# No erections on TV? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 26, 2003, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-erections-on-tv/221144 "2003-12-26T17:54:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2003, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-erections-on-tv/221144/21 "2003-12-28T21:08:23Z")
Of course, the Discovery Channel series _Frontiers of Construction_ shows erections all the time. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2003, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-erections-on-tv/221144/22 "2003-12-29T01:16:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Czarcasm \* > \*\*Moving this “Great” Debate to Cafe Society. \*\* Before it becomes a “mass” debate? D&R ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mullets](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/aeb1de/32.png) [@John\_Mullets](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mullets)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2003, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-erections-on-tv/221144/23 "2003-12-29T01:47:10Z")
The show “Pizza” that used to be on SBS had a scene where a man was running away from the police with his erection poking out of VERY tight pants. It was 8:30 PM. ---
**Author:** ![nineiron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e56c9b/32.png) [@nineiron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nineiron)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2003, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-erections-on-tv/221144/24 "2003-12-29T02:25:38Z")
Not sure if this counts, but I remember an episode of “The Man Show” where the gag was that Jimmy Kimmel walked around with a hugely noticeable erection. Maybe the fact that it was fake changes things? ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2003, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-erections-on-tv/221144/25 "2003-12-29T03:43:07Z")
[Emily Litella]Why wouldn’t there be erections on television? How else are we supposed to find out who wins? Oh, _elections_! Never mind![/Emily Litella] Robin ---
**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:** [December 29, 2003, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-erections-on-tv/221144/26 "2003-12-29T04:26:05Z")
As far as late-night Skinamax flicks goes, which I think is what the OP is about, you can’t see even floppy dicks, but you can see women’s labia (i.e., not just her pubic hair, which is no more revealing than a swimsuit in many cases) though you never see labia while in use, as it were, and almost never in closeup. “The Key To Sex” used to have a brief closeup of Maria Ford’s pierced labia and I remember a couple of nice shots of other actresses as well. You never get that gleeful sense of “Hey, lookie here, this is incredible!” closeup on anyone’s genitals that you get in hardcore. Some indie films have shown floppy dicks – frex, Spun – but I don’t know of any that have shown erections. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2003, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-erections-on-tv/221144/27 "2003-12-29T04:35:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Crusoe \* > \*\*If it’s at a greater angle that the [Mull of Kintyre](http://www.multimap.com/map/browse.cgi?client=public&X=150000&Y=650000&gride=&gridn=&scale=1000000&coordsys=gb&mapsize=big) is, it’s not acceptable. \*\* “Mull of Kintyre, oh mists rolling in from the sea My Desire is always to be here… and no higher”. ---
**Author:** ![Badtz\_Maru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e36b37/32.png) [@Badtz\_Maru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Badtz_Maru)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2003, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-erections-on-tv/221144/28 "2003-12-29T04:57:09Z")
In ‘Irreversible’ there is a rape scene where Monica Bellucci’s rapist clearly has an erect penis after he gets off of her. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2003, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-erections-on-tv/221144/29 "2003-12-29T05:30:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Evil Captor \* > As far as late-night Skinamax flicks goes, which I think is what the OP is about, you can’t see even floppy dicks, but you can see women’s labia (i.e., not just her pubic hair, which is no more revealing than a swimsuit in many cases) though you never see labia while in use, as it were, and almost never in closeup. “The Key To Sex” used to have a brief closeup of Maria Ford’s pierced labia and I remember a couple of nice shots of other actresses as well. You never get that gleeful sense of “Hey, lookie here, this is incredible!” closeup on anyone’s genitals that you get in hardcore. I’ve seen real live floppy dicks in Skinemax features, but only in a wide shot. The hairiest dick I’ve ever seen on screen was Robin Williams’ nasty cock in _The Fisher King_. ---
**Author:** ![KGS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/90ced4/32.png) [@KGS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KGS)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2003, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-erections-on-tv/221144/30 "2003-12-29T05:59:14Z")
A recent episode of HBO’s “Real Sex” showed clips from a Japanese game show where men had to produce the most semen in 48 hours. There were plenty of erections, which were blurred, but not that much. (Some of those Japanese men were surprisingly well-hung!) ---
**Author:** ![Alias](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a88e4f/32.png) [@Alias](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alias)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2003, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-erections-on-tv/221144/31 "2003-12-29T15:38:40Z")
I remember someone telling me at some point that an erection in a film gave it an NC-17 rating NO MATTER WHAT. Bulges under sheets or pants don’t count though, just the actual penis. That’s why (I think) almost all naked penises in films are flaccid. I might be wrong, but the rule seems reasonable enough. ---
**Author:** ![plnnr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@plnnr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/plnnr)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2003, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-erections-on-tv/221144/32 "2003-12-29T16:37:49Z")
“The hairiest dick I’ve ever seen on screen was Robin Williams’ nsty cock in The Fisher King.” Now poking my mind’s eye out with a very sharp stick, thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Thylacinewas\_taken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c67d28/32.png) [@Thylacinewas\_taken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thylacinewas_taken)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2003, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-erections-on-tv/221144/33 "2003-12-31T17:58:46Z")
Evil Captor says: “As far as late-night Skinamax flicks goes, which I think is what the OP is about, you can’t see even floppy dicks, but you can see women’s labia.” That’s exactly what I meant! My…uh…friend…told…me… that there was a movie of questionable taste on Showcase or Bravo (Both channels that can get away with sex-filled nudity because it’s ‘artistic’)where the woman was buck naked and they weren’t afraid to show it, and when she begins giving oral sex to the also buck naked man, he’s as flacid as can be! I’m no man, but wouldn’t being naked with a woman whose head is near your crotch cause a little bit of tingling in the loins? ---
**Author:** ![blork](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5f9b8f/32.png) [@blork](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blork)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2003, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-erections-on-tv/221144/34 "2003-12-31T21:24:31Z")
showcase/bravo generally show foreign films, uncut uncensored, BUT that does not mean they didn’t meet the country of their makings requirements. I’m fairly certain if you watch long enough you will eventually see someone standing at attention. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2003, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-erections-on-tv/221144/35 "2003-12-31T22:07:44Z")
Can’t believe I’m getting in this discussion, but [Angels and Insects](http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0112365/), rated R, contains a semi-erect man. Daniel ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2003, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-erections-on-tv/221144/36 "2003-12-31T22:18:16Z")
**Mr. Dorkness** beat me to it by less than 20 minutes. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2003, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-erections-on-tv/221144/37 "2003-12-31T22:39:56Z")
[Head On](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0138487/combined) features not only an erection but full-on masturbation. Been a while since I’ve seen it so I don’t recall if there is, um, fruition. I seem to recall reading that Kyle MacLachlin had a CGI erection in _Showgirls_ but not having seen the movie I can’t confirm. MacLachlin did go full frontal in _Blue Velvet_ but was flaccid. > [@](#): > > Showcase or Bravo (Both channels that can get away with sex-filled nudity because it’s ‘artistic’) Maybe Canadian Bravo does but American Bravo doesn’t. Back in the day Bravo US used to show uncut uninterrupted films but they started slapping commercials in them sometime in the 90s and started editing for content around the same time. I remember how livid I got watching _Parting Glances_ on Bravo as part of its World AIDS Day programming one year and discovering that it was censored. I believe at one point Bravo was owned by/affiliated with the Independent Film Channel but they are currently owned by NBC. It used to be that IFC would show the uncut film and Bravo would show the cut version; now Bravo is doing more original programming and also seems to really like Cirque du Soliel. ---
**Author:** ![Headcoat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6bbea6/32.png) [@Headcoat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Headcoat)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2003, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-erections-on-tv/221144/38 "2003-12-31T23:35:46Z")
Its because of the actor’s unions. All the average and modestly endowed men realized that if erect penises on screen were allowed, they would have to reveal their inadequacies for the world to see. \* \*I made this all up. ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2004, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-erections-on-tv/221144/39 "2004-01-01T01:43:24Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Crusoe \* > \*\*If it’s at a greater angle that the [Mull of Kintyre](http://www.multimap.com/map/browse.cgi?client=public&X=150000&Y=650000&gride=&gridn=&scale=1000000&coordsys=gb&mapsize=big) is, it’s not acceptable. \*\* On a modern map … or on one of those ancient maps where East is on the top? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Torgo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@Torgo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Torgo)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2004, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-erections-on-tv/221144/40 "2004-01-02T05:27:14Z")
A funny episode of **Mad About You** , er, the _only_ funny episode, had Paul running around Manhattan with a Viagra-induced boner. You never saw the bulge but the effect was quite funny. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-erections-on-tv/221144.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-erections-on-tv/221144.md?page=3)