Sex Text 3: Sex on TV: When Does It Become Too Much?

Would you and the other millions of viewers like you tune into the Sopranos every week if it wasn’t filled with boobs every time that Tony is in the strip club or is cheating on his wife? That is a good question, and one that should be asked but seldom is. When does “Sex on TV” go too far? How much sex is needed to make a drama or any show more interesting?

One of the most successful TV stations is HBO. Emmy upon Emmy is thrown at the station for its awesome shows of every genre. You’ve got the comedies like “Sex and the City” and “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” but you also have the best dramas on TV like “The Wire” and “The Sopranos.” But what is it that makes HBO so good? Is it the fact that if you sat down and watched it for an hour you’d see about 3 sets of melons? Or is it great storytelling? MadTV once did a bit on HBO’s slogan, “It’s not TV. It’s HBO on TV,” but changing it too “It’s not TV. It’s porn with Emmys.” That is a funny quote, but it brings up a good question. When do these subscription only cable stations cross the boundary into porn?

I would probably draw the line when the storytelling becomes sub-par. After all, if we wanted bad dialogues and terrible plot lines, we can just go get some actual porn. But instead, we (hopefully) are watching the shows on HBO, Showtime and Cinemax for their great plotlines, with a little bit of pleasure thrown in. But, I’ve been thinking about this. How do we know when the plot lines become bad, like porn? After all, the stations are not going to make a big leap towards bad plot lines. Instead, it will be a gradual switch going on as the company realizes more and more that people are just watching the stations for the sex scenes.

However, we are not there yet. And I can almost guarantee that. This is because these shows are being adapted to normal cable networks without the porno scenes, and they are still just as popular. Some could argue that “Sex and The City” got the Emmys before, but earned them now on their TBS spot. More and more people are tuning into the show now than before because they can relate to it more. NEWSWEEK said that now it is not a show based on sex, but four friends. Interesting take. Also, the Sopranos is now on A&E and got 4.4 million viewers in its first showing. And without boobs over Tony’s shoulder every five minutes! And, heck, I can watch the Sopranos without being afraid of my Mom walking in my room to tell me something and thinking that I’m watching porn. Always a positive.

But, as times are changing and the nation with it, the controversial issue of sex on TV is leaving the paid subscription stations and heading to network TV. Anyone remember the Seinfeld episode “The Contest,” where the four friends had a bet to see who could refrain from masturbating the longest. Even though no skin was shown during that episode, it was highly sexual in nature. And now we are even getting the skin, like in FX’s Nip/Tuck, where girls are flaunting their bodies in thongs and half-bras. FX has always been known as a cable-porno station, but young kids could be flipping through the stations and see stuff like this. One more network TV example: who has not seen the sex scene where they show the head of the bed banging against the wall? Such a cliché sex scene that has been shown on almost every TV show imaginable.

NEWSWEEK also detailed a new show on CBS called “SwingTown.” This is a show based on the sexual liberation that people felt during the 70s. It details a couple that invites their new neighbors over in the pilot, to have a swinger party. The show was originally written for HBO, but was refused because of “Big Love.” This is probably the first show (with “Sex and the City” not counting because it was made on HBO) that is completely centered around sex that is made for normal cable television. You can even watch CBS with an antenna. I don’t know if this is the right path that this country should take regarding sex on TV.

But I also believe that we shouldn’t rely on the FCC to determine what is and is not appropriate for us to view on TV. The problem lies within us and our moral system. We should not be sending this message to our kids that sex is OK to have with whomever you want, whenever you want. Look at “Friends.” Each member of the group (I don’t know about Phoebe) has had sex with another member and flaunts it. OK. Community sex. Sounds like a great moral lesson. The media shows us what we want to see, so let’s pick up the morals and stop these kinds of things. Thanks for reading and please comment/rate