Why?
Is it because some people have a bit of a feet phobia, and so leaving the socks on means they don't have to look at the other guy's hairy toes?
Is it because somehow it's deemed sexy to wear your socks during sex?
Personally, I'm with Jeff from Coupling on this one. Leaving the socks on is not sexy at all. Miss the 'sock gap' and you're just a Naked Man in Socks.
Kele and I have had this discussion many times. It became a running joke with us because when we watch gay porn, the bottom always seemed to wear socks.
ReplyDeleteBy now we've seen a few that both wear socks and I like to think they forgot them in the heat of the moment but I guess we'll never know :)
To be honest, a nice pair of CLEAN white ankle socks in porn works for me, not being a foot fan, but in general, yeah, weird.
ReplyDeleteYou hear people complain about too much mundane detail in books, so I think some authors cut out things they consider trivial in the hopes people will ASSUME they took their socks off. However if you tell me about shirt, pants and underwear but don't mention socks, I'll assume he didn't. I guess there come a fine line between overloading with every single detail and leaving so much out that you start questioning things.
Or an alternative, set all stories in hot locations where no one wears socks and only flip flops. :-)
Lori: It does happen an awful lot in gay porn, doesn't it? You see it in pictures all the time.
ReplyDeleteI have too much of a busy mind and watching a sex scene where they didn't take the socks off would bug me.
I don't mind either way. :) it's all good! :)
DeleteTam: No, socks just don't do it for me. I like men's feet though (but not descriptions of toe sucking *shudder*) so leaving the socks on means I miss out.
ReplyDeleteIn the case of the book which sparked this post, the description is that he deliberately leaves his socks on. At which point I wanted to say 'noooooo! Take the socks off! It was a little distracting to say the least.
Socks in sex scenes are a big no for me! *shudders* there is nothing sexy about it.
ReplyDeleteLOL! Wow, I could not disagree more. I absolutely love socks, and I think they are uber sexy. There are tons of gay men who have sock fetishes. Just go to YouTube and do a search if you don't believe me. My favorite are tight fitting black athletic socks. (and I also love feet)
ReplyDeleteI'm with the no socks on during sex crowd. :)
ReplyDeleteHah, there's a "socks on" scene in my upcoming release. His excuse is that they're doing it in a tent on a chilly mountainside and he's not going to be able to sleep afterwards if his feet are cold. :D On the other hand there's a foot massage in another part of the story, so they're not afraid of feet.
ReplyDeleteI think it's something done in pictures and film because leaving one item on when the person is naked otherwise actually heightens the nakedness somehow, gives it an edge. It also makes them more real and approachable, like this isn't a naked person in a studio somewhere, this could be a naked person in your room. That mundane element puts them into the same world as you, so they're not just art. That's what I vaguely recall from my art studies a long time ago anyway!
I suspect straight men would keep their socks on too, but women won't let them. "Why do I need to take my socks off? I'm not going to be doing anything to you with my feet."
Ingrid: Nope, it does nothing for me either.
ReplyDeleteJeff: I sort of guessed you might have a thing for sex in socks as it does crop up from time to time in your books ;).
ReplyDeleteThere are tons of gay men who have sock fetishes. Just go to YouTube and do a search if you don't believe me.
I don't know if I dare! I'll just take your word for it, LOL!
Chris: You see I thought it might be a man/woman thing but Tam has proved me wrong there.
ReplyDeleteLooks like Jeff and I are alone in our love a socks (well, alone other than the tons of gay men he mentioned in his comment :P). I admit to having a fetish, though. I like nice-looking feet, too, but socks just do it for me for some reason. Not the white athletic ones, like I mentioned on Twitter. Nice black ones or ones with interesting/cute/funky designs or stripes. Those are the ones I like. Hehe. :D
ReplyDeleteBecky: Preventing hypothermia is a very legitimate excuse for keeping your socks on during sex. Heck I expect all us Brits have done that at some point or another during those chilly winter nights :).
ReplyDeleteI see what you mean about it emphasising nakedness. I suppose that's why it's more erotic to have a woman in just a garter belt. Or a man in nothing but chaps.
Mmmmmmmmm....chaps....
Sorry drifted off there! :)
Piper: I'm sure you (and Jeff) are not alone in your love of sex in socks, I just personally would prefer naked feet to go with my naked men :).
ReplyDeleteI saw your stripy socks on Twitter. Very fetching!
Elementary: it's because these men are hiding the fact that they're actually hobbits. You can call me Sherlock :)!
ReplyDeleteSocks always make my eyebrows go up and destroy all the sexyness of the scene for me. Now, I'm thinking I could work with a handsome man wearing a pair of stockings, I guess...
Cornelia: LOL! I was going to find a pic of hairy feet to put with this post and there were lots of pictures of hobbit feet in Google Images :).
ReplyDeleteHeidi Belleau and I were discussing on Twitter whether the old fashioned socks and garter combo was sexy or not. I think I decided that it was. Maybe it's because I love historical romances :).
I'm sure Jo Myles did some pics of naked men in garter socks for her Vintage Smut Sundays posts, but sadly I can't find it!
This website has some of the hottest feet and sock videos/pictures on the web. http://xanderbeckett.weebly.com/
ReplyDeleteI'm with the no socks vote... unless they are a skilfully crafted pair of hand knit socks with an interesting pattern that is (well sometimes my attention wanders)
ReplyDeleteHJ
ReplyDeleteNo socks, please! BTW, I'd forgotten how superb "Coupling" is. One of the funniest programmes ever, and with so many excellent actors. Thanks for the clip.
I think there is something distinctly charmless about the idea of sex in socks.
ReplyDeleteTo me, it seems like they just couldn't be bothered to take them off - from disinterest, not passion. It's on a par with keeping one eye on the telly.
Ahem - sock and foot fetishist here - why else would I write First Impressions?!
ReplyDeleteOh yes - I think this might be the sock garter porn you're thinking of, Jen.
I did also have some lovely lads playing dress-up in stockings this week here. I'm sure I'll post more in the future!
I find nothing sexy about socks. Stockings, on the other hand, unf.
ReplyDeleteI do like feet, though. Bare ankles, curling toes...that takes me to a very happy place indeed.
LMAO. That was a hilarious clip. On the editor's side of thing, I feel like I'm always adding comments in edits... (what about socks?)... during the undressing for sex scenes.
ReplyDeleteJeff: Great site! I found a cute video where they were trying to prove that all guys have ticklish feet even when they say they don't! Not about socks, but I enjoyed it :)
ReplyDeleteKate: Surely then it would be better if they took the socks off so you weren't getting distracted by the interesting patterns and could concentrate on the scene, lol. Or would the sight of the socks on the floor still be a distraction? :)
ReplyDeleteLori: You're easily pleased :D.
ReplyDeleteHJ: You're welcome! I love Coupling and Jeff is my favourite character.
Clodia:
ReplyDeleteIt's on a par with keeping one eye on the telly.
LOL, I'd not really thought about it like that, but I suppose it does suggest that it will be one less thing to put back on after the sex is over :).
Jo: Thanks for the link. i couldn't find it before and it was such a hardship to go trawling through all your vintage porn posts, LOL!
ReplyDeleteJenna: I love feet too - just not toe sucking - but descriptions of feet can be very sexy.
ReplyDeleteDevon: As a reader I often think about that too. Did his socks come off or not? Sometimes I have to just assume they did unless the author makes a point to say they are staying on.
Jen - in honour of this post I'll be doing a "socks on" Vintage Smut Sunday this week! ;P
ReplyDeleteJo: LOL! I am honoured :). I shall look forward to that post.
ReplyDeleteCoupling is the best show EVA IMHO! Now I want to watch it all over again!
ReplyDeleteMmmm. I think hairy toes are sexy.
ReplyDeleteOrannia: I love that show too. Well, up until Jeff left and then I didn't like it as much!
ReplyDeleteLou: Hmmm, I'm not sure about hairy toes. Hairy feet are nice though!