Sexualisation of men in films

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Sexualisation of men in films

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Postby pwhodges » Mon Apr 11, 2016 5:50 pm

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Postby Ray » Mon Apr 11, 2016 6:15 pm

I'm all for equal opportunity fanservice, but in recent years even I've been made more than a little uncomfortable by things like Magic Mike and Twilight.

It's just a sign of the times I suppose.

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Postby Sachi » Tue Apr 12, 2016 4:04 am

Male sexualization is becoming normalized; people should get over it. There's nothing wrong with the naked form, and if Hollywood is willing to go there for ticket sales, then male actors better be just as prepared as the ladies are to show a bit a skin, lest the blockbuster role go to someone else more willing. For those in the audience that aren't comfortable with male sexualiation: consider how it is for women. The article also clearly highlights the need for more female representation in film, especially in more major roles that aren't necessarily dependent upon attractiveness or sexuality. If female sexualization is standard, then why shouldn't male sexualization be as well? If male sexualization on film is wrong, then so should female sexualization. Either both sexes are objects, or they aren't.
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Postby xPearse » Tue Apr 12, 2016 7:19 am

View Original PostRay wrote:I'm all for equal opportunity fanservice, but in recent years even I've been made more than a little uncomfortable by things like Magic Mike and Twilight.

I don't understand how you're uncomfortable with it. It's not like those movies are aimed at men, you know? They're films for women. In that regard, it shouldn't concern men. Unless you're awkwardly turned on by seeing those men on screen.
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Postby pwhodges » Tue Apr 12, 2016 7:44 am

What a quaint idea, that films are divided into those for men and those for women.
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Postby xPearse » Tue Apr 12, 2016 7:59 am

View Original Postpwhodges wrote:What a quaint idea, that films are divided into those for men and those for women.

Ha ha ha. You know what I mean. Those type of movies are more or less overall aimed at women. And you know they are. That's the majority of people who go to see those movies.
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Postby Reichu » Tue Apr 12, 2016 8:24 am

The two examples in the actual article cited were Game of Thrones and Man of Steel, not Twilight and Magic Mike.
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Postby Bagheera » Tue Apr 12, 2016 8:42 am

View Original PostSachi wrote:Male sexualization is becoming normalized; people should get over it.


I wish we'd get over the need for it (though I agree that, if we're gonna have it, it should be equal opportunity). Nudity is fine if the role calls for it, but I'm getting awfully tired of seeing it thrown in just for kicks (and particularly when it's for supporting characters; if you're gonna ask someone to get naked onscreen at least give them a leading role to make it worth their while!).
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Postby zlink64 » Tue Apr 12, 2016 10:10 am

Can someone even be a famous actor and not be a sex symbol if they are super attractive? Seems like a strange complaint. I mean isn't it part of the package if you plan to be successful.
Also Magic Mike was a good movie and Olivia mun is naked in that movie...I recommend it.
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Postby Sachi » Tue Apr 12, 2016 5:59 pm

View Original Postzlink64 wrote:Can someone even be a famous actor and not be a sex symbol if they are super attractive? Seems like a strange complaint. I mean isn't it part of the package if you plan to be successful.

I don't think the complaint stems from being found attractive and as a result made into a sex symbol by the audience. The complaint seems to be that male actors are intentionally being made more sexualized and forced to show off skin on screen in order to generate more mass appeal by Hollywood, the same way women have been made to for generations. The problem isn't that they're considered sexy; it's that they're being forced to display being sexy.
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Postby IronEvangelion » Tue Apr 12, 2016 7:54 pm

Cool! I'm glad men are being more sexualized in films. There's nothing wrong with female-targeted fanservice, and now women can be perverts too. And it's not like it ruins the film for men or anything. I love the Twilight saga, the female-targeted fanservice doesn't bother me at all. This is equality in action, and like Sachi said, people just need to get over it.
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Postby Bagheera » Tue Apr 12, 2016 8:03 pm

For me, the best possible outcome of this would be if some guy who has experienced this said to a director, "hey, does my costar really need to be naked for this scene? I mean, don't get me wrong, she's hot as hell and I'd love to stare at her as much as the next guy, but if she's not cool with it do we really need to do it? We have some pretty good chemistry and I think we can carry the scene without resorting to cheap tricks like that."

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Postby IronEvangelion » Tue Apr 12, 2016 8:14 pm

That would be great too. Regardless of gender, nobody should be forced against their will to show skin or be naked onscreen.
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Postby zlink64 » Tue Apr 12, 2016 8:43 pm

@Sachi ...that makes more sense. Thanks for explaining it to my small brain lol.
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Postby FreakyFilmFan4ever » Wed Apr 13, 2016 12:18 am

View Original PostBagheera wrote:For me, the best possible outcome of this would be if some guy who has experienced this said to a director, "hey, does my costar really need to be naked for this scene? I mean, don't get me wrong, she's hot as hell and I'd love to stare at her as much as the next guy, but if she's not cool with it do we really need to do it? We have some pretty good chemistry and I think we can carry the scene without resorting to cheap tricks like that."

I know, I know, I'm an optimist. Sue me.

Situations like this would come up very few times, but not for the reasons you think. The cast is usually given the full script prior to filming, which would include any nude scenes. In many cases body-doubles are selected by the main cast if their character is to appear in the nude on-screen (a body-double's whole job is to show up on set naked), or are otherwise given the option of wearing realalistic-looking prosthetics to cover up their naughty bits. (Fake nipples to cover up the real ones, as it were. It makes the actress feel more comfortable.) Given the amount of preparation that goes into every day of shooting by everyone involved in the making of the film, very few instances occur where the nude scene shows up and someone has an issue with it on the shooting day. They've usually made up their minds about whether or not to do it and how to go about it long before the day arrives.

Usually either really low-budget films or porno flicks actually go out for full nudity of the main cast members. Or, sometimes the cast on a larger-budget film is just really okay with being naked in front of the other cast and crew members. In all cases of nudity on set, the set is usually closed to only the fewest crew members who really need to be there.

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Postby Bagheera » Wed Apr 13, 2016 2:32 am

View Original PostFreakyFilmFan4ever wrote:Situations like this would come up very few times, but not for the reasons you think. The cast is usually given the full script prior to filming, which would include any nude scenes. In many cases body-doubles are selected by the main cast if their character is to appear in the nude on-screen (a body-double's whole job is to show up on set naked), or are otherwise given the option of wearing realalistic-looking prosthetics to cover up their naughty bits. (Fake nipples to cover up the real ones, as it were. It makes the actress feel more comfortable.) Given the amount of preparation that goes into every day of shooting by everyone involved in the making of the film, very few instances occur where the nude scene shows up and someone has an issue with it on the shooting day. They've usually made up their minds about whether or not to do it and how to go about it long before the day arrives.


The exchange I'm talking about would happen when they got their scripts, not on shooting day. The idea is that guys would be more aware of how this feels and would be more likely to say something about it.
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People's deaths are to be mourned. The ability to save people should be celebrated. Life itself should be exalted. -- Volken Macmani, Tatakau Shisho: The Book of Bantorra
I hate myself. But maybe I can learn to love myself. Maybe it's okay for me to be here! That's right! I'm me, nothing more, nothing less! I'm me. I want to be me! I want to be here! And it's okay for me to be here! -- Shinji Ikari, Neon Genesis Evangelion
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Postby Sachi » Wed Apr 13, 2016 2:53 am

View Original PostBagheera wrote:The exchange I'm talking about would happen when they got their scripts, not on shooting day. The idea is that guys would be more aware of how this feels and would be more likely to say something about it.

The ones that should be speaking up are the ones that are being made to do it, and that's if they're uncomfortable doing it. There are plenty of woman (and men) that don't mind being sexualized, and don't need others speaking up for them. However, I do believe that support system should be there for those that aren't comfortable going into something like that. But again, as Freaky points out, they would be aware of it well before going into it in the first place and could have declined the role.
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Postby Bagheera » Wed Apr 13, 2016 3:42 am

View Original PostSachi wrote:The ones that should be speaking up are the ones that are being made to do it, and that's if they're uncomfortable doing it. There are plenty of woman (and men) that don't mind being sexualized, and don't need others speaking up for them. However, I do believe that support system should be there for those that aren't comfortable going into something like that. But again, as Freaky points out, they would be aware of it well before going into it in the first place and could have declined the role.


And then they get fewer roles, which is not really a viable option for most in the industry. Yes, they're aware of it ahead of time, but the reality is that they just have to deal with it, since complaining about it just means someone else will be cast in their place. This isn't the case for A-list talent, of course, but that doesn't describe the vast bulk of the industry.

But anyway, that support system you mentioned is what I'm talking about. Having a bit of empathy from their male peers might make people who are uncomfortable with such things more likely to speak up. And heck, it might lead to better television and movies overall (apart from Elektra in flashbacks we saw very little skin in Daredevil, for instance, even though there was romance all over the place).
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People's deaths are to be mourned. The ability to save people should be celebrated. Life itself should be exalted. -- Volken Macmani, Tatakau Shisho: The Book of Bantorra
I hate myself. But maybe I can learn to love myself. Maybe it's okay for me to be here! That's right! I'm me, nothing more, nothing less! I'm me. I want to be me! I want to be here! And it's okay for me to be here! -- Shinji Ikari, Neon Genesis Evangelion
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Postby Mr. Tines » Wed Apr 13, 2016 7:37 am

Sexualization in general has become increasingly overt in the decades I've been noticing that sort of thing -- that a male lead has gone from "heart-throb" to "sex object" is just part of that trend. However, that's a transition that was well under way 50 years ago -- consider Sean Connery in the early Bond movies, and still being voted "Sexiest Man Alive" into his sixties (and all that without having to get his chest waxed, as his successor in the role, Daniel Craig, had to).

If you want a controversial point here, the differences between what men and women fixate on, some of the things being noted may well be a broadening of the appeal to the gay male audience.
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Postby FreakyFilmFan4ever » Thu Apr 14, 2016 12:28 am

View Original PostBagheera wrote:And then they get fewer roles, which is not really a viable option for most in the industry.

Most of the time it's not even the female cast member going nude, but rather the body double they've selected. If anyone would have a complaint, it would be the body double. But going nude for film is, like, half of the body-double's entire job description.

Though, I do see a lot of topless main cast members going on in film. Game of Thrones tends to just have their lead cast members in the nude, but it goes for both male and female members there.


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