Sex Education ; An Educational Tool
- 25020450 Aiza Aftab Butt
- Dec 9, 2022
- 2 min read
The Netflix series; Sex Education is a pool for being unapologetically diverse in terms of racially as well as sexual identities one can conform to. Sex education centrally focuses on the relationship between a teenage son, Otis, and his mother that is a sex therapist. The series revolves around all the influence that his mother has had on Otis and the manner in which it transitions into his school life. Otis alongside his romantic interest, Maeve, ends up opening a sex advisory school in the abandoned washrooms of his Highschool. These episodes highlight the importance of proper sex education required by teenagers as the negative results from relying on their age peers can result into disastrous events. Bringing light to real life issues that are massively overlooked like struggling with sexuality, feeling unattractive to partners and being greatly inclusive in terms of race. This was one of the few English-based series that showed a black male completely comfortable and open in his sexuality. He dresses as per himself without conforming to societal norms. Sex Education even broke the taboo as when Eric comes out to his traditional African family and is accepted with love, reflecting hope for their viewers.
The representation of the LGBTQ is widespread and normalized as some other traditionally American shows have chosen to view them as outcasts who are treated differently by their peers. Sex education reflects eventual comfortability in sexualities. Many lesbian, gay, straight as well as Asexual people are represented as important characters with their own storylines rather than side characters like Ola and her girlfriend Lily.
In season 1, the iconic scene “It’s my vagina”, was a groundbreaking one since it disassociates the shame attached with the female sexuality. The latter reflects that blackmailing women with their nudes is no longer useful since there's comfort within themselves. As Ruby’s nude gets leaked and she is blackmailed for it, the leaked image has gone viral to the point the Principal feels the need to hold a meeting to address it. The following scene is extremely empowering as several female as well as male students stand up claiming “Its my vagina” in the photo that represents solidarity amongst them despite major differences.
Lastly, the fact that alongside being sexually educational, the series managed to focus on other societal issues like peer pressure, bullying and racism while focusing on the broader aspect.
This show is one of my favorite Tv shows of all times because it has an engaging plot line and complex characters. The black gay best friend is not just acting as a therapist friend for the male white lead; he has a story of his own that portrays his struggles as well. The popular "mean girls" of school are also shown to have a softer side to them, e.g., Ruby. The Jock character (Jackson) is shown as sincere friend and boyfriend, not as a fuckboy like jocks are shown in every other high school movie and TV show. One of the "untouchables" becomes friends with an outcast Maeve. In other words, each character in the show has layers. Even…
Sex Education was so enlightening to watch, I did not think that I wouldn't know so many things about sex education before watching it but it actually taught me a lot. As you mentioned, I loved the fact that the show removed the notion of shame associated with women and their bodies. I feel like Pakistan in particular needs sex education for this very purpose because every day women are made to feel uncomfortable and shameful in their bodies and therefore internalize the instinct to hide it. Despite being in a liberal educational system such as LUMS, I still feel uncomfortable wearing revealing clothes at times because it has been so deeply ingrained into me by society that revealing my…
I feel like Sex Education was actually one of the first shows to showcase sex from a female's perspective as well, showcasing the female experience and the problems they face along the way. For instance, in the "it's my vagina" episode, Aimee and Ruby get very self conscious about the way their vagina looks and if it is "normal" -- these are all important issues that are not showcased in other shows that feature sex like Elite, Gossip Girl etc. Moreso, in movies that glorify sex -- there are always the same types of bodies featured on screen which include hairless, white, thin with perfect proportions and boobs. Thereby, the fact that Sex Education showcases the variety of sexual experiences…
I think that sexual diversity is something that is western-centric only. The norm in the world is of heterosexual couples/individuals only as we studied in our course about “heterosexual normality among the society”, and showing such diversity is a positive thing that allows media products like these to set trends and normalise it within the society. The racial diversification in the show needs to be praised—showing Eric and Jackson (“two black men”), Rahim (a Muslim), Jakob (a Swedish), et cetra. This isn’t just among men, but also among women too. The show is a perfect portrayal of the modern society of the metropolitan Britain. It also covers social issues like bullying, harassment, et cetra to raise awareness among the general…
This has to be one of the best shows Netflix has ever made (fingers crossed that they don't cancel it). I feel this show pulled off representation without it being token and constrained by stereotypes with certain ethnicities. Nor did any of the characters at any point in the series criticize what the other was doing based on their background, specifically sexual taboos that go around with certain cultures. The Indian representation through Olivia (played by Simone Ashley) showed both sides of her having a white boyfriend and still, although forcibly, in touch with her culture through the kathak dance scene. She was never just her culture apart from that scene and compared to the subcontinent representation in other teenage…