Why is female nudity both more and less acceptable in American society than male nudity?

Question

For instance, most of the nudity in mainstream American movies is female. Yet, if a woman walks around without a shirt as a man might, it is illegal. If it is for entertainment in a film, then female nudity is acceptable, but if it is for function (if a woman is hot and takes off her shirt, or if she needs to breast feed and exposes her breast), it is rude, distasteful, and possibly against the law. Anyone want to throw around some ideas why this is?

Answer 1

There is a website called collegehumor.com. They rejoice at photos of nude women, but whenever there is a photo of a nude man, which, inherently, has to be of some comedic value to be posted (i.e. a guy flashing the camera behind a group of girls having their picture taken), they have to almost reassure their readers that it is not "gay" to look at it.

It has nothing to do with the female form being more "easy on the eyes." The ancient Greeks pretty much found the female form despicable, yet worshipped the male form. As others have said, it has to do with homophobia.

Answer 2

interesting question. I think it has a lot to do with culture. The western culture seems to frown on a lot of this stuff while other cultures do not worry at all. Look at the natives in a lot of the jungles of the world. Why women can be naked in a movie i think is because the female body is nice to look at and certainly will stop any man in his tracks, that brings in money. The two best sellers in the world are food and sex. I see nothing offensive with seeing a women breast feeding. It was never a problem a few years ago however the world seems to have gone a little crazy, with to much human rights issues and freedom of speech.

Kowhai

Answer 3

Well the main reason is, nudity is a taboo period in America. However, oddly, the breasts have become almost as much a taboo to show as say a vagina or penis. And you're not entirely right either, you can not show a topless woman on public access. Now you can in movies, and say, HBO, but that's a different matter entirely. The only exception to full nudity on public access is in historical documentaries, even then, they're not too big on it.

Answer 4

This is quite a good question.

My idea is that female nudity is more enjoyed than male nudity, in general. Men enjoy visual stimulation more than anything else. Women are therefore less attracted to entertainment involving male nudity.

I can't speak well to why breasts are considered private and pornographic in most civilizations though.

Answer 5

No idea. MAJOR pet peeve of mine. LOL

Why is a shirtless woman considered nude (by some) and a shirtless man not considered nude?

I do have to say that I agree with Ren, the female body is definitely (IMO) easier on the eyes.

Breastfeeding is completely natural and something that should be able to be done modestly in public.

One of the few good things about winter (other than skiing, fireplaces, and getting snowed in) is that men with unsightly and sagging torsos don't insist on jogging or cutting the grass without a shirt on. Every summer, I see some sights that ought to be illegal. LOL

Answer 6

In film there are basically 3 tiers of nudity. Breasts, full-frontal female nudity and full-frontal male nudity. A film very briefly showing breasts could get as low as a PG-13 rating. One that shows full-frontal female nudity is guaranteed an R-rating. One showing male nudity is, unless very brief, almost guaranteed an NC-17 rating. Male nudity is considered more taboo than female nudity.

Answer 7

Women aren't uncomfortable seeing other women in various stages of undress. Men, for whatever reason, are and so I think that accounts for a lot of it.

I don't think that this is acceptable everywhere in public, however rather is acceptable in public domain: internet, television, movies, etc. not in the real world. I can't just walk outside right now and not expect to be arrested or have someone say something to me at the very least.

Answer 8

A lot of ingrained roots to this that is why. There is a history of women being "modest" and covering for men. It's only been a hundred years where exposure of hips and legs was quite controversial and daring. I think a lot of views are shaped from such roots. The way the female form is sexualized and on top of it being taboo and flaunting but yet covering certain parts up, makes them forbidden fruit and now unacceptable. There are many topless beaches in Europe and other cultures and no one really cares with seeing topless women.

But the attitude is different there and breasts are not forbidden fruit either. I mean if you think about it, it would take 100s of years in American and be quite shocking but say the children being born now saw women being topless on tv in a casual manner and over and over like you see men with their shirts off and with this for women treating their topless ness in a casual manner. Breasts would be like other parts as their would be desensitizing. They would still be sexy, beautiful but there would not be obsession and the porn market would probably not do well after that. But I wouldn't want that to happen as I like the mystery and allure, but I guess it's not good of how obsessed we are also (Janet Jackson incident).

Edit: People who said men are uncomfortable seeing male nudity are right, relative to insecurity with their size or homophobia. One answer right here is a good example, lol. Quite immature actually. As one dude said male nudity is gross, but his member is cool, lol. I don't mean to be blunt, but if male nudity is gross, then you member is gross too, they are the same parts. Do you have a golden wand or something? lol That right there is someone not secure with their sexuality. Seriously think about it, men would be in trouble if doctors, which many are men had such an immature attitude, lol. Guys unfortunately could die of testicular cancer, because the male doctor had the maturity of a 9 year old about male nudity, jeesh.
I don't know why men have to prove how straight they are over and over unless they are afraid of something. I enjoy female nudity as a straight man, not male nudity.

But if I'm watching a movie and there is a scene that a dude is nude, it doesn't bother me, because what is there to be nervous about or so gross or act like that in an immature manner? I obviously would not be fond if this happened too much as I want to and obviously would rather see a woman, but it doesn't bother me if there is nude man in a movie or whatever. I don't have to prove anything, it's just a shrug of my shoulders, like whatever, don't enjoy but it doesn't bother me either. I mean it is what it is. I wonder if guys like that are afriad that they might like it or could actually deep down inside be scared that they could have some curiosity or like the grosseness, their is some fear of something which I don;'t understand if a man is supposedly so straight would have. If you are so straight then there shouldn't be such insecurity of this matter and more maturity.

Answer 9

You know that is really an interesting question. I think we have very dualistic attitudes toward women in general. Have you ever heard the old saying about "she is the kind of woman you would have sex with but not the kind you would marry". We have the "little old lady in the shoe" picture and then the Virgin Mary. Sex is fun but dirty and evil. Don't teach your kids about it, but everybody does it. Perhaps, we should address this issue. See what others say.

Answer 10

Mine are bouncing right now as I type this.

Enclosed in a bra and surrounded by a pink top! :)

I don't know why that is - I guess it's a shame thing we Americans seem to have cornered the market on.