I'm in a class this morning and didn't have time to post. However, talking to a coworker while I got my coffee, we got onto the subject of HBO. HBO doesn't scrimp on the presentation of breasts, ass, or cursing, but I'm not recalling much in the way of male exposure. My coworker described the condition as "Advanced Penis Deprivation"; and we spent some time discussing what I've long considered a double standard about the taboo surrounding naked bodies.
Is it really a double standard? Does it bother you?
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5 comments:
Bother? No. Have I noticed? Of course. Any time there's *any* kind of penile nudity, it makes a huge splash in the news. This wouldn't happen if it were a routine occurrence, as the use of women's nudity is.
It doesn't bother me so much as it doesn't make sense to me.
Yeah, it bugs me a bit. I suspect it is symptomatic of, but also contributes to, our society's relative comfort with sexualizing women (and expecting them to be sexual more by default) and discomfort with naked men -- homophobia and similar stupidity. Plus it just makes the penis seem like a really Big Deal relative to women's bodies. I find that annoying.
As far as I'm concerned, naked bodies shouldn't be a big deal, and I'm all in favor of both men and women being sexualized on HBO and in other entertainment. But more equality seems like it would probably be a good thing.
I'll point out that they don't show any vagina either. They do show both male and female butts, though.
Yeah. I see on-screen vagina about as much as I see a dude's junk. I remember shows like The Wire having about as many shirtless guys as topless gals - think it's a matter of men and women showing the same amount of skin, yet the women's bare chest considered sexual in a way the man's isn't.
Women are sexualized more in these shows because their bodies have more sexual associations than a man's.
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