Why Sex Scenes Are Disappearing from Movies and TV

A UCLA survey of Americans aged 10-24 found that nearly half think there are too many sex scenes in films and TV shows, despite a documented decline in such scenes. Data analyst Stephen Follows reports that sex in the top 250 grossing films dropped by almost 40% from 2000 to 2023, with the share of films with no sexual content rising from 15-20% to nearly 50%. The decline is attributed to rising production costs, stricter foreign markets like China and the Middle East, and increased sensitivity around sexual representation, leading to the rise of intimacy coordinators. Films like 'F1' (2025) with Brad Pitt avoid explicit scenes, while auteurs like Yorgos Lanthimos ('Poor Things', 2023) and Sean Baker ('Anora', 2024) still include them. Critics argue that sex scenes serve narrative and emotional purposes beyond plot advancement, and their absence leaves a gap filled by unrealistic online pornography.