Topline
The controversial British dating series Naked Attraction, in which contestants select potential partners based on their naked bodies, is now available to U.S. viewers on Max, but despite the explicit content, the show doesn’t violate laws prohibiting nudity on television.
British television presenter Anna Richardson hosts the controversial dating series ‘Naked … [+]
Key Facts
Naked Attraction, which airs on Channel 4 in the United Kingdom, debuted on Max this month, finally making the controversial series available to American viewers.
The dating show has been noteworthy—and controversial—because contestants appear completely nude and are not censored on the Channel 4 broadcast or on Max.
Though the Federal Communications Commission prohibits obscene, indecent and profane content on U.S. television, which covers topics including nudity, sex and offensive language, the FCC’s regulatory power only applies to “over-the-air” television networks like NBC, CBS and ABC.
Cable networks and networks that viewers pay for have more freedom to include nudity and profanity in their programs—which includes Max, the Warner Bros.-owned streaming service that’s home to HBO originals like Game of Thrones and Euphoria, which have long been known for featuring nudity.
On the United Kingdom’s Channel 4, programs must follow the Ofcom Broadcasting Code, which limits nudity and sexual content shown before the “watershed” (9 p.m.)—after that time, programs unsuitable for children may be broadcast, including ones in which “it may be possible to justify the broadcast of explicit nudity” depending on the context.
Ofcom has defended Naked Attraction’s nudity as justified because of the context: It said the series is “aimed at an adult audience and attempts to explore the nature of physical attraction.”
Key Background
A contestant on Naked Attraction selects from six potential dates—all of whom are nude, which is completely uncensored—with one body part revealed at a time and one potential date eliminated per each body part reveal (the face comes last). When two potential dates remain, the person choosing also has to remove their clothes before picking one to go on a date with (which occurs with both parties fully clothed). The show premiered in the United Kingdom in 2016 and has aired six complete seasons, all of which are available to stream on Max. The seventh season is currently airing on Channel 4.
Chief Critics
Naked Attraction has been met with some complaints and confusion among viewers following both its debut in the United Kingdom and its arrival on Max in the United States. Numerous British viewers have made complaints to Ofcom about the show’s nudity. The panelists of The View discussed the shocking nature of the show Monday, with Whoopi Goldberg remarking: “People actually want to see this?” Conservative watchdog group Parents Television Council reportedly slammed Max for adding the program to its catalog. “Naked Attraction should not exist on the Max streaming platform, and HBO should immediately remove this exploitative, pornographic program,” the group stated. British outlet i has slammed the show as just an excuse to broadcast nudity, accusing television of stooping too low. Buzzfeed U.K. similarly criticized the show after its 2016 debut, calling it “utterly stupid.”
Tangent
Some, including The View co-host Ana Navarro, have compared Naked Attraction to American reality show Naked and Afraid. The show, which has aired 15 seasons on the Discovery Channel since 2013, follows two people as they attempt to survive in the wilderness with no clothes for 21 days. Unlike Naked Attraction, Naked and Afraid censors the nude contestants.
Further Reading
‘Naked Attraction,’ Brutal Full-Frontal Nude Dating Show, Quietly Added to Max (The Hollywood Reporter)
Naked Education: Controversial Channel 4 show receives 1,297 Ofcom complaints (Independent)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/conormurray/2023/09/26/explicit-dating-show-naked-attraction-is-now-on-max-why-its-so-shocking-and-how-it-avoids-censorship-rules/