted to break the camera, and the guy's face. Also, every closeted married guy in town thinks this is his outdoor sex park, leading to numerous arrests. I really wish people could properly understand nudity as something natural, but they just don't.

And Brian A, I worked at this park and several others around the lake and the issue came up as to whether a woman could go topless at any of the other parks (this was before the lawsuit you mentioned). The official line was that it was an issue of public standards. In other words, if no one objected then the woman could, but if anyone complained, we would have to politely ask her to cover up. All the women I talked to at the other parks who wanted to go topless were cool with this when I explained it to them and there was never an incident.

 

[Bhagi Katbamna]

I am curious to know what harm will be done to a 6 year old from seeing a naked woman (assuming a non-sexual context)

Don't know, don't want to find out with my kids. How can a naked man/woman in an ad or movie be non-sexual? If it is non-sexual, why do they need to show them without clothes on? In movies, for the longest time, there was no nudity, and movies did not suffer by any means. Most of the best movies ever made thus far did not have any nudity and minimal if any colorful language.

 

[LarryDavenport]

As the above posters have pointed out, our country was founded by puritans and religious zealouts whose descendants still run the country, unfortunately.

Half the country seems to be pro-sex and anti-violence, the other half vica versa.

As far as nude beaches go, there are some, but let's face it, you wouldn't want to see most Americans in the buff.

 

[Jack Briggs]

Most of the best movies ever made thus far did not have any nudity and minimal if any colorful language.

On the other hand, some of the very best films ever made had copious amounts of both.

 

[LarryDavenport]

Without nudity, porn would just be a bunch of poorly written and acted teleplays.

 

[Jens Raethel]

Don't know, don't want to find out with my kids. How can a naked man/woman in an ad or movie be non-sexual? If it is non-sexual, why do they need to show them without clothes on? In movies, for the longest time, there was no nudity, and movies did not suffer by any means. Most of the best movies ever made thus far did not have any nudity and minimal if any colorful language.

So if you see a naked body you automaticly think of sex?

There was a time when you never even saw a toilet on movies!

Is it a bad thing to show toilets to?

We all use them....

 

[Jack Briggs]

He's referring to Eisenhower-era America, Jens. During the days of Leave It To Beaver, married couples on television sitcoms and dramas slept in separate twin beds. And while bathrooms were known to exist in the television universe, their most prominent appliance was never shown nor discussed.

It truly is a case of a country founded by a bizarre admixture of freethinking intellectuals (the "Founding Fathers" themselves) and repressed and oppressed Puritans and other persecuted religious groups.

A hodgepodge resulted. In many ways, American culture sets the world standard and is on the cutting edge; there are parts of the U.S. that could be considered just as progressive as, say, the Netherlands. On the other hand, in many areas of the country, another time and mindset seem to prevail.

It's easy to get a skewed perspective from the vantage point of Los Angeles or San Francisco or New York, but the country is a mix of peoples and cultures. A little bit of everything is here--warts and all.

 

[Morgan Jolley]

Actually, someone mentioned that American's on average have the highest sperm counts of any country in the world, but aren't we also the most overweight? Thus, another reason for the lack of nudity...

But seriously, I don't see what the big deal is. A person (male or female) should have the right to show off whatever they want. If a woman wants to walk down the street naked, I say let her. Who cares? God forbid your child see a naked woman. He'll see a lot of that in his future (one would hope so) and there's no reason why people shouldn't show off what they have.

One thing I wish they would do is allow more stuff on TV. TV stations get charged money for every use of any swear words if its not used in an artistic sense. Of course, thats only broadcast TV. South Park had the word "shit" said (unbeeped) over 180 times in one half hour episode. But thats probably the worst thing on basic cable ever.

 

[DaveBB]

As far as nude beaches go, there are some, but let's face it, you wouldn't want to see most Americans in the buff.

So damn true; it's embarrassing how fat the majority of the people in this country are.

 

[Holadem]

I doubt that nudity == sex in the mind of a 6 year old child. My younger sister and I used to be bathed togehter past that age. Of course this was back home...

--

Holadem

 

[Scott L]

Is nothing sacred

If a woman wants to walk down the street naked, I say let her. Who cares?

Puuuhl-eease. Would you say the same about your little sister, or mom? And I find it funny you said woman and not person.

 

[Matt Krapf]

Here's what's harmful about nudity...nothing.
Here's what's helpful about nudity...nothing.
It's a wash. There's (in my opinion) nothing intrinsically wrong with nudity, but because of the prudish nature of most of American culture, we're very morally immature.
Actually, were pretty darned immature, by most standards. (but that's a whole different discussion)
Having spent mucho time in other countries watching TV, the nudity there seems shocking but isn't. It just is. Since it's "out there", and everyone's exposed to it, the cultures have integrated nudity as "natural" and not overtly sexual.
We have "protected" ourselves from nudity(and drugs, etc) to the point where Americans JUST DON'T KNOW HOW TO DEAL with it maturely. And, since we react so immaturely and reflexively to it, we only make it worse on ourselves by having the PMRC / MPAA / FCC, etc. who further try to restrict such things.
It's gotten so bad, in terms of nudity/nakedness being construed as sexual or simply embarrasing...that basic hygiene is being affected. Case in point...
When I was in high school after gym or any physical activity, we were REQUIRED to shower. There was no agenda other than to enforce hygiene, and thankfully so.(b.o. is real) Well, I heard from a new guy who works here that his high school stopped requiring showers after gym, because...
a) it was potentially embarrasing for certain students
b) it was potentially sexually stimulating for students or moderators.
Notice all the "potential" and no reference to "fact".
A) people sweat
B) sweat stinks
C) people shouldn't stink
This immaturity sux.
Would having nudity on tv make for better tv? No.
However, since NYPD Blue has had nudity and the world didn't stop spinning...I'd say that "Having nudity on tv would make better Americans."
Being exposed to it, makes you face it, evaluate it and integrate it into daily life. "IT" is nudity in this case.
If we face it, we'd have to deal with it and discover there's nothing wrong.

I don't know. I love living here, but it's kinda' embarrasing to be us sometimes.
Pardon any frightening or offensive thoughts.