The importance of the Hays codes in American culture

[Artaxerxes II]

The Motion Picture Production Code, also known as the Hays Code (named after Will H. Hays, MPPDA president), was a set of film industry guidelines directing self-censorship for the American movie industry, with the aim of curbing alleged immorality and excesses in the movie industry. Introduced after Hollywood got rocked by a series of scandals such as the alleged rape of Virginia Rappe, the guidelines would remain in force from 1934 to 1968. During those period, movies would never show any nudity, nor say any swear words, or show any acts deemed as violating contemporary conventions.

I think many people underscoree the influence of the Hays code in American cinema and pop culture at large. For example, the difference between 1940s and 1950s movies to early code-era films like Child Bride (1938), or post-code ones such as Pretty Baby (1974), are like the differences between day and night.

In fact, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that, without the Hays code ever being introduced, 1980s American culture's tolerance for nudity and sex scenes in media would be the same as today's America, or even mores than today's continental Europe. I think the lack of similar codes in post-war Europe is what allowed many of their movies to explore the themes of minor attraction and youth sexuality in more neutral or complex ways than is found in today's media landscape, such as in Beau-père (1981) and Laura (1979).