Is sex always fanservice?

[warty goblin]

My first day working on a farm I saw one of the cows relieving herself... and the bull standing behind her lapping it up like a drinking fountain. I dread to even imagine what the ducks get up to. Animals are dirty, filthy perverts.

The first thing to understand is that male ducks regard sex as a full contact no holds barred competitive sport. If that means bodyslamming your rival off his mate, grabbing the most exposed bit available, and giving it a good hard yank, that's what a male duck will do.

That's the males. The females are, left to their own devices, even kinkier. They just regard life as one large orgy, limited only by how many lady ducks they can get into a pile without toppling over. Naturally they'll also do this in the communal water supply.

Of course being ducks, it's all undertaken with a sort of befuddled and innocuous enjoyment so far as I can tell. Perverted isn't quite the right word for it, it's just how they roll. Unlike chickens, they don't really have hierarchies and the attendant cheating on the side that comes with them either. It's just one big pile-on.

Turkeys though are disgusting creatures. I used to raise 'em as a kid, and the only highlight was that eventually they got so fat they couldn't try to breed with me anymore. Lemme tell you, there are few sights in the world less appealing than a turned-on turkey aimed in your general direction.

[DomaDoma]

Sex can be used for characterization if you're a very, very good writer. Michael Flynn is flat-out amazing at it. Like, the couple that has make-up sex and sex after unforced compliments doesn't last. And the couple with the open marriage have sex in a way that highlights their competitive natures, and then the husband dallies with a girl just to show that she's loved, which frosts his wife while the flings didn't. And a character speculates about how meticulous a lay the master planner must be, when in fact she's just awkward because she just doesn't have sex in her daily planner; he muses that even when it's bad, it's good, which kind of encapsulates the fact that the two of them don't quite mesh right but mesh enough to give it a go anyway.

Blow-by-blow sex scenes, though, are always fanservice.

[The Succubus]

One case I can recall right away is the movie Watchmen. The "sex scene in the sky", between two characters whose awkward relation we had grown to like, is extremely well done and liberating.
The beautiful, and ironic, BGM ("Hallelujah") helps us think: "Yes, this is right. This should happen."

I actually found that scene rather amusing in a wry sort of way but not overly sexy.

[Kelb_Panthera]

Breaking Bad? I have only seen the first 3 seasons, but the ones that immediately spring to mind are Hank's lackluster bday handjob and then him attempting to get some from Lois in the kitchen post-cancer. Neither one were fanservice at all.

I actually just finished watching all 4 seasons about a month ago, back-to-back on netflix over about 2 weeks.

I recall a love scene between Walt and his wife in like the 2nd or 3rd episode. Very organic.

The one where they jump each other after Walt leaves his "goodbye" message on the answering machine was pure fan-service, IMO. It's like she picked up the idiot ball right before she checked her messages. How the hell did she not hear the message beneath the message?

[Kyberwulf]

Yes, it is always Fan service. No sex scenes are really integral to the plot. You can always tell a story without showing the sex scenes. People want to see it though. Just cause we are dirty perverts. You can argue you all you want that to show what happens during some scenes is necessary to the plot. That isn't really true. You could have watched the Terminator, they could have done it so that you would know they had sex, and that.. opps Spoiler alert. well.. Yeah, known why it had to happen. Sex sells, that's the main reason they show those scenes.
Happy sex scenes sell, cause hey, who doesn't want to see Kate Beckinsales Boobs.
Unhappy Sex scenes sell, cause it "shows the negative action that drives the characters or character to do they things they do."

A point I want I want to ask is, why do you need sex to sell something in the first place. Is it because it seems more "Adult?" Would any movies be any less if they didn't have sexual themes? Would you have cared less about The Girl who kicked the Hornets nest? Would films such as, I spit on your grave and The Last house on the Left, have been better if they done the scenes in those films more..."tastefully?" At which point does showing those kind of actions serve to, show characteriztion?

blah, .. losing my train of thought. the point is, yes its all fan service. You don't NEED to show sex for any real reason in the movies or in books or in games or Tv. They put those scenes in there so they can attract people.


Ps, I am not saying I don't like seeing naked people on screen and reading the good parts of books, but c'mon who are you trying to fool.

[Kato]

So, now we finally have a pretty direct statement saying "sex is always fanservice". But isn't that because we perceive it as such? Why would sex be any more fanservice-y than watching people eat? Or kiss. Whatever. Or if we take two less attractive people and make them have a sex scene is that really fanservice? Not some brutal rape scene just a sex scene that is not appealing to most people (because, as people said, there is always SOMEONE who will enjoy it)

Most people have sex on a regular basis yet people in media are not allowed to do so or it is framed as just a way to sell stuff? Why do we think sex is so... special? Weird? Forbidden?

[GolemsVoice]

Why is sex fanservice, always? Isn't the very definition of fanservice sex(yness) that has no in-story justification? As others said, sex is a natural, and deeply personal part of our lives, at least, it can be. You certainly don't need to show everything, but why NOT show something? Just because you don't NEED to show a certain scene doesn't mean it's fanservice if you DO show the scene. If two characters have been dating for a long time, or if they had a lot of unresolved tension, and the film/book/episode features events that get these people together, why not show they have sex? Sure, you don't need to throw naked flesh all over the screen, but why not show the result of the character's romantic involvements?

I man, if you think about it, a movie can do without a LOT of scenes.

[ManuelSacha]

While I absolutely agree, the cheap ejaculation metaphor ruined it a bit for me. What was THAT about?

Rule of Funny, I guess.

I actually found that scene rather amusing in a wry sort of way but not overly sexy.

Yup, that is it.

Well, that's somewhat subjective; that was the low point for me [...], because it's just so damn disgusting. [...] Dan is just a hideous creature

Yeah... hehe... it's like... ugly people shouldn't be allowed to bone. Ever!
AMIRITE?

NOTE: I am of course just joking, nor I agree with Water Bear's evaluation of Dan's attractiveness. Because Dan is just Patrick Wilson with a bad haircut.

[RPGuru1331]

The beautiful, and ironic, BGM ("Hallelujah") helps us think: "Yes, this is right. This should happen."

That wasn't "ironic". The song is about sex, if you listen to it beyond "Glory Hallelujah". AFAIK, its the only correct use of the song in history. Leonard Cohen must laugh his way to the bank every time its used as a ballad.

[The Succubus]

It's also left completely incapable of listening to the song without laughing. XD

In terms of the sex/fanservice thing, I'm going to let y'all in on a little secret: I enjoy sex scenes. However, it has to be done in a way that is believable and passionate and above all, romantic. Despite being a fan of True Blood (sorry), I don't find any of the sex scenes in it remotely appealling. I guess because for the most part the sex is merely an enjoyable distraction for those involved, no different to playing a game or enjoying a film.

An example of a good sex scene for me is actually Mass Effect 1. Partly because I'm a big fan of Liara but I guess its more because as I played the game and got to understand the character of Liara. Mostly though, it was very tastefully done, it was attractive without being excessive. Bioware really screwed up with Dragon Age though. The sex scenes in that were merely characters without armour on rolling around in their underwear. The net result looked extremely stupid.

[VanBuren]

Yes, it is always Fan service. No sex scenes are really integral to the plot. You can always tell a story without showing the sex scenes. People want to see it though. Just cause we are dirty perverts. You can argue you all you want that to show what happens during some scenes is necessary to the plot. That isn't really true. You could have watched the Terminator, they could have done it so that you would know they had sex, and that.. opps Spoiler alert. well.. Yeah, known why it had to happen. Sex sells, that's the main reason they show those scenes.
Happy sex scenes sell, cause hey, who doesn't want to see Kate Beckinsales Boobs.
Unhappy Sex scenes sell, cause it "shows the negative action that drives the characters or character to do they things they do."

A point I want I want to ask is, why do you need sex to sell something in the first place. Is it because it seems more "Adult?" Would any movies be any less if they didn't have sexual themes? Would you have cared less about The Girl who kicked the Hornets nest? Would films such as, I spit on your grave and The Last house on the Left, have been better if they done the scenes in those films more..."tastefully?" At which point does showing those kind of actions serve to, show characteriztion?

blah, .. losing my train of thought. the point is, yes its all fan service. You don't NEED to show sex for any real reason in the movies or in books or in games or Tv. They put those scenes in there so they can attract people.


Ps, I am not saying I don't like seeing naked people on screen and reading the good parts of books, but c'mon who are you trying to fool.

But you can say this about this about so many things in any story that it's not very helpful. In any given story, there are few things you NEED. But just because you can tell a story without something, doesn't mean that doing so is the best idea.

[Lord Seth]

Why is sex fanservice, always? Isn't the very definition of fanservice sex(yness) that has no in-story justification?

Don't think so. There's a lot of series that have some in-story justification for fanservice, doesn't change the fact it's fanservice.

Like...characters go to the beach. That's an in-story reason for them to be wearing skimpy swimsuits. It's still fanservice.

[Sith_Happens]

Bioware really screwed up with Dragon Age though. The sex scenes in that were merely characters without armour on rolling around in their underwear. The net result looked extremely stupid.

I might have been able to let it pass if they hadn't graced the scenes in question with the tackiest music I've ever heard. Though in an ironic sort of way, the whole thing did serve quite well to supplement the humor of the words "Achievement Unlocked: Witch Gone Wild." I'm pretty sure I blew my LIVE party's eardrums out laughing when that appeared on screen.

[Traab]

Don't think so. There's a lot of series that have some in-story justification for fanservice, doesn't change the fact it's fanservice.

Like...characters go to the beach. That's an in-story reason for them to be wearing skimpy swimsuits. It's still fanservice.

By in story I think the meaning is more aimed at plot reason. For example, I mention high school of the dead alot. There was a "in story" reason for the girls to all be in night wear. That didnt mean they had to show extensive footage of girls in their undies or less bouncing all over the place and falling out of their clothes. They didnt have to have all their discussions while wearing an apron and panties or just a towel. They could have gotten dressed when they made their escape. Its not like they were in that big of a hurry that they couldnt pull on some pants. Hell, one of them DOES get dressed, but not the rest. All of that was technically done for a story reason, but it was only added in for fanservice.

Picture this scene. You have a humvee, a guy with a lot of guns, and 4 girls. One is wearing clothes, we dont see much of her. One is wearing a pair of panties and an apron, she is currently standing on the roof of the moving humvee, apron flapping all over the place in the breeze. The gun nut is poking his head out of the sun roof with his weapon being aimed. He is positioned right underneath said apron girl. The other two are wearing tight night shirts and panties and are currently also sticking out of the sunroof, sandwiching him between their breasts. These paved roads are suspiciously bumpy, and we also get to see the shockwave from his guns recoils lovingly drawn in the breasts of the girls holding onto him. They are trying to rescue the only other guy in the group so technically this is all a part of the plot. But there isnt a single girl there not in possession of a full outfit of actual clothing, and once again, they had time to pack up and load the car before starting the rescue. They had time to change, but decided to go outside at night, half naked, into combat. This was done entirely for fanservice. None of this was needed to be done dressed like that. Plot or not, it served no use other than to give guys eye candy.

[danzibr]

People have already said this (and exactly the opposite), but no.

Read the Berserk manga. Sometimes it's quite dreadful.