Sex and Violence In Film

This kind of article would have been good for my dissertation last year detailing a discussion between whether sex and violence in cinema should be deemed taboo. Sex columnist Tracey Clark-Flory details the scepticism between classification in America; stricter rules towards taboos against sex in film yet less stricter rules against sex and violence.

It seems like the public can't accept the visualisation of pleasure in humans. Perhaps porn is responsible for this; though porn is created in order to arouse it's audience, where as in film sex is used to represent. I made the point within my essay, why does there have to be so much control over the consequences in film? I mean we see murder scenes, drug taking, torture within film and television and only age warnings come about that (have they missed that ideas towards impending violence on others could occur?!); but when it comes to sex on our screens any element seems to be shunned just incase the audience gets any pleasure from it themselves. There seems to be a concern with self control, or even how much control such societies can have over us in order to avoid risk taking responsibility themselves for our actions. Does it all come from paranoia and issues (like the extreme procedures towards health and safety as well) caused by angry members of the public? I admire how Tracey ends her words:

'Sometimes I really have to wonder who we're most trying to protect by restricting sexual imagery.'

She is right! I do wonder whether those in control of viewing such material are more concerned about the consequences towards going against the social norm? I say lets give it a go and see what happens. Surely you would rather the audience have a larger knowledge of sexual pleasure, than sexual pain and physcial violence caused! I don't see any shame in that.