Immodesty is Cool, Except When it Isn't
Jessalyn Hutto
People often joke that one of the easiest ways for an actress to get critical acclaim is to undress in a movie. By showing massive amounts of skin or engaging in an explicit sex scene, she is suddenly taken seriously and praised for her “raw” and “honest” portrayal of a character and perhaps even nominated for a few coveted awards. In these instances the actress is encouraged to view her body as a tool to be used in the portrayal of a character or as a blank canvas to paint layers of personality (or in many instances strip them away) to better communicate the story being told through the camera lens. She and we, the audience, are lead to believe it is not the actress who is naked, but the character.
All of these theories seemed to blow up in Hollywood’s face last week when Seth MacFarlane hosted the Oscars. Known for his brash sense of humor, MacFarlane did what he does best–made dirty, tasteless jokes at the expense of others. This was to be expected and perhaps even planned by the producers of the highly esteemed awards ceremony, and yet for some reason the audience felt he went too far...
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