It's Time To Bring Back The Hays Code

We watched everything from silent Charlie Chaplin films to hours-long epic-dramas filmed in Technicolor. However, one night I saw the 1953 comedy Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, starring the timeless Marilyn Monroe. Throughout the story, she appears onscreen in an array of irrevocably lovely dresses that are as jaw-dropping today as they were back then. She sings kitschy songs, such as “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend,” which she performs in a pink dress that has become as iconic as her. At the end of the film, both Marilyn’s character and her best friend end up married. 

I fell in love with Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and Marilyn Monroe all at once. As a young girl, Marilyn was a positive influence on my life. She embraced femininity and beauty in a way that was compelling, especially in comparison to the portrayals of women that have become popular on television in recent years. 

The classic films and television series I grew to love are noticeably different than those we see being produced today. Hollywood gradually abandoned its dedication to beauty in pursuit of darker and more explicit content. Channels like HBO have played a large role in this shift. HBO was specifically created as a premium channel, meaning that it didn’t have to follow strict guidelines that prevented graphic or controversial material from appearing in its productions. As it grew, it gained a reputation for broadcasting programs with adult themes. In the late 1990s, its popular Sunday night lineup exploded in popularity. Shows like Sex and the City and The Sopranos became must-see TV, acclaimed for their writing and high production quality. However, these shows were extremely graphic, showcasing violence and sex often in a vulgar manner. 

Although the heavy themes of modern shows might be alluring, they often leave us feeling disheartened and unsettled.

HBO has continued its pursuit of explicit content well into the streaming era. Throughout the 2010s, Game of Thrones dominated pop culture and became a global phenomenon, although it frequently showed gore and had over 80 nude scenes over the course of its run. Most notably in recent years, Euphoria gained a massive audience. The show is targeted at teen and young adult audiences, yet repeatedly relies on mature themes. The characters in Euphoria struggle with sexual violence, self harm, addiction, and death. While these subjects may be important to discuss with teenagers, the graphic and glamorized nature of the show is completely unnecessary. Even longtime fans of the show and many mainstream outlets have come out against Euphoria in its most recent season for pushing its content into territory that many viewers found genuinely disturbing. Season 3, which premiered in April 2026 after a four-year hiatus, drew immediate and widespread backlash for a storyline in which Sydney Sweeney's character, Cassie, creates OnlyFans content, including a scene depicting infantilism fetish roleplay that went viral on social media, with viewers calling it a "humiliation ritual" and "fetish slop." Fans who had stuck with the show through two previous seasons called for its cancellation outright, while commentator Megyn Kelly publicly condemned the scene as "sexualizing infancy." Even a co-star spoke out against the direction of Cassie's storyline. What was once defended as unflinching realism about teenage struggle has, for many viewers, crossed into something else entirely.

HBO isn’t the only company that has resorted to dark themes and explicit content, though. As streaming services are less accountable to the regulations of network television, it has become easier for them to produce content with adult themes. Apple TV’s 2024 show Disclaimer featured several long, graphic sex scenes between an older woman and a younger man. Presumed Innocent, another show produced by Apple, relied on sexual tension to drive its plot and featured a nude Jake Gyllenhaal. Netflix has followed the pattern as well. The smash-hit Bridgerton has included dozens of long sex-scenes, while also packing in DEI initiatives, such as queer plot lines. Shameless utilized incestuous themes, The Witcher had numerous sex scenes, and Sex/Life was centered around a woman’s crude fantasies. 

It's clear now more than ever that modern Hollywood has abandoned the glamour of old Hollywood. In pursuit of realism and shock-value, we've been bombarded with dismay. The thing that drew me to Marilyn and to the classic films of the 20th century were their appeal towards beauty. Part of that beauty came from film regulations that encouraged decency. From 1930 through the late 1960s, Hollywood followed the “Hays Code,” a set of guidelines that regulated content to maintain “moral obligation.” The code limited the use of profanity, violence, and promiscuity on-screen. Additionally, a limited amount of “disreputable” behavior could be shown, but only if it was portrayed negatively. 

From 1930 through the late 1960s, Hollywood followed the “Hays Code,” a set of guidelines that regulated content to maintain “moral obligation.”

Watching older films feels different because they were fundamentally different. Their inability to rely on explicit content encouraged them to pursue stories with moral clarity, truth, and beauty. Comedies traditionally end in marriage, while noir films see the good guy win and the bad guy lose. The stories are simpler than the ones we often see today, but they insist on maintaining their virtue. 

As it turns out, it's easier than one would assume to begin watching these old Hollywood movies I'm referencing. You don't necessarily need to cancel your subscriptions to change up what you see on screen. HBO operates under the same parent company as Turner Classic Movies, meaning that HBO’s streaming service has several titles from the golden age of Hollywood. These movies are a stark contrast to what is frequently produced today, as they showcase the glamour of old Hollywood. Casablanca is the perfect example of this. Considered to be one of the greatest films of all time, the 1942 film features Humphrey Bogart as Rick Blaine. Caught in the crosshairs of World War II, Blaine must choose between pursuing his love, Ilsa, or helping her husband escape from the city of Casablanca so that he may continue to resist the Nazis. Rick Blaine is cunningly noble, constantly making sacrifices for the good of humanity. Ilsa, played by the inimitably lovely Ingrid Bergman, is demure and dazzling. Throughout the film, they offer a compelling performance that champions bravery and patriotism. Casablanca ends with the hopeful famous last line from Rick, “Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.” 

Another film from 1942, To Be or Not To Be, gives audiences another example of patriotism and bravery. It features a troupe of actors who put together a plot to deceive a group of Nazis in Warsaw. It highlights how even those with unique talents, such as actors and artists, can use their skills to help others. Despite the dark setting, the film doesn’t lean into the harsh reality like many modern shows do, but instead leans into optimism. Also available on HBO is Vivacious Lady, which follows a young couple as they learn to make their marriage work. The wife, a former nightclub performer, works with her husband, a college professor, to ensure that their marriage and their family is lovingly secure. 

Their inability to rely on explicit content encouraged them to pursue stories with moral clarity, truth, and beauty.

But HBO isn’t the only streaming service offering up a selection of older movies whose plots are far more optimistic. Over the years, Netflix has carried a bevy of older films that are engaging without needing to be obscene. The Sting features a pair of conmen who use their intelligence to take down a gangster. Jaws shows a group of men who risk life and limb to save their small sea-side town from a monstrous shark. Even the beloved but silly 1984 classic Ghostbusters shows a group of scientists using their wit and good humor to take down the forces of evil. 

The movies and television shows we watch affect us more than we realize. Although the heavy themes of modern shows might be alluring, they often leave us feeling disheartened and unsettled. The constant portrayals of sex, abuse, and violence are draining. In contrast, old Hollywood films were a form of escapism. They allowed people to forget about the pressures of daily life and enjoy the glamour and heroism Americans were striving to achieve. Those films existed because someone decided that what audiences saw on screen actually mattered. In the era of Cassie Howard, maybe Hollywood could use a few more rules.