Sex on TV: Normal (People) or not?

The idea of having explicit depictions of sex on television shows has always been a topic of debate. Previously, shows have actively omitted scenes that include sex, or will only include hints of sexual undertones to certain shots and frames in TV shows, whilst shows such as Normal People and Sex Education includes these explicit scenes of sexual activity in their stories. Sex is crucial to the plot and wiping it out makes the story futile and leaves the audience with a glossed-over idea of the actual story.

The show Normal People is derived from the book with the same title by Sally Rooney. The story delves into the intimate relationship between Connell (Paul Mescal) and Marianne (Daisy Edgar Jones) through the years starting from when they were in school up until when they graduate from university. This show includes many sex scenes between multiple characters, and these sexual sequences provide significant insight into each of the characters. The portrayal of sex is shown as a normal occurrence in everyday human life.

Whilst shows like Sex Education aim to normalise sex and spread healthy and correct information about sex. The show starts with Otis (Asa Butterfield), a young student who ends up becoming a sex counsellor at his school whilst he discovers his sexuality. The show focuses on many young individuals that understand their sexuality regardless of gender, race, or sexual orientation. Actor Gillian Anderson, who plays Otis’s mother, said to podcast host Vick Hope that the series was eye-opening and freeing in various contexts with its portrayals of sex.

These shows have brought about a new trend in the portrayal of sex in TV shows. Sex is seen as a regular and ordinary thing that many adults may choose to engage in. Rather than sticking to the label of it being taboo, sex needs to be normalised and talked about.