# Are erections the least seen thing in modern movies? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 20, 2020, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-erections-the-least-seen-thing-in-modern-movies/921063 "2020-09-20T05:17:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Asuka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2020, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-erections-the-least-seen-thing-in-modern-movies/921063/1 "2020-09-20T05:17:13Z")
Outside of weird sex acts, I think movies that feature somebody with an erection shown on-screen might be one of the rarer sights in-cinema (I know full on nude man erections are considered NC-17 worthy, but you also don’t see a lot of clothed erections either) I’ve seen plenty of movies with shown or implied oral sex on a woman (which also IIRC is very taboo in movies) but I can’t really think of a movie that showed somebody with a tent in their pants either in a comedic or sexual way. And nothing where somebody implies something he sees gives him an erection, you have to see the actual physical reaction of it. So no guy saying “This gives me a special feeling in my loins!” but you don’t actually see the special feeling bubbling up. Correct me if I’m wrong but it was one of those shower thoughts I had recently, that I could think of pretty much every other sex related thing in a major film but not an erection. ---
**Author:** ![Tabco](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tabco/32/7644_2.png) [@Tabco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tabco)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2020, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-erections-the-least-seen-thing-in-modern-movies/921063/2 "2020-09-20T05:40:11Z")
_Anchorman_ featured a scene where Will Ferrell’s character (Ron Burgundy) had an erection. It was for comedic effect. The movie came out in 2004 I think. ---
**Author:** ![GreenWyvern](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/greenwyvern/32/2834_2.png) [@GreenWyvern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenWyvern)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2020, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-erections-the-least-seen-thing-in-modern-movies/921063/3 "2020-09-20T06:02:35Z")
TV not a movie, but… [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/63CBo7Z83-Q/hqdefault.jpg "Curb Your Enthusiasm - Pants Scene") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63CBo7Z83-Q) ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2020, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-erections-the-least-seen-thing-in-modern-movies/921063/4 "2020-09-20T06:05:37Z")
> [@Asuka](#): > > but I can’t really think of a movie that showed somebody with a tent in their pants either in a comedic or sexual way. In the Man Who Wasn’t There Billy Bob Thornton pulled out a pleat of his stiff pants to [imply an erection](https://ianfarrington.files.wordpress.com/2015/01/themanwhowasntthere.png) in a scene where he is listening to a teen-age Scarlett Johansson play piano. This wasn’t in the script, but was an ad-lib by Thornton. As far as graphic male erections in “mainstream” media, the last I recall was in the cable series American Gods. ---
**Author:** ![lobotomyboy63](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobotomyboy63/32/2900_2.png) [@lobotomyboy63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobotomyboy63)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2020, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-erections-the-least-seen-thing-in-modern-movies/921063/5 "2020-09-20T06:11:52Z")
And then there’s Sacha Baron Cohen. NSFW? [Borat Baywatch - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZaK_u2SQKA) ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2020, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-erections-the-least-seen-thing-in-modern-movies/921063/6 "2020-09-20T06:56:47Z")
I seem to recall Matthew McConnaughey had morning wood in _EdTV_. ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2020, 8:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-erections-the-least-seen-thing-in-modern-movies/921063/7 "2020-09-20T08:30:44Z")
there’s this new one, 01:20 [https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=yes+god+yes&&view=detail&mid=762F0FDF971F77421702762F0FDF971F77421702&&FORM=VRDGAR&ru=%2Fvideos%2Fsearch%3Fq%3Dyes%2Bgod%2Byes%26FORM%3DHDRSC3](https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=yes+god+yes&&view=detail&mid=762F0FDF971F77421702762F0FDF971F77421702&&FORM=VRDGAR&ru=%2Fvideos%2Fsearch%3Fq%3Dyes%2Bgod%2Byes%26FORM%3DHDRSC3) ---
**Author:** ![Toxylon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f05b48/32.png) [@Toxylon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toxylon)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2020, 8:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-erections-the-least-seen-thing-in-modern-movies/921063/8 "2020-09-20T08:50:49Z")
Once I started a thread with a similar question, but focusing on taking a dump on film, and the rarity of it, compared to real life. After a running start, the thread was closed for being a “parody thread”. Hope this one has a longer life. At least one, but I think several, films of the American Pie franchise show clothed erections, even as scene setups. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2020, 9:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-erections-the-least-seen-thing-in-modern-movies/921063/9 "2020-09-20T09:36:41Z")
On Netflix,the episode “Bottled Appetites” of _The Witcher_ series has a tented pants erection scene. ---
**Author:** ![Banksiaman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banksiaman/32/3334_2.png) [@Banksiaman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banksiaman)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2020, 10:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-erections-the-least-seen-thing-in-modern-movies/921063/10 "2020-09-20T10:54:00Z")
The veery excellent British mockumentary ‘This Country’ has a scene involving a tented erection, referred to as a ‘stonk on’, with clothed evidence. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2020, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-erections-the-least-seen-thing-in-modern-movies/921063/11 "2020-09-20T12:04:37Z")
Edward Norton’s in _Birdman_. Played for laughs and unnoted by any of the other characters. He’s fully clothed, but it can’t be missed ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2020, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-erections-the-least-seen-thing-in-modern-movies/921063/12 "2020-09-20T12:56:58Z")
[![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/WM9c5cpMxp0/hqdefault.jpg "Road Trip - Honey your boner") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WM9c5cpMxp0) ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2020, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-erections-the-least-seen-thing-in-modern-movies/921063/13 "2020-09-20T13:18:29Z")
Little Britain USA famously showed not only a head-on shot of a (clothed) erection, but followed through with a visible ejaculation that left absolutely nothing to the imagination. The series was broadcast over the air on public television in Europe, though in the more prudish USA it was shown only on HBO. The scene in question: [spoiler][Little Britain - Guns! - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0O3k04pxOQ%5B/spoiler%5D) ---
**Author:** ![Randolph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Randolph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Randolph)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2020, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-erections-the-least-seen-thing-in-modern-movies/921063/14 "2020-09-20T14:05:49Z")
I recall a scene in a movie called _Angels and Insects_, where a character is caught in flagrante delicto, jumps up from the bed and runs across the room - with a very visible erection thwobbling about. It was a “that actor appears to be _very_ in-character” moment. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2020, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-erections-the-least-seen-thing-in-modern-movies/921063/15 "2020-09-20T14:15:31Z")
That’s not a boner! Honestly, that’s just the way the pants fold, I was telling you about it earlier! ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2020, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-erections-the-least-seen-thing-in-modern-movies/921063/16 "2020-09-20T14:31:19Z")
Not a movie, but some fully-torqued dudes were featured on basic cable in Workaholics. [Workaholics - Fully Torqued - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5E1JLR-h_bE&ab_channel=ComedyCentral) ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2020, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-erections-the-least-seen-thing-in-modern-movies/921063/17 "2020-09-20T14:55:42Z")
There was an episode of the Drew Carey Show where he had a similar pants problem. I can’t find a link but I remember one specific shot with the pants bulge in the foreground and Diedrich Bader in the background with a somewhat horrified look on his face. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2020, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-erections-the-least-seen-thing-in-modern-movies/921063/18 "2020-09-20T15:06:07Z")
The Netflix show “Sex Education” has some comedic boner-in-pants scenes. It’s pretty graphic in places, though. ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2020, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-erections-the-least-seen-thing-in-modern-movies/921063/19 "2020-09-20T15:14:24Z")
I cannot think of any situation other than comedic where this would be shown. Yes, I do think it is rare, but not totally absent. Here is the opening of _40 Year Old Virgin_ (morning wood): [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9Tit-Www68) ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2020, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-erections-the-least-seen-thing-in-modern-movies/921063/20 "2020-09-20T15:44:29Z")
I actually don’t really think this is that rare for comedies. It’s dramatic scenes where it’s not often shown. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-erections-the-least-seen-thing-in-modern-movies/921063.md?page=2)