# Actress refuses to do nude scene: right or wrong? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [April 11, 2014, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actress-refuses-to-do-nude-scene-right-or-wrong/685852 "2014-04-11T05:25:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 14
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2014, 7:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actress-refuses-to-do-nude-scene-right-or-wrong/685852/261 "2014-04-25T07:37:18Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > How about those women hired to be nude maids? The job is housekeeping, but the company’s niche is that they’ll provide a housekeeper who will do the work either nude or in lingerie. Likewise, Vegas has a hair salon where the stylists wear lingerie. And there are bikini car washes. So I’m not sure your ‘grab-ass secretary’ is all that far-fetched. The question is, what is the proper remedy for a company that hires a woman to be a nude maid (or a nude news broadcaster) if she arrives and does not perform? If a regular maid arrived at a place of employment and was ordered to take off her clothes, it would almost certainly be harassment. (I hope so, anyway.) If she signed a contract to do it, up front, it isn’t. ---
**Author:** ![Carmady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f04885/32.png) [@Carmady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carmady)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2014, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actress-refuses-to-do-nude-scene-right-or-wrong/685852/262 "2014-04-26T21:09:32Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > Sure. > > But…why is it reasonable for a bra fitter to be exclusively female? > > Answer: because we know that the job is a necessary one, and that the vast majority of our prospective clientele would be more comfortable with a woman assisting them in finding the right bra fit, and _this is a prejudice that society is prepared to recognize as a reasonable one._ > > Right? > > My notional argument here is that society should also recognize that it’s reasonable for a woman to withdraw consent from sexual activity at any time, even if the sexual activity is simulating sex in the context of an acting job. > > And because society should recognize that women should be able to withdraw consent at any time, society should also recognize that a contract whose terms imposed substantial financial penalties for that choice has the effect of limiting the ability to meaningfully make the choice to withdraw consent in such circumstances, we should similarity find that public policy prevents enforcement of those penalties. The actress would correspond to the bra fitter in your example, not to the customer. If you hired a bra fitter who refused to fit bras because they were uncomfortable handling breasts, would you continue to pay them for that job? The real question here seems to be about the consequences. If you hire a bra fitter, or a gynecologist, or a nude art model, or whatever, and they refuse to do the job they signed up for, you can hire someone else. It would be reasonable to pay them nothing if they refuse. But the idea of massive financial penalties on top of being paid nothing makes me uncomfortable. How common are contracts with such penalties? Do any athletes have contracts that require them to play (putting them in physical danger) or face a massive penalty in addition to forfeiting all the money that was offered on the condition that they play? ---
**Author:** ![gladysbagshaw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a6a055/32.png) [@gladysbagshaw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gladysbagshaw)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2018, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actress-refuses-to-do-nude-scene-right-or-wrong/685852/263 "2018-07-19T02:44:38Z")
Agreed. As a former hospital service manager I have a long history of formulating and reading contracts and job descriptions. I know from experience how important the details of a contract are. I used to advise nurses who were going to work in the Arabian Gulf States to have their proposed contracts checked over by their own professional body or a lawyer. It’s worth the small fee for the assurance that you have not missed any nuances and small print. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actress-refuses-to-do-nude-scene-right-or-wrong/685852.md?page=13)