Current event I
- Ana María
- 7 nov 2021
- 2 Min. de lectura
Streaming networks have a significant audience nowadays. For instance, the Serie *sex education from Netflix* was informed to have been watched by 40 million accounts that viewed it in its first month, according to Netflix ( As cited by Gajanan, 2019). The Serie represents not only communities that have barely been represented by the media, but it shows portrayals of queer teens and the journey to find out who they are. As described by Bergado (2020) one of the queerest teen comedies ever, this Netflix series is a crowd favorite. Moreover, It boasts an ethnically and sexually diverse cast, as well as individuals from many religions and characters with disabilities. In a nutshell, it's a true reflection of the world we live in.
This is a perfect example of how proper representation of the community can empower the audience and increase the understanding of the queer community. I would like to highlight that media tends to represent the LGBTQI+ community by exaggerating the characters. Instead, the sex education Serie does not stereotyped or sexualize their characters even when covering sexual content. Moreover, it touches on topics such as religion, family values, and traditions. For instance: Eric, played by Ncuti Gatwa, is one of the best characters on television right now. He hails from a pious Ghanaian-Nigerian household and is openly gay. This is an amazing portrayal of a real scenario, where it is not deeply negative or positive.
As Laurie stated (2021) "“Sex Education” has also been noted for its depiction of serious topics like abortion, asexuality, intersectional LGBTQ identities, mental health and sexual assault"
The serie sex education is a watchworthy tv show, it definelly creates an example for other media creators about proper queer representation. And I encourage you to watch it, it is a helpful tool to understand subject that have been taboo for a long time.
Dear Ana Maria,
I agree that this show is one that has SIGNIFICANTLY better representation and generally a better approach in presenting LGBTQ+ related topics and characters. Compared to other movies and shows where the only LGBTQ+ representation is a gay best-friend or worse a murder victim, I found that the topics covered in this show, while of course made for the purposes of entertainment, open the door up for more realistic storylines, representation and genuine conversations in the real world.
I personally feel that there is still a long way to go until there is proper representation in the media. Shows like Sex Education are few and far between, and many characters who are queer coded are sadly villains,…
This is one of the best series ever made. You rightly pointed out that "Sex Education" is an example to follow for all moviemakers. The creators managed to depict all kinds of sexualities, races, behaviours and characters, without defining any of them as positive or negative. Furthermore, I can say that it has changed the attitude to sex as a taboo topic. For example, my parents have watched all 3 seasons, and since I'm in the same age as the main characters, it made my parents aware of the things I wouldn't be able to speak with them about.
Dear Ana Maria,
Thank you for mentioning this AMAZING series! I truly believe that they managed to show the represenation of the real world. However, I always felt like the characters behaved somewhat unnaturally, do you think that this is due to the fact that it's still a 'show' and they have to perform or might there be another reason?
Kind Regards,
MJ😘