Yorgos Lanthimos’ ‘Poor Things’, one of the most popular films in the past awards season, was criticized for its excessive sex scenes. And although it may seem that this type of imagery is increasingly common in cinema, the truth is that the amount of explicit sex on the big screen has decreased dramatically.
According to a recent study conducted by film data analyst Stephen Follows, cited by The Economist, which tracked sex and nudity in major live-action films (with each case classified on a scale from “none” to “severe”), it was found that the level of sexual content in cinema has decreased by almost 40 percent.
Likewise, it was found that the number of films without any sexual content has increased from 20 percent annually to approximately 50 percent. On the other hand, the research revealed that some of the scenes depicted in films today are more graphic than what was allowed in the past.
In the analyzed films, scenes of erect members were found, as in “May-December,” and also characters engaging in oral sex while their partners menstruate, as was the case in “Saltburn” and “Fair Play.”
The research also analyzed the amount of drugs, violence, and profanity in films, which also experienced a slight reduction since 2014, but are still close to their previous highs. Violence decreased slightly at the same time, but in recent years, it has returned to being as common as ever.
Last year, a previous informal study conducted by a Playboy writer found that the number of films on IMDb since 2010 containing representations of sex is the lowest since the 1960s.
This research follows the line of a study from the University of California last year that found that Generation Z wants to see less sex in movies and television. Studies have found that Gen-Z is also having less sexual relationships in real life, and experts blame social media messages and distractions, online pornography, and the COVID-19 pandemic.
This story was written in spanish by Daniel Matute in Cultura Colectiva.
