Back in the 30s, 40s, and 50s, sex in films was virtually non-existent and it was mostly implied (i.e. the affair between Rick and Ilsa in "Casablanca" or the staircase scene with Rhett and Scarlett in "Gone with the Wind").
Nowadays, sex in films and even television is incredibly blatant. My question is this:
Do films and TV shows REALLY need to have sex in them? Would it hurt the industry to imply that sex has occurred between two characters?
I'd like an unbiased answer; no smart-aleck stuff, no "you're a prude" kind of stuff (well, yeah, I am a prude but that's a different topic altogether).
Can the film and entertainment industry generate the same amount of income from toning down on the sex (and leaving the sex to the adult entertainment industry)?
2006-11-27 14:21:42 · 17 answers · asked by chrstnwrtr 7 in Entertainment & Music ➔ Movies
Ok, long answer to a complicated question. I'm a filmmaker, and have looked into this to a great extent, to know how much, if any sexuality I had to put into my films.
1. There was in fact, lots of sex in movies all throughout the history of cinema, but back then, they were called "exploitation movies". Do search engine searches, for "vintage erotica", "Russ Meyer" and you will see lots of sex in cinema in the "good old days".
I saw a clip of a film from right around the turn of the century about ancient Rome, and there was a full-on orgy scene, with about 30 people having sex, and it was not what you would call "tasteful" or "hinted at".
Just like in "classic rock music", history tends to filter out the stuff that's not top quality, or other unexplainable factors. That's why you don't hear about Grand Funk Railroad anymore, even though in the 70's they sold more concert tickets than Led Zepplin, for instance.
2. There are certain realities of film financing and distribution that you are unaware of;
A. If you're trying to finance a movie, you either have bankable elements (stars) in your film, or if not, you have to put other things in it that will hopefully guarantee you a wider audience. The foreign market demands from American films, one (or all) of these things, in this order:
Big stars, sex, violence.
If you don't have at least one, but preferably all three, the distributors won't touch your film. The audience never gets a chance to even see these films.
A few exceptions slip through the cracks, but these always have something "quirky" about them, like Napolean Dynamite or Blair Witch Project, but these are really exceptions, and it doesn't happen very often.
3 .The fact is, even though the top grossing films of all time are usually not movies with sex in them, lots of people (probably even you, if you'll be honest) see an ad or trailer that seems to hint at attractive people having sex, and more people will go to see that film, or watch that show.
It's just the way it is, always has been, and always will be.
2006-11-27 17:01:36 · answer #1 · answered by dork 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
1
2016-05-23 16:10:51 · answer #2 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
We live in different times back in the 30's, 40, 50's they had different takes on movies than we have today. In those days sex didn't sell plus they thought was immoral but it's different now sex is just as normal as apple pie these days it just the times of chance nothing stays the same
2006-11-27 15:20:51 · answer #3 · answered by annie 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Hollywood exploits the instinct of sexual desire as an advertising slogan for their movie(s). It's just another propaganda technique to buy a product. Naturally, as a male, I am attracted to females. Especially the breasts, because they are used to produce milk to feed my offspring, and the butt, because the larger, the greater chance of a successful birth.
On the flip side, women are attractied to abs because of the motion of the pelvic thrust required so sexual intercourse. The abs are used to move the erected penis forwards and backwards into the vagina. The larger the abs the faster and most often he can engage in sexual intercourse.
2006-11-27 14:31:30 · answer #4 · answered by Nicholas L 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes, sex sells, but a good movie needn't have it in it. A movie I like a lot is Pulp Fiction and there's no sex scene in it ( least not by a man and a woman ).
2006-11-27 23:39:40 · answer #5 · answered by Vintage Music 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
no you arent a prude and i agree: sex in entertainment is extremely blatant. however, there is only one question that producers and actors and directors are interested in having answered: Will it make me money? and, to put it simply: Yes. If it is "sexed-up". after all: sex sells.
2006-11-27 14:26:48 · answer #6 · answered by Nikolae 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Sex Sells!!!
2006-11-27 16:45:23 · answer #7 · answered by Synical 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yeah i thing because people love to watch sex like me would not appreciate that if u take out that part
2006-11-27 14:26:21 · answer #8 · answered by The Dark Prince of Awesome 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
i think that sex scenes are a way to attract the male audience. i dont know how many times ive heard men saying "did you see that movie, it shows so&so naked. shes so hot"
2006-11-27 15:28:25 · answer #9 · answered by Melissa 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
yes actually it does bring income some people go to see movies just to see their favorite actor have sex
2006-11-27 14:28:45 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋