MovieChat Forums > Selling Innocence (2005) Discussion > Am I totally messed in thinking this?

Am I totally messed in thinking this?

posted 18 years ago by bumble_b18-1
27 replies | jump to latest

I'm watching this movie for the first time, and so far, it's amazing. But, for some reason, I honestly don't see what's so wrong with showing off your body. I'm 18, 5'7" and 115 pounds. I'd do it. I find it far from degrading. If anything, it's empowering to women's sexuality. Am I horrible for thinking this? I'm not saying that I'd want to be in Pornos or anything, but is soft-porn really that bad? It's good money, and a total ego boost. I honestly won't be offended for 'colourful' responses, I really want to hear what others have to say...sorry if a board like this has already been posted, but I don't have time to read them, the movie's back on...

[–] from_the_damage 18 years ago

If you're legal age then I guess there's no problem with it. I have a problem with it, but I have a problem with the entire porn industry in general. When it comes to underage "models" though, yeah it's really that bad. Especially when they're unaware of what they're getting themselves into. The people who run those websites generally look for girls with low self-esteem or no money because they know that the "ego boost" and the "good money" will draw them in. There's nothing empowering about that no matter which way you spin it.

[–] pammiet80 18 years ago

My two cents? I think you have a low self esteem... VERY low.

[–] bumble_b18-1 18 years ago

lol aww... no not really, but I'm totally not offended. I just don't see the harm. Mind you, using 10 year olds as pin-ups is VERY wrong. I don't see why 16 year olds can do soft porn though, as long as their parents agree to it...Sorry if this angers anyone, but that's just how I feel.

[–] kiwi_love 18 years ago

But what kind of parents would knowingly allow their daughter to do soft porn?
I do think it's true that there's not much wrong if you're over 18, not technically anyway. But I'm kind of of mixed opinions. On one side, I think it only gets a bad rap because it gets called Soft Porn. If that element wasn't there there would be many more people getting into it, imo. But on the other hand, you must have fairly low self esteem if you need to pose half naked to boost your ego. And you must admit it's sort of skanky to let everything hang out.. what happened to the sexiness of leaving something to the imagination??

[–] ameeraana 18 years ago

yes, having older perverted men drooling over your pictures and sexually fantasizing about you is empowering, isn't it?

[–] mrtron81 18 years ago

ameeranna, the truth is older men drool over attractive teenage girls whether or not they're on a modeling web site. Why shouldn't girls take advantage of that to make some money?

[–] blocherd 16 years ago

I agree halfway! Again I have yet to see this movie, but just my opinion in general! When you're walking in a Shopping Mall, you have no idea if the man (or even a woman) sitting on the bench is getting stimulated over the teenage girls that are dressed as they are! You can't very well get on the intercom and announce "All Men must leave the Mall until the Teenagers are finished Shopping!". On the other hand I would allow these teenage girls to be shopping in the mall with only a thong to cover their lower torso... that is flat out indescent and any men that would look at a girl showing off her hind with a strip of Dental Floss to cover them is totally sick minded (both the girl and the man)!

So if a man wants to pay to see a little girl posing in clothes that they wear in public, fine, because its their money and they could spend it anyway they please! On the other hand, if the man wants to pay to see little girls posing in a THONG, or FULLY NUDE... that is another ball of wax! This is indeed a "sick-minded" man, and a "sick-minded" little girl inticing them (assuming that she is doing it will-fully).

It is a matter of where the line is drawn!

[–] babcl 18 years ago

I you are 18, you can do what you want. But, do you really want your father to see it? Or your grandfather? Or how about a few years down the road, what about your son? Nothing on the internet ever goes away.

[–] bumble_b18-1 18 years ago

You have a really valid point. The idea of my father seeing me like that really makes me cringe...but nobody should allow other people's judgements stop them from doing something, unless if it endangers them in any way. And what kid hasn't walked in on their parents having sex? If a kid knew their mother was in any kind of porno (soft OR hardcore), don't you think they'd try to avoid seeing that? Mind you, some kids these days.....

[–] EvieZamora 18 years ago

Sarah Lind is so hot in this movie!!!

[–] KAnnD86 18 years ago

I don't think there's anything wrong with what you do and I don't think there's anything really wrong with what went on in the movie. She wasn't posing nude or doing soft-core porn or anything. Her outfits weren't even that sexy or revealing. It was definitely creepy that Malcolm and the other girls lied to her and that she ended up doing nudity (while underage). None of that is any good, but the photos themselves, am I the only one who didn't think they were as risque as they were made out to be?

Back to the topic though, isn't it funny that you mostly hear other people saying that modeling is degrading to women, and not usually the model's themselves? I think that's as dumb as criticizing a controversial movie before you've even seen it. If you want to show off your body and make money while you're at it, who has the right to say that what you do is degrading to all women when you don't find it degrading to yourself?

Tomorrow's just your future yesterday!

[–] brookland55 18 years ago

18, 5'7'' and 115? Thats hot. From a male perspective (and after watching this film on one rainy sunday) i'd have to say i whole heartidly agree with you. Women who are comfortable with themselves and have the self confidence to pull it off are always going to come off as attractive in their photos. Guys dont need to see girls nude all the time in photos and like what you say, "soft core porn" is very admirable and won't degrade you.

[–] mrtron81 18 years ago

The only things I think Malcolm did wrong were not being honest at the beginning about how the model site worked and letting Mia do the nude live show, and that was only because Mia kept begging him to remove her pictures. The pictures weren't that revealing, and the girls made tons of money from them.

In the real teen modeling business, all of the girls know what they're getting into when they start modeling on a web site. They understand that the money they make comes from people(almost all male) who pay a monthly subscription fee to see their photoshoots and videos.

[–] EvieZamora 18 years ago

Do u have a web cam???

http://64.38.224.129/online-girls.php

[–] blocherd 16 years ago

I guess I am just going to have to see this movie to get the whole issue of it!

About the part that the other girls lied to her and she ended up doing nudity, that is the whole tragic point! If she was told that there will be "NO" nudity, and then the photographer turns around and entices her to pose nude... that is where we need to draw the line! In todays society, people are bashing to Modeling Sites for what can happen, when it should be upon What DID happen!

[–] mrtron81 16 years ago

blocherd, you haven't seen the movie. ;) The photographer never wanted Mia to do nudity or even anything close to it for her web site. The outfits Mia and the other girls wore for the site were pretty conservative. It was only after Mia begged the photographer to take down all of her pictures after she wanted to quit modeling(which he wasn't legally required to do) that he came up with the idea she could pay for the pictures by doing a 1-time live nude show.

[–] enigmatic_asthmatic 16 years ago

that was simply a plot device to catch the 'bad guys'.
(happy ending versus realistic ending)

the message of the movie had been made already, so they just slapped on an optimistic ending.

[–] adorable_panache 16 years ago

Those clothes were far from conservative.

[–] 16 years ago

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[–] blocherd 16 years ago

I haven't yet seen this movie but just based on what you typed! "What's so wrong with showing off your body." Well it depends on what part of your body your showing off! If its the face, arms, legs, abdomin, and the Back; thats fine in general (of course there will always be someone protesting). Now if its the Buttock or the Pubic area, then that is very indecent!

Now when you go to a beach, its not unusual to see girl clad in a bikini; but how often do you see girls on the beach clad in a Thong, or Fully Nude (unless its clearly indicated as a Nudist Colony)?

I know that there are fanatics that will protect girls clad in Bikinis, Halter Tops, Backless Sundresses, etc.! They think that exposing a girl's back is totally indescent, but Boys could expose their entire upper torso without issues! We need to know where the line is drawn and quit trying to conscude certain elements like "Their naked under all those clothes!".

However Thong are the next thing to nudity, so I agree that those should be outlawed!

[–] skankyyoda 16 years ago

Although yes you can say that its wrong and all this. If the girl knows what shes doing i dont see any problem with it. I mean the girl is going naked on camera to arouse men and there is a chance of masturbation to those images. If the woman knows that will happen. The problem with teen and child modeling is as if a 10 year old will know why she is doing this sexy poses...

[–] 16 years ago

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[–] 16 years ago

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