Culture
What “Sex Positivity” Is—And What It Isn’t
Have you ever seen a movie made before the year 1968? Hollywood at this time was subject to the rigors of a government-directed policy, the Motion Picture Production Code, also known as the Hays Code. Among other things, the Hays Code prevented films from depicting sex scenes, or more specifically, “lustful kissing” and “scenes of passion.”
By Gwen Farrell4 min read
Things conclude in fireworks or fade to black before the couple takes things further, and this is the way love scenes were handled on-screen for decades. Actors didn’t have to simulate intercourse to get a point across, and audiences everywhere weren’t subjected to awkward, intrusive scenes.