“Naked Attraction” is the most forward-thinking show on television, at least in the United Kingdom. Hosted by Anna Richardson, “Naked Attraction” is an eye-opening hour of full-frontal, butt-naked nudity featuring people of every age, shape, size, and walk of life.
“Naked Attraction” starts where a good date ends: naked. This Channel4 program aims to shed light on what people prefer in a partner, solely based on physical attraction. One contestant will choose from six birthday-suited suitors, saying goodbye to one each round until one is left. Whoever is last gets to go on a fully clothed date with the chooser, testing if their physical attraction leads to a genuine spark.
As the game progresses, contestants’ bodies are shown bit by bit. Each contestant stands tall in a pod behind a curtain. In the first round, the curtain goes up just enough to see everything below the stomach. The chooser will peruse around the room with Richardson, focusing on the appearance of the genitals to choose from.
In the next round, the curtain comes up again to show the chests. Then the faces are shown and then we get to hear the contestants’ voices. Then the chooser picks one person to go on a date with, knowing nothing about them except what they look like without clothes.
Americans know nothing like this would ever appear on television. The United States’ broadcasting and censorship protocols are strictly regulated by the Federal Communications Commission, the FCC. Indecent and profane content is allowed only during a 10 pm – 6 am time-period. Obscene content is not allowed in any circumstances. “Naked Attraction” would be considered without a doubt obscene by the FCC.
Obscenity is not protected under the First Amendment. As a result, the FCC can ban anything ruled by the Supreme Court or FCC to be “Obscene” from cable, satellite, and broadcast TV and radio. In the Supreme Court’s 1964 landmark case on obscenity and pornography, Justice Potter Stewart famously wrote: “I know it when I see it.” This case still influences how the FCC regulates obscene, indecent, and profane content on TV today.
In the United Kingdom, on the other hand, many complain there isn’t enough censorship. The Office of Communications (Ofcom) is in charge of regulating all of the UK private channels, including Channel4. Ofcom’s regulation stresses the optimal use of broadcasting networks and focuses on offering a range of television with wide appeal.
Ofcom’s broadcasting regulations mainly function to protect children under 18 years old. Ofcom’s Statutory Duties and Regulatory Principles apply adequate protection for audiences against offensive or harmful material. “Material that might seriously impair the physical, mental, or moral development of people under eighteen must not be broadcast” according to Ofcom.
To combat this, Ofcom implemented Watershed. Watershed is the time between 9 pm and 5:30 am in which material “unstable for children” is permitted to broadcast. Watershed is what allows shows with excessive nudity and cursing, like “Naked Attraction” to be shown on cable TV.
“Naked Attraction” is purely a dating show, and despite showing naked bodies has no sexual activity. In the U.K., anyone can be channel surfing and stumble upon zoom-ins on a bunch of penises and breasts after 9 pm.
A hallmark for body confidence, the show features bodies of all weights, heights, colors, and ages. Usually, one can only see fully naked bodies in pornographic material, and these bodies are not a representation of what real, everyday people look like under the hood.
The bodies on the show are almost too real, adding to the shock factor of the show. Doesn’t matter if you are tattooed, have no legs, or have a Prince Albert, this show will take you.
However, this level of real-life nudity can act as a catalyst for body positivity among adult viewers. If someone is basing what a body should look like naked based on porn and magazines, they’re going to get a very warped view of their own body.
The bodies on the show are not photoshopped. They give an up-close, 360 degree look of everyday naked people. If people can see bodies that resemble theirs on the TV, they are more inclined to be accepting of their own body.
In the UK, this show gets terrible reviews. David Sexton wrote he has “never been so relieved to see people get dressed,” for “The Standard.” However, the beauty in this show is how shockingly progressive it is.
“Naked Attraction” has an extremely modern definition of human attraction. It features a plentiful amount of queer attraction. The chooser picks from a group of naked men or women, or a mix of genders, depending on the chooser’s gender attractions. It is difficult to find reality TV in the US that includes LGBTQ couples in dating shows just flipping through channels. But “Naked Attraction” is prime time social progress and acceptance. These bodies are so in your face it’s hard to ignore.
The newest episode from the newly launched 2020 season seven has made headlines in the last week. The show had its first-ever contestant to walk offset. Brian Chau Rodriguez, 23, admitted to being a virgin and was extremely overwhelmed at the sight of six vaginas in front of him for the first time. About to faint at this sight, Rodriguez walked off stage, came back, and was brutally dumped by his chosen date.
Maybe, Brian is proof that shows like these should not be shown; some people just can’t handle it. Or maybe, if Brian and others watched more shows like “Naked Attraction”, they’d be more comfortable with nudity, sex, and other taboo ideas that a little education can go a long way for.
