Jacob Elordi Criticizes 'Prudish' Reaction to 'Saltburn' Scene
Actor Jacob Elordi has expressed frustration over what he describes as a prudish audience response to the infamous bathtub scene in Emerald Fennell's 2023 thriller "Saltburn". During an interview on Entertainment Weekly’s Awardist podcast, the "Frankenstein" star reflected on the controversy and the strong reactions it provoked online.
Discussion of the Bathtub Scene
In the talked-about moment, Oliver (played by Barry Keoghan) secretly watches Felix (Elordi) in the bath and later drinks the bathwater left behind. The sequence quickly spread across social media and even sparked a viral “Jacob Elordi’s Bathwater” candle trend.
Elordi’s Reaction to the Public Outcry
“I actually think it shows me just how, I guess, prudish we are,” Elordi said. “When I watch that, I just think there are far more extreme things in cinema that I’ve seen, far more graphic.”
Elordi pointed out that audiences often accept scenes of graphic violence without issue, yet display discomfort toward sexual content. He noted that similar or even harsher material regularly appears in top-streaming crime documentary remakes on multiple platforms.
“There’s more alarming things in the top 10 streamed remakes of crime documentaries on every streaming platform,” he remarked.
Author’s Summary
Elordi criticizes the double standard in modern audiences who tolerate on-screen violence but react strongly to sexual intimacy, revealing ongoing cultural discomfort with sex in mainstream film.