If one thing is for sure, it’s that sex sells. As much as you might not want to believe it, it’s true. Sexually oriented print, video, broadcast and Internet materials are part of a highly profitable industry; which might cause some reason for concern. This is due to the fact that lucrative industries have a large tendency to have a continued presence in society. But with an industry that is growing in size and constantly upping its sexual content to rake in more dollars, are there any externalities resulting from this practice?
The film Kids is directed by Larry Clark and initially caused a considerable amount of controversy in its public debut. It mainly follows Telly, a New York teenager infected with the HIV virus, who prides himself in his ability to deflower young women. What a great story line. I bet Harmony Korine, the writer gave himself a pat on the back. My guess is that he probably did.
The budget for the film was $1.5 million and it raked in $20.4 million worldwide. That’s 1260% return on investment. The managers at Miramax probably didn’t spend a dime on advertising. The graphic scenes of young adolescences engaged in sexual activities were enough to spark a worldwide uproar; a great strategy to avoid costs and increase margins.
Production Budget Domestic Gross Worldwide Gross
$1,500,000 $7,412,216 $20,412,216
“Movie Budgets.” The Numbers – Movie Budgets. Nash Information Services, LLC, n.d. Web. 29 Apr. 2014.
Adolescence in 1990s Films 