# Movies and magazine covers are more explicit than decades ago **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 8, 2012, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-and-magazine-covers-are-more-explicit-than-decades-ago/608830 "2012-01-08T15:57:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2012, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-and-magazine-covers-are-more-explicit-than-decades-ago/608830/21 "2012-01-08T18:17:11Z")
Please tell me how looking at a flash of tit on a mag cover is going to lead to the downfall of civilization. I guarantee every kid has seen a lot more skin (and genuine porn) on the Internet way before 18, and probably before puberty. I chalk it up to global warming. ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2012, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-and-magazine-covers-are-more-explicit-than-decades-ago/608830/22 "2012-01-08T18:22:02Z")
> [@septimus](#): > > Time was when most movies were more-or-less family-friendly. That time was roughly [1930-1968](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Production_Code), so it’s a little late to be complaining about it now. Now, if your complaint were about prime-time network television then I’d agree that there are shows now with racier content than one would have seen in the relatively recent past. However, there are still shows on network TV that _aren’t_ particularly racy, plus 24/7 children’s programming available through various basic cable channels. It’s not like parents are forced to choose between _Whitney_ and nothing when their kids want to watch TV. (Although “nothing” should be the clear winner in that situation, regardless of age.) There’s even a TV rating system to help parents decide if a show will be appropriate for kids and what sort of “adult” content it might contain. ---
**Author:** ![C3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/c3/32/3108_2.png) [@C3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C3)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2012, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-and-magazine-covers-are-more-explicit-than-decades-ago/608830/23 "2012-01-08T18:35:40Z")
> [@DianaG](#): > > I think it’s that the covers had the word “sex” on them. And not just sex, “bad girl sex”. The kind with open eyes and paroxysms of something other than guilt. The offensive part of this is the “bad girls” vs. “good girls” thing. Having great sex is “bad” or “naughty”? I don’t have a problem with my kids seeing sex-related headlines, but I don’t want my boys to think that “good girls” don’t like to have good sex. ---
**Author:** ![DianaG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ab992/32.png) [@DianaG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DianaG)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2012, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-and-magazine-covers-are-more-explicit-than-decades-ago/608830/24 "2012-01-08T18:38:43Z")
Worse, I certainly don’t want my \*girls \*to think that “good girls” don’t like to have good sex. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2012, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-and-magazine-covers-are-more-explicit-than-decades-ago/608830/25 "2012-01-08T18:39:00Z")
It does seem to me that there is much LESS nudity in mainstream movies than in the '70s. Yeah, the teenage slob comedies and the cheesier horror movies still have a good bit, but mainstream dramas, even the “R” rated ones, are quite puritanical by comparison. ETA: By the way, I quite like the girl on the right-hand cover. ---
**Author:** ![miss\_elizabeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@miss\_elizabeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/miss_elizabeth)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2012, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-and-magazine-covers-are-more-explicit-than-decades-ago/608830/26 "2012-01-08T18:42:47Z")
> [@'\[Undecided](#): > > Adrian;14645806’]I don’t think Germans are more screwed up than Americans sexually. Clearly you haven’t been watching any German porn… ---
**Author:** ![OtakuLoki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@OtakuLoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtakuLoki)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2012, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-and-magazine-covers-are-more-explicit-than-decades-ago/608830/27 "2012-01-08T18:43:51Z")
Yes, why can’t we go back to the good, [wholesome](http://www.life.com/gallery/23305/image/ugc1008552/life-covers-fashion#index/9) [magazine](http://www.life.com/gallery/23305/image/ugc1008552/life-covers-fashion#index/14) [covers](http://www.life.com/gallery/23305/image/ugc1008552/life-covers-fashion#index/18) of [yesteryear](http://www.life.com/gallery/23305/image/ugc1008552/life-covers-fashion#index/22)? :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![C3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/c3/32/3108_2.png) [@C3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C3)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2012, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-and-magazine-covers-are-more-explicit-than-decades-ago/608830/28 "2012-01-08T18:50:07Z")
> [@DianaG](#): > > Worse, I certainly don’t want my \*girls \*to think that “good girls” don’t like to have good sex. Totally agree, I just happen not to have any of them. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Knig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@Typo\_Knig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Knig)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2012, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-and-magazine-covers-are-more-explicit-than-decades-ago/608830/29 "2012-01-08T18:50:32Z")
My daughter, then 12, was somewhat interested in seeing the Watchmen movie. **Mama Zappa** (her mother) and I said no way - we’d read the graphic novel and were of the opinion that the nudity, sex and violence would be inappropriate for her. **Mama Zappa** and I saw the flick and liked it, but thought we’d made the right choice for our daughter. One of her friends (same age) saw it. The kid liked the movie OK, but barely noticed the giant blue dong swinging throughout the movie, and thought the sex scene was dull. So much for kids not being able to “handle” it. Maybe our daughter would have been fine seeing the flick. I find it beyond credulity that a former reader of Cosmo would be shocked - SHOCKED! - that their articles now discuss sex (clutching of pearls and Victorian era fainting goes here). GMAB! That’s been Cosmo’s schtick since its inception. ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2012, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-and-magazine-covers-are-more-explicit-than-decades-ago/608830/30 "2012-01-08T19:09:22Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > I, too, would like some examples of such movies. > > I’m more interested, though, in why the fuck you think that all culture should be sanitized to a level appropriate for children. Why is it, in your view, that we can’t have some entertainment that is appropriate for adults only?.. > > I’m also curious about whether its only sex that pushes your censorship button. As far as i remember, _Saving Private Ryan_ and _Reservoir Dogs_ are not sullied by any scenes of fornication. Do you think those are fine for kids to watch? > > Finally, as a couple of other people have suggested, i think there’s actually some value in exposing kids, especially older kids, to more adult-themed movies as they grow up. Obviously, it’s up to each parent to decide when that might be appropriate, … Answering point by point. I realize children will learn life’s facts, one way or another, but none of us (especially him and his mother) want my pre-teen son to watch an explicit fucking scene. He is very intelligent, enjoys watching thrillers of various sorts with me. It’s a loss when an otherwise-good movie has a sex scene ruling it out (or requiring quick reflexes and a fast-forward click). Do you really want specific examples? First to mind is _Godfather_, with a sex scene … though using it as example contradicts the “decades ago” motif in OP. :smack: I’ll admit to watching Saving Ryan and Reservoir Dogs with him and wonder if such movies are far worse for him than the sex scenes. (It’s his mother and him who object most to his watching those.) I could start a thread titled “Ask the Dad who thinks he’s a very bad parent.” PS: I m NOT advocating censorship, merely expressing regret that many otherwise excellent movies become unsuitable for view with my children. Googling before purchase would be inconvenient and, anyway, outrule many I’d want to watch. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2012, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-and-magazine-covers-are-more-explicit-than-decades-ago/608830/31 "2012-01-08T19:12:56Z")
> [@C3](#): > > The offensive part of this is the “bad girls” vs. “good girls” thing. Having great sex is “bad” or “naughty”? I don’t have a problem with my kids seeing sex-related headlines, but I don’t want my boys to think that “good girls” don’t like to have good sex. Wasn’t it Mae West who said that sex was dirty only if it was done right? ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2012, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-and-magazine-covers-are-more-explicit-than-decades-ago/608830/32 "2012-01-08T19:14:55Z")
> [@Lamia](#): > > That time was roughly [1930-1968](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Production_Code), so it’s a little late to be complaining about it now. > > Now, if your complaint were about prime-time network television then I’d agree that there are shows now with racier content than one would have seen in the relatively recent past. However, there are still shows on network TV that _aren’t_ particularly racy, plus 24/7 children’s programming available through various basic cable channels. It’s not like parents are forced to choose between _Whitney_ and nothing when their kids want to watch TV. (Although “nothing” should be the clear winner in that situation, regardless of age.) There’s even a TV rating system to help parents decide if a show will be appropriate for kids and what sort of “adult” content it might contain. Actually, I will join in the whine and cheese party on this point: there’s hardly anything entertaining for BOTH parents and kids these days. It’s either grit my teeth through The Electric Company (which is the best of the worst) again, or watch another Dirty Jobs. I mean, I like Dirty Jobs, but it’s getting tiresome. Although, I will admit, being without cable for a year, I did discover some awesome over the air channels with the classics, which was cool. Still, I’d like to watch something fictional made after cell phones were developed sometimes, and I’d like to watch it \*with \*my six year old. What I miss are shows like Family Ties and The Cosby Show - sanitary enough for kids but still entertaining for grown-ups. Now I can’t find a sitcom without a dildo joke or a “that’s what she said” every 30 seconds. I have no problem exposing my kids to healthy sexuality, but let’s face it… Barney on How I Met Your Mother is not a really great role model for healthy sexuality. I love HIMYM, but it’s not something I want to watch with my 6 year old. Or my 18 year old, for that matter! But yes, I’d rather she see parts of Whitney than NCSISVU Whatever. At least the sexual jokes are mostly over her head. The violence and sexual elements of those others combine to create truly inappropriate television. Again, not a problem, I don’t want to take them away from adults who like them. But where are the Our House or Little House on the Prairies of today? Is there truly no room for an hour long family drama, but there’s room for 412 police/investigator procedurals? I know, I know, ratings sucked and no one wants to risk the money to take another stab at it. Bah, humbug. ---
**Author:** ![Farmer\_Jane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Farmer\_Jane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Farmer_Jane)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2012, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-and-magazine-covers-are-more-explicit-than-decades-ago/608830/33 "2012-01-08T19:20:08Z")
I agree that things are too explicit these days (and perhaps back in ‘those days’, as I am only 26). There have been some “kid-aimed” movies my kid couldn’t watch because of sex/boobs. I’ve complained about it on SDMB before, but I got “meh” responses. So we’re probably in the minority here. I really wish PG-13 movies weren’t marketed in Happy Meals, though. ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2012, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-and-magazine-covers-are-more-explicit-than-decades-ago/608830/34 "2012-01-08T19:31:07Z")
> [@septimus](#): > > Googling before purchase would be inconvenient and, anyway, outrule many I’d want to watch. How is spending a few seconds on Google inconvenient? There are whole websites devoted to explaining what potentially objectionable “adult” content is in various movies. Some appear to be run by people with what I’d consider rather…extreme…religious views, but [Kids-In-Mind](http://www.kidsinmind.com/) seems like a good one. They assign each movie a score indicating how much sex, violence, and profanity it contains\*, and also provide a list describing the specific content if you want to know exactly what is involved. \*ETA: That is, a separate score for each facet, so _[Glengarry Glen Ross](http://www.kids-in-mind.com/g/glengarry_glen_ross_1992__009.htm)_ receives a very high profanity score but a 0 on sex/nudity and a 1 on violence for threats and psychological abuse. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2012, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-and-magazine-covers-are-more-explicit-than-decades-ago/608830/35 "2012-01-08T19:31:54Z")
I think our society is pretty fucked up in it’s priorities when we turn nudity into a horrible shocking taboo, but we wallow violence and gore. The sight of a female breast should not be fodder for frothing at the mouth in rage and carrying on in a way that traumatizes children. I guarantee you that children are NOT psychologically damaged by the sight of the breast. They’re messed up by their parents and role models **reactions** , which are what teach them how they should react and think. ---
**Author:** ![DianaG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ab992/32.png) [@DianaG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DianaG)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2012, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-and-magazine-covers-are-more-explicit-than-decades-ago/608830/36 "2012-01-08T19:38:24Z")
> [@septimus](#): > > I’ll admit to watching Saving Ryan and Reservoir Dogs with him and wonder if such movies are far worse for him than the sex scenes. (It’s his mother and him who object most to his watching those.) I could start a thread titled “Ask the Dad who thinks he’s a very bad parent.” > > PS: I m NOT advocating censorship, merely expressing regret that many otherwise excellent movies become unsuitable for view with my children. Googling before purchase would be inconvenient and, anyway, outrule many I’d want to watch. You watched Reservoir Dogs with your pre-teen? Really? I don’t see how Googling is inconvenient, especially when the alternative is to assume that stuff will be inappropriate, which would rule out pretty much everything that isn’t specifically kid-friendly. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2012, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-and-magazine-covers-are-more-explicit-than-decades-ago/608830/37 "2012-01-08T19:39:16Z")
> [@septimus](#): > > PS: I m NOT advocating censorship, merely expressing regret that many otherwise excellent movies become unsuitable for view with my children. And yet, when asked to provide an example of these “many otherwise excellent movies,” the only one you can come up with is _The Godfather_, which is: a) almost 40 years old, and b) so violent that the one sex scene is hardly the main reason for not allowing a minor child to watch the movie. Great effort in support of your argument! ---
**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:** [January 8, 2012, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-and-magazine-covers-are-more-explicit-than-decades-ago/608830/38 "2012-01-08T19:44:42Z")
> [@septimus](#): > > Do you really want specific examples? First to mind is _Godfather_, with a sex scene … Oh I know. **The Godfather** is such a great childrens movie! Pity there had to be a _ptooey_ _sex scene_ to distract him from all that wholesome violence! (Yeah, I now think this thread is just one big whoosh.) ---
**Author:** ![Myrnalene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@Myrnalene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Myrnalene)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2012, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-and-magazine-covers-are-more-explicit-than-decades-ago/608830/39 "2012-01-08T19:52:07Z")
I call bullshit on the idea that Cosmo covers have gotten any more explicit. They were talking about orgasms right there on the cover when I was a kid in the 80s. > [@septimus](#): > > The Godfather lulz ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2012, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-and-magazine-covers-are-more-explicit-than-decades-ago/608830/40 "2012-01-08T19:54:06Z")
I’d like to know what the family friendly films are that are marred by one or two gratuitous sex scenes. Because I’ve been wanting to see “We Bought a Zoo” and now I’m getting a funny feeling about it… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-and-magazine-covers-are-more-explicit-than-decades-ago/608830.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-and-magazine-covers-are-more-explicit-than-decades-ago/608830.md?page=3)