Sex scenes on TV/film. Yes or no?

[ProfessorBranestawm]

Just wondered really, subject came up on another thread and it seems quite a divisive issue - not in a controversial way, more a 'marmite' thing I suppose?

I quite like a good sex scene myself :o as long as it's vaguely relevant to the story and not totally cringeworthy or blatant. Or sweaty. DH on the other hand hates it, whether in books or on screen.

[Wishful80smontage]

I don't particularly like them either feels awkward especially when you're watching it with someone else. Implied is fine, or things getting a bit steamy but explicit is a bit much for me- I sound like a prude I'm really not!
Think a lingering look or suggestion can be far more sexy than a full on romp Iyswim :)

[SparklyTinselTits]

Depends on what kind of show it is...if it's relevant to the story to show explicit shagging then yes...bring it on.
But other shows, like True Blood and Game of Thrones, it's just not necessary for it to be so in your face. I'll watch it, but I'm a little bit at some of it

[ProfessorBranestawm]

I agree Wishful that less can be more. I'm quite, erm, sensitive to sexual tension and suggestion on screen/in books, but just a blatant shag is... meh.

Sparkly DH gave up reading GoT due to how graphic it was. I've not tried it (not into fantasy genre really) but apparently rape features heavily so... no thanks. I've watched True Blood s1 and quite liked it but DH was

I've only ever deliberately stopped reading one book, which was Tropic of Cancer by Henry Miller. It wasn't the sex that put me off (really doesn't bother me at all) but it was really vile talking about other bodily fluids and stuff.

[SparklyTinselTits]

Yeah I love True Blood, watched all seven seasons 4 a few times, but some of the sex scenes are just unnecessarily graphic...for example season 1 episode 1, where Jason thinks he has killed Maudette through rough sex just a wee bit uncomfortable to watch!

[Gileswithachainsaw]

depends. if it's done fir the sake of it and is unnecessarily graphic then no. it's very cringe worthy when somethings so crap the only way they feel they can keep people watching is to have the leading man or woman scantily dressed/naked.

if it's relevant to the story and believable and not ridiculously clumsy or OTT then yes they work.

[pocketsaviour]

It's uncomfortable when watching with your parents/children, unless it's fairly non-graphic, in which case it's usually a bit dull and you can wander off to put the kettle on.

I love GOT. I wouldn't say rape features heavily. It's more that it's a realistic depiction of the danger a woman is in, especially a low-born penniless woman. Your DH may have reached the chapter in Clash of Kings (book 2 and the darkest book in the series) where three horrible men are discussing and laughing about a rape one of them just committed. It's awful, however the rapist very shortly gets his comeuppance as a punishment for the rape and it's a character development point for one of the main characters. But I do skip those pages on a re-read. Find them too upsetting.

I'm quite happy to watch nude scenes. Melisandre has amazing boobs

[Rockluvvindad]

Cliché I know, but I'm a bloke and love a good sex scene... But the caveat is that it should add to the story. GoT, I really like it, and having read the books the scenes in the show just help bring it to life. Certainly in the early books, sex plays a huge part in the motivations for some characters, so without it they wouldn't feel so developed. I refused to watch it with my 15 year old daughter though. I did pull the "it's not suitable" card with her. Never thought I would, but it was more the fact that both of us would have felt bloody awkward.

Something which might surprise though. I found the sex in the Tudors mostly gratuitous. It didn't really add anything to the story for me. Maybe at the start with Anne Boleyn, but after that I failed to see where it added to the story and where a cleverly scripted plot couldn't have added more. Still loved it, but that bugged me. It was a fascinating period of history, with more than enough real life plotting to keep it interesting without it.

True blood was just funny. Loved it, but found it so tongue in cheek that it didn't seem so much like a sex scene as part of the whole thing...

One thing that always turns me off... Badly written sex in books. I think male authors are more guilty of this than women. Or maybe I just prefer female authors' take on it.

[ProfessorBranestawm]

DH didn't even get through book 1 of GoT! It may have been a regular sex scene that put him off, I'm not sure.

We are pretty well matched when actually in the act, so to speak, so it sometimes feels quite weird that I might enjoy something and he'll just be watching it like . But I am perhaps more of a visual person or something.

I'd forgotten about the scene with Maudette in true blood - which must mean it had no effect on me IYSWIM. If it's that in your face, it doesn't make me uncomfortable, it's just... neutral I suppose. Whereas something more subtle and less porn-like would usually affect me quite a bit

Thank you for the responses BTW. It's not something I can talk about IRL really and recent comments on other threads made me wonder if I was unusual.

[TheCountessofFitzdotterel]

I can't get over the fact that this thread was started by a poster called Professor Branestawm, so now I am imagining sexy scenes in the tv adaptation of that

I think the sex in The Tudors was spoiled for me by the fact that it felt so inauthentic - Anne Boleyn shagging in a corset with no smock underneath. I would quite like historically-accurate sex in historical dramas, because when they're good they help you see what it might have been like and sex is part of what I want to know about.

The Game of Thrones sex was ok except when it got so violent you just wanted to switch off. I think sexual violence on tv is a whole other question though - there is far too much of that, but that's not the same as there being too much sex per se.

[ProfessorBranestawm]

Haha! I didn't even think of that :o I'm not sure how that would work. Although maybe he would've invented some kind of wacky sex toy contraption. Could've been a lucrative sideline for him.

[WallyBantersJunkBox]

There are some amazing sex scenes in films but it has to be relevant and well orchestrated for me.

The film Don't look now probably has one of the best for me.

[ProfessorBranestawm]

Oddly enough I watched that on TV the other week. Definitely relevant to the storyline, that one, and they got the emotion just right I thought. The moustache put me off a bit though :o

I tend to prefer sex scenes in British drama to Hollywood films for some reason. Maybe it's the fact that I don't find typical film star bodies, shiny six packs etc particularly attractive (I don't really know why, just not my type)

There are some scenes that are just so hideous they're funny. But when one is good, it really stays with me.

[extrastrongblackcoffee]

TheCountess, I completely agree with you on the sexual violence featuring too heavily on tv comment! It's a real issue to me and there's so many otherwise brilliant series that I can't watch, because I hear that features. It's becoming disturbingly normalised.

Back to the original question though. I think it completely depends on the film, programme, actors, chemistry etc. I am certainly no prude, but there's no way I could watch a full on explicit sex scene with my parents! Or any family member for that matter. It's so awkward! I don't think they're enough love scenes anyone. You know, the ones that are subtle and build up, but are way more intense and erotic....to me anyway.

[extrastrongblackcoffee]

*anymore, not anyone!