Kevin Bacon wants to show us his wang.

[Johnatone]

I saw this on the trending tab of my Facebook page and was quite pleased I followed up on it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Dt3IrdampY

Besides finding the video hilarious, and wondering if I've missed the point entirely, I find the topic to be a valid one. Over the years, the standards for violence has dropped significantly. Horror movies have become less about horror and more about shock value with their pseudo snuff film approach, and the amount of gratuitous violence on television is increasing. Now, don't get me wrong, I enjoy a good bit of brutality - action movies from the 80's and early 90's with their hilarious blood squibs and over the top violence are always a source of entertainment. Hell, I love the Deadpool trailer that was released yesterday - over the top violence and smart ass commentary. It's my 90's childhood all over again, and I'm hyped.

But nudity is almost nonexistent these days in popular film and television. You occasionally see a side boob or bare ass on regular cable for ratings purposes, and premium cable still has it's fair share of gratuitous nudity, but it seems like we're still shunning the female form and the human body in general by either A) Getting all worked up about it when it happens or B) using it purely to gain viewership.

So is the answer to start forcing nudity, whether necessary or not, into all forms of media until people say, "Okay, I get it, the body isn't something to be ashamed about!" or is there a valid point to the censorship of the body that I'm missing entirely?

Now, I'm not advocating returning to the days when films would throw a tit scene in just for that R rating to entice teenagers to watch. I don't think nudity should be a selling point because nudity is a non-issue, the same way I don't think you need to do a fade out instead of a sex scene just so you don't offend some random group of people. If you can put it in naturally with the narrative though, then I'm all for it. After all, how many people really fuck UNDER the sheets?

What do you guys think? Why is watching a sociopath torture people in horrible ways less offensive that tits, ass, twats and wangs? And why, as a man, are my genitals more offensive that women's?

P.S. - I tweeted Kevin Bacon asking for a new Tremors that involved giant wangs instead of graboids. Like most direct tweets to celebrities or companies, I suspect I'll be waiting a long time for a response. o_O

[Buckshot]

I remember watching the movie Wildthings... in which Kevin Bacon abruptly deflated my raging boner in stark contrast to the rest of the film's sexy scenes by whipping out his dick at the end of the flick.

From that day forward, I was forever traumatized and refuse to participate in the Kevin Bacon game.

[doom_is_great]

It is not necessary. Gratuitous sex scenes don't add anything to a movie and don't further the plot line at all. You don't need to see two characters thrusting, humping, moaning, etc. in order to know that they had sex.

You say "I'm not advocating returning to the days when films would throw a tit scene in just for that R rating to entice teenagers to watch" but that's exactly the only purpose that such scenes serve.

If you want to see nudity, there is almost an unlimited access to porn just a click away via the internet. There is no need to stick unnecessary nudity in places where they don't need to be just to serve some random social agenda.

[Buckshot]

doom_is_great said:

If you want to see nudity, there is almost an unlimited access to porn just a click away via the internet.

30 years ago, it wasn't that simple. Had to sneak into parent's bedrooms to get the latest and greatest of porn mags. And if they didn't have any... well, we all know what happened to those kids. They spent many evenings trying to descramble cable boxes to see a google dreams version of a titty.

[Johnatone]

doom_is_great said:

Gratuitous sex scenes don't add anything to a movie and don't further the plot line at all. You don't need to see two characters thrusting, humping, moaning, etc. in order to know that they had sex.

True, and I also don't need to see the back of somebody's head exploding from the impact of a hollow point to know they just got shot, but it's there in graphic detail. And that's my point - they push the envelope on violence so much and expect us to empathize with the characters in the most horrible way, but oh, the two love interests in the movie fucked under the sheets so as to not offend somebody with the idea that people are naked when they fuck. It seems like a really unnecessary double standard.

But I do agree with you that more often than not, nudity is unnecessary. So is the graphic violence, and so is the profanity. Hitchcock was scaring audiences without graphic violence for years; Alien still horrifies me to this day (I still have nightmares of being stuck on a derelict ship while my crew mates get pulled through the vents one by one) yet had very little graphic violence. (Even Aliens had very little graphic violence in it compared to later installments in the franchise, which I think is part of the reason the newer entries suck.)

Now, granted, I do admit bias in this conversation. My mother-in-law is a huge horror movie fan and so I watch a lot of movies she likes while I'm sitting with her on the couch thinking, "Really? Did I need to see those scissors piercing that guy's face to know how horrifying it is?" It's amazing what's acceptable on the Chiller channel these days yet shows on FX have to have warnings beforehand simply because an animated character is in lingerie making suggestive comments.

[VGames]

Johnatone said:

True, and I also don't need to see the back of somebody's head exploding from the impact of a hollow point to know they just got shot, but it's there in graphic detail. And that's my point - they push the envelope on violence so much and expect us to empathize with the characters in the most horrible way, but oh, the two love interests in the movie fucked under the sheets so as to not offend somebody with the idea that people are naked when they fuck. It seems like a really unnecessary double standard.

But I do agree with you that more often than not, nudity is unnecessary. So is the graphic violence, and so is the profanity. Hitchcock was scaring audiences without graphic violence for years; Alien still horrifies me to this day (I still have nightmares of being stuck on a derelict ship while my crew mates get pulled through the vents one by one) yet had very little graphic violence. (Even Aliens had very little graphic violence in it compared to later installments in the franchise, which I think is part of the reason the newer entries suck.)

Now, granted, I do admit bias in this conversation. My mother-in-law is a huge horror movie fan and so I watch a lot of movies she likes while I'm sitting with her on the couch thinking, "Really? Did I need to see those scissors piercing that guy's face to know how horrifying it is?" It's amazing what's acceptable on the Chiller channel these days yet shows on FX have to have warnings beforehand simply because an animated character is in lingerie making suggestive comments.

I agree too much of anything is wrong. If it doesn't actually help with immersion then it's not needed. But I'm more ok with graphic violence then with gratuitous nudity or pervasive language. That's just my personal conviction.

[Phml]

Pissing and shitting is part of human nature as well, but I'm glad we don't have the camera zooming in on Ben Affleck's turd to show us it's perfectly natural to go number two.

Now I don't watch that much TV and I don't care for gore so I avoid that stuff, but I fail to see this supposed upheaval in gratuitous violence. The Wire had about as many flaccid dicks as graphic violence scenes. I don't recall the dicks making any meaningful point, "look at this guy he's so wacky" or "this is our gritty realistic show and in reality people are sometimes naked" are ideas you can convey as well through a dozen different means. On the other hand I think the violence wasn't gratuitous in that it emphasized the horror of what people did to each other (and of course, it moved the plot forward).

Men have never needed any encouragement to show everyone their dick either, so the stop being ashamed of your body argument falls flat for me. If anything, we all know at least one dude who doesn't get everyone else just doesn't share their love for their 5 inch wonder. With the advent of dating sites and smartphones, we have enough dick pics to last until the sun engulfs the earth, and when it comes to wanted dick pics vs unrequested ones this is approximately like my k/d ratio in any online fps (if you need to know, said ratio is even worse than the proverbial Ben Affleck turd).

[Mithran Denizen]

Meh, nudity is sort of a red herring. It'd be much more interesting to see sexuality itself embraced more openly.

When sex scenes are no more stigmatized than driving scenes, I'll be happy.

[Technician]

Kevin Bacon wants to show us his bits.

Missed opportunity, idiot.

[Jaxxoon R]

I was hoping this was an announcement for a Shadow Warrior movie.

[Maes]

I once saw a documentary about how (in America) showing violence and guns was OK, even to kids, as long as the terminal effects of a shot weren't shown, but nudity, even if a single boob? God forbid.

If this doesn't paint a very specific "ideal" socio-political-religious group, then what does?

[Hoodie]

*shrugs*

[40oz]

When I see a big juicy cheeseburger on tv with a toasty sesame seed bun and bright colorfully crispy lettuce tomato and onion and melted cheddar cheese, it makes me think "I want something to eat." Likewise when I see sexy tits or ass it kinda makes me think "I wish I were having sex right now."

So I actually appreciate that filmmakers and tv show producers can do things to communicate the idea that two people had sex (as it can be an important element in the plot of the show/movie) without straight up making them fuck on camera so as not to distract me with my own fantasies while I'm trying to be engrossed in the plot. Its really only worth watching people fuck for masturbatory purposes. Have you ever watched a porno to the end long after you came? Its kinda uncomfortable to watch.

[Technician]

40oz said:

Have you ever watched a porno to the end long after you came? Its kinda uncomfortable to watch.

Quoting for posterity.

[Philnemba]

Jaxxoon R said:

I was hoping this was an announcement for a Shadow Warrior movie.

Dude I was thinking the same thing!

[Maes]

40oz said:

When I see a big juicy cheeseburger on tv with a toasty sesame seed bun and bright colorfully crispy lettuce tomato and onion and melted cheddar cheese, it makes me think "I want something to eat." Likewise when I see sexy tits or ass it kinda makes me think "I wish I were having sex right now."

What about big-ass juicy sexy women with cheeseburgers? *wink wink nudge nudge*

[Protester]

Maes said:

What about big-ass juicy sexy women with cheeseburgers? *wink wink nudge nudge*

shit... you guys are reminding me of those horrible payday bar commercials...
How do you think that meeting went down?
"Hey, guys, you know what will want people to eat payday bars? lets make them look like they are humping! yeah, that'll make 'em hungry!"

[doom_is_great]

Makes me think of Carl's Jr. commercials actually.

[FireFish]

Maes said:

What about big-ass juicy sexy women with cheeseburgers? *wink wink nudge nudge*

Did Eminem spit inside of the burger in one of his clips ? *nod nod*

[Clonehunter]

Even single tit flashes and side boobs seem to be becoming less taboo. Apparently because trying to hide the boob is some facet of a war on women. But dicks are no goes, unless it's brief, the movie is rated R, or its a porno. The only movies I've seen open dicks in are movies that have to do with Sex (Like Boogie Night's closing scene). Apocalypse Now! is the only film I've seen with some bare dickage that was sexualized. So, do we need more dicks, or tits, or vaginas, or ass holes to compete with all the violence?

I dunno.

[scalliano]

Jaxxoon R said:

I was hoping this was an announcement for a Shadow Warrior movie.

Me too. I am disappoint.

Also inb4 GoT reference.