Today almost all comedies make direct or indirect reference to sex in a humorous way. Even dramatic works accentually borrow sexual humor as relief from the seriousness of the films other content. Sexuality, like race, is an inherent part of being human so it is only natural that all people would be able to relate and find humor in this instinct that has been labeled as taboo by contemporary society. But where did sex comedies come from?
Although sexual humor can be found as a part of early Grecian society, sex in cinema began, for the most part, in the 1950's. It became prevalent in the film work of British and American media. Initially outright references to sex were deemed inappropriate and not suitable for audiences. To side step the limitations of censorship guidelines created for the major motion picture studios, films hinted at sex by using metaphors, body language and physical demonstrations of dance (among other activities) to portray this taboo act.
In 1960's censorship began to deteriorate and audiences were interested in seeing content previously deemed inappropriate. In the midst of the Vietnam war and the emergence of counter culture values, censorship became less of a national focus. Around the same time studios had become almost entirely independent from the studios. Because theaters were privately owned, it was up to the theater owner to decide what was appropriate to project. Ticket sales remained high for racy films and the public began to demand more mature content.
Today box offices are littered with questionable films. Many new releases contain content some may deem offensive. Movie goers seem to be infatuated with films that contain great shock value like Jackass and countless others. Although these films are not always comedies or even based on sexual themes, the 1950's sex comedy paved the way for their emergence. As long as box office ticket sales for these films are profitable these pictures will remain apart of the cinema market.
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