A nude woman is ok on screen but not a nude man

[Cathy J.]

A group of us was watching that old horror flick "Dressed to Kill" the other night. That famous shower scene with Angie Dickinson ( though it was a bady double nude and not Angie ) soaping up and everything. The movie was rated "R". A friend of mine made a comment that had that been a man doing the same thing, then Dressed to Kill would get a full blown "X" so the showing of a nude man, well full frontal anyway is considered taboo.

Now I know there have been many R rated flicks where a penis shown but usually its brief. On the other hand, there are quite a few movies where the woman is shown nude very often and in scenes longer too.

I remember reading in one of those Q & A books film critic Roger Ebert had out years ago where someone asked him more/less why movies tend to show nude women a lot more than a nude man. Even he didn't give a clear answer to that. Wonder why this is?

Over the years I heard that many male movie stars don't have much to show and that many males would be embarrised to see a nude man on the screen. The latter makes no sense to me, how many of these same guys watch porn? The ones I have seen, quite a few naked guys in those.

[RichCon]

A group of us was watching that old horror flick "Dressed to Kill" the other night. That famous shower scene with Angie Dickinson ( though it was a bady double nude and not Angie ) soaping up and everything. The movie was rated "R". A friend of mine made a comment that had that been a man doing the same thing, then Dressed to Kill would get a full blown "X" so the showing of a nude man, well full frontal anyway is considered taboo.

Now I know there have been many R rated flicks where a penis shown but usually its brief. On the other hand, there are quite a few movies where the woman is shown nude very often and in scenes longer too.

I remember reading in one of those Q & A books film critic Roger Ebert had out years ago where someone asked him more/less why movies tend to show nude women a lot more than a nude man. Even he didn't give a clear answer to that. Wonder why this is?

Over the years I heard that many male movie stars don't have much to show and that many males would be embarrised to see a nude man on the screen. The latter makes no sense to me, how many of these same guys watch porn? The ones I have seen, quite a few naked guys in those.

I think the answer to this is incredibly obvious. Women's bodies are beautiful to look at, and men's aren't.

Even straight women can look at a beautiful naked woman and admire her delicious form. Straight men, for the most part, don't have the same type of reaction to seeing another man naked.

Just my $0.02.

[Ms. K]

Nowadays, it seems that they can and do show full frontal male nudity. There's a scene in 28 Days Later (crappy film, IMHO, just didn't really seem to carry much in the way of plot) where Cilian Murphy's character is naked in a hospital bed.

And, there's The Crying Game.

I'm sure there are others now, but yeah, used to be that full frontal female was okay, but full frontal male was most assuredly NOT.

[Aries65]

I think it has to do with men feeling comfortable enough to show off what they have.

A lot of men aren't comfortable with nudity. I think women are more so.

I mean, come on, could you picture someone like Jack Nicholson just sitting there letting it all hang out?

Plus it may have to do with "size" too. Some guys are self-conscious about what nature gave them and don't want to be "judged" by the viewing audience about their manhood if they aren't quite "up to par".

But then again - some guys tend to be "growers" rather than "show-ers" - altho not a lot of people would know that.

Viggo Mortenson just did a movie as a Russian mobster (sorry, forgot the name of the movie!) and he does a nude scene in that one.

[DietCokeofEvil]

I think it has to do with men feeling comfortable enough to show off what they have.

A lot of men aren't comfortable with nudity. I think women are more so.

I mean, come on, could you picture someone like Jack Nicholson just sitting there letting it all hang out?

Plus it may have to do with "size" too. Some guys are self-conscious about what nature gave them and don't want to be "judged" by the viewing audience about their manhood if they aren't quite "up to par".

But then again - some guys tend to be "growers" rather than "show-ers" - altho not a lot of people would know that.

Viggo Mortenson just did a movie as a Russian mobster (sorry, forgot the name of the movie!) and he does a nude scene in that one.

But on the screen, their wee-wees would look ENOURMOUS...

[Genevieve]

I think it's because the movie business is run by men. Also women are less turned on by graphic imagery - they need their brain to be turned on too. I often notice that the movie business misunderstands what women want though. E.g. If you have a really great actor that can play Shakespeare and proves his talent in films and stage productions, he gets called the next Lawrence Olivier - even though he's got an ugly or nondescript face and no one would be excited about seeing him in a pair of tights (Kenneth Branagh). They waste money publicising someone who, in the cut and thrust world of movies, should only be a character actor.

[joplinfrk]

Watch the movie This Movie Has Not Yet Been Rated..they discus the whole male nudity and sexuality issue. There is a HUGE double standard.

[SlippyInvader]

I think it's illegal to show male nudity when they have an erect penis.

[Tugboat25]

I think the answer to this is incredibly obvious. Women's bodies are beautiful to look at, and men's aren't.

Even straight women can look at a beautiful naked woman and admire her delicious form. Straight men, for the most part, don't have the same type of reaction to seeing another man naked.

Just my $0.02.

I have to agree with you RichCon.
An attractive nude woman is beautiful and anyone regardless of gender or sexuality can agree on that.
This exchange from Seinfeld sums things up nicely:
[SIZE=2] Elaine: "Well, the female body is a... work of art. The male body is utilitarian, it's for gettin' around, like a jeep."
Jerry: "So you don't think it's attractive?"
Elaine: "It's hideous. The hair, the... the lumpiness. It's simian."
George: "Well, some women like it."
Elaine: "Hmm. Sickies."[/SIZE]

[attackatdawn]

But on the screen, their wee-wees would look ENOURMOUS...

LMAO!

[Bellfire]

A group of us was watching that old horror flick "Dressed to Kill" the other night. That famous shower scene with Angie Dickinson ( though it was a bady double nude and not Angie ) soaping up and everything. The movie was rated "R". A friend of mine made a comment that had that been a man doing the same thing, then Dressed to Kill would get a full blown "X" so the showing of a nude man, well full frontal anyway is considered taboo.

Now I know there have been many R rated flicks where a penis shown but usually its brief. On the other hand, there are quite a few movies where the woman is shown nude very often and in scenes longer too.

I remember reading in one of those Q & A books film critic Roger Ebert had out years ago where someone asked him more/less why movies tend to show nude women a lot more than a nude man. Even he didn't give a clear answer to that. Wonder why this is?

Over the years I heard that many male movie stars don't have much to show and that many males would be embarrised to see a nude man on the screen. The latter makes no sense to me, how many of these same guys watch porn? The ones I have seen, quite a few naked guys in those.

Well there is this thing that people have against seeing a penis. Breasts and butt are ok but the penis means you are gonna to do it I guess. I never did understand why movies were rated X for the man's front but pg for ours.

[joplinfrk]

And just because we have fatty tissue under our nipples...we can't go topless! However, there are those that walk through Central Park each summer topless....Not the Lesbian Avengers, but...damn...what group is it?

[secretsquirrel13]

I think the answer to this is incredibly obvious. Women's bodies are beautiful to look at, and men's aren't.

Even straight women can look at a beautiful naked woman and admire her delicious form. Straight men, for the most part, don't have the same type of reaction to seeing another man naked.

Just my $0.02.

Well...I can look at a naked woman....and appreciate her beauty...maybe not exactly "admire her delicious form"...
I mean really..why would I want to look at hers...when, 9 times out of 10, mine are bigger?

Just sayin......

[Cathy J.]

I think it's illegal to show male nudity when they have an erect penis.

Don't know about the UK, but in the US I don't think it is ( not talking hardcore porn though ). Christopher Meloni did a shower scene on HBO's OZ several years back in which he was seen with an errect penis. Interesting I don't remember hearing where HBO got much flak about its use of male nudity on that show and the others they had like Real Sex.

But then again there was that movie from Spain called Bearcub. In the beginning of that movie not only is there a nude sex scene that not only shows an erect penis but where one guy is seen licking another guy's butt. Other than that Bearcub was more/less a drama I heard of a few places around the US where the opening scene was eithe edited and/or totally taken out but I think it was more due to the "licking" part than for the erect penis.

[joplinfrk]

Good point! I have that "problem" too.

Remember in LA Story when Steve Martin says, "It's a good thing men don't have breasts..we'd just stay home and play with them all day and never get anything done".

[Ree]

I think the answer to this is incredibly obvious. Women's bodies are beautiful to look at, and men's aren't.

Even straight women can look at a beautiful naked woman and admire her delicious form. Straight men, for the most part, don't have the same type of reaction to seeing another man naked.

Just my $0.02.

Nuff said.

[Tombstone Tourist]

But on the screen, their wee-wees would look ENOURMOUS...

It's my understanding that the camera adds 20 lbs to the penis.

[Jason]

Good point! I have that "problem" too.

Remember in LA Story when Steve Martin says, "It's a good thing men don't have breasts..we'd just stay home and play with them all day and never get anything done".

You don't need breasts to stay home all day... Balls work just as well

[mommafreak]

LMAO

[firegilnotguns]

Don't know about the UK, but in the US I don't think it is ( not talking hardcore porn though ). Christopher Meloni did a shower scene on HBO's OZ several years back in which he was seen with an errect penis. Interesting I don't remember hearing where HBO got much flak about its use of male nudity on that show and the others they had like Real Sex.

It's definitely not illegal in the UK. I was watching 30 Rock the other day and then at like 10:30PM, right after 30 Rock there was some show called The 21st Century Girls' Guide to Sex or something along those lines, on terrestrial TV (I think it was Channel 4, not even five! ) Anyway, with hardly any warning, all of a sudden there was some graphic sex stuff going on...fully erect penis shown going into a vagina, followed by a camera INSIDE the vagina to show the penis thrusting, apparently in the name of "science" to show exactly what happens to the body during sex/orgasm...and this show isn't just a one-off, either, I've seen it on the listings each week.
Really stupid of Channel 4, though, cause if you're watching 30 Rock why not just put another comedy show on to complete the hour, THEN switch over to the gratuitous sex. It's just like on More 4 or E4 or whichever channel it is where they show The Daily Show but then just go on to something else and they don't show The Colbert Report at all. Of course people here don't know what it is if you don't show it! All they have to do is put it on after TDS and you'll get piggyback viewers, or whatever they call it.

/rant over

[RichCon]

Well...I can look at a naked woman....and appreciate her beauty...maybe not exactly "admire her delicious form"...
I mean really..why would I want to look at hers...when, 9 times out of 10, mine are bigger?

Just sayin......

Marry me? )

[monhol]

i heard some where it is because a woman's sex organs are on the inside. breast do not count. those are also used to feed an infant. like the olden days. but anyway a man's sex organs are on the outside. but i say that is just some bullcrap a man with a little penis made up. lol

[amaranthaseven]

I personally would like to see more male nudity. I find the double standard a little sad in this day and age. I think if you're going to have nudity in a film, I think everybody should be naked and we should see everything. Of course, my in-laws are all German and think the U.S. has a weirdly puritanical standard about all things sexual anyway, and I tend to agree with them.

I'm with you on the size comparison, secretsquirrel!

[choff]

I think the answer to this is incredibly obvious. Women's bodies are beautiful to look at, and men's aren't.

Even straight women can look at a beautiful naked woman and admire her delicious form. Straight men, for the most part, don't have the same type of reaction to seeing another man naked.

Just my $0.02.

You do make a good a point but when you mean "women's bodies are beautiful to look at", do you mean all women in general or just the "Hollywood" style of woman?

Reason I bring this up, several years ago I attended a party in Richmond, VA. One of the guys who was there worked for Showtime. The topic of Queer as Folk turned up and he was telling me about a few characters that were suggested for the show but for one reason or another didn't make the cut. Besides the characters of Mel & Lindsay, there was going to be another lesbian couple, rather than be in great shape and sexy as those two, this couple would be a bit on the heavy side and plain looking ( think Rosie O'Donnell ). From what he was telling me Showtime pretty much said that America wants to see "delicious" women and fat average women dont make it the cut.
BTW..Showtime also said no to featuring hairy men on that show. The guy from Showtime said that the network feared about featuring such a character on Queer as Folk.

As far as why male nudity is still somewhat taboo, I believe its a "gay" thing. Many people assoicate a pic or a film with a naked man equals gay.
Yeah it stupid, like those who don't consider lesbians to be, well gay. I actually met a few who voted against gay marriage but said if only lesbians could marry but not gay men, they would vote in favor of it. Go figure !!!

For years I had a friend who was a male dancer. Even though his audience was strictly women, the number one question he would get from those who learned about his job? "are you gay?"

[SW4]

I agree with much posted here.

Fortunately (or unfortuately!), British men seem to have little shame unveiling their bollocks for the camera, dating back to the 1970 film Women In Love where (God help us...) Oliver Reed and Alan Bates wrestle each other nude by firelight....

We still do it for art's sake.....amazing the entire Empire isn't in therapy

[Bellfire]

Marry me? )

Are yours egg shaped like mine, the way nature intended or do you have those silicone manboobs?

[Darrianne]

But on the screen, their wee-wees would look ENOURMOUS...

Well they say the camera CAN add 10-15 pounds. Maybe it could add it all to their WEE WEES!

[fanable]

This is a discussion I have with my male friends quite often, both gay and straight. It disgusts me that superskinny bigchested women can be paraded about any time of the day wearing little to nothing - look at 3/4 of the programs on MTV, which is aimed towards teenagers - but men are generally allowed to be larger, less attractive, and aren't required to flash any skin.

I suppose part of it could very well be that a lot of people, both men and women, would rather look at a woman's curves (what little some of them have what with all the anorexia-looking "actresses" in Hollywood these days, but I digress) than a boxy, awkward-shaped man. I've never had much desire to go to a male strip club and have men shake their wee-wees in my face; I'd rather go watch a guy play a guitar and sing beautifully.

Either way, it's definitely an annoying double standard (IMO).

[Nik]

Viggo Mortenson just did a movie as a Russian mobster (sorry, forgot the name of the movie!) and he does a nude scene in that one.

Eastern Promises. As soon as I saw this thread that's what I thought of. It's allowed, but not usually done.

[Jack-O-Lantern]

I think the answer to this is incredibly obvious. Women's bodies are beautiful to look at, and men's aren't.

Just my $0.02.

Resurrected this thread from the distant past to say one thing:

***NONSENSE***

The human body is beautiful, whether male or female. Personally I'll take a naked man to a naked woman ANY day--but that's just me.

I hearby refund your .02 sir.

[Dane]

Resurrected this thread from the distant past to say one thing:

***NONSENSE***

The human body is beautiful, whether male or female. Personally I'll take a naked man to a naked woman ANY day--but that's just me.

I hearby refund your .02 sir.

I will co-sign this, heartily. Both men's and women's bodies are beautiful. And there are a lot of us women who are able to be turned on by images alone.

[orionova]

As a woman, I enjoy seeing naked men much more than I do naked women. Probably because I find naked men to (usually) be sexually attractive, but women do nothing for me.

I saw that a previous poster mentioned Kenneth Branagh, and said he wasn't good looking. I respectfully disagree. I have always thought that Branagh is a good looking man whom I would screw from dusk till dawn if I had the chance!

[endsleigh03]

I will co-sign this, heartily. Both men's and women's bodies are beautiful. And there are a lot of us women who are able to be turned on by images alone.

Agreed. All for images here.

Stoned had full frontal nudity, but offhand I just can't think of many films that do.
Fair is fair, strip those men!

[tarsier]

I've heard morethan once that male frontal nudity was edited out when test audience found it "distracting" whatever that means.

[Forever-27]

There are a few movies that have men nude. So long as its tasteful and has a point in the movie I guess. Not being gay I could take it or leave it if theres a nude man on screen. During a love making scene in a mainstream movie I really dont see anything bad about seeing a mans penis, before during or after the love making. Its just nature. Just as I dont get any stimulation about a woman walking around in a movie with nothing on. So long as it stays to the point of the movie. He may get up to go shower nude, as she may get up and shower with him, or make breakfast or whatever.

I really dont see why its so one sided like it is. Always a woman whose topless or totally nude. Never a guy. And im saying this being a non gay person.

[cindyt]

Resurrected this thread from the distant past to say one thing:

***NONSENSE***

The human body is beautiful, whether male or female. Personally I'll take a naked man to a naked woman ANY day--but that's just me.

I hearby refund your .02 sir.

I agree, but I'd take a nakked man first. Lol. I think a lot of male actors don't want to show their short commings. Richard Gere is not one of them. Heehee. In fact I think he is the only nakked man I've ever seen on film, in American Gigiilo and Breathless. Nom nom nom.

[Dane]

Fair is fair, strip those men!

Hahaha Can I get an amen!

In Ghost Story, Craig Wasson did a full frontal nude scene early in the movie.

[cindyt]

Hahaha Can I get an amen!

In Ghost Story, Craig Wasson did a full frontal nude scene early in the movie.

Amen! Haha. I saw Ghost Story on TV, so the nude scene must have been deleted.

[Dane]

Well, short of what was certainly bravery enough to do it, you aren't missing much other than the element of surprise.

In matters of nudity as in death, my life's motto might as well be "hey, I wanna see!"

[Jerseysucks]

I think if a man is watching a movie with his wife or girlfriend and you see a
naked guy on the screen the first thing the woman is going to think of is
"God that guys junk is bigger than his, he has alot more twigs and berries than
he does. Gee why doesn't my man shave his shrubs so the tree looks bigger?"
It's embaressing.

[Nosgothic]

I'd say it's embarrassing for me to see a movie and have nothing but boobs shown in it. It was refreshing to see Jarhead to see naked man ass.

Oh, and Forgetting Sarah Marshall has some penis shots. That was refreshing too.

[goldil]

Don't know about the UK, but in the US I don't think it is ( not talking hardcore porn though ). Christopher Meloni did a shower scene on HBO's OZ several years back in which he was seen with an errect penis.

No, he didn't. He had several nude shower scenes and even one scene where he was pissing in a bucket in the Hole, but he was never sporting wood. Unless your DVDs are different than mine.

[Fujicakes]

I've heard morethan once that male frontal nudity was edited out when test audience found it "distracting" whatever that means.

It's because DANGLING PEEEEEEEEENIS!!!!!1111

Seriously though, this is silly. Full frontal for everybody!

Oh yes, there was also a very full-frontal-nudity scene in the Dewey Cox movie.

[mcconk2]

Well...I can look at a naked woman....and appreciate her beauty...maybe not exactly "admire her delicious form"...
I mean really..why would I want to look at hers...when, 9 times out of 10, mine are bigger?

Just sayin......

hmmm and which bits are bigger?????

[mcconk2]

It's because DANGLING PEEEEEEEEENIS!!!!!1111

Seriously though, this is silly. Full frontal for everybody!

Oh yes, there was also a very full-frontal-nudity scene in the Dewey Cox movie.

and the name of the movie was??????

[TIMB1967]

What about Pee Wee Herman? Oh never mind..he was just choking his chicken in the theatre...sorry...continue.please

[Ted Challinor]

Mention Alan Bates and Ollie Reed back there in the famous scene from Women in Love (1969) reminds me, the story goes that God old Ollie God bless him, decided to have a 'quick tug' before doing the scene...and apparently, before they shot that scene, not only did they (of course) get drunk, but Ollie insisted that he and Alan Bates compared willy sizes, just to make sure he wouldn't be too embarrassingly outclassed.

[Jack-O-Lantern]

Mention Alan Bates and Ollie Reed back there in the famous scene from Women in Love (1969) reminds me, the story goes that God old Ollie God bless him, decided to have a 'quick tug' before doing the scene...and apparently, before they shot that scene, not only did they (of course) get drunk, but Ollie insisted that he and Alan Bates compared willy sizes, just to make sure he wouldn't be too embarrassingly outclassed.

I considered both of them extremely hot in the day, my only gripe with that nude wrestling scene was that it was lit only by firelight--sexy, for sure--but not bright enough!

[Miho]

Wild Things had that great scene with Kevin Bacon.

[Jerseysucks]

What about Pee Wee Herman? Oh never mind..he was just choking his chicken in the theatre...sorry...continue.please

Can you name 3 people who were shot in the head?
Abe Lincoln, John F Kennedy and the guy sitting in front of Pee Wee Herman.
Thank you I'm here all week.