Lord of the Rings - Nudity and Sex

[Alatar]

So apparently Tolkien fans worldwide are frothing at the mouth because a New Zealand talent agency put out a call for actors "comfortable with nudity" and this, tied with the fact that someone has been hired for the position of "intimacy co-ordinator" has caused people to put 2 and 2 together and decide that Amazon's LotR is gonna be a Game of Thrones style bonk fest.

So, leaving aside whether that's likely or not, I was amused by all the outrage stating that Tolkien books didn't have sex or nudity, when I remember quite a bit of both!

Now, there's not much mention of sex in LotR or The Hobbit, but there's a fair bit of nudity what with communal baths in Crickhollow, running naked at the barrow downs and Mister Frodo wearing naught but his skin. All that said, in the Silmarillion, without even checking my books I can think of the suggested sexual undertones between Galadriel and Fëanor, the rape and capture of Aredhel by Maeglin, the lust of Maeglin for Idril, the lust of Fëanor's sons for Lúthien and the threat of forced marriage and rape, not to mention the unintentional incest of Túrin and Nienor/Niniel. All in all, hardly pure as the driven snow!

[Voronwë the Faithful]

It depends on how it is done. But the hiring of an "intimacy coordinator" is just a reflection of the me too movement and the history of exploitation of women in Hollywood (yes I know this isn't being made in Hollywood). It doesn't mean that this is going to be Game of Thrones II.

It does occur to me, however, that since I cancelled my Amazon Prime account in protest against Amazon's employment practices, I probably will never see this series.

[Frelga]

V, there probably will be options. With Good Omens, a DVD was available shortly after the series release on prime video. Although that was done in collaboration with BBC.

As for the topic, I don't believe we have enough information to form an opinion. I do agree that there is this perception of Tolkien as a very PG, simplistic, moralistic writer, which just doesn't do justice to the complex and often dark world Tolkien created.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

I figured that would the case, but that option won't allow me to watch and participate in discussions as the series is initially aired, which is a bummer. But I'm not re-upping my Amazon Prime for that reason.

There is also talk of possible combining the first two episodes as a three hour theatrical release, though I don't know how serious that is.

[elengil]

V, there probably will be options. With Good Omens, a DVD was available shortly after the series release on prime video. Although that was done in collaboration with BBC.

As for the topic, I don't believe we have enough information to form an opinion. I do agree that there is this perception of Tolkien as a very PG, simplistic, moralistic writer, which just doesn't do justice to the complex and often dark world Tolkien created.

Partly because we seem incapable (modern social US, anyway) of viewing nudity as neutral. The instances of nudity Alatar noted are perfectly innocent and absolutely not sexual in any way but a large chunk of the viewing audience seems incapable of seeing it that way.

But I agree, he was not writing simplistic stories, there was a lot of complexity, moral ambiguity, and outright evil in those books. But apparently murder and bloodshed can be shown on tv without a second thought, but better not show one bitty titty or else!