# 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:** 6
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2009, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gratuitous-nudity-and-non-nudity-in-movies/495447/101 "2009-05-07T03:03:34Z")
> [@Irishman](#): > > …Why should they have to choose? I mean, the movie was already rated R, it’s not like there’s a quota on boobies. “Oh, I’m sorry, you’ve exceeded your booby quota. One of those chicks needs a bra on. You pick.” > … Actually, yes there is a quota on boobies and especially on snatch and dick. It’s not a hard and fast number that never changes, but I have heard many directors and producers talk about ratings negotiations with the MPAA. And yes, if you have too many boobies, you might go from a PG-13 to an R, or conceivably further, depending on what the boobies are doing. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2009, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gratuitous-nudity-and-non-nudity-in-movies/495447/102 "2009-05-07T03:09:53Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > …It’s not a hard and fast number that never changes, but I have heard many directors and producers talk about ratings negotiations with the MPAA… You can say fuck one time and still get a PG-13 rating as long as you’re not talking about actual fucking. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2009, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gratuitous-nudity-and-non-nudity-in-movies/495447/103 "2009-05-07T03:29:20Z")
> [@](#): > > I don’t think it was gratuitous, given the subject matter of the film, I’m just commenting that that’s the last time I can remember seeing a full frontal nude female in an R-rated movie. Jennifer Connelly, Heather Graham, Salma Hayek, Ashley Judd, Gretchen Mol, Mary-Louise Parker, Chloë Sevigny, and Kate Winslet have all done recent full nude scenes. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2009, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gratuitous-nudity-and-non-nudity-in-movies/495447/104 "2009-05-07T03:35:51Z")
> [@](#): > > Actually, yes there is a quota on boobies and especially on snatch and dick. It’s not a hard and fast number that never changes, but I have heard many directors and producers talk about ratings negotiations with the MPAA. And yes, if you have too many boobies, you might go from a PG-13 to an R, or conceivably further, depending on what the boobies are doing. I’ve heard there’s actually a concept called the free boob theory. The idea is that once you get an R-rating any further inclusion of naked female breasts is “free” - you’ve already got an R and no amount of naked breasts alone will get you an NC-17. So you might as well include more naked breasts to draw in viewers who’ll want to see them. And this works even if there were no nude scenes originally - if your movie got an R-rating because of language or violence, you now might as well add some gratuitous nudity. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2009, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gratuitous-nudity-and-non-nudity-in-movies/495447/105 "2009-05-07T03:38:55Z")
I feel like female nudity is definitely decreasing in movies. The last film I can remember seeing with a naked woman in it was _The Wrestler._ And before that, I can’t even remember. And I regularly watch movies in the theater. I am, however, noticing an increasing trend of male _cocks._ Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Zack and Miri Make A Porno, the recent Wolverine movie, Watchmen, The Dewey Cox Story to name a few…all featuring gratuitous schlong scenes. Why can they show cock like this, but not a pussy? ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2009, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gratuitous-nudity-and-non-nudity-in-movies/495447/106 "2009-05-07T03:40:24Z")
In _Working Girl_, there’s a scene where Melanie Griffith is cleaning an apartment in her bras and panties. It was a true WTF? moment for me, that they’d bother to put that sort of scene in a Harrison Ford movie. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![enomaj](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/59ef9b/32.png) [@enomaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enomaj)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2009, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gratuitous-nudity-and-non-nudity-in-movies/495447/107 "2009-05-07T03:45:22Z")
Yet another stripper example is \*\*Natalie Portman \*\* in \*\*Closer \*\*. You can get a whole 'nother thread out of actresses who won’t do nudity taking roles where nudity is kinda the point. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2009, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gratuitous-nudity-and-non-nudity-in-movies/495447/108 "2009-05-07T07:50:12Z")
> [@](#): > > You can get a whole 'nother thread out of actresses who won’t do nudity taking roles where nudity is kinda the point. Kirsten Dunst is an annoying example of that. The script for _Crazy/Beautiful_ had her character doing a nude love scene. Dunst signed for the role and production started. Then she told the director that she thought the scene would work better if she kept her clothes on instead. What’s he going to do at this point? Fire her and start filming over with a new actress? He was forced to accede to Dunst’s decision and put the best face on it he could. I’ve heard actors complain about how often love scenes are among the first scenes filmed and they’re faking intimacy with somebody they’ve just met. But this is the reason why directors set schedules up that way. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2009, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gratuitous-nudity-and-non-nudity-in-movies/495447/109 "2009-05-07T14:51:57Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Kirsten Dunst is an annoying example of that. The script for _Crazy/Beautiful_ had her character doing a nude love scene. Dunst signed for the role and production started. Then she told the director that she thought the scene would work better if she kept her clothes on instead… The story as I first heard it was that it was dropped to keep a PG-13 rating. According to Wikipedia, Dunst went so far as to rehearse the scene nude on a closed set before backing out. Even though I think the scene where she goes to the kitchen would have been stronger if done nude, I can’t get too upset about it because it’s just not that necessary. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Carrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@Captain\_Carrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Carrot)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2009, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gratuitous-nudity-and-non-nudity-in-movies/495447/110 "2009-05-07T15:52:28Z")
> [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > I was surprised to see Wolverine’s schlong in Wolverine Origins. I always wondered what happened when Wolverine got a hard-on. Did a giant claw come out of his schlong too? Meh, it’s barely visible. And why would you think that?😕 ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2009, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gratuitous-nudity-and-non-nudity-in-movies/495447/111 "2009-05-07T16:08:33Z")
> [@enomaj](#): > > Yet another stripper example is \*\*Natalie Portman \*\* in \*\*Closer \*\*. You can get a whole 'nother thread out of actresses who won’t do nudity taking roles where nudity is kinda the point. Natalie Portman filmed full frontal for _Closer_, but the director, Mike Nichols, cut that footage out of the final film because he decided it was too “gratuitous” or “exploitive” or something. Fucking prick. He also reportedly had the footage destroyed, so we’ll never even see it in a director’s cut or leaked on line. I bet Nichols kept his own private copy, though. ---
**Author:** ![joebuck20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/74df32/32.png) [@joebuck20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joebuck20)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2009, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gratuitous-nudity-and-non-nudity-in-movies/495447/112 "2009-05-07T16:23:42Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > Natalie Portman filmed full frontal for _Closer_, but the director, Mike Nichols, cut that footage out of the final film because he decided it was too “gratuitous” or “exploitive” or something. Fucking prick. He also reportedly had the footage destroyed, so we’ll never even see it in a director’s cut or leaked on line. > > I bet Nichols kept his own private copy, though. You can see her naked in “Hotel Chevalier” a short film that offers some background on “The Darjeeling Limited.” I don’t think she does full frontal, but you definitely get a nice shot of her rear end. It’s on the DVD of Darjeeling, though you might still be able to watch it on YouTube. ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2009, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gratuitous-nudity-and-non-nudity-in-movies/495447/113 "2009-05-07T16:35:47Z")
It’s online. Someone posted it on the SDMB when it was released and I watched it out of curiosity. The only thing you see is her nude in profile. You don’t even see her butt; just her thigh. ---
**Author:** ![enomaj](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/59ef9b/32.png) [@enomaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enomaj)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2009, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gratuitous-nudity-and-non-nudity-in-movies/495447/114 "2009-05-07T16:52:02Z")
@Diogenes My understanding was that Miss Portman asked for the scene in Closer to be cut. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2009, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gratuitous-nudity-and-non-nudity-in-movies/495447/115 "2009-05-07T17:06:33Z")
> [@enomaj](#): > > @Diogenes > > My understanding was that Miss Portman asked for the scene in Closer to be cut. No, it was Nichols. I did a pit thread on it at the time that had the relevant link. I’ll see if I can find it. I remember Portman saying something like “he’s more protective of me than my parents are.” ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2009, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gratuitous-nudity-and-non-nudity-in-movies/495447/116 "2009-05-07T17:10:00Z")
> [@Aesiron](#): > > It’s online. Someone posted it on the SDMB when it was released and I watched it out of curiosity. The only thing you see is her nude in profile. You don’t even see her butt; just her thigh. You can see very clearly that she doesn’t have a butt. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2009, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gratuitous-nudity-and-non-nudity-in-movies/495447/117 "2009-05-07T17:30:59Z")
Here’s my original pit thread on the deleted _Closer_ scenes –[Aaaarrrgghhh!!! Mike Nichols must die!](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=286142&highlight=mike+nichols) Here’s the [news link](http://www.darkhorizons.com/news/1358/portman-is-closer-to-chastity) here’s the quote: > [@](#): > > Acclaimed writer/director Mike Nichols (“Angels in America”, “Primary Colors”) has upset a large amount of males it seems in the last few days with word that Natalie Portman full-frontal nude scenes are being removed from his new film “Closer”. > > Portman, who plays a stripper in the film, apparently shot a scene that featured “raunchy shots of her fully nude” according to the IMDB & JoBlo - the problem is Nichols felt that the shots themselves were “gratuitous” and had them cut out of the final print. > > Portman says “He’s as or more protective of me than my parents are.” Nichols is a bastard for cutting that footage. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2009, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gratuitous-nudity-and-non-nudity-in-movies/495447/118 "2009-05-07T17:51:00Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > In _Working Girl_, there’s a scene where Melanie Griffith is cleaning an apartment in her bras and panties. It was a true WTF? moment for me, that they’d bother to put that sort of scene in a Harrison Ford movie. 😕 My stepdaughter used to have this unfortunate habit, actually. For all I know she may still clean the house that way when I’m out of town and cannot possibly walk in on her. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2009, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gratuitous-nudity-and-non-nudity-in-movies/495447/119 "2009-05-07T17:51:36Z")
Another one that comes to mind: In _Terminator 3_, when the T-X is sent back to the present. Fans of the series will know that only flesh, or things enclosed in flesh, can be sent back, so time-travelers arrive naked. Given that that’s been well-established, it would be completely non-gratuitous to show some breasts in that scene, but they went with all of those camera angles where you never quite see anything. I wouldn’t quite say that the absence of nudity was gratuitous (we saw plenty to make it clear that she actually was naked), but it was still notable, I think. ---
**Author:** ![shy\_guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a6a055/32.png) [@shy\_guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shy_guy)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2009, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gratuitous-nudity-and-non-nudity-in-movies/495447/120 "2009-05-07T18:32:00Z")
Actually, I think I remember the scenes with the naked TX looking super goofy because they had her long hair perfectly covering her breasts and totally immobile. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gratuitous-nudity-and-non-nudity-in-movies/495447.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gratuitous-nudity-and-non-nudity-in-movies/495447.md?page=7)