Changing Sex on TV

Changing Sex on TV

After reading Sam's post about  the "wish list" drawing from Monique Ward, I was inspired to seek out items in my media diet that are changing the way sex is shown on television. 

One of my new favorite TV shows is How to Get Away with Murder! 

This brand new legal drama on NBC features actress Viola Davis who plays a criminal law professor, Annalise Keating, who take on her favorite students to work with her on her cases. I do not want to explain too much because because the show is complex and features many flashbacks. I would not want to ruin any surprises for anyone. 

In only the first few released episodes sex has played a major role through the series. We have already seen an interracial marriage, an affair, and multiple accounts of gay sex. 

The main character Annalise is married to another professor at her school. It is great to see a central story line focusing on an interracial relationship. Even in the first episode we can see that their marriage is far from perfect. Annalise is shown receiving oral sex from her 'lover' Nate. Annalise is not your standard leading lady. She is a strong, driven, intelligent, and complex character. 

In terms of Ward's "wish list", Annalise fits the following...

1. More three-dimensional characters

*She is a complex women with needs, desires, struggles, and triumphs

2. A broader range of physical appearance types and less focus on this as the

center of women’s worth.

*Viola Davis is a black woman, who is shown in multiple scenes taking off her make up and wig

*She is portrayed as an extremely intelligent and successful teacher and lawyer 

6. More agentic portrayals of female sexuality.

*She is a strong female character with a strong sexual appetite. 

9. Portrayals of the ambiguities and negotiations that are involved in navigating

sexual relationships.

*She is navigating between the relationship she has with her husband and also the relationship she is partaking in outside of her marriage 

10. A focus on sexuality not just as a risk for women but also as a site of pleasure

*Many of her sexual encounters and clearly shown as pleasurable experiences that she seeks out 

One of the students on the show, Connor, is an openly gay character who has already been featuring with multiple partners. The sex scenes with Connor leave little to the imagination and really showcases his interactions with different men.  

Bond pointed out in "Information-seeking practices during

the sexual development  of lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals: The influence and

effects of coming out in a mediated environment." That often times depictions of LGB individuals are noticeably missing the media. Often times LGB youth turn to other outlets such as the Internet to seek information due to this like of representations.

In the show Connor has already proven to be a a very sexual active character. Hopefully younger audiences hoping to find information on their sexuality can turn to this character and learn about navigating their own sexuality.

I came across a quote from one the shows creators, Peter Nowalk, about his feeling on depicting unconventional relationships...  

"I knew I wanted to push the envelope, especially with the gay sex," Nowalk explained. "And to me, writing the gay characterization and writing some real gay sex into a network show is to right the wrong of all of the straight sex that you see on TV. Because I didn't see that growing up, and I feel like the more people get used to two men kissing, the less weird it will be for people. I just feel like it's a lack of vision that you don't see it on TV, but ABC has never had a note about any of the weird stuff in the show, so I'm gonna keep it going."

How to Get Away with Murder is not only a wonderfully entertaining show is it breaking many past boundaries of prime time TV. It is really exciting to see a show with such a great plot line incorporate fresh character representations. If you have not been watching I highly encourage it!

Bibliogrpahy

Ward, L. M., Day, K. M.,& Epstein, M. (2006). Uncommonly good: Exploring how mass media maybe a positive influence on young women's sexual health and development. New Directions for Child & Adolescent Development, 2006(112). 57-°©‐70. doi: 10.1002/cd.162

Bond, B. J., Hefner, V., & Drogos, K. L. (2009). Information-seeking practices during

the sexual development  of lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals: The influence and

effects of coming out in a mediated environment. Sexuality & Culture: An

Interdisciplinary Quarterly, 13(1), 32-50. doi: 10.1007/s12119-008-9041-y