Sex and Violence in the Movies

[Skwim]

"When one of my children was younger, we went on an ill-advised excursion to a press screening of the first Transformers movie. No reviews were out yet, but I figured it was a movie in which cars turn into robots: what could go wrong?

Halfway through the film, the child had an urgent question. I shushed him. At the end of the movie, sitting among the critics and refined entertainment reporters, he asked again. I told him we could talk about it later. On the way home, in a crowded mass transit vehicle, he demanded the answer prompted by one tiny scene squeezed in between all the gear-grinding and jalopalooza: "What's masturbation?"

Thank you Michael Bay. [executive producer of the movie]

I probably should have known better than to take a kid to something that I knew would have so much weaponry, but I'm not alone. A new study on movie ratings has found that parents are much more worried about their children being exposed to sexual content than to violent content.

The Parents Ratings Advisory Study, which was commissioned by the Classification and Ratings Administration (CARA), found that more parents (80% of those surveyed) are concerned with their kids seeing graphic sex scenes than with graphic violence (64%). And while only 56% of them are worried about the depiction of realistic violence, a full 70% are distressed by full frontal shots of people au naturel.

To some, there's a disconnect here; violence is more harmful to people than sex. Parents universally hope their kids will never have to be violent or even experience violence. Sex, on the other hand, is a part of life that everybody wants their offspring to enjoy eventually. So why care so much more about depictions of sex than brutality?"
source
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Two questions:

Why is sex more of a worrisome subject than violence in movies?

And, what is your personal view on the two?​

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[Rival]

Is there a reason you seem to take such an interest in sex, and children and sex? You just need a good lay or smth?

 

[beenherebeforeagain]

I am more concerned about depictions of violence, especially the unrealistic ability of some characters to do violence to others without consequence, and the ability of some characters to no suffer realistic injury, and certainly no emotional damage from the violence...

On the other hand, I dislike the way sex is unnecessarily brought into stories. Most of the time they could imply it and skip the actual scene.

On the other other hand, I would like it more if our society would be less uptight about nudity and sex overall...I mean, really? Naked people are something children shouldn't see? Sex is horrible and people should be ashamed about it?

 

[Nakosis]

​

Two questions:

Why is sex more of a worrisome subject than violence in movies?

And, what is your personal view on the two?​

.

Why? I suspect Christianity. Christianity seems more accepting of the necessity of war.

How I feel? Really I feel the same. Sex is taboo, violence is ok.

I know it's not even logical, but I'm uncomfortable around topics of sex even with adult family members. Violent films, violent humor I'm ok with.

So engaging in sex, good. Talking about it bad.

Engaging in violence, bad. Talking about violence, fictional accounts of violence, all good.

Don't know if it is genetics or culture. Assuming culture, I blame Christianity.

 

[QuestioningMind]

"When one of my children was younger, we went on an ill-advised excursion to a press screening of the first Transformers movie. No reviews were out yet, but I figured it was a movie in which cars turn into robots: what could go wrong?

Halfway through the film, the child had an urgent question. I shushed him. At the end of the movie, sitting among the critics and refined entertainment reporters, he asked again. I told him we could talk about it later. On the way home, in a crowded mass transit vehicle, he demanded the answer prompted by one tiny scene squeezed in between all the gear-grinding and jalopalooza: "What's masturbation?"

Thank you Michael Bay. [executive producer of the movie]

I probably should have known better than to take a kid to something that I knew would have so much weaponry, but I'm not alone. A new study on movie ratings has found that parents are much more worried about their children being exposed to sexual content than to violent content.

The Parents Ratings Advisory Study, which was commissioned by the Classification and Ratings Administration (CARA), found that more parents (80% of those surveyed) are concerned with their kids seeing graphic sex scenes than with graphic violence (64%). And while only 56% of them are worried about the depiction of realistic violence, a full 70% are distressed by full frontal shots of people au naturel.

To some, there's a disconnect here; violence is more harmful to people than sex. Parents universally hope their kids will never have to be violent or even experience violence. Sex, on the other hand, is a part of life that everybody wants their offspring to enjoy eventually. So why care so much more about depictions of sex than brutality?"
source
​

Two questions:

Why is sex more of a worrisome subject than violence in movies?

And, what is your personal view on the two?​

.

I've never understood why people have such hang-ups about sex. It baffles me when a parent has no problem with their child watching people getting beaten up or slaughtered, but then freak out if that same child happens to catch sight of a woman's exposed breast.

 

[Skwim]

Is there a reason you seem to take such an interest in sex, and children and sex? You just need a good lay or smth?

Is there a reason you seem so concerned with my interest? This isn't the first time you've made such a comment. It appears my posting about sex disturbs you.

If you aren't aware, RF here has a Private Community called Eros Room, which has been specifically set up to make post of a sexual nature.

Eros Photos

Eros Poetry

Eros Literature

Eros Jokes​

And, there's even an open sub-forum in The Social World category called Sexuality for posting about sexual issues. So obviously RF recognizes that sexual issues are a valid subject, yet you . . . . . you get a bit bent out of shape when I take RF up on its invitation to talk about such things. All of which makes me wonder why my occasional posts involving sex draw your attention. I haven't seen you raise questions when I make threads about North American Politics, OR when I make threads about Games/Pics/Jokes/Stories, OR about Evolution Vs. Creationism. Yet you apparently get hung up when I make an occasional post involving sex. Makes me wonder if your interest is in my posting about sex or sex and me.

Care to pull up a chair and tell us about it, Rival?

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[VioletVortex]

I don't think that sex or violence being presented children in media form are directly harmful, but it isn't the best idea to let a four year old watch people getting murdered for 8 hours a day as they will start to undertake a false perception of reality. The same applies to sex, though to a lesser extent. It is possible that an irresponsible "parent" could use sexual media as a form of grooming, though in and of itself, sex in movies isn't a problem for children.

 

[Mister Emu]

Why is sex more of a worrisome subject than violence in movies?

Media depictions of violence tend to have moral overtones. Violence tends to be committed by good and bad people. Good guys fight bad guys to stop bad guys from doing bad things.

Depictions of sexuality don't tend to be surrounded by those overtones.

And, what is your personal view on the two?

I'm far less worried by the actual depiction as by the context surrounding it.

 

[Skwim]

I am more concerned about depictions of violence, especially the unrealistic ability of some characters to do violence to others without consequence, and the ability of some characters to no suffer realistic injury, and certainly no emotional damage from the violence...

On the other hand, I dislike the way sex is unnecessarily brought into stories.

Many movies contain filler material, irrelevant stuff inserted to extend the playing time---French movies are notorious for doing this---and I doubt it bothers you, but when it's of a sexual nature it does disturb you. So I'm guessing it isn't that the sex is unnecessary, but that it's the sex in of itself.

Most of the time they could imply it and skip the actual scene.

As they could with all the other filler material. But let me ask you, would the sex bother you if it was integral to the story?

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[columbus]

I don't much care for sex and violence in entertainment. I don't much bother with most modern media any more. I would also try to avoid letting my children have it in their formative experience, if I had any. I just don't think it's healthy or necessary.

That said, I wish people didn't confuse nudity with sex. They're not the same at all. People take off their clothes a lot for reasons that have nothing to do with sex. From bathing and sleeping, to a swim, to it just plain being hot weather. Nothing to do with sex at all, usually.

Where I am right now, it's a muggy stifling summer evening. I'm inside because it's cooler, but I would like to go out on my front porch. But I don't want to put on shorts or anything, so I won't. But it hasn't got a thing to do with titillating anyone or being titillated. It's just really darn hot.
I wish people would make the distinction more clearly.
Tom

 

[Valjean]

Apparently the idea is that children would be shocked by nudity or sex, while older people are able to withstand its pernicious effects.

Personally, I think it's the other way around. Children are born blank slates. They have to be taught what's normal and what's weird; what's safe and what's dangerous; what's unremarkable and what's shocking.

Adults have already learned to be shocked by sex and entertained by violence. Children haven't. American adults assume their reactions are natural and universal; that children would share them but be even more sensitive and vulnerable.

Children pick up on their parents' discomfort with sex. They learn to be shocked by it.

 

[beenherebeforeagain]

Many movies contain filler material, irrelevant stuff inserted to extend the playing time---French movies are notorious for doing this---and I doubt it bothers you, but when it's of a sexual nature it does disturb you. So I'm guessing it isn't that the sex is unnecessary, but that it's the sex in of itself.


As they could with all the other filler material. But let me ask you, would the sex bother you if it was integral to the story?

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actually, I do find French films to be generally too overlong and boring in relation to the story being told; that is, too much "filler"--the exception is a few sex comedies, which are intended to be lighter and sex is a necessary part of the production. In fact, I'd like more sex comedies overall...

I dislike "filler" in general and the industry formula that makes almost all films 90 minutes long, whether there is too little or too much story. The Hobbit, for example, should not have been a trilogy, and Jackson was an idiot for thinking it could be...so lots of violence as filler...that and people of different races glowering at each other... So, no, it's not the sex, it's whether or not the sex is relevant to the story. In most cases, it's not...and could be handled in a number of creative ways.

So, yes, sometimes sex is integral to the story, and I really have no problem with that. But most of the time, it shows uncreative producers, directors, writers, etc.

As I said before, America needs to lighten up about nudity and sex, and start reining in the violence...as far as I'm concerned.

 

[SomeRandom]

This negative outlook on sex Americans have has always made me concerned for the kids. I mean if you're taught to be ashamed of sexuality, how the hell is a young person expected to rationally discuss sex concerns with a trusted adult, family or not?
I grew up on a mix of American and uncensored European media. I had no problem going to the school nurse to ask personal questions. I can easily discuss sexuality with my doctor if need be. My mother on the hand was brought up in 1950s Fiji. So it practically cripples her in that sense.
For that matter, if you do not wish to discuss uncomfortable topics with your kid, why the hell are you a parent in the first place? Kids are curious by nature, kids will always ask uncomfortable questions, they're kids. So adult the hell up, grit your teeth and do your job.

 

[Stevicus]

"What's masturbation?"
​

This just reminded me of that commercial for Time-Life Books where it shows a son asking his father, "Dad, what's Vietnam?" The commercial was shown so much that SNL did a take-off showing a kid asking his father, "Dad, what's Grenada?"

"Dad, what's masturbation?"
NARRATOR: "What's masturbation?" A question a child may ask, but not a childish question. What were we doing in the bathroom for so long? How did we react when our stash of Playboys was discovered? Did we go blind? Order Time-Life Books' new series of books, starting with Volume One, "Rub-a-Dub-Dub."

Two questions:

Why is sex more of a worrisome subject than violence in movies?​

Probably because sex is a more uncomfortable subject for a lot of people. It's a lot more personal and intimate. I don't know if people are so "hung up" on it, as some in this thread are saying, but it's just a private thing. For the same reason, they don't generally show people going to the bathroom in movies either (unless it's a Netflix original).

And, what is your personal view on the two?

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I haven't really given it that much thought, although when I look back, I remember playing games like cops and robbers as a kid, with cap pistols and telling my playmates "Bang, you're dead" long before I ever learned where babies come from. Perhaps violence is more easily understood at an early age. It may also be a holdover from times when boys were raised with the expectation that they might have to fight in a war, but the traditional wisdom was that children should wait until they're married to have sex. So it may be felt that sex is not necessary to introduce to children until they're older.

 

[Skwim]

actually, I do find French films to be generally too overlong and boring in relation to the story being told; that is, too much "filler"--

Brings to mind one of the better exceptions among French movies, the delightful Amélie with Audrey Tautou, which snapped along at a very nice pace.

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[Skwim]

Probably because sex is a more uncomfortable subject for a lot of people. It's a lot more personal and intimate. I don't know if people are so "hung up" on it, as some in this thread are saying, but it's just a private thing. For the same reason, they don't generally show people going to the bathroom in movies either (unless it's a Netflix original).

What I find disappointing is that some people find non-sexual nudity offensive. Heck, even bare female breasts get some people's panties in a twist.

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[Stevicus]

Heck, even bare female breasts get some people's panties in a twist.

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Mine too, but not in the same way.

 

[Skwim]

Mine too, but not in the same way.

Bravo for admitting you wear panties. Most panty-wearing gents wouldn't be as brave.

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[columbus]

What I find disappointing is that some people find non-sexual nudity offensive. Heck, even bare female breasts get some people's panties in a twist.

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Funny innit?
I was watching a police drama a couple of days ago, Blue Bloods.
A cop was furthering the plot by discussing a dramatic twist with his girlfriend in bed. They had blanket up to the waist, but she also had the sheet wrapped around her boobs as though she didn't want her fiance to see them.
Yeah right.
I don't think a flash of boobage is going to scar the children for life.
Tom

 

[Valjean]

What I find disappointing is that some people find non-sexual nudity offensive. Heck, even bare female breasts get some people's panties in a twist.

Treat all nudity as sexual and that's exactly what your children will pick up. Give it an air of the forbidden and it will always be titillating -- and something to be hidden. The net will always be full of porn and there will always be lad's magazines on the top row.