Nudity
can make or break a meaning
By Jack Schneider
On-line Forty-Niner
Take
a look at pop-culture, and you might notice
something that is surprisingly, ironic.
Hollywood and magazines have taken a liking
towards the phrase “less is more.” In some
cases, scantily-clad people means more junk,
while in other cases, nudity means more
attention. What the two situations both
deal with are the reactions brought on from
the public eye.
New Line Cinema’s “The Real Cancun” debuted
at no. 10 in the box office. The movie,
which was produced by the producers of “The
Real World” wanted to create a savvy, trendy
movie that was sure to be a guaranteed hit.
Were they ever wrong! Paul Dergarabedian,
president of the box office tracking service
Exhibitor Relations Co. said that this movie
has the makings of a successful movie.
The executives at New Line Cinema, along
with Dergarabedian, have exaggerated the
use of nudity to win money for the movie
industry, that it has merely lost its taste.
No wonder “The Real Cancun” flopped at the
box office. Film lovers and the 18 to 25-year-old
crowd have probably seen too much filmed
partying, and too much gratuitous nudity
that it does not thrill them anymore. When
you’ve seen one party in Cancun, you’ve
pretty much seen them all, and probably
didn’t pay $9 to see it. Despite all the
clichéd use of nudity, there has
been a different, more meaningful approach
to the usage of skin.
As most students on this campus are aware,
country sensations the Dixie Chicks posed
nude last week on the cover of “Entertainment
Weekly.” Lead singer Natalie Maines said
in the magazine, “Trust me — we never wanted
this much attention.” All three members
of the group decided to pose nude, after
numerous backlashes on how some believe
they are “anti-war” or, perhaps they were
astounded by the “Dixie Chicks Destruction
Day” brought on by Louisiana station KRMD-FM.
The group chose to do a bold, but solidly
ironic statement. If a person decides to
pose nude in a magazine, then a lot of the
public eye will notice. It’s obvious the
Dixie Chicks want this type of attention.
It is not for the reason of record sales
or publicity, but because they want to throw
the message back to all the discriminators
of the group.
The relationship between the nudity in “Cancun”
and the nudity with the Dixie Chicks is
that they both contained ironic criticism.
A film that pushes gratuitous nudity on
movie goers will not receive attention.
A country group who chooses to confront
viewers in a prolific way will gain attention.
With the use of nudity as a matter of expression,
a statement should not be force-fed to a
viewer, or else the meaning behind it is
lost. This is the reason why “The Real Cancun”
tanked, and the Dixie Chicks soared with
a profound statement
No matter way a person looks as it, the
meaning of “skin deep” in Hollywood and
Nashville is as confusing as nudity itself.
A new trend could occur from the outcome!
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