Do all Americans agree with stripping in movies ?

For most of us, stripping off in front of a film crew - and knowing millions will ogle our bodies - is the stuff nightmares are made off.

It must be embarrassing, invasive and - because of the internet - ensures your naked form is preserved online forever. Yuck!

Yet many film stars are quite happy to bare all in their films, with Carey Mulligan and Michael Fassbender the latest actors to go nude for sex addiction drama ‘Shame’ (out this week).

The question is: Why do they do it?

Reason 1: The part is so good

A common complaint from stars (especially female ones) is a lack of interesting roles. So when complex and meaty parts do emerge actors grab them with both hands, even if nudity is involved.

Take Rooney Mara, who was naked throughout ‘The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo’, but bagged a Golden Globes nomination for her troubles. She told Cinema Blend: “After I read the books, I knew I had to do it. I couldn't imagine my life without doing it… Nudity is such a huge part of the character in the book, so I never thought twice about it.”

Carey Mulligan said she was “staunchly feminist” about naked scenes, but changed her mind for ‘Shame’. She told W magazine:“[For this film] I just felt it was absolutely right; that's exactly who she was. She wanted to be seen, she's an exhibitionist and she's provocative."

More mainstream stars who bared all to appear in choice projects include Kate Winslet, for ‘Titanic’, Michelle Williams, for ‘Blue Valentine’ and Harvey Keitel, for mad cop drama 'Bad Lieutenant'.

Reason 2: To work with a respected director

Similarly, sometimes the chance to work with a world-famous director will push stars into raunchier roles.

The classic example is ‘Bond’ girl Eva Green, who was reticent about starring in ‘The Dreamers’ but was eager to work with world famous ‘Last Tango in Paris’ director Bernardo Bertolucci.

“I'm very reserved in real life," she told The Guardian. "But when Bertolucci asks you to do a movie, you do it. Nudity is just another costume. Perverts might think otherwise."


Speaking to the Salon, Charlotte Gainsborough said she had never done nudity before working on Lars Von Trier’s provocative film 'Antichrist', but was persuaded to take her clothes off because of him. “I think his films are really personal. He’s giving the [good] parts to women.”

Reason 3: They have a relaxed attitude

Ewan McGregor is one of the few mainstream male film stars to embrace full frontal nudity in many of his films and he seems to have a much more relaxed attitude that most of his contemporaries.

He told Out magazine: “I always try not to limit myself in all respects. Sexuality is just one of them. I could understand saying 'I would never do gratuitous nudity.' Wait. No. I probably would. I'd probably be quite happy to!”

Reason 4: They are just starting out

Before film stars reach A-list status they can’t be as picky about the roles they take, which is why so many stars went nude early in their careers.

For example Katie Holmes’ choice of movie roles was limited after leaving ‘Dawson’s Creek’, so she took a part in trashy whodunit ‘The Gift’, nude scenes and all.

Emily Blunt’s breakthrough role in ‘My Summer of Love’ saw her strip for lesbian sequences, but luckily for her it launched her career.

Angelina Jolie told 'Inside the Actor’s Studio' that it wasn’t comfortable shooting a sequence which saw her run to an elevator naked in 1998 made-for-TV movie ‘Gia’. Nonetheless, her critically lauded performance set her on the road for superstardom. These days she doesn’t need to agree to scenes like this.

Reason 5: To change people’s perceptions

This is the other extreme; the stars who seek out raunchier roles later in life to change how they are seen by audiences.

Jennifer Aniston is a classic example. Her ‘girl-next-door’ shtick began to wear thin after one-too-many rom-coms, so the former ‘Friends’ megastar has begun to take sexier parts that require her to strip off, firstly ‘Horrible Bosses’ and the upcoming ‘Wanderlust’ - which reportedly has a topless scene.

Speaking of ‘Horrible Bosses’, she said: “[I] thought it would be a fun challenge and to step out of what people usually like to see me play… The risk made it fun."

Even weirder is Julie Andrews, who went topless (aged 46) for comedy flick ‘S.O.B’. She told Variety: “Since I'm not Mary Poppins or Maria (Von Trapp) - contrary to some people's beliefs - I am an actress, and it was a lovely challenge to take on something fresh.” Which leads us to...

Reason 6: It will be funny

One of the most memorable nude scenes of recent times was in 'Forgetting Sarah Marshall', which saw Jason Segel get dumped in the buff. While doing press for the film, he said: "I got dumped naked in real life once, and it was the funniest thing that ever happened to me, so I knew I had to put it in the movie."

Luckily "male nudity enthusiast" producer Judd Apatow agreed.

Reason 7: The money

Halle Berry said she did the famous topless scene in ‘Swordfish’ to overcome her fear of appearing nude onscreen. “I knew it was gratuitous. And I did it because I needed to do it,” she said. It was rumoured producers requested it to generate some publicity.

However the extra £320,000 she was reportedly paid on top of her £1.3 million fee would probably have swung the deal…

And the reason for not stripping off...

Finally, let's hear some common sense from Sir Michael Caine, who famously advises young actors against going nude, because "Bogart never did it...that used to be my excuse."

He said: “Acting is about control, and once you're naked you have no control over where the audience is looking... or what they're thinking!”

Do you agree with Sir Michael? Let us know in the comments below.

Yahoo

I was logging out my Yahoo account tonight while I saw this headline and I read it and my mind was blowing.

Giving 7 reasons to strip of and one reason for not doing , it sounds more like convincing girls and women about what is being now filmed and displayed in Hollywood.

I think Hollywood is the most shameful land on earth. I think maybe there other other lands that people do shameful things , but they don't try to change other people mindsets and they are not partner of Satan.

But in Hollywood live partners of Satan.

I just wanted to know about how average American people think about this part of movie industry in America.

So , I would appreciate your precious replies.

hmd.

reply to post by hmdphantom


Do all Americans agree with stripping in movies ?





Isn't Carey Mulligan British..?


From the looks of box office sales, people around the world seem to agree with stripping in movies...

You ever been to Europe? If nudity bothers you, don't go to any beach in Spain, nor watch their commercials.

as a brit i'd say the reason for being naked has to be believeable such as theres someone breaking in and the person goes and grabs for their gun since a nightie wont deflect many bullets etc but excessive slapping of bits does get boring and genrally it seems to be a cheap way of getting exposure to sell more seats at the cinema to see celeb x getting their bits out for the audience

Im with you... I'm not restrained by anything that would make me against this, but I honestly do not like nudity in movies. I think it's degrading and stupid.

Just my 2 cents

Who cares, it's just a naked body, isn't that the way God intended humans to be?

Americans are so over sexualized that they find the naked body uncomfortable. European counterparts (uk not included) joke and laugh at their sexual habitations...

I've always said to my daughters (two of them), that I'd rather have them watch films with people making love than people killing each other.

It seems that most American films contain greater and greater levels of violence.

I'm on the side that says that if a tastefull display of nudity can entice people to watch a film they'd otherwise avoid - so be it.

And then we have the "tastefull display" definition. It seems that France, Spain, Sweden, Portugal, Brasil, Japan, Chorea, China etc. etc. knows more about tastefull than America.
I'm lucky enough to be able to watch films made in those - and other - countries and to be honest - the quality of the films storyline often makes one forget that there is some nudity.

The great and established American way of portraying intense sexual attraction is to have them barely get in through the front door before they kiss intensely and continiously as if they are two lamprets sucked onto each other's faces desperately trying to get free. Clothes gets ripped (or taken) off while they almost have a standing intercourse against the wall in the hallway.
In America passion often equals controlled sexual violence.

Tasteful? Zero points.
Erotic? Zero points.

Originally posted by OMsk3ptic
Who cares, it's just a naked body, isn't that the way God intended humans to be?

OH NO!!!
There she stood - naked as God created her.
It must be the Devil's work.

"Agree with"??? If you don't want to see nudity in movies, don't go see movies with nudity in them. The ratings will tell you that in advance. Other than that, you're not in charge. Real life has nudity in it. So do some movies. No problem if it's tastefully done. I agree with the other posters here. You'd be SOL most places in Europe which tolerate nudity much more easily than prudish Americans. Follow your own tastes, but leave others alone. It's really none of your business.

-facepalm-

As others have mentioned, nudity is only an issue when you make it an issue. So much for sexual liberation in North America. The status quo of scorn related to sexual health makes it more repressive than most third world nations.

Semi nudity in a good movie is
alright to me. I don't like porn
but lots of people do. What
ever rows your boat.

Angelina saying that scene was uncomfortable....does the OP think she meant being nude because if so then why would she get paid millions and still do nude scenes?

Besides, Gia had a lot of nudity and lesbian encounters because the real Gia was surrounded by it until her early death.

I never heard anyone talk about the full frontal male nudity at the start of 28 Days Later because nudity isn't an issue unless a studio uses it to cover up the lack of a story.

Originally posted by facelift
reply to post by hmdphantom

 

Do all Americans agree with stripping in movies ?

Isn't Carey Mulligan British..?

From the looks of box office sales, people around the world seem to agree with stripping in movies...

edit on 16-1-2012 by facelift because: spell Carey correctly

No doubt. She IS British. So is Emily Blunt and Julie Andrews. Charlotte Gainsbourg is French.

Michael Fassbender is German and Ewan MacGregor is Scottish, so I don't understand why this thread was directed at Americans when half if not most mentioned in the OP are Europeans.


Do ALL Muslims stone women for being raped? Do ALL Europeans agree with stripping in movies? Or even TV in Europe?

all americans don't have the same opinion...

and the reason it bothers you and not them is because we are two seperate cultures with different thought patterns.

I don't see a problem with it.

Women still control the men, nude, topless, or bikini wise.

We all know men don't think with their brains once they see skin.

So I think the director is wrong on the reason not to strip.

He's just scared that he'll fall into the trap.

Do I believe in stripping in the movies?

Well, if the AC is on too high it could be a little embarrassing for me but otherwise I guess it's OK.

reply to post by hmdphantom


If every mainstream celebrity had to do an unretouched nude scene we'd all realize just how ugly those hollywood celebs are.

Have you ever touched a fake breast or kissed a puffed up pair of lips...yuck!

Am I reading this right? The reason why the majority of nude scenes in movies is because this is real life (or supposed to be). Where in real life do you see people who have just made love (or had sex for that matter) suddenly cover themselves up with the bed sheet? Or moreover, for men just cover their genitals, for women pull the bedsheet tight up under their neck. Come on, this is life and the movies are supposed to show real life. If your life consists of prudish thoughts then you will be offended but don't tar everyone with the same brush as all people are different. Hence different countries have different laws. Some of them good but the majority are peurile ie other people THINK they know what everybody wants.

reply to post by hmdphantom


First let me say this is a really interesting post and I enjoyed reading it. I watch a lot of movies and I personally think nine times out of ten the nudity and sex scenes aren't necessary. My 16 year old daughter and I both enjoy horror movies and its hard to find many that aren't full of sex-believe me, while I'm no prude I find it disturbing to be watching a movie with my daughter and seeing that. I'm certainly not trying to speak for every American but I for one don't like it.