Syria: Nudity and Moral Decay

How much nudity on television can be considered as art, and how much of it contributes to moral decay? Syrian blogger Emad [Ar] tries to answer this question in the following post:

بحجة الفن اصبحنا نرى التعري على شاشاتنا العربيه دون ان نستطيع التكلم لأنه عند السؤال عن المشاهد (الساخنه)التي نراها يبررها اصحابها بأنها معالجه للواقع المؤلم او انها شرح لما يدور في مجتمعاتنا

لكن التسميه الحقيقيه لها هي (انحلال اخلاقي وتعري فاضح) وبعد ذلك تصبح بطلة الفيلم او المسلسل سيدة مجتمع وقدوه للكثير من الفتيات وعند حديثها في اي مقابله نرى كل الاحترام والتقدير من المشاهدين الكرام لجهودها المبذوله في سبيل الفن

وفي المقابلات والسهرات التلفزيونيه التي نشاهدها نرى بأن الفنانه الفلانيه تاخذ دور السيده الفاضله في المجتمع الفاضل وتبدأ بالتكلم عن الاخلاقيات والاصول والاتيكيت وكأنها (الامرأه المثاليه)

والمؤسف في الامر هو انه عند مشاهدة هكذا افلام وخصوصا من قبل الفئه الاكبر في مجتمعاتنا وهي الفئه (المكبوته والمنغلقه) نرى ان معظم الفتيات ينظرون الى العالم الخارجي من خلال ما يشاهدونه في هذا المسلسل او ذاك الفيلم مما يسبب الكثير من الانحلال الاخلاقي عند اعطاء الحريه لهذا النوع من الفتيات اللواتي يحسبن انهن بهذه الطريقه وهذه التصرفات سيكونون ……….سيدات المجتمع

Using art as an excuse, we now see nudity on Arabic television screens without being able to object against the ‘steaming’ scenes which we watch and its producers describe as ‘dealing with the harsh realities and describing what's really happening in our societies.’

The real description of what we watch on television is unethical behaviour and disgraceful nudity. After that, the heroine in the movie or soap opera becomes a lady of society and a role model for many girls, who appears on television interviews and enjoys the respect and appreciation of viewers for the efforts she exerts to promote art. In such interviews, she embodies the role of a respectable lady of society, and talks about ethics, etiquette and family origins, as is she were the model woman.

What is unfortunate in this is that the large majority of people who watch such programmes as those who are downtrodden and live in closed societies. This is why you see a lot of girls viewing the outside world through what they see in this soap opera or that movie. This causes a lot of moral decay, especially when such girls, who think that behaving in this manner will enable them to become ladies of society, are given their freedom.

8 comments

  • I totally understand that personal liberties are somewhat restricted in societies in which Islam play some role, but I will “argue my case” anyway: my body is mine, it does not belong to the “society” so a certain stage of dressed/undressed can not contribute to society decay. We were all born naked, we all have sex naked, we all shower naked, we all know what nipples and other body parts look like. There is some general agreement in terms of when they should be covered. But if you feel like someone you see is undressed too much, please, look away and do not call the police. Or are we going to start calling police on fat people? Because, frankly, some fat women, like those you might see in the U.S. are a bigger deal of “public indecency” than half a dozen drunk and naked college girls.

  • While I don’t personally advocate for any type of censorship, I must admit that much of the nudity on television (and I saw more nudity on TV from Morocco – via satellite – than on the censored cable networks of the U.S.) is utterly gratuitous. “Sex and the City” for example – the conversations, though often vulgar, hold some value…but does the nudity? Is there any need for me to see Kim Cattrall’s left breast every ten minutes?

  • Jillian: I think experts on media theory would call this “habitualization”. If you expose viewers to certain content they get used to it with time. Which in case of nudity on American television, or anywhere outside private home showers and bedrooms, for that matter, is something the most of uptight America needs like it needs a weekly visit to Wendy’s.

  • ‘titution in Morocco. Nudity in Syria. Puritanism in Micronesia, right?

  • I totally agree with “The Czech Daily Word”.
    No one is forced to watch nudity, be it on TV or on the streets.. So, if you don’t like it, don’t see it. All movies and TV contents are rated, and therefore they have given a fair warning to the viewer.
    Censorship is a tool of destruction. Destruction of the mind, and the body.
    I know art could be seen as a “relative” term. But that doesn’t give anyone the right to destroy it.

  • “The Czech Daily Word” was absoultely brilliant with her response,i much admire it.In my side of the story,i will just say that art is freedom but somethings should be taken in consideration.TV won’t seduce people to get naked if they ain’t an easy target.Moral decay is already within the society and about those actress,well she is acting,maybe she ain’t a complete loose woman at home…….

  • amanda

    i think that nudity is nudity and exposing ur self to the world is ur chose but it is wrong ur body should be treated as a sanctuary, its not for everyone to see, it should only be for u, god and the person u marry, but that is my opinion and mine only

  • Medhat Gad

    Well CDW, yes your body belongs to you does any one said it belongs to society?
    Society includes people who like to see some naked bodies women like to see men (or women) and men like to see women(or men)…
    Those have their choice to see but there is children have curiousity do artists thought about them?
    About a child at 7 watched a sex scene in a movie?
    Can you believe that scene can ruine his mind for ages?
    Again let’s back to those who have their choice regarless the morals(which really important but we think not) those my dear hurt themselves without feeling or maybe feeling but they don’t stop.
    Let me tell how many naked actresses took off their clothes for “artistic purpose” Nickole Kidman, Angelina Jolie, Katherine Zeta Jones,.. you complete the list!
    do you think any man can watch hundreds of these pretty named women and then still see his own wife(or his partner in your world) attractive the same way before watching this long list?
    Nudity in arts is not a must that art would be in danger if nudity vanished!
    By the way we born naked and we go to shower naked and we do sex naked but do we walk in street naked?
    Try it once go naked in the street(it is your own body), and if you can’t ask yourself why?
    Because it is mankind nature, we tend to cover our bodies in front of others. Nudists are against nature not with it.

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