Last week, the Washington Post had an in depth article about the British show Naked Attraction. I was startled to read that the show:
The U.S. trailer asks viewers: “What do men and women really find physically attractive?” The “chooser” will then winnow down from a pool of six potential dates — whose fully nude body parts are gradually revealed. Standing in colorfully lit glass booths, some are eliminated based on their genitals, or chests, and then eventually, faces. For parity, the chooser also strips down with their own naked body critiqued by the final candidates. The winning pair then go out on a date — fully clothed.
Honestly, I had to read that paragraph twice to take it in.
Being blessed with an enquiring mind, I booted up the television and turned on the first episode. (The trailer is here.) Sure enough, within a few minutes there were up close shots of penises, naked bottoms, and furry chests. One intrepid gentleman had turned his junk into a trunk–I’d loved to know how THAT decision got made.
The show is the second most streamed show on US Max. THERE ARE SEVEN SEASONS OF IT. Is anyone watching this? I couldn’t but I am super curious. Is the allure seeing all those bodies or is there more to it?
Let me know! In the meantime, I’m off to watch a very clothed Meryl Streep on Only Murders in the Building!
I’ll bet the trunk decision was made in the pub with his mates!
I’m British and had a vague awareness that this programme existed. Google tells me that it has been on terrestrial tv (Channel 4) since 2016, so it definitely has an audience or they’d have stopped making it. Complaints about the nudity have apparently been overuled as there is no sexual activity taking place and it is broadcast late enough in the evening.
I can’t think of any reason that would make me show my bits on tv, even when they were young and attractive!!!!
This got me thinking about why people want to see all the naked bodies, and I guess it’s mostly curiousity. Maybe I’m wrong, but I think most people in western society get a close look at a relatively few naked people outside of lovers, team mates in locker rooms, and various movie/TV stars. I think there’s a natural curiousity to see what “normal” bodies look like instead of idealized ones. People might wonder how their own bodies measure up. Or maybe it’s just the fascination with the wonderful human form. I didn’t know the wide variety of female genitalia until I saw the websites for labia and vulva pics.
I’m sorry, it’s not my kind of program, I would never watch it in my life, I simply can’t call a couple having a date a romance just because he thought her face, breasts, and vagina were good and she thought his penis suited her tastes. If I wanted to see romance that is built on nudity, I already have enough of that at my university with the practice of casual sex or asking for nude photos of a potential love interest to see if they convince.
I am a penis enjoyer, but this show just reminds me of Hot or Not with its pants off.
It’s a kind of hilarious show, but not in a mean-spirited way. The first reveal is genital, and someone is eliminated. then neck-down body, another is eliminated. Then faces are revealed and some questions asked, before someone is finally chosen. Then both parties are naked and get a short interview. It’s not really particularly titillating but it is an interestingly back-to-front way of choosing someone to date. I’ve seen a few episodes and they’re kind of sweet. There’s none of the nastiness or manufactured discord you find in most other dating shows.
So weird, though, to start by kicking picking out by what their bits look like.
Well, that’s sort of the point. Also quite useful is the reminder that bodies come in all shapes and sizes, there’s no such thing as “normal” penis/labia/boobs, etc – I think there’s a valid argument that shows like this do a public service by reminding us that the aesthetic standards set by porn performers, models, actors etc aren’t remotely realistic and we should maybe be a little kinder to ourselves.
That’s a great point.
When I was in college, I took a class “Human Sexuality”, and one of the first things they did in was show a presentation of picture after picture after picture of penises and vaginas. They wanted to desensitize everyone to them so that we got over the embarrassment and/or scandalized nature of seeing them. It was pretty funny, actually. Of all the human body parts, I think these are not ones I find particularly attractive and don’t know how anyone would use them to pick a mate.
It’s definitely not a rubric that calls to me!
I think you may be onto something with your comment about desensitization, Jenna. I just finished watching Sex Education (a British production), and the first 2-3 episodes were full of people having sex and sex toys or props, etc. It was just so over the top. But I think it was a deliberate choice by the creators of the show to get the audience to a headspace where they could focus on the ideas the creators really wanted to discuss/explore. I didn’t even blink (but did laugh) when one of the characters began distributing cupcakes decorated to look like vulvas many episodes in. (Great show, btw, if you haven’t seen it.)
I second your recommendation of Sex Education. I liked how the show tried to demystify thoughts and attitudes about sex. The characters were very engaging and there was a nice mix of drama and humor. Although I didn’t like this final season 4 as much as the previous 3, it still kept my interest all the way through.
You get desensitized to the flaccid penises pretty quickly. I’ve found the most interesting part to be the “dates” after the meeting and how few actually hit it off. Some of the chosen dates don’t even bother to show up to the follow up interview.
I guess I just don’t get the point of the show!
And, are there ever erect penises?
They have walked guests off the set to “calm down” after they became aroused so they wouldn’t get hard on camera, apparently.
Like Naked and Afraid, I don’t think there is a point beyond the titillation factor. Like most reality tv, it’s all about keeping eyeballs on the screen.
One would think the titillation factor would have worn off after six seasons!
How many years have bouncing boobs been on the sidelines of football games? And there have been 15 seasons of Naked and Afraid here in the US. (The only reason I keep referring to N&A is that it plays on The Discovery Channel (!!) on Sunday mornings at my gym; and it is quite the visual contrast to all the Sunday morning, political talking heads.)
IMO, all of this is an indication of just how dysfunctional and repressed we are as a society. God forbid anyone see a naked human body – or even a part of it – as something totally ordinary in the normal course of one’s day.
I changed doctors a year ago because my 50-something FEMALE GP couldn’t bring herself to remain in the room with me while I stripped down for a physical exam. Her preference was that I sit on a cold examination table, feet dangling, waiting for her to appear “in order to save time”. I refused to strip down and conduct the entire meeting in the nude while she was comfortably clothed and seated in a regular chair. When I got up to drop my pants, she scurried out of the room mumbling, “I can’t do this!” It was ridiculous. She can put her fingers inside my body but seeing my pants come off was a bridge too far.
Whoa.
Good Lord! I hope you’re seeing someone else now!
Oh yes. New doc within weeks.
I have always found it baffling that in the US patients are required to either wear gowns or remain clothed when parts of their bodies are examined. I have had my lung sounds checked with a stethoscope atop my shirt, awkwardly pushed the gown aside while getting a mammogram, and my OBGYNs – all female – always do a breast exam with their hands under the gown, never without me actually standing there naked in front of them to see. Wouldn’t you want to visually inspect for abnormalities, i.e. skin cancer?
Good for you for having found a new GP who hopefully is less puritan in their exam room.
In general, doctors in the US are like that for fear of lawsuits. When my husband opened his own practice, several decades ago, his patient population was predominantly female. Our malpractice insurer told him to never be alone in the room with a patient who was unclothed in any way. And, since most women–at that point in time–didn’t want a “strange” man to see them naked, we hired women. (Male patients didn’t care.)