Formative Awakenings
The scenes that defined our childhood sexuality
by All of Us
We’re keeping it light and silly today, folks. The other day, Zack and I (Shelby) got into a debate about the most important scenes from a movie that changed and aided our sexual development. As we chatted last night over Zoom, I asked who are the actors that became, possibly even unconsciously, imperative to our budding likes and dislikes. Of course, we all have a few important scenes and actors to speak of, so these honored people serve as our conversation and our SWL: People for the day. Enjoy our teen horniness!
Aimée’s (Obviously) Nerdy Awakenings
Y’all know by now that I’m a nerd or whatever. But did you know that I was an insanely horny child? I know, I know, “horny child” is a phrase that should literally never be uttered…but I’m talking about myself, so we’re gonna let it slide. I think the first time I ever got in trouble at school was in preschool when I chased a boy around the playground demanding that he kiss me. It wasn’t just because I’d seen men and women kissing in movies and such; it was because I thought he was cute and I craved attention from him. Throughout elementary, middle, and high school, the pattern continued, with intense (read: obsessive) crushes on boys, frequent sex dreams, and—eventually—frequent sex.
All that being said, I’m not sure I ever actually needed to be “sexually awoken”…I think I was just born that way. But that’s not to say there weren’t movie moments in my childhood that got my attention in a particular way. The first that comes to mind is one that I know many other “nerdy women” like myself can relate to: Aragorn opening the doors at Helm’s Deep in Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.
Like, damn. So strong…so grimy…so HOT. Honestly, everything about Viggo Mortensen’s Aragorn in the LOTR films was so incredibly sexy to me as a 9-year-old girl (and of course still is today). I pretended to prefer the pretty boy Legolas to fit in with the other girls my age, but you already know it was Aragorn’s poster that I put up in my bedroom. And honestly, like—not to be rude—but Viggo Mortensen in every other role he’s played? Doesn’t do a thing for me. It’s something about this particular character (a long-lost king and gifted swordsman with a strong moral compass) coupled with the way the hair/makeup/wardrobe folks styled Viggo that’s just magical. And I think it goes without saying that I’ve been sneaking glimpses at the above gif the whole time I’ve been typing this.
Another key film scene that made my young self feel some type of way comes from my other favorite franchise: Star Wars. Anakin Skywalker doesn’t have the same kind of rugged, powerful masculinity that Aragorn does, but he’s not without his share of desirable attributes. I mean, let’s not forget…
Tbh, this one is kind of embarrassing now. I recently re-watched Revenge of the Sith, and honestly, Anakin isn’t as attractive to me as he used to be. The subpar acting (which I thoroughly believe was a result of poor direction) and the limp, greasy hair leave much to be desired. For the sake of the piece, though, let me try to put myself in my 10-year-old state of mind. Seeing Anakin become significantly hotter between Episodes II and III was already enough to get my attention, but then to show him shirtless? And in bed with Padmé? Oooh, boy. I couldn’t get enough. I think I’ve since heard that they actually used CGI to enhance Hayden Christensen’s abs in the scene following the one shown above, though, which is pretty wild. Does a Jedi Knight really need to be hyper-sexualized like that? I mean, I guess 10-year-old Aimée would’ve said yes.
So now I’m wondering…was I mainly attracted to the characters here? Aragorn and Anakin were both “chosen ones” who wound up bringing peace to their respective realms. That’s nothing to sneeze at. Or, conversely, was I really just attracted to the actors? Viggo Mortensen…Hayden Christensen…does the secret lie with the Danish?! Am I on to something here? Brb, booking a trip to Copenhagen for 2022…
Shelby’s Sexuality Years in the Making
As you’ll see later, the movie Grease played an important role in my childhood. The music, the colors, everything about it tickled my young brain, all while planting extremely important sexual seeds. The breaking condom and subsequent teen pregnancy, the trading of jewelry for sexual advances, the stark difference yet combining masculine and feminine. It is safe to say that I totally, without a doubt, had a massive crush on Danny Zuko. In ‘78, John Travolta was 24, fresh and ripe for the taking, after just making his debut in Saturday Night Fever, now takes on the tight shirt, tight pants, slight Elvis Presly impersonation, chainsmoking “bad boy.” His fucking chin dimple, that hair, the attitude—I was hooked. The scene that really worked its way into my brain was when we first see Danny at high school. The movie has already opened with Danny and Sandy frolicking at the beach, a soft color palette implying purity but not reality. As the T-Birds reunite at school after the summer, dressed in their leather and delicious tightness (speaking mostly about Knicky now, whom I also crushed hard on), they spot Danny across the way, talking to some “broads” (direct quote). “Hey, look!” Doody says, “It’s Danny!” Cut to this:
Holy fucking shit, talk about “the chicks’ll cream,” amiright? The soft, chambray-shirt wearing man on the beach, holding Sandy’s hands, talking about their future is replaced with this and I was/am titillated.
Don’t get me wrong, looking back on it now I believe Sandy’s transformation at the end also became a sexual awakening of sorts. As a kid, it was “How the hell do I look like that? You mean to tell me Olivia Newton-John needed to be sewn into those pants?” but now I can recognize my gayness poking out at an obviously attractive woman owning her sexuality.
The other most noteworthy scene that made me go AWOOOGGAAHH was in Aquamarine, the movie with Emma Roberts and JoJo who rescues a mermaid (Sara Paxton) and help her get Raymond to fall in love with her. On one of their adventures to be noticed, the trio rides bikes around his house—as he’s doing crunches and groaning might I add—before Aquamarine unknowingly pushes on the brake of the bike, sending her flying to the pavement. Raymond witnesses this and springs into action: He runs out of his house, the movie slides into slow-motion as he lifts himself over his house’s porch railing and jumps down, deciding the stairs would take too long.
The music also changes from the lighthearted soft pop song to a breathy, panting beat as Raymond jumps down. His hair, his dirty Chuck Taylors, and how he keeps a bandaid in his wallet is all it took to have me hooked. Two other honorable mentions for me are Tom Cruise in Top Gun and Ronnie Bass, or Sunshine, from Remember the Titans. I crushed HARD on that sunshine.
Kayla’s Innocent Awakening
While there are many scenes in movies that I can vividly remember from my childhood, there are few that are as ingrained in my mind as the one I will talk about. I grew up in a very sheltered house so watching and “risque” movies was completely frowned upon. I remember begging to watch Seabiscut with my mom because I loved horses. After begging and pleading she finally gave in and let me watch my first PG-13 movie ever; however, there is a scene where the main character is making out and has sexual relations with a woman. Right before that scene came on my mom made me close my eyes while she fast forwarded it. I was 10, but still wasn’t allowed to see people making out, kissing, or even watch Disney Channel!
That changed after she passed away and I got older, but in a way, I still felt bad watching inappropriate movie scenes. One scene that I can vividly remember thinking was super sexy actually came from an unexpected source. Most people think of the car scene in Titanic or Ali and Noah in the Notebook, but my favorite scene actually shouldn’t even be considered sexy.
I, like many 90’s women, had a MASSIVE crush on Zac Efron. High School Musical jump started my obsession for him as he became an instant teenage heartthrob. I remember being very jealous of Gabriella because I wanted Zac to dance around and sing to me. Now, while he is always incredibly sexy, there is one particular scene in mind that just makes me melt and it actually comes in High School Musical 3. During the song “A Night To Remember” there is a line where Zac says, “I think this tux is too baggy, too tight, It makes me look weird” and in sync with the lyrics he thrusts his hips. That simple move is all it took to send poor teenage Kayla into full on obsession mode.
Yup… this simple scene was incredibly important in my formative years as it just solidified my longtime obsession with Zac. I recently watched this movie with Aimee and was shocked that the scene still made my heart beat fast! LOL So no, I don’t think a movie scene has to be completely explicit by nature to be very formative in the eyes of a child (or a teenager like me). Just watching Zac thrust his hips to the camera is enough!
Show Your Support: She’s the First
Our wonderful Aimée got to pick this month’s charity, and this one is totally special. She’s the First is a community founded on the sole belief that every girl, no matter where she is born, deserves to be educated, respected, and heard. She’s the First is made up of advocates and teachers, artists and politicians, resilient mothers and feminist fathers, and of course, the girls.
In everything we do, we put girls' voices at the center of conversations that affect their lives and support communities to drive their own transformation.
Their mission is simple: Create a world where every girl chooses her own future. Why, you may ask? Because in too many places around the world, girls are treated as second to boys. They are denied education, told who and when to marry, and blocked from leadership. Educated and respected girls are the exception, not the norm. Just take a look at these statistics from UNICEF:
In the A Trust Fund fashion, we have already donated $100 to the cause and suggest you do the same. Are you as violated by the new laws and words spoken in Poland against women? We have to start somewhere, and building up and supporting girls now is how we make that change. Go follow, get educated, and donate! Us girls need you.
Daily Intention
Today I will…
Rewatch an old favorite.
Here’s some nifty buttons for you to press, enjoy: