Why is Sex as recreation seen as more taboo then violence? Especially in Media?

[Samtemdo8]

I have always wondered this because I have long since come to some kind of understanding regarding these 2 things. I am of the belief that its kinda "unfair" that Sex as recreation is seen as more taboo then depictions of violence in media.

Let me put it this way as to why I think this way: How I see it, Sex has a face that can be seen as beautiful, romantic, loving, pleasure, etc. And while yes Sex does indeed have a dark side, a face that can be seen as rape, abuse, non-consent, and other bad aspects. I think violence on the other hand has no good side to it, no positive aspects at all. Violence brings nothing but death, grief, sorrow, and rage that begets more violence.

Like why is say romantic scenes of two couples having sex seen as cringe and taboo while seeing a guy's head lopped off or intestines hanging out while a person is grieving over their dead less so?

 

[Iron]

Are you watching censored Russian or Malaysian stuff? I don't understand. Sex is everywhere, in my face, most of the time in adult fiction. Check out 50 shades.

 

[Samtemdo8]

Are you watching censored Russian or Malaysian stuff? I don't understand. Sex is everywhere, in my face, most of the time in adult fiction. Check out 50 shades.

...No?

I am just asking about Sex in general being seen as this cultural taboo in media.

 

[Worgen]

I think it mainly has to come from conservative christian values, where sex is seen as something sacred and shameful unless between two married people. Violence on the other hand can be more about defending the the righteous against the heathens. While a lot of video games and movies and such are violent, its actually pretty rare for the main characters to be the ones instigating that violence, its almost always defensive or as a means of revenge.

 

[SilentPony]

Religion. Our cultures are still the product of thousands of years of female sexual repression by men in the name of one God or another.

 

[Terminal Blue]

What media are we talking about?

Violence appears a lot in some genres, particularly horror and action. These are also, incidentally, fairly likely as film genres go to depict sex and nudity. They are also genres which have historically been looked down upon for being exploitative and tasteless.

I think the idea that violence in media is celebrated and sex in media is unfairly maligned is kind of a truism at this point.

If what you're really asking is why graphic sex seldom appears in mainstream media, well that's a slightly different question that doesn't necessarily relate to which is more taboo.

 

[stroopwafel]

Reminds people of their animalistic nature. You can't detach from it like you can with depictions of violence and death. I also have the impression for many people it violates the private space in their psyche that neatly partitioned sexual desire as separate from their self-perception. This is why sex illicits such strong emotions, espescially shame.

 

[SupahEwok]

Sexual gratification in media rots brains in ways that violence doesn't. Just look at weebs.

 

[Houseman]

Sexual gratification in media rots brains in ways that violence doesn't. Just look at weebs.

I would think that the "violence" equivalent to weebs would be gun nuts, army-wannabees, MMA-wannabees, your overall "tough guy" who doesn't want to wear a mask because of "his rights".

 

[fOx]

I think recreational sex is awesome. I think watching other people have recreational sex is sad.

 

[SupahEwok]

I would think that the "violence" equivalent to weebs would be gun nuts, army-wannabees, MMA-wannabees, your overall "tough guy" who doesn't want to wear a mask because of "his rights".

Yeah, I forgot that Dirty Harry was real big in 1776.

"You find very few people who want to eat things that really are not food or to do other things with food instead of eating it. In other words, perversions of the food appetite are rare. But perversions of the sex instinct are numerous, hard to cure, and frightful. I am sorry to have to go into all these details but I must. The reason why I must is that you and I, for the last twenty years, have been fed all day long on good solid lies about sex. We have been told, till one is sick of hearing it, that sexual desire is in the same state as any of our other natural desires and that if only we abandon the silly old Victorian idea of hushing it up, everything in the garden will be lovely. It is not true. The moment you look at the facts, and away from the propaganda, you see that it is not. They tell you sex has become a mess because it was hushed up. But for the last twenty years it has not been. It has been chattered about all day long. Yet it is still in a mess. If hushing up had been the cause of the trouble, ventilation would have set it right. But it has not. I think it is the other way round. I think the human race originally hushed it up because it had become such a mess."

C. S. Lewis, Before TV Was Even Invented, and It's All Been Downhill Since Then

 

[Worgen]

I think recreational sex is awesome. I think watching other people have recreational sex is sad.

 

[fOx]

View attachment 528

What a sad, pathetic creature that zebra is. Instead of having sex itself, it is going to die for the privilege of seeing another, stronger, smarter, better animal reproduce. Perhaps it knows that it has no value, except to be eaten.

 

[Worgen]

What a sad, pathetic creature that zebra is. Instead of having sex itself, it is going to die for the privilege of seeing another, stronger, smarter, better animal reproduce. Perhaps it knows that it has no value, except to be eaten.

Christians are so weird.

 

[Houseman]

Yeah, I forgot that Dirty Harry was real big in 1776.

What?
I'm sorry, could you rephrase, or perhaps explain what your point is?

 

[fOx]

Christians are so weird.

Who said anything about christianity? All I said is that recreational sex is fun and enjoyable, but that watching other people have sex out of desperation and loneliness is sad. A picture of a lonely zebra that is probably going to die for the sake of voyeurism doesn't change my mind. It should go out and have sex with another zebra. Maybe get some friends. It should stop watching anime, and finally write that novel its been dreaming about.

 

[Hawki]

I can think of a few:

-Sex is generally considered taboo in Abrahamic religions. Since we're all speaking English here, and most of us are in Western countries, that view's informed the general culture.

-From a narrative standpoint, more can be got out of violence than sex. We discussed this on an earlier thread about writing sex scenes, but generally, it's easier to progress plot and character development through violence than sex. If it's relevant to the story that two characters have intercourse, one generally doesn't have to go into the nitty gritty. In contrast, violence generally requires description/depiction, whether it be the protagonist triumphing over the antagonist, or describing how a larger battle plays out.

I think recreational sex is awesome. I think watching other people have recreational sex is sad.

Yeah, well, that's all well and good, but if you can't have recreational sex (sans hiring a prostitute or something), then watching sex becomes a consolation prize.

 

[SupahEwok]

Christians are so weird.

 

[Worgen]

Who said anything about christianity? All I said is that recreational sex is fun and enjoyable, but that watching other people have sex out of desperation and loneliness is sad. A picture of a lonely zebra that is probably going to die for the sake of voyeurism doesn't change my mind. It should go out and have sex with another zebra. Maybe get some friends. It should stop watching anime, and finally write that novel its been dreaming about.

I find christians really like to define themselves by what groups they aren't and how much better they feel about themselves because of that. Granted everyone kinda does that, its probably part of the reason that furries are still the punching bag of the internet. But I'm sure I don't have to remind you about other groups that people love to just view as perverts, like people that watch movies, people that watch cartoons, people that play video games, people that play DnD, people that read comics, people that don't have good old fashion christian values, like punching gays.

 

[Worgen]