If you’ve noticed an uptick of male frontal nudity in TV and in movies in recent years, you’re onto something.
In 1993, I studied patterns of male nudity in my book “Running Scared: Masculinity and the Representation of the Male Body.” After the old Motion Picture Production Code was replaced by a new ratings system in 1968, frontal male nudity in Hollywood movies in certain contexts was permitted. “Drive, He Said,” directed by Jack Nicholson in 1971, was an early film to include such a scene, while Richard Gere’s nude scene in 1980’s “American Gigolo” helped to transform the young actor into an international sex symbol.
Yet female nudity remained far more common in movies, and there was no frontal male nudity on mainstream television as of 1993. Since then, a lot has changed. Directors and audiences are becoming more and more comfortable showing male nudity.
But nowadays, while we’re much more likely to see penises in mainstream film and television, they’re seldom real. Prosthetic penises – once used for exaggerated effect – have become the norm.
To me, this says something about the unusual significance we continue to grant the penis, along with our cultural need to carefully regulate its representation. In a way, the use of prosthetic penises maintains a certain mystique about masculinity, preserving the power of the phallus.
Skirting the production code
There are a number of factors fueling the current wave of frontal male nudity.
In the 1990s, premium cable television channels like HBO became more popular, while streaming platforms like Amazon and Netflix took off in the 21st century.
These channels and platforms aren’t governed by the Motion Picture Association’s ratings system, which strictly limits the circumstances under which the penis can be shown.
According to the ratings – which still regulate theater releases – penises can be shown in nonsexual situations, such as when they appear during a concentration camp scene in “Schindler’s List.” But if a scene involves sex and frontal male nudity, the actors have to be a certain distance apart. So when Bruce Willis’ penis briefly appeared during an underwater swimming pool lovemaking scene in the “The Color of Night,” the MPAA objected, citing his proximity to the woman, and the shot had to be cut. Uncensored versions of the film are now available on DVD.
Premium cable TV channels are not governed by these guidelines, and the HBO show “Oz,” which aired from 1997 to 2003, marked a major turning point. Set in a prison, it was notable for the sheer quantity of full frontal male nudity, with characters shown in a variety of contexts, including showering and in their cells, fully naked.
Another reason for the trend in male nudity has to do with justifiable criticism of the ways women have been sexually objectified on TV and in film. Female nudity has been much more common than male nudity, and most of it tends to involve young, attractive women being showcased in a variety of erotic contexts, with an emphasis on their breasts and buttocks.
Some filmmakers, such as Judd Apatow and Sam Levinson, have said they’ve wanted to level the playing field by featuring more male nudity.
The proliferation of the prosthetic
Like “Oz,” Starz’s “Spartacus,” which premiered in 2010, was full of frontal male nudity.
However, there was a key difference: all the penises were prosthetic. They are made as special effects to be worn by the actors and look realistic when filmed.
One of the most famous prosthetic penises appeared in Paul Thomas Anderson’s 1997 film “Boogie Nights,” which is about a porn star, played by Mark Wahlberg. At the end of the film, viewers see a closeup shot of the actor’s extremely large prosthetic penis.
Prosthetics were used on and off through the years. But after “Spartacus,” their use became the norm. Now in shows like HBO’s “The Deuce” and “Euphoria,” they’re everywhere. Sometimes they’re even digital. In “Nymphomaniac: Vols. I and II,” director Lars von Trier digitally replaced the actors’ penises with those from body doubles.