Nudity, sex, and art

"Where are we heading, in this no-holds-barred fight for ratings?  All possible forms of sexual activity have already been shown, in every possible exotic or cosmopolitan scenario.  Now all we are lacking is the grand climax: a love scene between animals of the same sex but different species: steamy lesbianism between a female crocodile and a painted lynx..."1Augusto Boal, Legislative Theatre, Routledge: New York, 1998, 

  

This is a section from Boal's Legislative Theatre, which I think should be a prerequisite reading for every single Peace and Global Studies/Theatre Arts major (what, just me?).  Even though Boal is talking about Brazil, I think he hit the nail right on the head with this one.  Earlier in the section, he talks about this form of the artist selling out- everything for ratings.  First a naked woman, then a naked woman with a naked man, then sex between those two naked people, then God knows what else.  I think he makes a really good point- how low have we sunk?  How much lower can we possibly sink?

By traditional definitions, I am not a prude.  I am standard, normal, following normal behavior.  By today's standards, I am Ms. Prudy McPrudenstein, queen of the prudes.  I'm seen as conservative- I don't have sex, don't believe in casual sex (seriously ladies, you're only hurting yourself there) and still believe in saving yourself, if not for marriage then at least for someone that you are deeply committed to (this means dating for longer than 2 months, to all those silly young teens that think they're "in love").  When did these beliefs become abnormal?  Why is it that when people hear the dreaded 'v' word (virgin), they automatically say, "We have got to get you laid!"  Well thanks, but I'm perfectly capable of getting laid on my own- I just don't want to.  Geez.

It does make me laugh to think of this facebook group, "When I was your age I lost a tooth, not my virginity."  I remember being in eighth grade on the bus, listening to a sixth grader talking about how she lost her virginity the previous year (a.k.a. fifth grade- elementary school) to an 18 year old.  Apart from the statutory rape there, why on earth does a fifth grader need to have sex?!?  I don't think I knew anybody that even hit puberty at that age.  Although, to the girl's (dis)credit, she was a trashy girl from a trashy part of town that dropped the 'f' bomb just about every other word.  Clearly something's wrong with the parenting here.  Either that, or they just needed to get the hell out of Warners.2

But seriously, back to art/television/selling yourself out.  There is so much sex on HBO that I'm just waiting for the day that it turns into an all-out porn channel.  There's nothing wrong with nudity in itself, or even sex for that matter.  The problem is when it turns exploitative, using sex to make a quick buck.  I'm not trying to make an analogy to prostitution (although it feels like I'm leading it there), I'm trying to talk more about exploitation.  It's almost amusing whenever an actress makes some comment whether she is or is not willing to do a nude scene in a movie.  Either way, the reaction is the same- those that aren't are villified for being prudish.  'Come on, nudity's the standard!  Get with the program!'  If she decides to do nude scenes, the reaction is automatically 'Wow, way to sell your body.'  I'm not saying there's no positive reaction to either: both do have a background of support.  But the strong reactions are just so crazy.

To me, it's personal preference, and I don't judge any actress for her decisions regarding it.  In all honesty, I blame the writers/directors, for insisting upon nudity in the script, the producers, for using nudity to sell their product (you know, as opposed to selling it based on its actual merits), and the consumers, for falling for this crap.  Why do we need to see sex everywhere?  Honestly, if it's central to the story or actually makes sense within the story's context, that's great.  Go ahead, use sex/nudity.  However, most times it just seems so superfluous and forced.  We don't need that.

So, I guess in conclusion, I'll say the following thing: people, keep your damn pants on.  On-screen, off-screen, out in public (especially).  Unless it contributes logically and positively to what you're doing, no one wants to see your goodies displayed gratuitously.  If they do, they can watch porn.

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1 Augusto Boal, Legislative Theatre Routledge: New York (1998) 185.
2 Town on the outskirts of Camillus, NY.  Generally viewed (apart from the housing developments that have recently sprung up) as the part of town where all the trashy/dirty kids from school lived.