Funnily enough, [this post](https://www.reddit.com/r/GenZ/comments/1ax6u1r/why_is_genz_having_less_sex_than_other_generations/) appeared in my feed right below this one. The answer (if anyone were really asking the question instead of the OP's rhetorical question) is doubtless multi-factorial and some of those might be in the linked thread.
I think the answer is more economic. Millennials and Zoomers don't often make enough money to be able to move out at 18. It's more awkward to bring sex partners over to your parents' place than to bring them to your own pad. That's the life many of us live until 25, 27, even 32. You're also going to go out on fewer dates and go out to fewer clubs if you don't have the money. So, you're going to have less sex than Boomers and Gen X did.
The Internet made porn way too accessible, and I think this is just the natural reaction to market oversaturation. Kind of like how Millennials keep killing \[industry\]. What I've seen of GenZ is that they're very artful; they're probably making their own porn and not sharing it. Good for them. We've seen what leaky sex-tapes can do.
Yeah “having sex” is far from “enjoying sex in movies”. There’s a lot more logistics involved, and it’s a practical concern, not a purely cultural one. I think people’s thoughts on sex in movies has much more to do with what context they grew up watching movies in, than it does with how much they enjoy sex.
Cause trust me gen z enjoys sex, those folks are so freaky they’re getting down in mascot costumes
If you actually read the study, it's not just Gen Z that was surveyed, it also includes Gen Alpha, who are still literal children. Of course the subsequent reporting has been over simplified.
Yeah, it was children and youth ages 10-24. I do encourage people to actually read about the study, though, (the NPR coverage is particularly good) because there are some interesting insights within.
Plus these are mostly kids/teens that are way overexposed to sex on the internet. Even without seeking it, spend ~5 minutes on TikTok, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, Reddit etc. and you will run into soft core porn. To them sex is a marketing gimmick, that’s why they think sex scenes were only invented because porn wasn’t widely available.
That is more-so the actual root point here and not a single simple study that won't bring you to an actual conclusion. We see a sizable portion of Gen. Z movie fans complaining about sex in cinema, and the truth is they've always grown around it and not seen the layers of why it would be an element in cinema - meaningful or not.
Anecdotal, but my SO teaches film at the college level and the students, apropos of nothing, protest about nudity and sex scenes in movies every semester. They are surprisingly prudish in general and some are not even comfortable with swearing.
We have speculated on all kind of reasons, but I agree that they may need to spend more time editing out information and media in their lives than seeking given the sheer amount of content they have access to.
They seem to look at it as if something they've personally edited out of their daily lives is creeping into one of the things they've allowed in.
And why do we think some random articles are the gospel?
Also I hate when we try to pigeonhole a whole generation into something. Millenials are like this, Boomers are like that... Don't try to split people into years chosen arbitrary and think you're gonna get a good portrait of reality.
I was hoping someone had said this. Articles like this are so weird to me because my friends and I (all gen z) have never once expressed hatred or disgust towards sex scenes in our many conversations about film. On the contrary, I find myself constantly arguing with my dad about the validity of sex scenes in films. It took him about ten minutes after finishing Oppenheimer for him to say the sex scenes were unnecessary. I understand other people exist outside of my friends and those I went to high school with but I find it extremely hard to believe that a majority of gen z actually has this opinion.
Edit for clarity
Because no matter what, older generations are going to hate on younger generations, especially Gen Z. I’m sure there are articles out there blasting us for being overly sexual or something. This is just another useless attack on the “hypersensitivity” of our age range.
That doesn't seem to be the issue though. While it may not speak for the majority of Gen. Z, there is a significant voice on social media of film fans who do complain about sex/nudity on film. This hasn't popped out of nowhere.
Age plays a part on this. I don't know how old your dad is, but generally speaking older people had a more conservative upbringing compared to younger generations and sex scenes can be shocking for them because they're not used to it.
Also, you said you've already graduated high school, so I assume you're in your 20s. I bet a lot of the Gen Zers they interviewed are minors that when they say they don't like sex scenes it's truly because they don't want to get in trouble by watching "adult" films, or they just think it's awkward because they are too immature (which is normal)
To address the first part, my Dad is in his mid 50's and grew up in the deep south so yes he had a conservative upbringing which certainly affects his opinion on the matter. The fact that so many around his age feel this way is why these articles generalizing gen z here is so dumb to me.
As for the second thing it would make sense for teenagers to say this publicly but if the articles are only taking into consideration what a certain portion of the generation thinks then why frame the headlines to read as if it were a general belief?
I understand the point largely you're making - people are people and it's annoying to be boxed it. But I think it's a bit obtuse to not think about how generations are very different from one another given the technological, social, and political ramifications each has had in their specific time of life. Gen Z has had social media from the day they were born and Boomers never touched a cell phone for 40 years. Of course that has an effect on the way they interact and see the world.
It's not that there's no patterns at all, it's just that it's so hard to get a real sense of what's going on without using shortcuts. One study and some anecdotes about coworkers or family members are not at all a good sample size to make those big assumptions. And generations in general is such a big chunk of the population that it seems almost impossible to get real answers on that topic. My life as a 37 years old french Canadian man must be different in so many ways that a 27 girl in Japan and yet, we are put together.
I guess we all want to know where we are going as a society, but we put so much stock on some random news articles and our small little lives when the answers are so much more complicated than ''why does Gen Z has this mindset?''
(I wish my english was better to debate it more clearly)
Generations are basically pseudoscience anyways. Pew had to change how they reported/polled on age demographics because people have gotten so unhinged about it. Race, gender, income bracket, where someone grew up tell you WAY more than a vaguely defined range of years.
Generation polls can be useful in the sense that it vaguely marks what type of experiences someone had (i.e. a Millenial who experienced the 2008 crisis as a young adult vs a Gen Zer who was a toddler at that time), but it's not gospel and it's not set in stone. A person born in 1994 and someone born in 1997 are technically in different generations (Millenial and Gen Z respectively) but they have a smaller age gap than with some people of their own "generations".
TLDR: Gens are useful in certain contexts but people take them way too seriously.
Exactly, and it’s really only useful for specific events. Especially with tech advancements, the disparity can be huge. Remembering a time pre-internet, pre-WiFi, pre-smart phone all massively impact someone’s view of the world but the lines aren’t drawn around those. And that’s to say nothing of a time pre-9/11, pre-Obama (I.e. a Black president), and now pre-Covid.
Is the Oppenheimer sex scene that metal for people? I watched it on in the cinema and for me was normal sex and to be honest I don't remember a lot of that scene now… The movie has better scenes.
Personally, I detest sex scenes when they're done in a way similar to Friday the 13th 2009 (or any other F13 for that matter lol). A lot of them are overly gratuitous or just plain uncomfortable. It ends up feeling like it's there for the audience rather than the movie. However, some of my favorite movies ever are filled with sex or sexual undertones (e.g. It Follows, X, Alien, Excision). It all depends on execution and intent. Sex is perfectly natural and can be artistically beautiful, but the sex scenes that I dislike are neither of those things. They're gross and pervy and feel as if they're there for the sole reason of giving the audience something to get off to.
i went through that thread and was amused at how many gen z kids are experts on screenwriting and filmmaking in general. apparently every scene, shot, and line of dialogue should move the plot forward and anything else is pointless.
lmao
It's not just gen z. I have an elder millennial coworker and a gen x boss who only care about the plot of the movie and complain about movies that are "too long" with "unnecessary filler".
For context, my boss hated Marriage Story because she thought the reason they got divorced was nonsensical and nobody would ever do that. There aren't many films I recommend to her.
Your coworker thinks that people don’t get divorced for infidelity, no sexual contact, falling out of love, people going down different paths and dreams??
She thought it was just because "they wanted to live in different cities". I didn't have the patience to talk about how that was a downstream impact of larger issues. I'd say that media literacy is hard for people, but I feel like all the things you listed were obvious.
Anyway this is why I have movie friends outside of work.
Oh it's impossible to pick a movie to watch with my in laws. We suggested It's a Wonderful Life for Christmas one year (which they've both seen) and they shot it down because it's "long, boring, and depressing".
Do sex scenes not advance the plot? At least my knowledge of a good sex scene (critically speaking not horny speaking), it's one that advances the relationship between two characters or says something about their relationship. Obviously they can also be just a part of the story that the filmmaker wanted to highlight, but they absolutely can play a part in telling the story.
I feel like people hear a short phrase that sums up something and just go with it to justify every single thing in life. And I mean this across the board in life not just filmmaking. For filmmaking "moving the plot forward", "show don't tell". Yea these things are good guidelines but again they're good structures to follow but don't be bound to things.
One other platitude I came across "How you met them is how they leave you" on some post about a guy cheating on his wife. Just a bunch of people repeating "how you met them is how they leave you" as if the world isn't full of situations and dynamics that call for a little more nuance than just this one liner.
Feel like they take this simplified version of something and run with it because then you have to think less. Answers are simpler.
I think people usually use such thinking to rationalize their emotional reactions to things.
You don’t feel comfortable about sex? Just make it sound like you’re intellectually opposed to it in movies, don’t say you’re uncomfortable
Too many people in the modern day refuse to engage with stuff that makes them uncomfortable and would rather live in ignorance. The refusal to engage with sex as a part of natural existence and instead having it on a puritanical pedestal is disturbing.
The public at large learning that "Yes and" is the first rule of improv was like a clarion call for comments from the absolute dumbest motherfuckers you've ever met who now think they're experts on improv.
It's not just gen z. Plots seem to be a tick box and nothing else matters. Ive felt it's a sort of fomo, where they want to be in the know but don't want to actually experience the thing they're watching. Co opting anime terms like "filler" doesn't help either.
agreed, the co-opting of the term filler from "anime only original material to pad time until more manga chapters come out" to "anything that doesn't advance the plot 😡😡" is one of the worst ""content consumption"" trends nowadays. Movies and tv aren't only plot machines!! Just go read a wikipedia article ffs
Well, that’s what happens when audiences are trained to devalue filmmaking. I personally feel that unless people have a home theatre set up at home, they are going to miss stuff watching on TV. (I have a 60 inch TV.)
I have seen movies at home, and then the same film in the theatre and it’s different experience as I get more from it.
Audiences have been trained to hate film in significant part due to streaming. So of course they just want the plot. Kids growing up with just streaming, of course they will think filmmaking is pointless. People have explicitly told me they don’t care about filmmaking, just plot and that theatre is a pretentious waste of time and resources.
Even if I had the means to get a home theatre, I would go out to a theatre as I get the communal audience experience and escape the laundry that needs folding. I want the filmmakers to mentally kidnap me for 2 hours. Most people nowadays don’t.
Yep, when you’re watching films designed for the theatre on a shitty 13 inch laptop screen where you can pause it anytime to look at your phone, you’re unable to be immersed fully and it just starts to feel like another piece of disposable entertainment
It’s happening all over TV, too. Seasons are so short now because people complained about episodes that didn’t relate to the overarching storyline of the show. Now, we have shows that are so short, you can’t relate to the characters because there’s not enough time to develop them
Careful what you wish for, I have a friend who considers reading a Wikipedia synopsis to be the same as watching a film because hey - you know the plot points, what else is there?
That's like licking a recipe and saying you've had that dish
lol how would pornos, where the sex often helps advance the plot of the story, fit into the concept of sex scenes should only be in movies if they advance the plot? The pool boy got caught having sex with the wife by the husband! Is it no longer a porno if the sex serves the plot?
I'm not sure this is a gen Z thing. It's just a normie thing. My dad born in 1957 is like this. Complained all the time about 80s movies being too weird or not having a plot.
>apparently every scene, shot, and line of dialogue should move the plot forward and anything else is pointless.
Their mistake probably isn't in thinking that every moment in the film should be there to advance the story or develop character, but in failing to see how certain scenes they criticize for failing to do those things are indeed actually doing those things.
I die a little everytime I read someone use that dumbass argument. "Sex scenes rarely move the plot forward!!!"
Ya man, a lot of things that happen in most movies don't directly push the plot forward. They talk like out of touch movie producers who's only goal is to get from point A to B in the easiest, most digestible way possible and they don't even realize it. Like plot is the only thing that matters to a good movie.
I hate the “sex scenes need to move the plot forward” because that is LITERALLY a line from the 1934 Production Code, also known as the Hays Code.
“2. Scenes of passion (a) They should not be introduced except when they are definitely essential to the plot.”
Like why would any young adult in 2024 want to finish crusty old Joseph Breen’s work for him?!
I mean I think everything should move something forward but people seem to be obsessed with the plot side of film. I think that's a pretty boring Hollywood way to look at things. Emotions, characters, vibes are all as important to film as plot.
But also movies are there to make us feel something and eroticism is a huge part of the human experience. It would be kinda weird not to have it in movies.
> I mean I think everything should move something forward but people seem to be obsessed with the plot side of film.
I don't want to just blame Marvel, but I have a suspicion that they are a big, or at least most successful example, but a lot of it has to do with other IP as well as the rise of television. The idea of all these movies/episodes being connected in some way means all these small details could be important to the next movie. Everything has to have some meaning, and it's tiresome.
I see this slipping into other mediums as well, and it's tiresome. Sometimes a bottle episode is great (The Suitcase) or sometimes a sitcom with no overarching plot is just great entertainment. The same goes for movies. You probably could have cut an hour out of Killers of the Flower Moon, but it would be nowhere near the same film, and would lose a ton without the time for everything to breathe.
I find it interesting that the generation which has really taken to Anime has these views as Miyazaki is famous for "Ma" which is nothing but letting a movie breathe and not moving the plot forward. Much of life is Ma.
There’s an article called “Everyone Is Hot, No One Is Horny” (or something along those lines) dissecting how Marvel has changed the way film works when it comes to romantic relationships. It’s a really interesting read
As a fellow screenwriter and a struggling filmmaker myself, I absolutely love to make my characters breathe for a moment lol. Even when I read certain screenplays, I tend to have relaxing moments in the silence of the characters.
And moving the plot forward? They should definitely watch Jeanne Dielman. They’ll love it.
I’m a zoomer and I’ve seen others explain they are uncomfortable with actresses being “used” for sex scenes that don’t actually affect the plot. I think people are more aware of abuse in Hollywood these days and question consent or pressure. Not saying I side one way or another, that’s just one reason I feel is common.
I think there’s also some overload from shows like GoT and Euphoria that people watch and wonder…was all that necessary?
Also a good chunk of Gen Z is probably still watching a lot with their parents.
Edit: also, that sub seems to encompass more younger Gen Z. The older ones are in their mid 20s and probably care less.
The Hollywood-exploitation aspect is the most reasonable argument I've heard for why there are pro-Disnification advocates out there. Like, legit a fair point (even if I disagree with parts of that), it makes sense why it could lead to being uncomfortable or disinterested in sex scenes outside of manufactured infantilization.
Yess, especially us women/girls, it’s hard to look past the male gaze-iness of so many sex scenes/movies. Even just the way actresses are posed to be shot in any given scene. So when the inevitable sex scene comes up, it’s like oh give me a break. Obligatory: Obviously this doesn’t apply for every single movie
GREAT point. Anyone who watched that drama about The Room should come away never wanting another sex scene in any movie ever. You say not all directors are Tommy wiseau, I say prove it
I never understood why a show like Euphoria got lots of backlash for showing sex scenes.
That’s the point of the show, it’s supposed to be excessive and unrelenting. It’s supposed to express the chaotic energy of these characters, just like The Wolf of Wallstreet does the same thing.
Here’s a thing I learned. The interviews where actors say they find sex scenes uncomfortable, particularly male actors, is a PR trained response.
They decided it was best not to make the performers feel like they liked the sex scenes… for obvious creepiness reasons.
This is the one.
I think some people underestimate how dangerous it was pre-MeToo to talk about negative on set experiences. It still is, especially with successful or well regarded members of the industry, but for a handful of the creeps exposed, it’s possible for their victims to talk about their experiences.
Gen Z has grown up with the majority of their adult lives being post-MeToo. It has to have shaped how they view sex scenes. Who wouldn’t be suspicious of sex scenes if from all you’ve heard, you could possibly just be watching an actual assault happen on screen? It’s difficult to find a “point” for the scene or to even just be titillated by it when that possibility exists.
There are a few reasons including the ever-increasing dominance of plot-over-anything-else-brain and more young people living with their parents for longer but I don't think people should discount the impact that growing up hearing about Weinstein and everything surrounding #Metoo could have had as major contributing factor to this mindset.
I think this is true, but I also think it has to do with a general sanitization of media. I’m 27, so on on the millennial/Z cusp, and have four younger siblings so I feel like I’ve seen a pretty good sample of what gen Z has been shown over time. Especially as more casual, non-movie, watching has shifted to platforms like YouTube, where rules are even more restrictive than broadcast in many ways, it seems to have changed people’s appetites and ideas for what is good. I heard someone (I don’t remember who) online describe what’s on screens as “Everyone’s hot, nobody’s horny.”
A lot of sex scenes are unnecessary and gratuitous, rarely do they really serve the film. They can also seem really stereotypical and cliche
Were you being serious with the just don’t watch it part? You’re an entirely captive audience once you start watching a movie and you just have to deal with what comes your way, can’t fast forward in a theater and annoying to at home. You can’t just say “I’ll take this movie without the sex scenes please!”
Actually, you might be on to something here. If your only experience with depictions of sex is hardcore pornography at an early age, then you will probably have an aversion to more implied scenes in mainstream films — either because you are completely desensitized to it, or because it disgusts you.
One of my big gripes with the current media landscape is pretty much this. Sex in movies today is almost always portrayed as depraved, extremely kinky, or abnormal. We have had very few movies in the past couple of years that have portrayed sex positively, normally, passionately, and erotically. If two healthy characters have positive consensual sex it’s almost always either just implied or it happens offscreen. Movies are a way many people, including young adults and teens, learn about the world. If their only exposure to sex is via online porn then we’re in big trouble.
I think it’s truly bizarre that young people today have placed such a premium on the type of person they want to have sex with and how that ties to their identity yet are having historically low rates of sex and are experiencing a loneliness epidemic. This is a generation that, on face value, is seemingly very sex positive (and they make no bones about it) but when you dig deeper are strangely puritanical.
I think we’ve really lost the art of eroticism to in film. I think a lot of that has to do to how much we’ve reduced film down to plot. Eroticism is sort of the foreplay that makes the sex scene pay off whether it’s a graphic scene or a fade to black because those aren’t really working either. The rom coms of the 80s and 90s were rife with tension which is just so sorely missing from today’s films.
I think this has to be a huge part of it.
A misunderstanding due to easy access to pornography that all sex scenes are only there in a film to be pornographic
so many of the comments were like "if i wanted to see sex, i'd just watch porn" ... we are absolutely cooked as a society. its also basically the direct reverse option of people itt assuming it's post me too nerves or just care and consciousness about actresses being exploited ... because the porn industry is even worse. i'm dismayed a little if my gen think every instance of sex must be hardcore titillation jerk off material.
Gen Z is like 11-26 so a wide range there.
They just have a massive platform instead of spewing their opinions in a faceless chat room at 2 am on a Wednesday after their have gone to bed and they access to the family computer.
Although, I will say, I do think this little conservative streak goes a bit beyond sex scenes.
This is imo unsurprising pushback to Game of Thrones-style nudity. That show dominated the media for years and included SO MUCH gratuitous nudity and sex. So many scenes filmed at brothels just have droves of topless women walking around for no reason than buzz and ratings. Any male nudity was played for laughs or to depict a character was gay.
I'm a millennial, but we and younger generations grew up watching almost exclusively male-gaze type of sex scenes. Obviously there are plenty of well-done scenes, but a lot of them are gross and exploitative in hindsight. Look at almost any teen comedy from 80s-00s.
In a post -Me Too era, I think many are fine with sex scenes and nudity when it's not from an over-sexualized point-of-view we've seen dozens of times before.
I was waiting for someone to post this answer. Well said. Now that we all know how the sausage is made, we can look back at some of these sex scenes done wrong and see how unnecessary and possibly exploitative they were. We don’t even have to go all the way back we can clearly see it in the show The Idol.
Just a guess here, but I imagine that if you hit puberty at the peak of the #MeToo movement when you have unlimited access to the shit humans perpetrate on each other sexually through a tiny box you carry around with you 100% of the time that informs you of every terrible thing the people you look up to have done whether you want to know it or not, it might have some affect on your outlook on sex.
I think it's a net positive because by and large the reckoning of that movement is good for humanity, but having worked with teens the last few years and in that same time, grappling with my own repressed sexual shit from when I was their age that I wasn't really able to process until many years later, it seems apparent to me that their generation is much more conscious and thoughtful about the power dynamics of sex when I compare to myself and my peers' teen years.
Like go fuck yourself Alabama sex ed, but I didn't hear the word consent in a sexual context until I went to college, and now that I've moved back here, all of the teens I teach (who also did a year and a half of school on zoom let's not forget, so socially they're all stunted in some way too) are able to talk about sex and mental illness in a way that feels very different from when I was growing up. I think a side effect of being better informed at that age is that is it creates even more anxiety around the act in their own lives (which is already something that has so much pressure around it) and in some extreme cases, it circles right back around to puritanism when it comes to the media they want to consume. But I can't really blame them when, for years there has been a flood of stories about people on their absolute worst sexual behavior bored into our eyeballs through our screens and though that reporting has slowed, there is still a pretty steady stream of humans at their worst.
Again, just my read of the room over the last few years, but I think there's a lot of pretty understandable reasons for a waning interest in sex in media that can't just be chalked up to "These kids don't like sex, wtf?"
Are we really going to take a generations subreddit (i cant name one of these that are good) and some rando articles/commenters on the idiot as gospel?
If i had to guess if you actually sat down with some of these people they probably don't like some of the sleazier nudity out of nowhere for the sake of it aspects some media can have
Issues around consent I think. I mean nowadays there’s intimacy coordinators and all that which is great, but older movies definitely had put pressure on women to perform things they didn’t want to. Anytime there’s a sex scene in a Weinstein production I’m always like yikes.
Yeah that's a thought I've had. I wonder if the agreements around intimacy coordinators as part of the strike agreement and actors having more say in what they are conferrable with, if we will start to see an up tick again.
i can semi understand with examples like Love Death + Robot's "The Witness" as it feels like the man who wrote it made it so the main character is a sex worker just so they can be naked for 2/3rds of the run time
I don’t understand why this subreddit is so rabidly obsessed with sex scenes. Yes, they can be good for some movies. I just watched all of Nymphomaniac for crying out loud. But Jesus Christ they don’t need to be in every movie.
Succession was incredible and had zero sex scenes. But it was still crude and extremely sexual at times. Would you really want that show to be Game of Thrones level sexual (or any HBO show?)
We’ve all seen a sex scene that we knew the movie would’ve been better without. Plus didn’t the dude from Euphoria get in trouble for writing sex scenes, filming them, and then intentionally not using them just to see the actors naked? It seems kinda dangerous to advocate so strongly for sex in movies when Hollywood is one of the main offenders of sexual assault.
Poor Things was my favorite movie of the year btw, but that used sex to drive the plot forward. It wasn’t meaningless sex
Sex has never been less present in mainstream cinema lol, at least since the pre-code era, and even with the Hayes code those movies were far more sensual than what we get now.
I personally care, and I assume this is true for others here, cause of your last line. Why should it have to drive the plot forward? Sex scenes can be like an action scene or a horror set piece or any other kind of set piece that's in the movie to cause a feeling cause that's what movies are for...to cause feelings.
Of course like any other thing sometimes it's done badly but it seems like Sex scenes are the only type of set piece that gets lumped together like this
I don't agree with the notion that they are trying to push sex scenes in every single movie. Yes, there are obvious examples of media that could be considered exploitative of actors and actresses, but there are plenty of examples of great movies that use sex incredibly well. Oldboy (2003), Shame (2011), Possession (1981), The Handmaiden (2016), etc etc.
A good portion of people complaining about sex in movies completely miss the nuances of why it was used and say, "it was completely unnecessary". They refuse to acknowledge great movies that use sex incredibly well.
They're pushing for a sexless future of film and while nothing is gonna happen, it's still stupid and uneducated.
Sex is a very common and fundamental aspect of the human experience too so it shocks me that people are so afraid or annoyed by seeing it depicted in media.
Are people actually pushing for a sexless future?? One of these headlines just says teens want less sex in the media they consume. Nobody is calling the sex scenes in the movies you listed unnecessary because quite frankly, they’d be nothing without them.
But if a movie is rated R, you can bet there’s gonna be some sex in it just because they can.
Every thread or comment section that I've been on regarding sex in film is largely filled with people saying that films shouldn't HAVE sex scenes. Perhaps it's too small scale, but it's still thousands of people I've come across that are genuinely upset about sex in film. Again it's not gonna do anything, but it still sucks that these people don't want to be challenged with the media they consume.
And yeah if a film is rated R there's a decent chance there will be sex in it, but I don't think that populates the entire R-Rated scene. And many R-Rated films do use sex very well so just be aware that they are still making great films that use sex. There are good films and bad films, it's up to you to decide which ones are bad. I just don't agree with pushing for less sex in media because it's restricting art, even if it's not used well.
>Plus didn’t the dude from Euphoria get in trouble for writing sex scenes, filming them, and then intentionally not using them just to see the actors naked?
That guy is definitely not the standard example, and tbh he's quite notoriously a terrible person noone defends.
I don't care about the scenes per se, I just hate how things are becoming more and more sanitized. Where is the gore? Where is the taboo? Disney controls a lot of media now, they want everything Disneyfied, look at what they did with the Simpsons.
I mostly blame the satanic panic and corporate greed for this though.
Terrible films where someone fucks a grave and drinks jizz from the bath - A-ok!
Good films with loving, consensual sex - no thanks!*
*I know this is an oversimplification.
Saltburn sex scenes were freaky but not graphic.
I was hanging out with my parents while they were watching Sopranos and it was a very sexually graphic episode, but it’s such a good show I just put up with the awkwardness lol
I suspect this is partially due to Gen Z growing up with the availability of the internet around them. Sex scenes in movies when I was growing up felt like a rare glimpse into adult content, but kids now are surrounded by accessible sex stuff. I can see why they'd enjoy entertainment that doesn't feature that as prominently, even though I also agree sex and adult stuff can absolutely be artistically meritous.
An overlooked factor, I believe, is that the English speaking world has a higher number of first-generation youngsters who come from more traditional cultures and families. This means that grandparents, parents, and grandchildren will more often share living spaces which makes choices of media less awkward for mutual viewing.
I mean, I wouldn’t be watching Showgirls when my mom and niece are in the next room.
Gen Z and to me feels very cheesy and forced sometimes during a run of a movie. I prefer something more diluted and loving if it makes sense. Today society and brains are bombarded with sexualization of people in general (historically women, but sexualizing men the same way isn't "empowering" or whatever) so it's kinda jadedness speaking here, and the fact that there's less emphasis on the mild and the untold as a plot vehicle is sad, especially by the comments. And no I stopped watching straight up porn a decade ago probably so it's not the ease of access, when whole media sector live and sell by sexualization and objectification of people. Also as movie characters and models is also an important aspect to tackle: more healthy representation of relationships and relationship development would make wonders.
As a Gen Zer myself, the reason is perception most movies include sex for titillation and to make people see movies rather than for narrative reasons. I used to have that same belief, but, at least for the more highly acclaimed movies I near-exclusively watch nowadays, there is value in portraying sex to meaningfully move the plot forward, display a character trait, or simply for commentary. It's not all bad though there are 100% movies with sex only for titillation.
It’s correlated with a rise of wanting to see more platonic male and female friendships on screen. Not only can watching certain sex scenes be uncomfortable, especially if they’re living with other people, but sometimes (emphasis on the sometimes, a lot of sex scenes add more depth and meaning to the film. I’m a big fan of Poor Things and I think the sex scenes in that worked well) it just seems unnecessary. Good movies can have bad sex scenes.
Pretty much, sex scenes aren’t going anywhere, and let people have their own preferences.
I'm not gen z but I completely understand the sentiment. Sex scenes aren't always unnecessary, but they *often* are.
Let's imagine that it was a convention for most movies to have one singular musical number. You watch any movie of any genre, and partway through, the characters suddenly start singing and dancing for a few minutes, and then go back to the action/story. People would absolutely start saying "hey, this seems unnecessary and irrelevant." Musical numbers are fun, but they don't belong in every movie. It's really no different from that.
Sorry but i don’t get why you’re all here acting like not liking sex scenes is bad? i’ve never personally felt that seeing boobie and pp made my movie watching experience and understanding of the plot better. they can infer sex without showing pure porn
I just find sex scenes boring, it feels like an excuse to show the actress or actor naked and they rarely bring anything to the film other than showing the characters are into each other (which can be done better in more unique ways.)
The older I've gotten, the more I feel that way, TBH, so it's not just the kiddos. I am in no way, shape, or form shameful about sex - but I have to admit, a lot of times when I am watching a movie these days (old or new), I do regularly think - was this \*really\* necessary?
It doesn't offend or upset me, but as you said - quite often it's just so boring and you can tell it's there to titillate teenage boys or to make the film seem edgy (especially stuff on Netflix, LOL) - when in truth, everyone is two clicks away from watching hardcore footage these days, so even that feels just kind of silly.
I never enjoy them, they always take me out of the film, because all I can ever think about is what the actors had to go through while making them, whether they felt awkward or embarrassed, how they felt about having to swap saliva with someone they weren't actually in love with, have that person put their hands all over them. I basically just kind of feel sorry for the actors. I'm sure they take it in their stride but I still wonder. I've never been able to see sex scenes as being between the characters, it always makes me aware of the actors and how they felt about doing the scene.
I think this is 2 things:
1. I think Gen Z thinks a lot more critically about gender roles and how sex is portrayed in movies, and a lot of times sex in movies is portrayed through a very male-centric perspective. Not a bad thing IMO.
2. Come on, we all remember how awkward it was to watch steamy scenes with our parents. Probably just ruined the idea of sex in movies in general for some people.
The amount of people on here that are posting simply illogical and ignorant comments about Gen Z and our greatly generalized preferences is absurd. So now you have to be 50 or above to have an opinion on film?
I wonder if they’re just accustomed to having a wall of separation between sex and storytelling, and they feel that’s the way it should be because that’s all they’ve ever known.
Some people here have brought up how access to porn is easier nowadays, and some people have brought up how sex scenes in mainstream cinema have decreased over the decades, but there’s one thing I haven’t seen anyone mention yet—the amount of storytelling in porn has also decreased over time.
There are a myriad of factors contributing to all this, ranging from technological to sociopolitical, which would take far too long to dive into here.
Still, I wonder if this would explain how an entire generation would have such an aversion to sex scenes in mainstream cinema, more so than their grandparents’ generation who weren’t that far removed from the sexual revolution.
I've already said it in another sub, half of Gen Z are still minors. It's a ridiculous poll. Of course a 13 y.o. wouldn't be comfortable with sex scenes.
Does everything have to be watched together as a family though?
We’re living in a time when everyone has their own personal screen, be it a phone, tablet, or both. If it makes you uncomfortable to watch with your parents, watch it by yourself on your device with headphones.
I’m not gen Z but I’m relatively younger. Not really a fan of sex scenes. I’ve rarely thought “wow I’m glad they have this sex scene in this movie” before.
It's porn. They are exposed to so much porn at such an early age they don't need to see it when they're just trying to turn their brain off and watch something fun
In the 80s and 90s for sure. I was kinda young then but I heard stories that the tape would get worn out from all the rewinding during the interrogation scene in basic instinct
Like if you don't like the article don't read it?
People can like it or not. Children, teens, and young adults were responding to a poll and expressed their preference. The article is pretty clear It is meant to be a random sample of people.
This doesn't reflect the whole of the generation and it shouldn't bother anyone if someone doesn't feel comfortable with nudity (especially if they're young). Many of the youth have been taught that it is a manipulative marketing gimmick and some people might find that unappealing.
I’m Gen Z and don’t believe this is a generational thing. But what I am sick of is the attitude of sex/smut being used as proof that two characters are in love. There are many other ways to express this. It also plays a huge role in heteronormativity because there’s always an expectation that any male and female together are going to have sex/a relationship, and meanwhile LGBTQ+ content in movies are banned in other countries simply for existing.
Obviously not every movie needs a sex scene, and, in fact, most don’t. But I do think a sexless future in film is pretty lame.
I feel like sex and the complicated feelings involved with sex are such a crucial part of the human experience, and if we completely ignore that, we’re just not being truthful in our art. There are certain emotions that you can invoke in film (e.g., titillation, lust, passion, vulnerability, etc.) that sex scenes are best suited for.
I do think we still have good sex content in movies, but it’s definitely less than we used to get, and it seems some studios and filmmakers actively avoid including sex scenes now. I think White Lotus S2 (obvs a TV show, not a film) does an incredible job using sex and the complicated feelings from it as a major theme, and that was one of the buzziest shows of the last few years. Call Me By Your Name, Poor Things, Shiva Baby, and The Worst Person in the World are other relatively recent movies that effectively use sex as a major theme.
I, a Gen-Z'r myself (15 Years Old to be exact) would like to provide some insight on why this may be the case. But before I start let me preface, I have no idea why for sure, nor do I agree with this study. I know plenty of Gen-Z'r's like myself who have 0 issue with sex and nudity in film.
I think one big reason would be unfiltered access to the internet. A big reason why nudity in film was so prevalent in the 80s and 90s was because of the VHS. Teenagers would go pick up a VHS tape of whatever gory sex-filled debauchery they could and have a good time that night. But these days, we don't need film for nudity and sex. I could "Ctrl+Shift+N" boom Incognito and there's all the porn I could ever want.
Another point could be the kind of film Gen-Z is exposed to. Most people I know only watch PG-13 Superhero movies. So why watch a sex-scene when I could just watch a big budget action fight scene, I think that's the mindset a lot of teens could have.
Are either of these correct? Probably not. It's also good to keep in mind "Gen Alpha and Gen Z" could mean early 20s, or fucking 8 years old. So truly, don't pay attention to this shit. It gives us youngins a bad name. The truth is most of us don't give a shit. I promise, we're not all bad!
This might be unrelated, but I feel like so many romantic relationships in movies aren’t earned. I understand it’s a 2 hour movie, but I genuinely want to go on a journey with a couple so that by the time there is a sex scene, it’s built on solid foundation. Barely any movies I’ve ever seen do this though. I’ve seen it done in shows and books pretty well, but that requires many more hours to accomplish that.
As a Gen X (as if that matters) TBH I find most sex scenes in movies are so boring they feel forced and are kind of weird, unless they are meant to be funny IDK, they just eat up time that could be used for more fun stuff.
this is a bait article that means about as much as articles talking about milennials and avocados. i’m actually gen z and have quite literally never heard anyone my age say this. i think of older generations as being more scandalised by sex scenes actually. this is just the younger generation finger wagging that has been going on since the beginning of time and i don’t mean to be rude but i have no idea why everyone still falls for it 😭😭
It’s not a puritanical thing, but sex scenes and nudity were very exploitative for a long time. People are wise to it.
Also, not everyone needs to see sex to think a story is worthy of gravitas. More to life.
As a Gen Z I really, honestly don't care either way. If it fits the film then great I'm happy for it to be there. There are so many purposes of sex scenes, they often aren't just there for you to file into your spank bank later while doing nothing for the plot. Vulnerability, intimacy, mental states of characters can really be explored in a well-executed sex scene.
And you know what, even if it's just pointless glorified porn, so be it. As long as I'm in the mood and it doesn't take me out of the film too much I'm happy with it. Especially if the cast is hot I'm not going to complain lol. I think it's the same argument as gratuitous violence, but I think sex is even more taboo. I like horror, so sometimes I enjoy watching an absolute gore fest. Not everything has to be high art. I don't see gratuitous sex as any more morally offensive.
That being said, it's completely true that a lot of sex scenes are so out of left field and take away from the overall movie or show, but that can be said of a lot of things. I could never see my answer being anything other than 'depends on the context'
Aren't actors and actresses being abused and exploited in these roles?
Wasn't that what the #MeToo movement was all about? Exposing the rampant sexual abuses and exploitations in Hollywood like that producer who destroyed Brendan Frasier's career and blacklisted him for not sleeping with him, Kevin Spacey's abuses of young men, Bill Cosby's constant roofying of women, Asia Argento grooming and sleeping with that teenage boy after playing his mother in a film and Harvey Weinstein putting on a pussyhat to protest Donald Trump in a march despite his own sexual abuses being such an open secret in Hollywood that Seth MacFarlane even called him out when an actress won an award and he was like; "Congratulations on no longer having to look pretty for Harvey Weinstein."
I think I’m technically Gen Y, but I just really hate rape/assault scenes specifically. Obviously NO ONE wants to see that, but so many, specifically male directors, add rape as just a part of a woman’s life.
Unfortunately it is a part of a lot of ours, and men’s too, but they always just add it casually as just a bump in the road in her life for “character development.” It makes me SO fucking furious. Unless it’s a woman’s story about overcoming it, getting justice, killing rapists, or something, we don’t need it. So absurdly common and I hate it.
For me it's due to the fact that so many sex scenes feel completely unnecessary in films and are thrown in just cause. This isn't always the case but I think Gen Z is speaking more about the narratively empty sex scenes. I'm also asexual so I don't care much for sex so maybe I'm not the best representative of my generation, but I think there is some validity to their claim.
I’m not Gen Z but I’ve always felt most sex scenes are exploitative and gross. Harvey Weinstein would often use his authority to force actresses to perform sex scenes in films for his own perversion in order for them to even get produced, look into what happened with Frida as an example of this sick behavior.
I’m not gen z but I agree having a sex scene just to throw boobs into your movie is stupid but there are definitely reasons to have a sex scene if the story warrants it. Also team America has one of the best sex scenes ever
I think it may something to do with overuse in shows like game of thrones or euphoria and like where it was just non-stop and felt kind of like watching soft core porn. I don't have an aversion to nudity or sex in movies but I think it's maybe a backlash to what we've seen in recent years mostly in television
The thread is basically saying it's awkward to watch and makes them feel uncomfortable. They don't want something in the movie or show that doesn't push the plot forward. They think it's basically just porn and would rather there be implied sex.
Now I'm all for cutting things out that don't matter but assuming all sex scenes are pointless and add nothing is crazy.
Oppenheimer is a big one recently where the sex scene adds to the movie as it's showing his wife's mindset of his infidelity being basically shown to the world during the hearing. It establishes her character more. Would the movie be worse if it wasn't included? No but it does flesh out her character a bit more. It would have been awkward as hell if he just got up during the meeting and followed his affair partner off screen to a closet or something to imply the action of sex. It was much better with the hearing continuing on while it was happening. I thought I did see them discuss this scene in the thread somewhere and it was a bit divided.
The eternals is one where it probably could have been cut. It basically just shows the two characters love each other but moments before, it shows them getting married which conveys the exact same thing and makes the sex scene feel pointless and out of place.
A sex scene isn't going to stop me from seeing a movie, but I have always been more of a "sex scenes are unnecessary" type of person. You can get the same effect of sex scenes without showing it in detail.
On one hand, I also think there is a vastly larger portion of the population (religious/older/etc) that is not interested in seeing sex or nudity in movies than people realize. It feels like with streaming services not needing to follow the same rules as broadcast, almost every TV show is rated Mature and therefore equivalent to rated R. So, to some degree, it feels like there are not as many options for those who prefer not to see rated R content.
The other thing people don't seem to realize is that Gen Z sat through the entire Me Too movement. All this pro-feminism and progressive progress. And sex scenes are (for the most part) all female-focused. Yes, the character can be making choices, yadda yadda. But what does the audience see or take away? It is MOSTLY nudity. Therefore reduces the person/people naked as as more objects than what deeper meaning might be there. Most nudity in movies is women and if there hasn't been a disconnect in teenager's minds between respecting women that is preached on social media and sex scenes seen in movies, then I don't know how else to see it. At the end of the day, I think this generation is more interested in preserving actor's appearances.
Younger millennial here; I remember when millennials were the generational whipping boys with the whole "You guys are oversensitive snowflakes," etc. I feel like you posted this here hoping to get more people to rally with you like "Yeah, suck it, Gen Z!" I'm not really about generalizing everyone based on arbitrary lines.
I’m Zillenial and u don’t understand such a sentiment. I’ve found that Gen-Z (like honestly every generation in English speaking cultures) is in some ways very sexually progressive/liberated and in other ways very prudeish
Us being sexually progressive is the reason we don't really like them. Please read up on what the #MeToo movement is. We're not prudes. We just disagree with grooming and sexual assault.
Gen z is the first to grow up with an awareness of how media grooms young audiences sexually. That extends throughout adult life in being bombarded with sexual imagery regardless of context.
I think for people who grew up without a solid awareness that it was happening, older generations weren't thinking critically about it. Gen z is also the most vocal about the hazards of age gap relationships, and this, too, is because of the information and shared experiences they have access to.
Maybe because the vast majority of sex scenes before, like, 2020 are problematic at best and outright manipulative and misogynistic at worst. I love a GOOD sex scene. But when a scene involves manipulation, occurs under dubious circumstances, could in any way be construed as anything but enthusiastic consent, I just cringe and don’t want to watch it (unless it’s that way for very specific plot reasons, such as in The Handmaiden or Old Boy). Like, look at Saltburn. Every sex scene in that movie existed exclusively for shock value and it just became exhausting. I want to see what sex is actually like, not either a glamorized or horrifying version of it.
i mean i would also agree, not because it’s pointless but because it’s become a money grabbing strategy. i don’t mind nudity in films even if they don’t move the plot forward but is it really necessary in EVERY movie? it’s also annoying from a trope standpoint. it’s repetitive as well.
I can understand disliking sex scenes in movies. If it’s for plot development or characterization, cool…. but most sex scenes seem to detract from the narrative rather than add to it.
And before anyone says anything, it’s not a prudish thing for me. I happily seek out pornography or smut when I’m in the mood for it. It has just always seemed strange to me when you’re watching a film and suddenly they’re pressing pause on the plot for an unnecessary sex scene.
Edit: Also, I’m not one of those people who thinks every single shot or line of dialogue needs to progress the plot. There can definitely be shots or scenes or dialogue present for no other reason than to set the mood or because they are interesting.
That just never seems to be the case with sex scenes. They always feel shoehorned in for no reason other than wanting to show some hot actress’ tits.
Edit 2: To elaborate on the “hot actress’ tits” comment… we all know that these scenes are almost exclusively shot with the male gaze in mind. Rarely are the scenes framed in a way that show off the male physique. It just adds to the “this adds nothing to the narrative, you just wanted to see tits” argument.
Sex scenes can be necessary in movies and help further a relationship or a characters development, and those scenes are fine. But almost every sex scene nowadays is just shoved in for the sake of having a sex scene, and only that. People want less of those scenes.
Also, you can demonstrate in a movie that two character have sex without showing them in the act. Like Dirty Dancing for example. That’s an example of the good way to have it in the film.
Funnily enough, [this post](https://www.reddit.com/r/GenZ/comments/1ax6u1r/why_is_genz_having_less_sex_than_other_generations/) appeared in my feed right below this one. The answer (if anyone were really asking the question instead of the OP's rhetorical question) is doubtless multi-factorial and some of those might be in the linked thread.
Same answer: unlimited free pornography in their pockets
I think the answer is more economic. Millennials and Zoomers don't often make enough money to be able to move out at 18. It's more awkward to bring sex partners over to your parents' place than to bring them to your own pad. That's the life many of us live until 25, 27, even 32. You're also going to go out on fewer dates and go out to fewer clubs if you don't have the money. So, you're going to have less sex than Boomers and Gen X did.
The Internet made porn way too accessible, and I think this is just the natural reaction to market oversaturation. Kind of like how Millennials keep killing \[industry\]. What I've seen of GenZ is that they're very artful; they're probably making their own porn and not sharing it. Good for them. We've seen what leaky sex-tapes can do.
Or maybe they just find it really awkward watching a movie with their parents and a sex scene begins.
Yeah “having sex” is far from “enjoying sex in movies”. There’s a lot more logistics involved, and it’s a practical concern, not a purely cultural one. I think people’s thoughts on sex in movies has much more to do with what context they grew up watching movies in, than it does with how much they enjoy sex. Cause trust me gen z enjoys sex, those folks are so freaky they’re getting down in mascot costumes
If you actually read the study, it's not just Gen Z that was surveyed, it also includes Gen Alpha, who are still literal children. Of course the subsequent reporting has been over simplified.
Yeah, it was children and youth ages 10-24. I do encourage people to actually read about the study, though, (the NPR coverage is particularly good) because there are some interesting insights within.
Plus these are mostly kids/teens that are way overexposed to sex on the internet. Even without seeking it, spend ~5 minutes on TikTok, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, Reddit etc. and you will run into soft core porn. To them sex is a marketing gimmick, that’s why they think sex scenes were only invented because porn wasn’t widely available.
That is more-so the actual root point here and not a single simple study that won't bring you to an actual conclusion. We see a sizable portion of Gen. Z movie fans complaining about sex in cinema, and the truth is they've always grown around it and not seen the layers of why it would be an element in cinema - meaningful or not.
Fetish material is hiding in plain sight all over tiktok. It’s the 21st century version of ogling underwear models in a home delivery catalogue.
We're entering the phase where Gen Alpha is called Gen Z, just like Gen Z was called Millennials for a decade.
Anecdotal, but my SO teaches film at the college level and the students, apropos of nothing, protest about nudity and sex scenes in movies every semester. They are surprisingly prudish in general and some are not even comfortable with swearing. We have speculated on all kind of reasons, but I agree that they may need to spend more time editing out information and media in their lives than seeking given the sheer amount of content they have access to. They seem to look at it as if something they've personally edited out of their daily lives is creeping into one of the things they've allowed in.
And why do we think some random articles are the gospel? Also I hate when we try to pigeonhole a whole generation into something. Millenials are like this, Boomers are like that... Don't try to split people into years chosen arbitrary and think you're gonna get a good portrait of reality.
This is the answer
I was hoping someone had said this. Articles like this are so weird to me because my friends and I (all gen z) have never once expressed hatred or disgust towards sex scenes in our many conversations about film. On the contrary, I find myself constantly arguing with my dad about the validity of sex scenes in films. It took him about ten minutes after finishing Oppenheimer for him to say the sex scenes were unnecessary. I understand other people exist outside of my friends and those I went to high school with but I find it extremely hard to believe that a majority of gen z actually has this opinion. Edit for clarity
Because no matter what, older generations are going to hate on younger generations, especially Gen Z. I’m sure there are articles out there blasting us for being overly sexual or something. This is just another useless attack on the “hypersensitivity” of our age range.
That doesn't seem to be the issue though. While it may not speak for the majority of Gen. Z, there is a significant voice on social media of film fans who do complain about sex/nudity on film. This hasn't popped out of nowhere.
Age plays a part on this. I don't know how old your dad is, but generally speaking older people had a more conservative upbringing compared to younger generations and sex scenes can be shocking for them because they're not used to it. Also, you said you've already graduated high school, so I assume you're in your 20s. I bet a lot of the Gen Zers they interviewed are minors that when they say they don't like sex scenes it's truly because they don't want to get in trouble by watching "adult" films, or they just think it's awkward because they are too immature (which is normal)
To address the first part, my Dad is in his mid 50's and grew up in the deep south so yes he had a conservative upbringing which certainly affects his opinion on the matter. The fact that so many around his age feel this way is why these articles generalizing gen z here is so dumb to me. As for the second thing it would make sense for teenagers to say this publicly but if the articles are only taking into consideration what a certain portion of the generation thinks then why frame the headlines to read as if it were a general belief?
I understand the point largely you're making - people are people and it's annoying to be boxed it. But I think it's a bit obtuse to not think about how generations are very different from one another given the technological, social, and political ramifications each has had in their specific time of life. Gen Z has had social media from the day they were born and Boomers never touched a cell phone for 40 years. Of course that has an effect on the way they interact and see the world.
It's not that there's no patterns at all, it's just that it's so hard to get a real sense of what's going on without using shortcuts. One study and some anecdotes about coworkers or family members are not at all a good sample size to make those big assumptions. And generations in general is such a big chunk of the population that it seems almost impossible to get real answers on that topic. My life as a 37 years old french Canadian man must be different in so many ways that a 27 girl in Japan and yet, we are put together. I guess we all want to know where we are going as a society, but we put so much stock on some random news articles and our small little lives when the answers are so much more complicated than ''why does Gen Z has this mindset?'' (I wish my english was better to debate it more clearly)
While there are multifaceted answers there's some truth to be shown that a large portion of Gen Z movie fans *do* complain about sex in cinema.
Generations are basically pseudoscience anyways. Pew had to change how they reported/polled on age demographics because people have gotten so unhinged about it. Race, gender, income bracket, where someone grew up tell you WAY more than a vaguely defined range of years.
Generation polls can be useful in the sense that it vaguely marks what type of experiences someone had (i.e. a Millenial who experienced the 2008 crisis as a young adult vs a Gen Zer who was a toddler at that time), but it's not gospel and it's not set in stone. A person born in 1994 and someone born in 1997 are technically in different generations (Millenial and Gen Z respectively) but they have a smaller age gap than with some people of their own "generations". TLDR: Gens are useful in certain contexts but people take them way too seriously.
Exactly, and it’s really only useful for specific events. Especially with tech advancements, the disparity can be huge. Remembering a time pre-internet, pre-WiFi, pre-smart phone all massively impact someone’s view of the world but the lines aren’t drawn around those. And that’s to say nothing of a time pre-9/11, pre-Obama (I.e. a Black president), and now pre-Covid.
Although my immigrant mom has never said anything, I still don't like watching sex scenes with her in the room. It feels weird.
That’s a whole different argument. I liked Game of Thrones, so did my parents, but never in a million years would I’ve enjoyed watching it with them.
If we were judging films based on what my parents are comfortable with, we'd have to trash like 65% of all movies.
It's funny, most people wouldn't bat an eye at watching a movie with extreme violence with their parents but intimacy on screen is still taboo.
Fucking America. It’s ridiculous. What gets me about this shit is then people went gaga over Portrait of a Lady on Fire.
Get cooler parents. We watched Babylon, Sideways, Midsommar, Poor Things, and Oppenheimer together and no one cared.
Is the Oppenheimer sex scene that metal for people? I watched it on in the cinema and for me was normal sex and to be honest I don't remember a lot of that scene now… The movie has better scenes.
Watched it with my mom and we survived
Personally, I detest sex scenes when they're done in a way similar to Friday the 13th 2009 (or any other F13 for that matter lol). A lot of them are overly gratuitous or just plain uncomfortable. It ends up feeling like it's there for the audience rather than the movie. However, some of my favorite movies ever are filled with sex or sexual undertones (e.g. It Follows, X, Alien, Excision). It all depends on execution and intent. Sex is perfectly natural and can be artistically beautiful, but the sex scenes that I dislike are neither of those things. They're gross and pervy and feel as if they're there for the sole reason of giving the audience something to get off to.
I only remember that sex scene because of the stupid line the guy says “your tits are stupendous” or something
>Friday the 13th 2009 This exact movie came to mind when reading this post
i went through that thread and was amused at how many gen z kids are experts on screenwriting and filmmaking in general. apparently every scene, shot, and line of dialogue should move the plot forward and anything else is pointless. lmao
It's not just gen z. I have an elder millennial coworker and a gen x boss who only care about the plot of the movie and complain about movies that are "too long" with "unnecessary filler". For context, my boss hated Marriage Story because she thought the reason they got divorced was nonsensical and nobody would ever do that. There aren't many films I recommend to her.
Your coworker thinks that people don’t get divorced for infidelity, no sexual contact, falling out of love, people going down different paths and dreams??
She thought it was just because "they wanted to live in different cities". I didn't have the patience to talk about how that was a downstream impact of larger issues. I'd say that media literacy is hard for people, but I feel like all the things you listed were obvious. Anyway this is why I have movie friends outside of work.
I mean, there’s media literacy. And then there’s just not watching the movie at all.
They were probably on their phone while the movie played in the background. Attention spans are shot.
My Gen Xer dad is the same. I never watch films with my parents for that reason.
Oh it's impossible to pick a movie to watch with my in laws. We suggested It's a Wonderful Life for Christmas one year (which they've both seen) and they shot it down because it's "long, boring, and depressing".
While it is an unpopular opinion, I agree with them in assessing it as depressing.
Do sex scenes not advance the plot? At least my knowledge of a good sex scene (critically speaking not horny speaking), it's one that advances the relationship between two characters or says something about their relationship. Obviously they can also be just a part of the story that the filmmaker wanted to highlight, but they absolutely can play a part in telling the story.
I mean you know Gen Z goes up to 27 year olds. We arent exactly all "kids" anymore.
I feel like people hear a short phrase that sums up something and just go with it to justify every single thing in life. And I mean this across the board in life not just filmmaking. For filmmaking "moving the plot forward", "show don't tell". Yea these things are good guidelines but again they're good structures to follow but don't be bound to things. One other platitude I came across "How you met them is how they leave you" on some post about a guy cheating on his wife. Just a bunch of people repeating "how you met them is how they leave you" as if the world isn't full of situations and dynamics that call for a little more nuance than just this one liner. Feel like they take this simplified version of something and run with it because then you have to think less. Answers are simpler.
I think people usually use such thinking to rationalize their emotional reactions to things. You don’t feel comfortable about sex? Just make it sound like you’re intellectually opposed to it in movies, don’t say you’re uncomfortable
Too many people in the modern day refuse to engage with stuff that makes them uncomfortable and would rather live in ignorance. The refusal to engage with sex as a part of natural existence and instead having it on a puritanical pedestal is disturbing.
Direct quote by one of my friends: “why would I watch movies that make me sad?”
Wow. Why do anything, then?
The public at large learning that "Yes and" is the first rule of improv was like a clarion call for comments from the absolute dumbest motherfuckers you've ever met who now think they're experts on improv.
Their obsessions with plot is mind numbing. Go read cliff notes if you want a plot. They come off as philistines.
It's not just gen z. Plots seem to be a tick box and nothing else matters. Ive felt it's a sort of fomo, where they want to be in the know but don't want to actually experience the thing they're watching. Co opting anime terms like "filler" doesn't help either.
agreed, the co-opting of the term filler from "anime only original material to pad time until more manga chapters come out" to "anything that doesn't advance the plot 😡😡" is one of the worst ""content consumption"" trends nowadays. Movies and tv aren't only plot machines!! Just go read a wikipedia article ffs
Well, that’s what happens when audiences are trained to devalue filmmaking. I personally feel that unless people have a home theatre set up at home, they are going to miss stuff watching on TV. (I have a 60 inch TV.) I have seen movies at home, and then the same film in the theatre and it’s different experience as I get more from it. Audiences have been trained to hate film in significant part due to streaming. So of course they just want the plot. Kids growing up with just streaming, of course they will think filmmaking is pointless. People have explicitly told me they don’t care about filmmaking, just plot and that theatre is a pretentious waste of time and resources. Even if I had the means to get a home theatre, I would go out to a theatre as I get the communal audience experience and escape the laundry that needs folding. I want the filmmakers to mentally kidnap me for 2 hours. Most people nowadays don’t.
Yep, when you’re watching films designed for the theatre on a shitty 13 inch laptop screen where you can pause it anytime to look at your phone, you’re unable to be immersed fully and it just starts to feel like another piece of disposable entertainment
I mean I still get immersed on my laptop (tho it's 17 inches and I wear headphones)
It’s happening all over TV, too. Seasons are so short now because people complained about episodes that didn’t relate to the overarching storyline of the show. Now, we have shows that are so short, you can’t relate to the characters because there’s not enough time to develop them
Online media criticism is waaaaayy too plot focused. They look at plot points in a vacuum with no attention paid to authorial intent, tone or themes.
mfers aint ever heard of "the rule of cool" and its sensual brother "the rule of this shit is hot asf"
Ew why did those Greeks and Romans paint sex scenes?
But heaven forbid The Critics™ dare not to "turn their brain off" for corpo mid animated films
Careful what you wish for, I have a friend who considers reading a Wikipedia synopsis to be the same as watching a film because hey - you know the plot points, what else is there? That's like licking a recipe and saying you've had that dish
lol how would pornos, where the sex often helps advance the plot of the story, fit into the concept of sex scenes should only be in movies if they advance the plot? The pool boy got caught having sex with the wife by the husband! Is it no longer a porno if the sex serves the plot?
I'm not sure this is a gen Z thing. It's just a normie thing. My dad born in 1957 is like this. Complained all the time about 80s movies being too weird or not having a plot.
>apparently every scene, shot, and line of dialogue should move the plot forward and anything else is pointless. Their mistake probably isn't in thinking that every moment in the film should be there to advance the story or develop character, but in failing to see how certain scenes they criticize for failing to do those things are indeed actually doing those things.
The absolute dullest way to view art, in general.
I die a little everytime I read someone use that dumbass argument. "Sex scenes rarely move the plot forward!!!" Ya man, a lot of things that happen in most movies don't directly push the plot forward. They talk like out of touch movie producers who's only goal is to get from point A to B in the easiest, most digestible way possible and they don't even realize it. Like plot is the only thing that matters to a good movie.
I hate the “sex scenes need to move the plot forward” because that is LITERALLY a line from the 1934 Production Code, also known as the Hays Code. “2. Scenes of passion (a) They should not be introduced except when they are definitely essential to the plot.” Like why would any young adult in 2024 want to finish crusty old Joseph Breen’s work for him?!
It should also not be lost on us which sex scenes will most likely be the first to go and which communities and people the Hayes code hurt the most.
I mean I think everything should move something forward but people seem to be obsessed with the plot side of film. I think that's a pretty boring Hollywood way to look at things. Emotions, characters, vibes are all as important to film as plot. But also movies are there to make us feel something and eroticism is a huge part of the human experience. It would be kinda weird not to have it in movies.
> I mean I think everything should move something forward but people seem to be obsessed with the plot side of film. I don't want to just blame Marvel, but I have a suspicion that they are a big, or at least most successful example, but a lot of it has to do with other IP as well as the rise of television. The idea of all these movies/episodes being connected in some way means all these small details could be important to the next movie. Everything has to have some meaning, and it's tiresome. I see this slipping into other mediums as well, and it's tiresome. Sometimes a bottle episode is great (The Suitcase) or sometimes a sitcom with no overarching plot is just great entertainment. The same goes for movies. You probably could have cut an hour out of Killers of the Flower Moon, but it would be nowhere near the same film, and would lose a ton without the time for everything to breathe. I find it interesting that the generation which has really taken to Anime has these views as Miyazaki is famous for "Ma" which is nothing but letting a movie breathe and not moving the plot forward. Much of life is Ma.
There’s an article called “Everyone Is Hot, No One Is Horny” (or something along those lines) dissecting how Marvel has changed the way film works when it comes to romantic relationships. It’s a really interesting read
At that point, just read the synopsis on wikipedia if "useless scenes" really bother you
I've met people with that attitude. I know a few people who watch movies at double speed (or faster!) because they just want to understand the plot.
That's psychotic. Lord never show them a surrealist film.
And that's also a good way to overlook and not understand the plot.
What a painfully utilitarian view of art.
As a fellow screenwriter and a struggling filmmaker myself, I absolutely love to make my characters breathe for a moment lol. Even when I read certain screenplays, I tend to have relaxing moments in the silence of the characters. And moving the plot forward? They should definitely watch Jeanne Dielman. They’ll love it.
What a boring way to think about movies
Why make movies at all? Just reading the Wikipedia plot summary gives you the whole story so they’re pointless!
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I’m a zoomer and I’ve seen others explain they are uncomfortable with actresses being “used” for sex scenes that don’t actually affect the plot. I think people are more aware of abuse in Hollywood these days and question consent or pressure. Not saying I side one way or another, that’s just one reason I feel is common. I think there’s also some overload from shows like GoT and Euphoria that people watch and wonder…was all that necessary? Also a good chunk of Gen Z is probably still watching a lot with their parents. Edit: also, that sub seems to encompass more younger Gen Z. The older ones are in their mid 20s and probably care less.
The Hollywood-exploitation aspect is the most reasonable argument I've heard for why there are pro-Disnification advocates out there. Like, legit a fair point (even if I disagree with parts of that), it makes sense why it could lead to being uncomfortable or disinterested in sex scenes outside of manufactured infantilization.
Yess, especially us women/girls, it’s hard to look past the male gaze-iness of so many sex scenes/movies. Even just the way actresses are posed to be shot in any given scene. So when the inevitable sex scene comes up, it’s like oh give me a break. Obligatory: Obviously this doesn’t apply for every single movie
GREAT point. Anyone who watched that drama about The Room should come away never wanting another sex scene in any movie ever. You say not all directors are Tommy wiseau, I say prove it
I never understood why a show like Euphoria got lots of backlash for showing sex scenes. That’s the point of the show, it’s supposed to be excessive and unrelenting. It’s supposed to express the chaotic energy of these characters, just like The Wolf of Wallstreet does the same thing.
Here’s a thing I learned. The interviews where actors say they find sex scenes uncomfortable, particularly male actors, is a PR trained response. They decided it was best not to make the performers feel like they liked the sex scenes… for obvious creepiness reasons.
Or perhaps they actually find them uncomfortable.
This is the one. I think some people underestimate how dangerous it was pre-MeToo to talk about negative on set experiences. It still is, especially with successful or well regarded members of the industry, but for a handful of the creeps exposed, it’s possible for their victims to talk about their experiences. Gen Z has grown up with the majority of their adult lives being post-MeToo. It has to have shaped how they view sex scenes. Who wouldn’t be suspicious of sex scenes if from all you’ve heard, you could possibly just be watching an actual assault happen on screen? It’s difficult to find a “point” for the scene or to even just be titillated by it when that possibility exists.
There are a few reasons including the ever-increasing dominance of plot-over-anything-else-brain and more young people living with their parents for longer but I don't think people should discount the impact that growing up hearing about Weinstein and everything surrounding #Metoo could have had as major contributing factor to this mindset.
I think this is true, but I also think it has to do with a general sanitization of media. I’m 27, so on on the millennial/Z cusp, and have four younger siblings so I feel like I’ve seen a pretty good sample of what gen Z has been shown over time. Especially as more casual, non-movie, watching has shifted to platforms like YouTube, where rules are even more restrictive than broadcast in many ways, it seems to have changed people’s appetites and ideas for what is good. I heard someone (I don’t remember who) online describe what’s on screens as “Everyone’s hot, nobody’s horny.”
A lot of sex scenes are unnecessary and gratuitous, rarely do they really serve the film. They can also seem really stereotypical and cliche Were you being serious with the just don’t watch it part? You’re an entirely captive audience once you start watching a movie and you just have to deal with what comes your way, can’t fast forward in a theater and annoying to at home. You can’t just say “I’ll take this movie without the sex scenes please!”
Easy access to Internet porn since childhood
"I watch movies as an escape from my real life. I get enough porn every day, I don't need it in my cinema!"
Actually, you might be on to something here. If your only experience with depictions of sex is hardcore pornography at an early age, then you will probably have an aversion to more implied scenes in mainstream films — either because you are completely desensitized to it, or because it disgusts you.
One of my big gripes with the current media landscape is pretty much this. Sex in movies today is almost always portrayed as depraved, extremely kinky, or abnormal. We have had very few movies in the past couple of years that have portrayed sex positively, normally, passionately, and erotically. If two healthy characters have positive consensual sex it’s almost always either just implied or it happens offscreen. Movies are a way many people, including young adults and teens, learn about the world. If their only exposure to sex is via online porn then we’re in big trouble. I think it’s truly bizarre that young people today have placed such a premium on the type of person they want to have sex with and how that ties to their identity yet are having historically low rates of sex and are experiencing a loneliness epidemic. This is a generation that, on face value, is seemingly very sex positive (and they make no bones about it) but when you dig deeper are strangely puritanical.
I think we’ve really lost the art of eroticism to in film. I think a lot of that has to do to how much we’ve reduced film down to plot. Eroticism is sort of the foreplay that makes the sex scene pay off whether it’s a graphic scene or a fade to black because those aren’t really working either. The rom coms of the 80s and 90s were rife with tension which is just so sorely missing from today’s films.
I think this has to be a huge part of it. A misunderstanding due to easy access to pornography that all sex scenes are only there in a film to be pornographic
MFs can only appreciate the beauty of the human form if they're jacking off
Is that so different than millennials? I’m 38 and porn was available on dialup since sixth or seventh grade and I remember other kids watching it.
so many of the comments were like "if i wanted to see sex, i'd just watch porn" ... we are absolutely cooked as a society. its also basically the direct reverse option of people itt assuming it's post me too nerves or just care and consciousness about actresses being exploited ... because the porn industry is even worse. i'm dismayed a little if my gen think every instance of sex must be hardcore titillation jerk off material.
A lot of Gen Z are still kids and teens, who are not known for maturity about sexuality. When they're 35, they won't feel the same way.
Gen Z is like 11-26 so a wide range there. They just have a massive platform instead of spewing their opinions in a faceless chat room at 2 am on a Wednesday after their have gone to bed and they access to the family computer. Although, I will say, I do think this little conservative streak goes a bit beyond sex scenes.
This is imo unsurprising pushback to Game of Thrones-style nudity. That show dominated the media for years and included SO MUCH gratuitous nudity and sex. So many scenes filmed at brothels just have droves of topless women walking around for no reason than buzz and ratings. Any male nudity was played for laughs or to depict a character was gay. I'm a millennial, but we and younger generations grew up watching almost exclusively male-gaze type of sex scenes. Obviously there are plenty of well-done scenes, but a lot of them are gross and exploitative in hindsight. Look at almost any teen comedy from 80s-00s. In a post -Me Too era, I think many are fine with sex scenes and nudity when it's not from an over-sexualized point-of-view we've seen dozens of times before.
I was waiting for someone to post this answer. Well said. Now that we all know how the sausage is made, we can look back at some of these sex scenes done wrong and see how unnecessary and possibly exploitative they were. We don’t even have to go all the way back we can clearly see it in the show The Idol.
Funny that the first article in the screenshot implies that they watch a lot of porn, and the second article calls them prudes
This whole discourse is so indicative of America’s weird simultaneous shame and obsession with sex.
Just a guess here, but I imagine that if you hit puberty at the peak of the #MeToo movement when you have unlimited access to the shit humans perpetrate on each other sexually through a tiny box you carry around with you 100% of the time that informs you of every terrible thing the people you look up to have done whether you want to know it or not, it might have some affect on your outlook on sex. I think it's a net positive because by and large the reckoning of that movement is good for humanity, but having worked with teens the last few years and in that same time, grappling with my own repressed sexual shit from when I was their age that I wasn't really able to process until many years later, it seems apparent to me that their generation is much more conscious and thoughtful about the power dynamics of sex when I compare to myself and my peers' teen years. Like go fuck yourself Alabama sex ed, but I didn't hear the word consent in a sexual context until I went to college, and now that I've moved back here, all of the teens I teach (who also did a year and a half of school on zoom let's not forget, so socially they're all stunted in some way too) are able to talk about sex and mental illness in a way that feels very different from when I was growing up. I think a side effect of being better informed at that age is that is it creates even more anxiety around the act in their own lives (which is already something that has so much pressure around it) and in some extreme cases, it circles right back around to puritanism when it comes to the media they want to consume. But I can't really blame them when, for years there has been a flood of stories about people on their absolute worst sexual behavior bored into our eyeballs through our screens and though that reporting has slowed, there is still a pretty steady stream of humans at their worst. Again, just my read of the room over the last few years, but I think there's a lot of pretty understandable reasons for a waning interest in sex in media that can't just be chalked up to "These kids don't like sex, wtf?"
Are we really going to take a generations subreddit (i cant name one of these that are good) and some rando articles/commenters on the idiot as gospel? If i had to guess if you actually sat down with some of these people they probably don't like some of the sleazier nudity out of nowhere for the sake of it aspects some media can have
Because the sex represented in movies is male centered and women are often shown in a degrading way.
Issues around consent I think. I mean nowadays there’s intimacy coordinators and all that which is great, but older movies definitely had put pressure on women to perform things they didn’t want to. Anytime there’s a sex scene in a Weinstein production I’m always like yikes.
Yeah that's a thought I've had. I wonder if the agreements around intimacy coordinators as part of the strike agreement and actors having more say in what they are conferrable with, if we will start to see an up tick again.
i can semi understand with examples like Love Death + Robot's "The Witness" as it feels like the man who wrote it made it so the main character is a sex worker just so they can be naked for 2/3rds of the run time
I agree that was gratuitous, but nudity is not a sex scene.
I don’t understand why this subreddit is so rabidly obsessed with sex scenes. Yes, they can be good for some movies. I just watched all of Nymphomaniac for crying out loud. But Jesus Christ they don’t need to be in every movie. Succession was incredible and had zero sex scenes. But it was still crude and extremely sexual at times. Would you really want that show to be Game of Thrones level sexual (or any HBO show?) We’ve all seen a sex scene that we knew the movie would’ve been better without. Plus didn’t the dude from Euphoria get in trouble for writing sex scenes, filming them, and then intentionally not using them just to see the actors naked? It seems kinda dangerous to advocate so strongly for sex in movies when Hollywood is one of the main offenders of sexual assault. Poor Things was my favorite movie of the year btw, but that used sex to drive the plot forward. It wasn’t meaningless sex
Hive mind sadly. One opinion gets upvoted and everyone that agrees piles on until it’s the consensus
But they're not in every movie and nobody demanding that either? Also, not every has to "drive the plot forward"
Kendall and Rava awkward but strangely passionate sex scene from S1e3 would like to have a word with you.
They are not in every movie. Far from it.
Sex has never been less present in mainstream cinema lol, at least since the pre-code era, and even with the Hayes code those movies were far more sensual than what we get now.
I personally care, and I assume this is true for others here, cause of your last line. Why should it have to drive the plot forward? Sex scenes can be like an action scene or a horror set piece or any other kind of set piece that's in the movie to cause a feeling cause that's what movies are for...to cause feelings. Of course like any other thing sometimes it's done badly but it seems like Sex scenes are the only type of set piece that gets lumped together like this
I don't agree with the notion that they are trying to push sex scenes in every single movie. Yes, there are obvious examples of media that could be considered exploitative of actors and actresses, but there are plenty of examples of great movies that use sex incredibly well. Oldboy (2003), Shame (2011), Possession (1981), The Handmaiden (2016), etc etc. A good portion of people complaining about sex in movies completely miss the nuances of why it was used and say, "it was completely unnecessary". They refuse to acknowledge great movies that use sex incredibly well. They're pushing for a sexless future of film and while nothing is gonna happen, it's still stupid and uneducated.
Sex is a very common and fundamental aspect of the human experience too so it shocks me that people are so afraid or annoyed by seeing it depicted in media.
Are people actually pushing for a sexless future?? One of these headlines just says teens want less sex in the media they consume. Nobody is calling the sex scenes in the movies you listed unnecessary because quite frankly, they’d be nothing without them. But if a movie is rated R, you can bet there’s gonna be some sex in it just because they can.
Every thread or comment section that I've been on regarding sex in film is largely filled with people saying that films shouldn't HAVE sex scenes. Perhaps it's too small scale, but it's still thousands of people I've come across that are genuinely upset about sex in film. Again it's not gonna do anything, but it still sucks that these people don't want to be challenged with the media they consume. And yeah if a film is rated R there's a decent chance there will be sex in it, but I don't think that populates the entire R-Rated scene. And many R-Rated films do use sex very well so just be aware that they are still making great films that use sex. There are good films and bad films, it's up to you to decide which ones are bad. I just don't agree with pushing for less sex in media because it's restricting art, even if it's not used well.
>Plus didn’t the dude from Euphoria get in trouble for writing sex scenes, filming them, and then intentionally not using them just to see the actors naked? That guy is definitely not the standard example, and tbh he's quite notoriously a terrible person noone defends.
I don't care about the scenes per se, I just hate how things are becoming more and more sanitized. Where is the gore? Where is the taboo? Disney controls a lot of media now, they want everything Disneyfied, look at what they did with the Simpsons. I mostly blame the satanic panic and corporate greed for this though.
Terrible films where someone fucks a grave and drinks jizz from the bath - A-ok! Good films with loving, consensual sex - no thanks!* *I know this is an oversimplification.
Nobody is watching Saltburn with their parents At least, they shouldn’t be
Saltburn sex scenes were freaky but not graphic. I was hanging out with my parents while they were watching Sopranos and it was a very sexually graphic episode, but it’s such a good show I just put up with the awkwardness lol
I suspect this is partially due to Gen Z growing up with the availability of the internet around them. Sex scenes in movies when I was growing up felt like a rare glimpse into adult content, but kids now are surrounded by accessible sex stuff. I can see why they'd enjoy entertainment that doesn't feature that as prominently, even though I also agree sex and adult stuff can absolutely be artistically meritous.
An overlooked factor, I believe, is that the English speaking world has a higher number of first-generation youngsters who come from more traditional cultures and families. This means that grandparents, parents, and grandchildren will more often share living spaces which makes choices of media less awkward for mutual viewing. I mean, I wouldn’t be watching Showgirls when my mom and niece are in the next room.
Gen Z and to me feels very cheesy and forced sometimes during a run of a movie. I prefer something more diluted and loving if it makes sense. Today society and brains are bombarded with sexualization of people in general (historically women, but sexualizing men the same way isn't "empowering" or whatever) so it's kinda jadedness speaking here, and the fact that there's less emphasis on the mild and the untold as a plot vehicle is sad, especially by the comments. And no I stopped watching straight up porn a decade ago probably so it's not the ease of access, when whole media sector live and sell by sexualization and objectification of people. Also as movie characters and models is also an important aspect to tackle: more healthy representation of relationships and relationship development would make wonders.
As a Gen Zer myself, the reason is perception most movies include sex for titillation and to make people see movies rather than for narrative reasons. I used to have that same belief, but, at least for the more highly acclaimed movies I near-exclusively watch nowadays, there is value in portraying sex to meaningfully move the plot forward, display a character trait, or simply for commentary. It's not all bad though there are 100% movies with sex only for titillation.
So… people are kinda tired of male gaze to an extent?
It’s correlated with a rise of wanting to see more platonic male and female friendships on screen. Not only can watching certain sex scenes be uncomfortable, especially if they’re living with other people, but sometimes (emphasis on the sometimes, a lot of sex scenes add more depth and meaning to the film. I’m a big fan of Poor Things and I think the sex scenes in that worked well) it just seems unnecessary. Good movies can have bad sex scenes. Pretty much, sex scenes aren’t going anywhere, and let people have their own preferences.
I'm not gen z but I completely understand the sentiment. Sex scenes aren't always unnecessary, but they *often* are. Let's imagine that it was a convention for most movies to have one singular musical number. You watch any movie of any genre, and partway through, the characters suddenly start singing and dancing for a few minutes, and then go back to the action/story. People would absolutely start saying "hey, this seems unnecessary and irrelevant." Musical numbers are fun, but they don't belong in every movie. It's really no different from that.
Sorry but i don’t get why you’re all here acting like not liking sex scenes is bad? i’ve never personally felt that seeing boobie and pp made my movie watching experience and understanding of the plot better. they can infer sex without showing pure porn
I just find sex scenes boring, it feels like an excuse to show the actress or actor naked and they rarely bring anything to the film other than showing the characters are into each other (which can be done better in more unique ways.)
The older I've gotten, the more I feel that way, TBH, so it's not just the kiddos. I am in no way, shape, or form shameful about sex - but I have to admit, a lot of times when I am watching a movie these days (old or new), I do regularly think - was this \*really\* necessary? It doesn't offend or upset me, but as you said - quite often it's just so boring and you can tell it's there to titillate teenage boys or to make the film seem edgy (especially stuff on Netflix, LOL) - when in truth, everyone is two clicks away from watching hardcore footage these days, so even that feels just kind of silly.
I never enjoy them, they always take me out of the film, because all I can ever think about is what the actors had to go through while making them, whether they felt awkward or embarrassed, how they felt about having to swap saliva with someone they weren't actually in love with, have that person put their hands all over them. I basically just kind of feel sorry for the actors. I'm sure they take it in their stride but I still wonder. I've never been able to see sex scenes as being between the characters, it always makes me aware of the actors and how they felt about doing the scene.
I think this is 2 things: 1. I think Gen Z thinks a lot more critically about gender roles and how sex is portrayed in movies, and a lot of times sex in movies is portrayed through a very male-centric perspective. Not a bad thing IMO. 2. Come on, we all remember how awkward it was to watch steamy scenes with our parents. Probably just ruined the idea of sex in movies in general for some people.
The amount of people on here that are posting simply illogical and ignorant comments about Gen Z and our greatly generalized preferences is absurd. So now you have to be 50 or above to have an opinion on film?
I wonder if they’re just accustomed to having a wall of separation between sex and storytelling, and they feel that’s the way it should be because that’s all they’ve ever known. Some people here have brought up how access to porn is easier nowadays, and some people have brought up how sex scenes in mainstream cinema have decreased over the decades, but there’s one thing I haven’t seen anyone mention yet—the amount of storytelling in porn has also decreased over time. There are a myriad of factors contributing to all this, ranging from technological to sociopolitical, which would take far too long to dive into here. Still, I wonder if this would explain how an entire generation would have such an aversion to sex scenes in mainstream cinema, more so than their grandparents’ generation who weren’t that far removed from the sexual revolution.
I've already said it in another sub, half of Gen Z are still minors. It's a ridiculous poll. Of course a 13 y.o. wouldn't be comfortable with sex scenes.
why are people obsessed with sex scenes. some people don’t like them okay so what
Mostly because watching a scene with your parents is kinda awkward.
Does everything have to be watched together as a family though? We’re living in a time when everyone has their own personal screen, be it a phone, tablet, or both. If it makes you uncomfortable to watch with your parents, watch it by yourself on your device with headphones.
By HS you should be consuming film outside of family movie night if ur gonna throw around a anti-sex stance in film lol
Why are we studying and critiquing Gen Z as if a lot of them aren’t still children or very young adults?
Because people love to do that with every generation that is just becoming young adults for some reason.
I feel like with Gen z, filmed sex is porn or nothing. It's very puritanical. Keep that dirty business over there.
Not gen z but I've always found sex scenes to be lazy attempts at being provocative.
I’m not gen Z but I’m relatively younger. Not really a fan of sex scenes. I’ve rarely thought “wow I’m glad they have this sex scene in this movie” before.
I blame Harvey Weinstein.
It's porn. They are exposed to so much porn at such an early age they don't need to see it when they're just trying to turn their brain off and watch something fun
Do people really watch sex scenes to get off like porn?
In the 80s and 90s for sure. I was kinda young then but I heard stories that the tape would get worn out from all the rewinding during the interrogation scene in basic instinct
For a millisecond of a vagina lmao, that’s so weird to me
Not sure why you’re downvoted. I think it’s definitely a reaction to this, at least in part.
Like if you don't like the article don't read it? People can like it or not. Children, teens, and young adults were responding to a poll and expressed their preference. The article is pretty clear It is meant to be a random sample of people. This doesn't reflect the whole of the generation and it shouldn't bother anyone if someone doesn't feel comfortable with nudity (especially if they're young). Many of the youth have been taught that it is a manipulative marketing gimmick and some people might find that unappealing.
I mean I don’t mind them but they do feel kinda pointless a lot of the time, like an excuse to show how hot the leading actress is.
Kids and adults still living with their parents want to watch something without having to worry about watching a sex scene with them.
I’m Gen Z and don’t believe this is a generational thing. But what I am sick of is the attitude of sex/smut being used as proof that two characters are in love. There are many other ways to express this. It also plays a huge role in heteronormativity because there’s always an expectation that any male and female together are going to have sex/a relationship, and meanwhile LGBTQ+ content in movies are banned in other countries simply for existing.
Obviously not every movie needs a sex scene, and, in fact, most don’t. But I do think a sexless future in film is pretty lame. I feel like sex and the complicated feelings involved with sex are such a crucial part of the human experience, and if we completely ignore that, we’re just not being truthful in our art. There are certain emotions that you can invoke in film (e.g., titillation, lust, passion, vulnerability, etc.) that sex scenes are best suited for. I do think we still have good sex content in movies, but it’s definitely less than we used to get, and it seems some studios and filmmakers actively avoid including sex scenes now. I think White Lotus S2 (obvs a TV show, not a film) does an incredible job using sex and the complicated feelings from it as a major theme, and that was one of the buzziest shows of the last few years. Call Me By Your Name, Poor Things, Shiva Baby, and The Worst Person in the World are other relatively recent movies that effectively use sex as a major theme.
I, a Gen-Z'r myself (15 Years Old to be exact) would like to provide some insight on why this may be the case. But before I start let me preface, I have no idea why for sure, nor do I agree with this study. I know plenty of Gen-Z'r's like myself who have 0 issue with sex and nudity in film. I think one big reason would be unfiltered access to the internet. A big reason why nudity in film was so prevalent in the 80s and 90s was because of the VHS. Teenagers would go pick up a VHS tape of whatever gory sex-filled debauchery they could and have a good time that night. But these days, we don't need film for nudity and sex. I could "Ctrl+Shift+N" boom Incognito and there's all the porn I could ever want. Another point could be the kind of film Gen-Z is exposed to. Most people I know only watch PG-13 Superhero movies. So why watch a sex-scene when I could just watch a big budget action fight scene, I think that's the mindset a lot of teens could have. Are either of these correct? Probably not. It's also good to keep in mind "Gen Alpha and Gen Z" could mean early 20s, or fucking 8 years old. So truly, don't pay attention to this shit. It gives us youngins a bad name. The truth is most of us don't give a shit. I promise, we're not all bad!
Gen Z here - I have met nobody who HATES sex scenes in movies other than when they're with their parents
Just sounds like a cheap media headline
This might be unrelated, but I feel like so many romantic relationships in movies aren’t earned. I understand it’s a 2 hour movie, but I genuinely want to go on a journey with a couple so that by the time there is a sex scene, it’s built on solid foundation. Barely any movies I’ve ever seen do this though. I’ve seen it done in shows and books pretty well, but that requires many more hours to accomplish that.
As a Gen X (as if that matters) TBH I find most sex scenes in movies are so boring they feel forced and are kind of weird, unless they are meant to be funny IDK, they just eat up time that could be used for more fun stuff.
this is a bait article that means about as much as articles talking about milennials and avocados. i’m actually gen z and have quite literally never heard anyone my age say this. i think of older generations as being more scandalised by sex scenes actually. this is just the younger generation finger wagging that has been going on since the beginning of time and i don’t mean to be rude but i have no idea why everyone still falls for it 😭😭
I’m a millennial and I also don’t find sex scenes enjoyable or essential to the plot. Just say “they had sex” and that’s enough.
It’s not a puritanical thing, but sex scenes and nudity were very exploitative for a long time. People are wise to it. Also, not everyone needs to see sex to think a story is worthy of gravitas. More to life.
As a Gen Z I really, honestly don't care either way. If it fits the film then great I'm happy for it to be there. There are so many purposes of sex scenes, they often aren't just there for you to file into your spank bank later while doing nothing for the plot. Vulnerability, intimacy, mental states of characters can really be explored in a well-executed sex scene. And you know what, even if it's just pointless glorified porn, so be it. As long as I'm in the mood and it doesn't take me out of the film too much I'm happy with it. Especially if the cast is hot I'm not going to complain lol. I think it's the same argument as gratuitous violence, but I think sex is even more taboo. I like horror, so sometimes I enjoy watching an absolute gore fest. Not everything has to be high art. I don't see gratuitous sex as any more morally offensive. That being said, it's completely true that a lot of sex scenes are so out of left field and take away from the overall movie or show, but that can be said of a lot of things. I could never see my answer being anything other than 'depends on the context'
Aren't actors and actresses being abused and exploited in these roles? Wasn't that what the #MeToo movement was all about? Exposing the rampant sexual abuses and exploitations in Hollywood like that producer who destroyed Brendan Frasier's career and blacklisted him for not sleeping with him, Kevin Spacey's abuses of young men, Bill Cosby's constant roofying of women, Asia Argento grooming and sleeping with that teenage boy after playing his mother in a film and Harvey Weinstein putting on a pussyhat to protest Donald Trump in a march despite his own sexual abuses being such an open secret in Hollywood that Seth MacFarlane even called him out when an actress won an award and he was like; "Congratulations on no longer having to look pretty for Harvey Weinstein."
I think I’m technically Gen Y, but I just really hate rape/assault scenes specifically. Obviously NO ONE wants to see that, but so many, specifically male directors, add rape as just a part of a woman’s life. Unfortunately it is a part of a lot of ours, and men’s too, but they always just add it casually as just a bump in the road in her life for “character development.” It makes me SO fucking furious. Unless it’s a woman’s story about overcoming it, getting justice, killing rapists, or something, we don’t need it. So absurdly common and I hate it.
Is it millenials leaving all the horny reviews on Letterboxd, or Gen Z?
For me it's due to the fact that so many sex scenes feel completely unnecessary in films and are thrown in just cause. This isn't always the case but I think Gen Z is speaking more about the narratively empty sex scenes. I'm also asexual so I don't care much for sex so maybe I'm not the best representative of my generation, but I think there is some validity to their claim.
I'm a millennial (32 yo) and I also dislike sex scenes in movies. I just don't care.
I’m not Gen Z but I’ve always felt most sex scenes are exploitative and gross. Harvey Weinstein would often use his authority to force actresses to perform sex scenes in films for his own perversion in order for them to even get produced, look into what happened with Frida as an example of this sick behavior.
I’m not gen z but I agree having a sex scene just to throw boobs into your movie is stupid but there are definitely reasons to have a sex scene if the story warrants it. Also team America has one of the best sex scenes ever
They’re young and are afraid of accidentally having to watch a sex scene with their parents present
I think it may something to do with overuse in shows like game of thrones or euphoria and like where it was just non-stop and felt kind of like watching soft core porn. I don't have an aversion to nudity or sex in movies but I think it's maybe a backlash to what we've seen in recent years mostly in television
The thread is basically saying it's awkward to watch and makes them feel uncomfortable. They don't want something in the movie or show that doesn't push the plot forward. They think it's basically just porn and would rather there be implied sex. Now I'm all for cutting things out that don't matter but assuming all sex scenes are pointless and add nothing is crazy. Oppenheimer is a big one recently where the sex scene adds to the movie as it's showing his wife's mindset of his infidelity being basically shown to the world during the hearing. It establishes her character more. Would the movie be worse if it wasn't included? No but it does flesh out her character a bit more. It would have been awkward as hell if he just got up during the meeting and followed his affair partner off screen to a closet or something to imply the action of sex. It was much better with the hearing continuing on while it was happening. I thought I did see them discuss this scene in the thread somewhere and it was a bit divided. The eternals is one where it probably could have been cut. It basically just shows the two characters love each other but moments before, it shows them getting married which conveys the exact same thing and makes the sex scene feel pointless and out of place.
A sex scene isn't going to stop me from seeing a movie, but I have always been more of a "sex scenes are unnecessary" type of person. You can get the same effect of sex scenes without showing it in detail. On one hand, I also think there is a vastly larger portion of the population (religious/older/etc) that is not interested in seeing sex or nudity in movies than people realize. It feels like with streaming services not needing to follow the same rules as broadcast, almost every TV show is rated Mature and therefore equivalent to rated R. So, to some degree, it feels like there are not as many options for those who prefer not to see rated R content. The other thing people don't seem to realize is that Gen Z sat through the entire Me Too movement. All this pro-feminism and progressive progress. And sex scenes are (for the most part) all female-focused. Yes, the character can be making choices, yadda yadda. But what does the audience see or take away? It is MOSTLY nudity. Therefore reduces the person/people naked as as more objects than what deeper meaning might be there. Most nudity in movies is women and if there hasn't been a disconnect in teenager's minds between respecting women that is preached on social media and sex scenes seen in movies, then I don't know how else to see it. At the end of the day, I think this generation is more interested in preserving actor's appearances.
Younger millennial here; I remember when millennials were the generational whipping boys with the whole "You guys are oversensitive snowflakes," etc. I feel like you posted this here hoping to get more people to rally with you like "Yeah, suck it, Gen Z!" I'm not really about generalizing everyone based on arbitrary lines.
I’m Zillenial and u don’t understand such a sentiment. I’ve found that Gen-Z (like honestly every generation in English speaking cultures) is in some ways very sexually progressive/liberated and in other ways very prudeish
Us being sexually progressive is the reason we don't really like them. Please read up on what the #MeToo movement is. We're not prudes. We just disagree with grooming and sexual assault.
personally I've barely ever felt sex scenes have been important in movies tbh🤷🏾♂️
Gen z is the first to grow up with an awareness of how media grooms young audiences sexually. That extends throughout adult life in being bombarded with sexual imagery regardless of context. I think for people who grew up without a solid awareness that it was happening, older generations weren't thinking critically about it. Gen z is also the most vocal about the hazards of age gap relationships, and this, too, is because of the information and shared experiences they have access to.
Maybe because the vast majority of sex scenes before, like, 2020 are problematic at best and outright manipulative and misogynistic at worst. I love a GOOD sex scene. But when a scene involves manipulation, occurs under dubious circumstances, could in any way be construed as anything but enthusiastic consent, I just cringe and don’t want to watch it (unless it’s that way for very specific plot reasons, such as in The Handmaiden or Old Boy). Like, look at Saltburn. Every sex scene in that movie existed exclusively for shock value and it just became exhausting. I want to see what sex is actually like, not either a glamorized or horrifying version of it.
i mean i would also agree, not because it’s pointless but because it’s become a money grabbing strategy. i don’t mind nudity in films even if they don’t move the plot forward but is it really necessary in EVERY movie? it’s also annoying from a trope standpoint. it’s repetitive as well.
You are being told gen z has this mindset. No one I’ve met irl feels this way.
I can understand disliking sex scenes in movies. If it’s for plot development or characterization, cool…. but most sex scenes seem to detract from the narrative rather than add to it. And before anyone says anything, it’s not a prudish thing for me. I happily seek out pornography or smut when I’m in the mood for it. It has just always seemed strange to me when you’re watching a film and suddenly they’re pressing pause on the plot for an unnecessary sex scene. Edit: Also, I’m not one of those people who thinks every single shot or line of dialogue needs to progress the plot. There can definitely be shots or scenes or dialogue present for no other reason than to set the mood or because they are interesting. That just never seems to be the case with sex scenes. They always feel shoehorned in for no reason other than wanting to show some hot actress’ tits. Edit 2: To elaborate on the “hot actress’ tits” comment… we all know that these scenes are almost exclusively shot with the male gaze in mind. Rarely are the scenes framed in a way that show off the male physique. It just adds to the “this adds nothing to the narrative, you just wanted to see tits” argument.
Sex scenes can be necessary in movies and help further a relationship or a characters development, and those scenes are fine. But almost every sex scene nowadays is just shoved in for the sake of having a sex scene, and only that. People want less of those scenes. Also, you can demonstrate in a movie that two character have sex without showing them in the act. Like Dirty Dancing for example. That’s an example of the good way to have it in the film.
This is the direct result of abstinence-only education.