Sex and Americans

[the bard]

Sex on American TV always amuses me. In a recent programme a women spent a (supposedly) energetic night with a man but, in the morning, she still had her bra ans pants on!

In CSI Doc apparently manages to carry out autopsies on women whilst they are covered up.

On UK TV everything is totally realistic with female autopsies showing the woman full frontal.

[Piper-Dreams]

We Americans are funny like that. Very sex driven culture yet extremely prudish about nudity and displays of sexuality in public.

[joe_and_michelle]

We've come a long ways.

[Well Behaved Lady]

Masters of Sex is all I have to say (for now at least) it has sex and Americans  

[Gina Marie]

A few of my friends and I have a theory about this phenomenon...

The USA was first colonized by Pilgrims, whom held similar Calvinist religious beliefs to the Puritans... In modern usage, the word "puritan" is often used to describe someone who adheres to strict moral or religious principles. That seems to have never gone away.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puritans

Generally, here in the USA, nudity or sexuality is deeply offensive in mainstream film and even more so on television. Violence is A-OK, and totally cool.

Conversely, UK movies and TV swap the two... Violence is heavily monitored, but human body parts and implied sex is far more acceptable.

This excludes porn, but I have noticed of late, the verboten depictions appear to be dropping off... I have recently seen fisting, sex mixed with bondage, and piss play in US  productions. Evil Angel, and a couple other major prod companies are pushing those boundaries that were prosecutable offences only a few years ago!

Personally, I always liked Larry Flynts (of Hustler fame) question about pornography:
"What is more obscene: Sex or war?"

[ChirpingGirl]

Sex on American TV always amuses me. In a recent programme a women spent a (supposedly) energetic night with a man but, in the morning, she still had her bra ans pants on!

In CSI Doc apparently manages to carry out autopsies on women whilst they are covered up.

On UK TV everything is totally realistic with female autopsies showing the woman full frontal.

America has no shortage of bitchy crusaders who are offended by a slight breeze. Exploding heads on walking dead OK... Flash boob and it's a million dollar fine and imposed broadcast delay. America is a truly fucked up place these days.

[MissBarbara]

A few of my friends and I have a theory about this phenomenon...

The USA was first colonized by Pilgrims, whom held similar Calvinist religious beliefs to the Puritans... In modern usage, the word "puritan" is often used to describe someone who adheres to strict moral or religious principles. That seems to have never gone away.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puritans

Generally, here in the USA, nudity or sexuality is deeply offensive in mainstream film and even more so on television. Violence is A-OK, and totally cool.

Conversely, UK movies and TV swap the two... Violence is heavily monitored, but human body parts and implied sex is far more acceptable.

This excludes porn, but I have noticed of late, the verboten depictions appear to be dropping off... I have recently seen fisting, sex mixed with bondage, and piss play in US  productions. Evil Angel, and a couple other major prod companies are pushing those boundaries that were prosecutable offences only a few years ago!

Personally, I always liked Larry Flynts (of Hustler fame) question about pornography:
"What is more obscene: Sex or war?"

I think this is precisely the correct explanation. And, add to that, violence and death were a normal thing in the course of life in the 17th century, so it perfectly stands to reason, given this outlook, that violence would be deemed permissible while nudity is strongly proscribed (and considered "dirty").

And, over 400 years later, this outlook continues to imbue our national ethos.

[thetaxmancometh]

MB, violence and prudishness were a central part of British culture in the 1700s as well (public torture/executions ect.) so how does that fit in with your theory since brits teem to be violence adverse and americans tend to be nudity adverse and vice versa?

[Frank Taillefer]

I am not an American (or Brit for that matter) but I originate from Europe.
I do live for the last xx years in the US.

Gina Marie talked a bit about how the porn industry is changing.
To me that always has been the most fascinating thing about the US.

You guys have the biggest porn industry of the world,
and still freak out about an innocent nipple showing during the Super Bowl.

"Yes, yes," I hear people cry, "but we don't want our children to see that stuff."

I always have the feeling that there is this vague relationship between America's denial of the existence of sex and teen pregnancies.

According to Wikki the ratio in the US is 40-50 pregnancies/ 1000 teen girls.
The biggest part of Europe is 20-30/1000, and some countries even have <10/1000.

Strange to see that the countries with <10/1000
are some of the most sexual liberal ones.
They talk openly about sex,
show boobs and asses,
and some have no problem in showing porn on TV.

I believe that the more open you are about sex, the better it is,
and the better you can educate your children.
Sex is a natural thing, and it's the only thing we have in common.

All our parents had sex....

[ObiDongKenobi]

It's not just America.  Lots of TV programmes in Europe have ridiculous types of sex scenes.  The one I always laugh at is where two people are in bed, having screwed each others brains out, and then she sits up and pulls the sheets around her tits for modesty. 

On the other hand; I am currently watching the second series of "Orange is The New Black" via Netflix - some of the lesbian scenes in that would never get past the censors on the UK broadcast channels.  I assume that they can do it on a streaming channel.

[ChirpingGirl]

It's not just America.  Lots of TV programmes in Europe have ridiculous types of sex scenes.  The one I always laugh at is where two people are in bed, having screwed each others brains out, and then she sits up and pulls the sheets around her tits for modesty. 

On the other hand; I am currently watching the second series of "Orange is The New Black" via Netflix - some of the lesbian scenes in that would never get past the censors on the UK broadcast channels.  I assume that they can do it on a streaming channel.

Indeed. It'll never be on broadcast TV even edited.

[IdleBoast]

I think every nation has double standards about something - we Brits are allegedly polite and educated, but have you ever walked down a British city street?  Barging, shoving, looking through people...

Or try reading the comments of most stories on the Daily Mail - there was a "ghost photo" recently that was clearly a ghost, and not a tourist standing in a wood because "hikers don't wear red jumpers".  I ran into one woman who claimed that Catholicism is the world's oldest religion, even older than Judaism...

 

[RopeFiend]

I'm not averse to violence OR nudity.  Just sayin'.... 

The standards for broadcast TV in the USA are set by hidebound bluenoses.  We can't risk offending them, so we censor the shit out of nudity.  Personally, I think we ought to send all of the bluenoses to bed by 9pm, and then have THE PORN HOUR starting around 10pm on the TV.  I'll guarantee you it gets more viewers than PRIME TIME does! 

[Frank Taillefer]

personally, I think we ought to send all of the bluenoses to bed by 9pm, and then have THE PORN HOUR starting around 10pm on the TV.  I'll guarantee you it gets more viewers than PRIME TIME does! 

To be honest; I doubt it.

I am from a country where they have porn on TV.
Sometimes a movie on the public station, sometimes on commercial TV,
and there is always a porn channel included in your channel package.

In the beginning you watch.
But at some point it actually gets pretty boring 
Rating numbers show that they are among the lowest watched shows.

[the bard]

I think you Americans would have collective kittens if you could see a new late-night show on UK TV. It is called 'Naked Attraction' and is a dating show where the participants are totally naked!

It starts with a male or female contestant supposedly looking for a date based only on physical 'attributes'. There are six candidates of the opposite sex standing behind opaque screens with just their feet showing. After discussing them, the screen is raised to show their 'nether' regions. These are shown in close-up and discussed after which the screen is raised further to show their chests/breasts. Again, after close-up examination and discussion the rest is shown and a choice is made.

The second part of the show reverses the sexes.

Some comment about the show in the press, but no outrage.

[ObiDongKenobi]

The second part of the show reverses the sexes.

They have also catered for the lesbian and gay community; and the hostess is openly bi-sexual.

Also, before the final choice the contestant has to strip off as well.

I swear that at the end of a couple of 'man chooses woman' episodes the guy has developed a semi and the camera has quickly panned away.