10 Queer Entertainment Tropes That Often Lead to Male Nudity

One of the most enticing parts of queer films and series is the inclusion of male nude scenes. Over the years, scripted narratives have employed a number of tactics designed to show off male nudity in the most natural ways possible. This has led to a host of storytelling tropes that typically require actors to strip down as part of their performance. This week's listicle highlights 10 of the most prevalent scene tropes in queer-inclusive films and series that most often lead to male nudity. Leave a comment below if we missed any of your favorite queer nudity tropes. Warning: Spoilers Ahead! 
 

"Clothing Optional" 
Queer characters have never been strangers to communing with nature. The notion of freeing one's self from the trappings of society resonates with queer characters, leading to male nudity as characters cut loose and get naked before jumping into the ocean. This trope has been utilized in films and series that feature characters visiting other clothing-optional public safe spaces, like nudist colonies or nudist camps. In terms of production, clothing-optional beaches are also utilized to tell stories that involve cruising for gay sex or showing off groups of actors naked all at once, as they frolic in the ocean or in the sand, embracing the freedom of being naked in a natural setting. Sex scenes taking place on nude beaches are also not uncommon. 
SEE: Looking, Rotting in the Sun, Tom of Finland, The Summer with Carmen, Birder, Stranger by the Lake

 

"Bruised and Broken"  
Queer films and series have never shied away from showing the darker sides of life. For a marginalized community that has dealt with discrimination and abuse, it's no surprise that many queer people carry bruises. When it comes to telling those stories, many queer characters find their bodies illustrating their trauma. This trope of physical trauma can also lead to scenes of male skin as characters strip naked, putting their bruises on display for the audience or other characters. This trope can also include scenes of characters undergoing medical examination or queer characters found dead while naked. Powerful dramas like The Normal Heart and Fellow Travelers have even used nudity to highlight the physical effects of the AIDS epidemic. 
SEE: Mysterious Skin, My Friend Dahmer, Beautiful Thing, Deleted Scenes, Darkroom, The Normal Heart 

 

"Chronically Online" 
The evolution of the internet in relation to queer entertainment has led to a major trope that often leads to male nudity. Queer narratives have embraced social and sexual connections made online and do not hesitate to incorporate them into films and series. Characters meeting online can lead to sharing of nude images. Online chats and sex work via live cam shows have also utilized male nudity. The use of social media and hook-up apps has grown over the years and characters using online tools are often met with images and videos that can include male nudity. As the search for romance, sex, and human connection increases within the digital age, the inclusion of male nudity as part of this trope will likely continue to grow in the years ahead. 
SEE: Cam Boy, Spa Night, Eating Out: All You Can Eat, Euphoria, Will-o'-the-Wisp, Beach Rats

 

"Strike a Pose"  
Over the years, queer films and series have used the trope of modeling and entertainment to show off male nudity. Queer characters working as photographers have often used their lens to capture male beauty in its most natural form, preserved on film via photos. Nude modeling can be a quick and easy tactic to fit in male nudity. This extends to the stage, as several queer narratives have included characters who perform as strippers or in revealing cabaret acts. These roles allow characters to utilize some of their best assets, stripping down and showing off for a watching audience as part of a stage performance or dance routine. Series like Ray Donovan even featured characters visiting a male sex club, where naked acts were performed openly on stage.  . 
SEE: Mapplethorpe, 2 Minutes Later, Tattoo, Smalltown Boys, The Other Two, Waiting in the Wings

 

"Classic CMNM" 
Queer storytelling has often employed the trope of seeing another man naked. Characters struggling with their sexuality find confusion and sometimes clarity after seeing the male form on display in their presence. The trope of clothed men interacting with naked men has affectionately become known as CMNM. These can include scenes of embarrassment as a nude man is caught off-guard by a visitor, or an interested voyeur taking in the view of an unaware naked crush. Seeing an ex-lover in a state of undress or romancing another man, is among the CMNM tactics used to advance plotlines in series and films over the years. This trope is also utilized well to highlight confident queer male characters that are totally comfortable in their own skin.
SEE: The White Lotus, A Single Man, Gossip Girl, Queer as Folk, Lilies Not for Me, Swallowed

 

"Public Service"  
There are multiple male nudity tropes that manage to get queer characters wet in series and films. When they aren't communing with nature or getting clean, many queer characters have stripped out of their clothes to hit the pool or hot tub, through the classic trope of skinny-dipping. Whether played for laughs in queer comedies or as a bonding experience for potential lovers, the act of skinny-dipping separates itself from other "wet" tropes by including the added danger of being caught, putting one's body on display, knowing that someone unexpected might see. This trope can also extend to bathhouse scenes, where the goal for queer characters is relaxation, sweat, and the potential spying of another attractive, like-minded individual to connect with. 
SEE: My Best Part, Girls, Where Butterflies Don't Fly, Élite, Brokeback Mountain, Floating Skyscrapers

 

"Change Into Something More Comfortable"  
A classic male nudity trope in queer entertainment may be one of the most simple. So many queer films and series include scenes of male characters getting dressed. Whether they are making a quick change or getting dressed after a shower or sexual encounter, the act of putting on clothes has given queer stories the opportunity to include casual male nudity. This extends to public scenes in locker rooms, which allow for multiple instances of rear or frontal nudity. The trope of getting dressed is one of the few nudity tropes that tends to be born from other nudity tropes, as the only way to have characters getting dressed is to first have them naked. This has led to opportunities for voyeurism as well, with characters rushing to get dressed after interruption.
SEE: Operation Hyacinth, Tiny Pretty Things, Southern Baptist Sissies, Fellow Travelers, Test, The Seminarian

 

"The Afterglow" 
One of the most popular tropes in queer films and series is the inclusion of love scenes (more on that later in this listicle). Sex scenes can also naturally lead to another well-utilized nudity trope which involves the morning after. When it comes to queer entertainment, it's not uncommon to find male nudity on full display for the aftermath of love scenes. Characters can be shown in bed together, sharing conversations related to their sexual encounter and potential love connection. Characters can be shown naked leaving the bed behind, as the afterglow wears off and they decide to move on. At times, these scenes can be the most important to a queer narrative, as characters positively or negatively reckon with the sexual activity they've taken part in. 
SEE: Latter Days, Queer, Now Apocalypse, Shameless, My Policeman, Center of My World
 
 

"Getting Down and Dirty"  
When it comes to romance, the physical consummation of relationships has become a pivotal part of queer stories. Whether comedy or drama, sex scenes are often an important part of queer narratives. They can introduce or illustrate characters, set up drama, or signal a couple's happy ending. Comedies have utilized sex scenes as the setting for humor or awkward interactions. Given their prevalence in queer stories, it's no surprise that sex scenes in series and films provide a natural opportunity to include male nudity. Characters stripping down for intercourse has become so common in queer narratives that viewers have come to expect it. From the bedroom to the shower, one-on-one or as part of a group, this trope is hardly ever underutilized. 
SEE: Olympo, Perfect Endings, Passages, Interview with the Vampire, Shoulder Dance, King Cobra 

 

"Squeaky Clean" 
The old adage of cleanliness being next to godliness has never been more true when it comes to queer entertainment. Naked or not, countless series and films have included scenes of male characters getting clean. Scenes of characters getting ready for a pivotal night out, cleaning up after sex, or even having sex, have occurred under a running shower. From emotional scenes of private contemplation to spying a new love interest at the gym, shower scenes in queer narratives have been a staple for decades. Scenes in outdoor showers or communal showers featuring multiple characters have been an easy way to incorporate ample male nudity. Though showers are more prevalent, several films and series have also used the bath as an opportunity to show off the male form. 
SEE: Heated Rivalry, In from the Side, The Man in the Orange Shirt, The Prince, Queer as Folk, Animal Kingdom