Sex is not a taboo topic in the land of Shonda Rhimes. Her liberated view on the subject is evident in the lives of characters she creates for shows, Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal and How To Get Away With Murder.
Having been on the defensive end for Olivia Pope’s affair with a White president and displaying homosexuality across series – along with the pearl-clutching scene in the season premiere of HTGAWM when Connor Walsh had a very graphic sexual encounter with his male-partner – in Shonda’s eyes and those who agree, sex should be healthy and shame-free.
The mother of three daughters explains in the October issue of Women’s Health Magazine:
“I find it fascinating that you can shoot someone in the face on network television, show the whole thing, watch their brains fly out of the back of their head, and no one blinks. But people are shocked when you show anybody having sex.”
The content creator added:
“I hope my daughters grow up to have amazing sex. I really do. I do not hope they grow up to shoot someone in the face. You know what I mean? I feel like there are ways to represent women owning their sexuality and having a strong point of view about it and it not being this taboo thing that’s hidden in some closet somewhere.”
As the conversation surrounding reproductive rights for women continue to swarm the “hot topics” circuit, scrutiny is loud on sexual ownership and women “owning” the characteristics that make them, well…women.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Viola Davis shared what gaining her role as “Annalise Keating” in HTGAWM did for her career:
“There were lot of things that people did not allow me to be until I got [the role of] Annalise Keating. I was not able to be sexualized. Ever. In my entire career. I’ve never seen anyone who even looks like me be sexualized on television or film. Ever.”
Two ideas come to mind: One being the positive effect of women embracing their womanhood and the strength within that and the other being when sexualization crosses the line.
Does the conversation take a different tone when the celebration is coming from the woman or when public figures such as Beyoncé, Grace Jones, or Rihanna give the “ok” to flaunt their sex?
In 2015, why does “sex” talk raise eyebrows?
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