We have now reached the last of a three part series concerning the three taboos of cinema. Thus far we have discussed the use of profanity and violence, leaving us left with only one subject to discuss, and the most mystifying topic of them all.
The outrage over sex in film that is displayed in many circles seems quite ridiculous when viewed with a logical mind. Sex is the very beginning of life, an event from which we all sprang forth. Likewise, it is something we all naturally crave and seek out, even those who repress it. Why then are we all so afraid of it?
Recently, there was a fascinating news story that sheds some light on this sociological puzzle. Chilean fashion designer Ricardo Oyarzun put on a show that included models dressed as the Virgin Mary, many with ample cleavage. Naturally, this sparked outrage from religious groups. Chile’s Episcopal Conference claimed that the fashion show would encourage people to view the Virgin as an “object of consumption.”
As usual, this story can be viewed logically from both sides. A woman’s breasts are perhaps her greatest symbol of motherhood, and who embodies motherhood more than the Virgin Mary? They are also innately arousing and sexual, but the very desire a man has for women comes from the natural urge to procreate and find a suitable mother for his children. However, breasts are so hidden from view that they naturally become solely sexual objects arousing a desire in men from the earliest stage of puberty. It is understandable that religious groups would be offended by this display, no matter how logically sex is liked to motherhood.
Why is sex is such a common element in movies? The obvious reason is that stories are generally about the most interesting events in life, and sex is usually a pretty interesting and momentous event. It also represents a link between characters, one that is much more visual than any written dialogue can be. The old screenwriter axiom of “show it, don’t say it” comes to mind.
Yet, despite all of this logical analysis, sex remains a difficult subject for our culture. Things are so out of balance that many people have psychological disorders relating to sex, and they can go in either direction. Some are too modest, while others too promiscuous. On one side we have your garden-variety child-molesters, rapists, and various other predators, and on the other we have the Jonas Brothers and assorted orthodox religious figures. The rest of us fall somewhere in the middle.
The general rule is that sex in movies is acceptable if implicit, and irresponsible if explicit. But where exactly would your own bedroom escapades fall within that delineation, and does the answer to that question mean there is something wrong with what you do? (more…)
