We’ve all seen on screen nudity. Specifically, female on screen nudity. Women’s bodies have been shown in movies and TV for a long time. On screen nudity has been present on screens since the 60s but only made its way into mainstream media in the 80s and 90s. Nudity has been and is still shown by female actresses disproportionately compared to male actors. There is a history of women being used on screen as sexual objects and fundamental pieces in gaining attention and better ratings. This is due to the sexist nature of society and therefore the fact that “sex sells.”
Female nudity has not only been used to gain attention but has even been used to keep younger children out of theater by attaining a higher rating from the MPA (Motion Picture Association). The control women’s bodies have had in the media is grand. Yet, the actual women in these roles have been labeled with nasty titles with judgmental tones.
The idea of nudity in the media has been on my mind recently when watching the amazing shows Euphoria (HBO Max) and Pam and Tommy (Hulu). Euphoria has gained extreme popularity in today’s pop culture and there is a lot of nudity. Specifically from one actress Sydney Sweeney who has even advocated for less shirtless scenes in which the director Sam Levinson obliged. Upon researching more about Sydney Sweeney and her career, a common find is that her nudity has gained her a lot of popularity and recognition for her role in Euphoria and two other shows in which she is also in. Sweeney has questioned the attention she has been receiving for it only came after several nude scenes. Instead of hating this phenomenon, a new outlook looks differently at her decision to participate. Her amazing acting is not being overlooked like other actresses that have decided the same track. Rather, Sweeney’s acting talent is more appreciated. Her acting recognition might have come from her nudity, but it is not overshadowing her pure talent like it might have thirty years ago.
In the other show I am enjoying at the moment, Pam and Tommy explores the story of Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee losing a private sex tape and having to live with its surfacing. In the 90s Pamela was tormented for this and this show actually gave the audience a bit of how the industry treated female actresses. Women were seen rather than heard on set and were depicted as objects. This is seen in scenes when Pamela Anderson (played by the actress Lily James) tries to advocate for her monologue to be filmed that was taken out of the script on the set of Baywatch. On set, the audience sees that the camera is hyper focused on Pamela Anderson’s bathing suit wedgie and dripping body as she emerges out of the water, hypersexualizing and objectifying her. Pamela was playing her role on Baywatch much as Sydney Sweeney is right now in Euphoria yet the outcome is much different when the two spoke up. This is because the media industry has changed.
The industry has changed since the 90s for women, yet there is more progress to lead. More women directors have helped allow a female perspective to emerge and have helped in showing that production art can be more than oversexualizing actresses. This trend of female directors must continue. The abuse women face on set has also been helped by the #MeToo movement. The culture on sets has made strides towards improvement and needs to carry on with women artists speaking up and being advocates for themselves and others.
To answer the question if “nudity has helped?” referring to women’s careers in the industry. I personally think that because society has changed and less judgment and harm comes from the decision to be nude in mainstream media, women can do more and be negatively impacted less. This is a productive stride for women in media.
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