'Hall Pass' Stars Explain: Why Is Male Nudity So Funny?

'It's probably the awkwardness of the situation,' Jason Sudeikis tells MTV News.
By Kara Warner

Jason Sudeikis and Owen Wilson in "Hall Pass"
Photo: Warner Bros.

For anyone familiar with the films of the brothers Farrelly, Peter and Bobby, there is an element of raunch and ridiculousness in each of their films -- "Dumb & Dumber," "There's Something About Mary," "Shallow Hal," etc. -- that seems to know no bounds.

The latest addition to their body of work is "Hall Pass," in which Owen Wilson and Jason Sudeikis play two suburban dwellers seemingly bored with their marriages. Incredibly enough, they both manage to secure "hall passes" -- one-week vacations from their marriages and their wives -- to do whatever they please. Naturally, plenty of Farrelly-brand wackiness ensues, including an extended scene that features not one, but two prominent pieces of male anatomy.

When MTV News caught up with the castmembers recently, we asked what makes penises so funny, particularly to men, since more often than not, it seems they find them far more laugh-out-loud funny than women do.

"Probably because we have them and we use them for various puppetry purposes," Sudeikis offered.

"Yeah," Wilson agreed, adding that when guys laugh at seeing male anatomy onscreen, it's like a laugh of recognition. "Whoa! Hey!" he exclaimed with a grin.

"I think it's probably less the penis that makes us laugh and more the reaction," Sudeikis continued. "It's probably the awkwardness of the situation."

"Yeah, awkwardness," Wilson said. "If they weren't laughing they'd be crying."

Luckily, Jenna Fischer, who plays Wilson's wife in the film, weighed in as well to offer an unbiased female opinion on the subject.

"I just appreciate in this film that since they put boobs in, they put boy parts in too," she said. "I think it's a full-service film in that way. All nudity is allowed," she said with authority, which we told her was an excellent point. "It's just fair."

Check out everything we've got on "Hall Pass."

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