Naked Hollywood Stars: Why is Nudity Still Taboo?

Hollywood stars, as a rule, don't engage in dangerous stunts. Studios employ body doubles to protect against physical harm, and for all sorts of other reasons too. Despite a modern society that's more open and where even 'anything goes', to where nearly every type of weird, even ultra violent scene plays out on big movies, and even little TV screens, one area is still taboo - nudity. Naked Hollywood stars are still considered forbidden territory.

It's gotten a little better. Certainly some film stars, mostly lesser known ones, will gladly bare all for the cameras, however it's still not commonly accepted. Now I'm not talking sex scenes, least of all anything truly pornographic. I'm considering anytime an actor or actress goes without, or skimps in clothing. Even in something as more or less innocent as a scene on a beach, a body double may be employed to spare an actor or actress from revealing too much.

For example, the liberating, and often wacky world of a farcical comedy or even an old fashioned romantic comedy is bound by such apparently out dated morals. These cinematic situations work best if there's a joke or two - or three or four - based around a wild, even steamy scene of romance or even sex. Let's face it, sex can be great, it can be uplifting, it can be healing (Marvin Gaye), but more often than not, it can be pretty funny.

Take the classic deli scene from, "When Harry Met Sally." Granted, when Meg Ryan proves to Billy Crystal women are quite capable of fooling a man into believing he's Valentino, Sean Connery and Clark Gable all rolled up into one, it's funny for Ryan's vocal gymnastics. It's one of the more adult moments of pure movie magic. It defines how a good script lets a good performer soar to unforgettable heights of comic ecstasy. One can imagine Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan romping in a hot tub, or even cuddled up in their bedroom, where a similar moment brings tears of laughter to an audience. The fact that Ryan is fully clothed - and noshing in a big city eatery while dozens look on in wonder - makes the scene that much funnier.

It proves nudity doesn't have to go hand in hand with comedy, even farcical or romantic. Now take a movie like John Carpenter's classic, "Halloween." One of the best scenes involves Lynda (P.J. Soles) teasingly showing off her bare breasts. The moment isn't only funny, it's frightening, but it also proves if P.J. Soles was reluctant to show her naked chest, the scene just wouldn't have played out as effectively.

Naked Hollywood stars may always be a rare breed, but when they're allowed to make the right creative decision, it's what William Shakespeare may have summed up as; To bare all or not to bare all - that is the question! It's the naked truth of the question, and only an equally naked answer - stripped of all social pressures, or out dated moral pretenses - truly provides an answer.