AJ’s Screening Room: Dipping Our Toes Into Exhibitionism With Cruel Intentions’ Sebastian Valmont

May 28, 2023
AJ SLOAN

We all have those films that influenced our sexual awakening and planted the seeds that over time blossom into kinks, perversions, and fetishes of all shapes and sizes. From seedy leather bar anon action (Cruising, 1980) to handjobs on the beach (Moonlight, 2016), Hollywood has been influencing the sex lives of the masses since the dawn of cinema. Today we are going to focus on the plump peach of the nefarious nepo baby of the Upper East Side, Cruel Intentions’ Sebastian Valmont.

: AJ Sloan models his Cruel Intentions tank top.

Let’s break down the season that had all of the 1990s kinder Queers wearing out that rewind button, shall we? In the scene, the innocent lamb that is Annette (Reese Witherspoon) enters the pool room for an evening dip, only to stumble upon Ryan Phillippe’s Sebastian climbing up out of the pool adorned in, well, nothing. As he pats dry, Annette (and every hormone-ravaged teenager watching from the comfort of their family’s living room at 1 am) takes in the sight of Phillippe’s sculpted cheeks. As he turns to find that he isn’t alone, he makes no mad dash to cover up his nuts and berries. Rather, he takes subtle delight in the moment. Annette, now wetter than the pool itself, snaps out of her thirst and scolds Sebastian into covering up his anatomy. F*cking prude.

It is not uncommon for impressionable youth to have impactful experiences with media that explore themes of sexuality and desire. The character of Sebastian in Cruel Intentions is both complex and sexually charged. With the face of an Adonis and a body that rivals Michaelangelo’s David, it is no surprise that he resonated with so many viewers. This scene introduced much of its audience to themes of exhibitionism and voyeurism. Innocent Annette, though naughty as it may have felt for her character, couldn’t help but devour the sight of a naked Sebastian. Sebastian, naughty as his character is, took pleasure in providing Annette with a little soft-core imagery, and likely found arousal in the corruption of the doe-eyed daughter of the dean.

I loved this film from day one and can admit that it more than likely left an impression on me. Sebastian is hedonistic, confident, and stealthily debaucherous. Is there any sexier combination? As we all know, I have an appreciation for consensual exhibitionism. What can I say, Ryan Phillippe turned me into a tease at an early age, and I am not mad at that. On the contrary, he taught me and many others to be proud of our bodies and to own our sexuality. On that note, I gotta jet. I'm off to take a dip, but I'll leave you with a few thirst traps from now daddy Ryan Phillippe's Insta. Enjoy...