As the weather gets colder and our workload gets heavier, Tufts students get more stressed out. And when Tufts students get stressed, they tend to do one of two things. One: whine to all of their friends — on Facebook, no less! — about their assignments. Two: take off their clothes. There's an inverse causal relationship between the number of hours spent in Tisch and the amount of clothing the average student wears. For me, final exams are an inglorious abyss with one bright spot: the Naked Quad Run.
This year, however, our exam distractions have been sanitized. The drunken cheers and the "fop−fop−fop−fop" of naked bodies in motion have been replaced with the bland sound of pancakes being flipped and carnival rides. If I get bruised on my inner thigh, I'd rather it be from pile−driving the concrete, not from riding some mechanical bull — the fake fur gives mad rug−burn.
So what will I do to replace this debauched undressing? Watch the movie "Shame" (2011), of course! Directed by Steve McQueen, this film explores the life of a man with a self−destructive addiction to sex and features significant male nudity from the film's lead, Michael Fassbender. For these reasons, the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) decided to slap the film with the most notorious of ratings: NC−17.
A quick history lesson for all you readers: The NC−17 rating was originally conceived with hopes of removing the stigma associated with adults−only films. Previously, the rating above R was X. There were several successful films released under the X rating — "Midnight Cowboy" (1969), "A Clockwork Orange" (1971) and "Last Tango in Paris" (1972) come to mind. All of these films feature explicit sexual activity. "A Clockwork Orange" features one particularly disturbing rape scene, and "Last Tango in Paris" gives a whole new meaning to the name for my column. Starring Jon Voight as a failed gigolo, "Midnight Cowboy" has the prestige of being the only X−rated film to win the Best Picture Academy Award.
When the MPAA changed from X to NC−17, the stigma carried over. The explanation is chiefly financial — several large movie theater chains refuse to show NC−17 films. Just this week, Cinemark, the third−largest domestic cinema group, announced it would not carry "Shame." Also, certain newspapers won't allow advertisements for such films, and television ads are limited to certain hours of the night.
For most studios, these restrictions all add up to box−office suicide. Films like Ang Lee's "Lust, Caution" (2007) were box−office flops. That's why most major studios will appeal the rating and pare down the sexuality in order to get an R rating. Last year, when the film "Blue Valentine" (2010) was rated NC−17, Harvey Weinstein, head of The Weinstein Company responsible for distributing the film, made a very public petition to the MPAA to change the rating. Many popular films like "American Pie" (1999) have gone through such resubmissions and re−ratings.
The financial performance of "Shame" could have a legitimizing effect on the rating. Should "Shame" do well, producers might be more open to NC−17. "Shame" is estimated to have earned a solid $40,000 per screen this past weekend, so there is hope. Then again, it's possible that the film's success is merely the result of controversial rating. Fox Searchlight has done a great job marketing the film as a sort of exclusive event for mature audiences.
Still, I don't think that the "tasteful" shots of Michael Fassbender's junk will be a good−enough substitute for NQR. Apparently, students at Brown have a tradition of nonchalantly undressing and then parading around their library while eating donuts. I can't speak for anyone else, but I'm craving some Dunkin' Donuts Munchkins…
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