# Gratuitous nudity and NON-nudity in movies **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 5, 2009, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gratuitous-nudity-and-non-nudity-in-movies/495447 "2009-05-05T18:53:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 11
**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:** [May 12, 2010, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gratuitous-nudity-and-non-nudity-in-movies/495447/201 "2010-05-12T04:16:51Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > For male bouncing, nothing beats [Skin Deep](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ky5u6vm44ak). OMG that if fucking hilarious. I miss John Ritter ---
**Author:** ![corkboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@corkboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corkboard)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2010, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gratuitous-nudity-and-non-nudity-in-movies/495447/202 "2010-05-12T12:29:50Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > Not as often as one girl consoling another over a breakup, and one rests her head on the other’s shoulder, then the other gives the first a squeeze, then the first strokes the brow and hair of the other, and THEN they lock eyes, and give each other a hesitant kiss, and their desperation for physical intimacy wins out, and they both groan from somewhere deep within, and their hands start to move over each other faster and faster, and their sudden warmth makes them realize they don’t need these heavy clothes any longer… > > This happens many times each and every day, I just know it. I’ll be in my bunk. ---
**Author:** ![TV\_time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f17d59/32.png) [@TV\_time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TV_time)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2010, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gratuitous-nudity-and-non-nudity-in-movies/495447/203 "2010-05-13T16:51:38Z")
It may have already have been posted, but I have come and gone from this thread a couple of times so I missed it if it has been posted. There is no real point for Jo Beth Williams’ nudity in **Teachers**. I liked it, but really - not necessary. ---
**Author:** ![tr0psn4j](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@tr0psn4j](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tr0psn4j)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2010, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gratuitous-nudity-and-non-nudity-in-movies/495447/204 "2010-05-20T05:21:53Z")
The opening scene of Red Heat. Seems like gratuitous nudity to me anyway. Here’s the [youtube link](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhJc7giJ2l0) that’s been clipped to be more SFW although it still might not be. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2011, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gratuitous-nudity-and-non-nudity-in-movies/495447/205 "2011-02-18T23:25:53Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > Depends on which version you saw. In the original theatrical release, there was definite boobage. You often see alternate scenes with more clothes, when the movies finally make it to commercial TV. For instance, in _Animal House_, where Jennings is in Katy’s kitchen reaching for the matches, he’s wearing a pair of trousers, in the TV version. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2011, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gratuitous-nudity-and-non-nudity-in-movies/495447/206 "2011-02-19T02:29:14Z")
I always wondered why Susan Sarandon didn’t lose the clothes in Rocky Horror. It actually made sense for the character’s transformation. At the beginning Janet is a shy virgin. As she goes through the movie she loses her inhibitions. Having her run around in a bra is pretty silly. I’ve seen Susan’s boobs plenty of times. I lost count of how many movies she’s done nudity. It’s a lot. Odd, the one time the character needed to undress, Susan gets shy. dammit Janet [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/NBjVBbeqf7E/hqdefault.jpg "Rocky Horror Picture Show - Dammit, Janet") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBjVBbeqf7E) ---
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2011, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gratuitous-nudity-and-non-nudity-in-movies/495447/207 "2011-02-19T02:50:58Z")
> [@Lamia](#): > > I always found it amusing that She-Hulk’s shirt DOESN’T get torn to shreds, even though we know that this happens all the time to the male Hulk. But when the Hulk is a She, her shirt might rip but enough fabric will always remain in place to cover her nipples. > [@BigT](#): > > Shouldn’t have worried that this topic would go away. It took me a bit to find the image I’m about to show you (Yay Bittorrent) > > Anyways, that’s explained in _[Spectacular She-Hulk Vol. 1 #4](http://trlkly.drivehq.com/images/myimages.html?image=she-hulk-ccc.png)_. (I’m not gonna tell you, you have to look.) Oh but She Hulk did show a little nippleage once in a graphic novel. > **[Great Moments in Boob War History #1 - She-Hulk's Wardrobe Malfunction](http://daveslongbox.blogspot.com/2005/09/great-moments-in-boob-war-history-1.html)** > > Since Boob War Week seems to be a big hit with the kids, I thought I'd introduce a new feature here at Dave's Long Box: "Great moments in Bo... Sorta NSFW? I guess? ---
**Author:** ![lawoot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/35a633/32.png) [@lawoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lawoot)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2011, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gratuitous-nudity-and-non-nudity-in-movies/495447/208 "2011-02-19T04:30:50Z")
Just for those who might be interested, Kirsten Dunst has ended her no-nudity phase, with a scene in the upcoming movie _All Good Things_ [spoiler]link to a web page featuring nude captures from the film. Obviously NSFW, for link does not work - you’re gonna have to remove the gratuitous spaces, you perv! http:/ /www . [Celebrity Movie Archive :: Error! :: Celebrity Movie Archive](http://celebritymoviearchive.com/tour/name.php/260%5B/spoiler%5D) ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2011, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gratuitous-nudity-and-non-nudity-in-movies/495447/209 "2011-02-19T04:49:03Z")
> [@lawoot](#): > > Just for those who might be interested, Kirsten Dunst has ended her no-nudity phase, with a scene in the upcoming movie _All Good Things_ > > [spoiler]link to a web page featuring nude captures from the film. Obviously NSFW, for link does not work - you’re gonna have to remove the gratuitous spaces, you perv! > > http:/ /www . [Celebrity Movie Archive :: Error! :: Celebrity Movie Archive](http://celebritymoviearchive.com/tour/name.php/260%5B/spoiler%5D) Thank you for that, they are indeed lovely. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2011, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gratuitous-nudity-and-non-nudity-in-movies/495447/210 "2011-02-19T04:59:30Z")
Here’s another two-fer: Spike Lee’s [Mo’ Better Blues](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0100168/). Bleek, the main character played by Denzel Washington, has two girlfriends: the very bodacious Clarke Betencourt (played by Cynda Williams) and Indigo Downes, played by Spike’s litle sister Joie Lee. The director raised some eyebrows when he showed back-to-back booty calls to both girlfriends. We got to see Clarke’s pendulous charlies, but not Indigo’s. (Blake Edwards never had these problems, did he? I recall his wife and daughter showing some skin in **S.O.B.** ) ---
**Author:** ![tr0psn4j](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@tr0psn4j](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tr0psn4j)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2011, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gratuitous-nudity-and-non-nudity-in-movies/495447/211 "2011-02-19T06:23:54Z")
Lohan in Machete. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2011, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gratuitous-nudity-and-non-nudity-in-movies/495447/212 "2011-02-19T21:48:21Z")
The problem of gratuitous non-nudity among movie strippers is, of course, among the great conundrums of the ages. I ascribe most of it to the directors. Say you are the guy or gal who cast the role of Nancy the stripper in Sin City. You know you need a popular young hottie actress who’s wiliing to strip naked and shake that thing for the role. You can pay top dollar, it’s a high-profile project, so you know that you have a large pool of young hottie actresses who can handle the VERY MINIMAL acting requirements of the role, with the requisite good looks and the willingness to perform naked, many of whom would be well known to young males who would be interested in this particular character, hence could get eyes in the theater. So who do you cast? Jessica Alba, who has made it clear throughout her career that she will not appear in the nude. You cast her. As a stripper. Now I do not blame Jessica Alba in the least here. It is her body, her career, her decision. And whether or not to cast her for the role is your decision. And YOU made a bad decision, Mr. or Ms. Casting Director. (Note, the casting director may have been INSTRUCTED to cast Alba for the role, and to tell her she need not appear nude in it, by the director or someone else with the clout to do so, in which case it is not the casting director’s fault. I’m just using the casting director as shorthand for whoever made that bad, bad, bad stinky decision. Furthermore, in the case of Sin City the nudity was not gratuitous. Consider: Bruce Willis’ character took great risks and endured considerable personal loss (can’t remember offhand if he is killed or not) to save Nancy from being molested/killed when she is a child. Now we see her as a grownup, working as a stripper in a dingy bar. So it seems Willis’ sacrifice might have been in vain. Seeing her working as a Clothed Stripper doing some mildly sexy hip rolls makes the point, but just barely. Seeing her writhing obscenely while stark naked would have made the point a LOT more powerfully. So casting Not Getting Naked Jessica Alba as Nancy failed dramatically as well as in the area of getting male viewers interested. So dumb. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2011, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gratuitous-nudity-and-non-nudity-in-movies/495447/213 "2011-02-19T23:37:59Z")
> [@Evil\_Captor](#): > > Furthermore, in the case of Sin City the nudity was not gratuitous. Consider: Bruce Willis’ character took great risks and endured considerable personal loss (can’t remember offhand if he is killed or not) to save Nancy from being molested/killed when she is a child. Now we see her as a grownup, working as a stripper in a dingy bar. So it seems Willis’ sacrifice might have been in vain. Seeing her working as a Clothed Stripper doing some mildly sexy hip rolls makes the point, but just barely. Seeing her writhing obscenely while stark naked would have made the point a LOT more powerfully. So casting Not Getting Naked Jessica Alba as Nancy failed dramatically as well as in the area of getting male viewers interested. So dumb. I think you’re reading some of your own desires into Sin City. It was pointed out that while Nancy might be a stripper, she was still a “good girl.” She wrote to Willis in jail constantly and she was a good person (unlike the majority of Sin City’s residents). Making her a really nasty, dirty stripper makes that harder to believe. It also goes a little bit against the movie’s constant parade of heroic and noble women. All of them (save for Alexis Bleidel) were heroic (and sexy) in their own way. Carla Gugino took a very slow walk around the room wearing nothing but a smile. Jessica Alba didn’t (and neither did most of the rest of the female cast). ---
**Author:** ![Rrose\_Selavy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bcef8e/32.png) [@Rrose\_Selavy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rrose_Selavy)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2011, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gratuitous-nudity-and-non-nudity-in-movies/495447/214 "2011-02-20T00:19:54Z")
This comes to mind. This is not a very good link but all I could find, but the worse part that was forever etched on my brain is the sight of Borat’s grossly obese “manager” running into a startled and incredulous audience at some Hotel conference. Disturbing and of course NSFW > **[Borat VS. Azamat](https://indavideo.hu/video/Borat_VS_Azamat?token=cb923347e9909a85f2ca8fd9d005ff0c)** > > Híres vígjáték filmből egy eléggé érdekes harci jelenet. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_Panic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/don_t_panic/32/398_2.png) [@Don\_t\_Panic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Panic)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2011, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gratuitous-nudity-and-non-nudity-in-movies/495447/215 "2011-02-20T01:32:06Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > instances in which the performer should, by all reason, be naked, but is not The rose-petal dream scene in American Beauty is one that comes to mind. The scene is supposed to show Lester’s sexual fantasy. Somehow, I don’t think he \*really \*would be fantazising Angela with a few petals strategically covering her breasts and lady bits. ---
**Author:** ![Carmady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f04885/32.png) [@Carmady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carmady)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2011, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gratuitous-nudity-and-non-nudity-in-movies/495447/216 "2011-02-20T03:33:29Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > I think you’re reading some of your own desires into Sin City. No, he’s right. That is the textbook example of gratuitous non-nudity. First, it is simply not believable that in the world of Sin City people would be transfixed by the type of conservative (for that context) performance in the movie. It is immediately jarring for that reason. Second, it was a totally unnecessary and easily avoided deviation from the comic, in a movie which in almost every respect tried to be faithful to the comic. Third, it is arguable (and I would argue) that the change weakens the story. The comic version isn’t just different for no reason, it has more impact and makes more sense in the context of Sin City. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2011, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gratuitous-nudity-and-non-nudity-in-movies/495447/217 "2011-02-20T03:59:15Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > [QUOTE=Evil\_Captor] > Furthermore, in the case of Sin City the nudity was not gratuitous. Consider: Bruce Willis’ character took great risks and endured considerable personal loss (can’t remember offhand if he is killed or not) to save Nancy from being molested/killed when she is a child. Now we see her as a grownup, working as a stripper in a dingy bar. So it seems Willis’ sacrifice might have been in vain. Seeing her working as a Clothed Stripper doing some mildly sexy hip rolls makes the point, but just barely. Seeing her writhing obscenely while stark naked would have made the point a LOT more powerfully. So casting Not Getting Naked Jessica Alba as Nancy failed dramatically as well as in the area of getting male viewers interested. So dumb. I think you’re reading some of your own desires into Sin City. [/QUOTE] Why, how naked did Nancy get in the original? ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2011, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gratuitous-nudity-and-non-nudity-in-movies/495447/218 "2011-02-20T04:23:54Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > I think you’re reading some of your own desires into Sin City. It was pointed out that while Nancy might be a stripper, she was still a “good girl.” She wrote to Willis in jail constantly and she was a good person (unlike the majority of Sin City’s residents). > > Making her a really nasty, dirty stripper makes that harder to believe. It also goes a little bit against the movie’s constant parade of heroic and noble women. All of them (save for Alexis Bleidel) were heroic (and sexy) in their own way. Carla Gugino took a very slow walk around the room wearing nothing but a smile. Jessica Alba didn’t (and neither did most of the rest of the female cast). Not really. I agree that the women in Sin City are overwhelmingly heroic, but they were mostly whores and strippers. I was under the impression from the movie (never read the comic) that the intent was to create a character who was a hot, nasty stripper and a good girl … as you say, writing to Willis while he was in jail, treating Marv decently instead of being frightened of him, even as she makes a living cranking men’s libidoes with her naked body. I figured the author was aiming at a deeper level of complexity for the character and the story. Not sure he got to that level in any event, but the non-stripping stripper sure didn’t help. ---
**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:** [February 20, 2011, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gratuitous-nudity-and-non-nudity-in-movies/495447/219 "2011-02-20T04:44:15Z")
> [@Martian Bigfoot](#): > > The rose-petal dream scene in American Beauty is one that comes to mind. The scene is supposed to show Lester’s sexual fantasy. Somehow, I don’t think he \*really \*would be fantazising Angela with a few petals strategically covering her breasts and lady bits. I’ll disagree. Considering that they showed her naked ( topless ) later, the director/producers and the actress were clearly not shy about nudity. No, in this case it was clearly an artistic choice rather than a _gratuitous_ choice. One I can buy. I can accept someone having an arty, teasing fantasy where the naughty bits are hinted at, but not quite revealed - some folks get off on that sort of thing ;). ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2011, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gratuitous-nudity-and-non-nudity-in-movies/495447/220 "2011-02-20T04:53:08Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > Why, how naked did Nancy get in the original? I’ve only flipped through the original comic, but if I remember right, Nancy’s nudity was mostly kept in the shadows. Slightly off-topic: I just realized that Rose McGowan’s constant refrain of “I’m not a stripper, I’m a go-go dancer” in Rodriguez’s Planet Terror was probably a direct reference to Jessica Alba’s refusal to get naked when playing a “stripper” in Sin City. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gratuitous-nudity-and-non-nudity-in-movies/495447.md?page=10) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gratuitous-nudity-and-non-nudity-in-movies/495447.md?page=12)