The Rise of Sex on Screen and The Empowerment to be Found in the Depiction of Intimacy
The sexual revolution: Bridgerton & Normal People lead the way for a new era of TV exploring sexual pleasure, desire, & consent …
Words: Zoe Bott
“Sex has always been a regular feature when it comes to film and television but now it's being more rigorously shot. With on-set intimacy coaches now being regularly used, but how has sex on screen changed in these modern ages.
Sex has always been a regular feature in a competitive industry as quite simply… sex sells. As people love to see real relationships that are complete with both the trial and tests of a relationship, including sex. But now there's more of it than ever as there are more channels, and more subscription services, the rivalry for viewers is more competitive. So, production companies are always looking for what people are wanting to watch, and as the latest racy Netflix show, Bridgerton, watched by over 82 million households has proven, people like to watch sex. But not in a perverse way, but to show the loving nature of a relationship. What Shondaland's Bridgerton does so brilliantly is that it shows the desire and love between characters but particularly from a woman's perspective.
The series set in the 19th century explores a woman's sexual awakening as she immerses herself in desire and her hunger for it. The scene of Daphne exploring her own body as she experiences female masturbation for the first time stands out as it shows a woman having control and power over herself, but shows that Shondaland is not afraid of showing something that women have known for ages but have felt afraid to say… women like to have sex. Now finally shows are starting to portray that women shouldn't be afraid to explore themselves sexually and should feel comfortable with talking about it especially if they are feeling uncomfortable.
“Normal People shows a brilliant portrayal of safe, consensual, and communitive sex, that still feels romantic, intimate, and importantly realistic. ”
Bridgerton does surround its sex with grand estates and ballgowns which make it come across with elegance and style whereas the show Normal People explores more the reality of sex in the 21st century. And shows young people having sex but with more real surroundings. Shown in scenes such as a bra getting stuck over Marianne's head, Connell tripping over his trousers, they show the awkwardness of a first time but also the love for one another, as they constantly check in with one another to make sure they are comfortable and importantly consenting.
In a time where the #MeToo Movement is still shadowing the entertainment industry, the issue of consent has become important, because you should feel comfortable in saying when something doesn't feel right to you. And this is why it so important that a show like Normal people gets it right. Which they did so perfectly in one simple line when Connell says to Marianne…
"If you want me to stop or anything, we can obviously stop," he says. "If it hurts or anything, we can stop. It won't be awkward.
The series shows a brilliant portrayal of safe, consensual, and communitive sex, that still feels romantic, intimate, and importantly realistic.
But how have these scenes of sex been so perfectly shot to feel real to an audience? These scenes are explicit and sexy but aren't pornographic, as they are more realistic as they show the intimacy between the two characters. Quite simply put, these shows convey good sex as it happens in life and not as it usually happens on screen.
This is down to the brilliant work of intimacy coordinators or coaches who create a comfortable space for actors, discussing with them what they want to achieve in the show but also what they feel comfortable with doing. And when filming scenes, they would plan out every movement and have in-depth discussions about the scenes so that they could portrayal the right feel for the show and the characters.
These more recent shows help to explore the reality of sex and make people, maybe women in particular, that they shouldn't be afraid of it. The use of intimacy coordinators has created scenes that feel real and started a new time for sex on screen, as now people don't want to see sexually evocative scenes. They want scenes that feel real and that aren't about the act but about the intimacy and connection they have with one another. And they are also starting a conversation about sex and importantly creating a culture where both men and women feel comfortable in having a conversation about sex.”
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Wonderful words by Zoe Bott who you can find via her portfolio website or Twitter at @zoebott_journo.