Sexiness, sexual behavior, and anything pertaining to sex gives movies and any other forms of media the edge audiences thrive for. Anything from monkey products to granny panties can sell if you add some nudity. Sex captivates audiences whether it’s watched in the home, in the theater, or on a phone, and the sad part for consumers is that marketers and producers know this: sexiness sells!
On this day, January 21st, in 1916, The National Board of Censorship attempted to ban sex in films. Many powerful religious groups from all over the states did not like the provocative Hollywood produced films and urged for the enactment of laws regulating motion pictures. The Catholic Church declared that producers should uphold their moral responsibilities to the public. In Kansas, Dallas and Washington, movies were screened and banned for nudity. Producers were not pleased with the regulation because no skin meant less profit. Many film companies protested the bans made by the National Board of Censorship, and the Appeal Board often ruled in the companies’ favor. Out of every twenty-two banned movies, about seventeen were overruled.
Even though Kansas and a few other states were against sexiness and nakedness in films, The National Board of Review allowed nudity as long as the sexual act was posed motionless, shot at a distance, or viewed briefly.