The progression of sex and sexuality in the TV world

How the industry has slowly opened its arms to representation and healthy sex

Jenica Davis
14th February 2023
Image credit: Mollie Sivaram - Unsplash
Sex has been a steamy and scandalous part of television for decades. Whilst initially sex was portrayed as a taboo, the last quarter of a century has showcased the topic in a more open and educational light.

In many recent TV series, we’ve seen a surge of healthy representations of sexual encounters, with shows discussing important issues such as sexual consent and protection, as well as including much more LGBTQ+ representation. Through the medium of television, we can deconstruct traditional sexual stigmas and normalise discussions surrounding sex and sexuality.

When it comes to consent in the TV world, the word itself is rarely explicitly used. Most scenes seem to race into the sexual romance and the crucial part of consent gets blurred over in the raunchy act. However, in recent years, many shows have illustrated how consent is an important conversation that doesn’t have to disrupt the ‘mood’ of the moment at all. BBC Three’s adaptation of Sally Rooney’s Normal People is a great example of healthy, consensual sex. Marianne and Connell frequently check in on each other when they are sexually intimate, and it is portrayed in a very natural way that doesn’t disrupt the intimacy of the scene. Connell further reminds Marianne that they can stop whenever; this is key in stressing how you are always allowed to change your mind. Your “no” is just as valid after consenting.

Furthermore, when it comes to long-term relationships, consent is something that is often completely brushed over. There’s an unspoken (and incorrect) conception within society that you don’t need to ask for consent when in a relationship – a notion that is perpetuated by many TV shows. But consent is not a one-time conversation. If TV series were to incorporate more conversations between characters in a long-term relationship discussing sexual consent, this would really help to normalise couples having these discussions more frequently.

You are always allowed to change your mind. Your “no” is just as valid after consenting.

Modern TV shows have not only been educational with their portrayal of consensual sex, but also safe sex. Contraception is extremely important in preventing pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Whilst most series in the past have mentioned condoms, the contraception discussion is usually limited to this and the topic as a whole is massively underrepresented. Conversations between characters about sexual health, particularly regarding STIs, are equally important in TV’s portrayal of safe sex.

Watching more characters openly talk about their sexual health would be a huge catalyst towards dismantling the stigmas around contraception and the societal shame surrounding STIs. This may not be surprising given the title of the show, but Netflix’s Sex Education portrays a very progressive and honest approach towards sexual health and safe sex – it is an essential watch for all audiences, particularly for younger groups who are less sexually educated. The reality show RuPaul’s Drag Race has further brought conversations surrounding sexual health into mainstream media, with contestants openly discussing being HIV positive.

When shows started to openly portray sexual relationships, most stories revolved around heterosexual, cis characters. However, the TV world has come a long way since then in regards to LGBTQ+ representation, with shows like Heartstopper and Heartbreak High not only showcasing a range of sexual identities, but giving audiences positive representations of LGBTQ+ relationships. It used to be very rare to find a queer character in a show whose arc didn’t centre around homophobia, biphobia, transphobia etc. or to watch LGBTQ+ relationships that didn’t result in tragedy as a result of societal prejudices.

The representation of sexuality is further important when it comes to reality shows that consume our channels. Notably, popular series such as Love Island and Love is Blind are still predominantly heterosexual spaces. The showrunners of both these series have addressed the lack of queer contestants, commenting that sexual diversity poses ‘logistical difficulties’ and that having LGBTQ+ versions of the show would clash with the format. Within the realm of reality TV, love is not as diverse on their screens as it is in the fictional world of television, with LGBTQ+ representation seemingly being an inconvenience to these types of shows. Whilst it appears that we won’t be getting any LGBTQ+ versions of these shows anytime soon, there is a new wave of reality TV that are inclusive in their representation of sexuality, such as Channel 4’s most recent season of Married at First Sight.

Sexual content in the media plays a vital role in society’s reception of sex and sexuality; what we see on our screens impacts the way we perceive and approach sexual relationships in real life. Whilst representation has been extremely diverse and progressive within the recent influx of television series, there is certainly still more room for improvement.

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