Later this month, Japanese moviegoers will be able to see male genitalia on a movie screen without any cuts or edits for the Japanese premiere of Kinsey. Films that have previously tried to push the boundary of censorship were not saved for artistic merits and instead were regarded as pornography.
Japan's Eirin, the name commonly used for the Administration Commission of Motion Picture Code of Ethics, has traditionally taken a hard line against the display of reproductive organs on celluloid, requiring moviemakers to blot them out of view by using a digital mosaic.
The biggest dispute over sexual censorship involved Nagisa Oshima's In The Realm Of Senses.
Oshima claimed the famously revealing movie was art, but Eirin insisted it was pornographic and censors sliced through the movie. Even when given a re-run in Japanese theaters five years ago, Eirin still make adjustments to 15 parts of the movie.
But in regards to Kinsey, the Commission decided not to edit the film.
The scene in "Kinsey" where the genitalia are displayed features Liam Neeson as the title character explaining the reproductive act to a group of university students. The scene is depicted as an earth-shattering moment in Kinsey's life because it prompts him to realize that existing sex education is insufficient and he begins his study to find data to back up his demand for improvements.
The scene of nudity was deemed both artistic and educational and "did not touch on Eirin's regulations." Some say that this film might kindle debate on how Japan views sexuality and how Japan censors its films.
"There's a chance that showing this movie without a mosaic may deepen discussion about sex education. Hopefully, this movie could establish a precedent for how sexuality is depicted," says Japan's foremost sexologist Kim Myung Gan.
Oliver Stone's Any Given Sunday has given Japan its closest imagery to date of male genitalia in a scene where "a male member pops up when two football players clash."
It think this is a huge first step toward possibly the end of film censorship. I know I'm being over-optimistic, but one can have hopes and dreams.
The news link was found by reading Boing Boing.net.
Article comments
1 - TBJ
From what I read I guess Japan is as hypocritical in its mainstream moral values as the US is.
In US movies you can blow 100 people away with machine guns, show titties and behead people, but you can't show a penis or else a little fairie will die...
2 - Duane
Yes, it's about time that the righteous demands by the Japanese moviegoing public to see penises on the big screen were met. I hope they will stand tall and firm in their resolve and not go limp in their fight against the current code of movie ethics.
3 - Aaron, Duke De Mondo
thank god for this. maybe now a fella will be able to find a print of Visitor Q that isn't awash with digital blurring.
4 - gonzo marx
i realize this is a turgid issue for some, but remember you can't lick it by being soft...
waitaminnit..::::looks at the title again:::.. is this as opposed to seeing a female penis?
just curious...
Excelsior!
5 - Natalie Bennett
I was just about to edit the title Excelsior, but now you've left that comment I can't - well anyway, the early moderns thought female genitalia was just male turned inside out, so there is some historical precedent.
6 - Tan The Man
Well, we don't want to offend the women that do have penises. It won't be right. I want to be as specific as possible.
7 - Duane
Thanks for coming clean with that explanation, Tan. We thought you had pulled a boner with that title, although the thrust of the article was quite clear. By not includng women with penises, at least Eirin is erecting some barriers to poor taste.
... will be able to see male genitalia on a movie screen without any cuts ....
[Joke goes here.]
8 - Tan The Man
Hah. Good one.
9 - Jennifer
What about the VAGINA? all people talk about showing the penis on the silver screen as ground breaking. However we have never seen a full and complete view of the vagina and focus directly on the female organ. It is always censored or even in frontal views, you do not see the female sex organ until a girls spreades her legs and that has never been shown. Why the double standard, why can you show male genitalia from all angles but not female genitalia. Why are women's genitals viewed as a filthy dirty organ and male genitals are praised for showing them? Why only in porn can you see a vulva but not in the silver screen? All people should ask themselves these questions and maybe one day the vagina will make headlines. Movie makers show for the first time the vagina in full view on the silver screen. Perhaps in 20 years down the road this will occur. How sad that women's vaginas can only be talked about, but not shown, perhaps it might blind people if they look directly at one.
10 - gonzo marx
i think the japanese viewing audience is ok with the male vagina...but male penis'(peni?)..have been verboten since WW2now..the female vagina has no taboo in jhapanese culture...however the female penis is a rare thing indeed, and never seen except in manga or anime
ok..i think i have taken this joke about as far as i can go...
Excelsior!
11 - Bob A. Booey
Gonzo Marx ... not funny! Excalibur!
Hey, Jen ... make a movie and show your vag then. No one's stopping ya.
But only if you're hot.
That is all.
12 - gonzo marx
hey bob a. booey ...Howard Stern called, he's missing his sidekick...
nuff said?
Excelsior!
13 - Bob A. Booey
Howard Stern? Never heard of him.
Hey, Gonzo Marx. Kotex called, they said they're missing their douchebag.
Random anonymous editor person who is killing my soul: that doesn't need editing. It's meant in good-spirited give-and-take, it's not offensive, it's not a swear, and it's a non-specific, funny joke that doesn't actually say anything about the person. Lighten up, Puritan Nazis :) My presence on this site is like a rare beautiful flower that blooms even more rarely. Don't stomp on me indiscriminately like so many common dandelions, my loves.
Plus, Gonzo doesn't mind, do you, Gonzo?
As you can see from the neo-con/Wolfowitz discussion, Gonzo and I get along just fine.
Excalibur!
That is all.
14 - Jennifer
Bob A. Booey
How strange, you and other men would rather look at a penis then a vagina? where have all the real men gone? Or maybe its just me, but one would think that men would think about seeing a vagina rather then a penis, but I guess I was wrong and here Bob A Booey like seeing penises then vaginas.
15 - gonzo marx
heyas Bob..
it's all good, no worries...
that is more than enuff...
{8^P~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Excelsior!
16 - Bob A. Booey
Jennifer, you got me all wrong, baby. I'll spank you.
I'm all man :) And I do not want to see schlong on the big screen. If I saw a schlong on TV, I'd change the channel. The male anatomy is a gross thing, except for mine of course.
I'm all for vag on film. Are you hot? Let's make movies.
That is all.
17 - Mellissa
Hey dudes,
Well did not knw how I found myself hera typin this thing, But sounded all so interesting!I would like to knw about how you guyz/chicks think about the male penis. I am only young so this is quite nice to hear, from the mouths of males that knw what they are dealin with, and knw what they want. But yeah just wondering Im into Kama Sutra but are you guyz into it? like just askin cause males hera/and ladies..
18 - Mellissa
BUT got to say! Im happy and think about time the show the male penis on TV! WHOWEEE! cause I find it really annoying seeing chicks tits (psssst well actually like it) and seeing thera arse/vag as they are so close! and not being able to see the males penis or balls..And now I think they should show it all the time! or atleast thera balls! as they see our tits!thats all from me! later Dudes/etts
19 - Nancy
I don't know why anyone would want to see the privates of either gender gaping out in the open. Men's genitalia are kind of pitiful & silly-looking (in general), & women's resemble nothing much at all. Consider all the classical art where genitalia are visible. Sort of sorry-looking, and not very sexy. People are sexier when they're somewhat covered & the imagination is allowed to come into play, what?
20 - Mellissa
I like your point, imagination is wonderful when it comes to our minds...picturing, or even getting alil carried away on the *horny side* (pssst only for me to knw haha b/f) BUT neway I find the males 'love muscel' quite nice to look at, like when they are covered up its like...WELL what ya got ta hide? *2 Directors* we ALL knw wat you got! and the human body is a beautiful thing! * Well me love my body, wouldnt wanna change it and have come to love it! and yeah I can trip on my ego to hehe pft confident, beauitful and brave tee hee* but we can all say what we want, wonderful 'Freedom of Speech' and I think its awsome to see the male penis *dont like dont look ; )*
21 - Seastian
Personally ive allways wondered why it is that in most japanese pornography the male genitalia is censored. I find this specific act of censorship to be degrading to femails. As if women were unworthy of censorship, it is in this matter that i lose respect with country's that still have gender discrimination. The female body is to be worshiped for all its glorries as it bears life to the very being we are. As men we should feel nothing but respect for our counterparts and if anything it should be our parts censored. But then again who can blame the japanese for censoring the males penis in most of their pornography. After all, i know id want my penis censored if it was that small.
22 - Jamie
Personlly, I find it quite hipocrtical when female nudity (of ANY kind) is seemingly 'ok' and viewed as art. If it's so mainstream for females to be viewed natural, why is not for men? If we're so evolved that we consider both male and/or female nudity as morally or ethically wrong then maybe we're not as evolved as we think. After all, when anyone is 'told' something is wrong, unethical, immoral or just plain "bad," don't we as an intellectual part of creation want to do just that which is told to us to be a "no no?" Come on people! This "puritan" way of logic is actually so illogical. Look at those society's where partial or complete nudity is their way of life. Look at their crime rate and views towards sex and sexuality. It's almost if not, non-existant and "we" consider oursevles moral, ethical and have this "better than thou" additude. Get a grip people! Geesh! Why is this even an issue? Nothing bettr to do than point fingers, ay?
23 - Dude
Personally, I think that Penis = Vagina. They clearly show only Penis on UK TV and NEVER Vagina. This is sexist, whichever way you look at it - and it WILL change. So all those women sitting there all smug getting to compare male genitals may well find that in 10 years time they too will be subject to pre-watershed vaginas which are sold as being shown for "medical" or "artistic" or "educational" purposes!!! Those same women who sat there all smug won't be quite so smug any more :-)
24 - Annoymous
I agree with Dude! I find it amazing that the ratings boards can show male genitalia in R rated films but any actual labia is an instant nc-17. As a guy I'm definitly not use to using the word sexist but that's exactly what it is. Women always complain about equality so let's have it! Guess everyones afraid of the parade in front of Washington that would cause...