Last week, actress Evan Rachel Wood lit up Twitter when she noticed that the oral sex scene had been cut from her new indie flick, Charlie Countryman. The scene, which featured co-star Shia Labeouf performing oral sex on Wood’s character, was cut, bringing light to the double standard on female sexuality in cinema.
The MMPA has a history of censorship regarding female and gay sexuality, especially compared to heterosexual, male-centered sex scenes, and these standards can be seen as a reflection of the fact that men essentially built Hollywood back in the day. These on screen interactions tend to be written in a way that reflects the male expectations of sex, and furthermore, the female orgasm, which does not fit into a preset time or camera frame. The double standard placed on women is perpetuated throughout film when censorship committees cut female driven sex scenes. According to Wood, the MMPA cut her scene because it made audiences uncomfortable, but “the scenes in which people are murdered often completely untouched.”
So, is it a fair to cut and alter scenes that push the boundaries of typical cinema sexuality because it is believed that they make audiences uncomfortable? When I look at R-rated movies that include rape scenes and extremely graphic content, I believe that an intimate expression that accurately portrays a woman’s sexual experience is something that is needed more often. As women, we should recognize that altered and censored scenes give our partners and us unrealistic expectations and that it is up to us to set a new standard of sexuality- a realistic standard that empowers women and their sexuality.