TV’s New Sexual Narratives? Unconventional Sex and Intimacy in Transparent and Broad City

by: Theresa Trimmel , September 12, 2018

Introduction

‘Broad City Launches Sex Toy Line, Putting Its Sex-Positive Money Where Its Mouth Is’ (Dry 2017) is just one of the numerous headlines in popular magazines celebrating the collaboration between the sex toy retailer Lovehoney, the cable channel Comedy Central and its series Broad City (2014-). The collaboration has resulted in a sex toy collection consisting of 14 Broad City-themed products, released during summer 2017. The reason a scripted comedy show such as Broad City can launch and profit from selling a sex toy line is due to the series‘ appeal to a younger audience [1] and its edgy and ‘cool’ content that explores sexual pleasure. Although the show is comparatively restricted in the portrayal of nudity and sexual explicitness, Broad City’s depiction of sexual preferences often goes against social conventions. The show provides scenes involving non-heteronormative intimate situations and unconventional circumstances when sexual intercourse occurs. As a result, Broad City’s sexual narratives have gained substantial attention from online magazines and TV critics, and the show has become a popular reference point for the portrayal of Western sexual experiences. (e.g. Chan 2015; Hess 2015; Hope 2015; Jones 2016) Broad City illustrates how situating contemporary TV programs within entertainment journalism and TV criticism can be useful when discussing the popular reception of a show. Such public discussions can also provide viewers with frameworks to interpret the respective television series. (Crawley 2017: 4; Mittell 2015: 261-262)

Similarly, the treatment of sex and sexuality in the Amazon series Transparent (2014-) has been discussed by various TV critics who underline the provocative, but above all controversial and explicit nature of the production’s intimate scenes that frequently break taboos. (e.g. Starr 2015; Berkshire 2016; Nussbaum 2016) These representations include conversations about sex addiction, LGBTQ identities, as well as sexual fetishism and intimate relationships between same-sex or transsexual characters. Moreover, the display of transgressive bodies which includes a full frontal nude scene of a transgender woman in the show’s fourth season has also provoked public discussions. (e.g. Cohen 2017; Strausse 2017) Consequently, Transparent not only brings attention to the gay, lesbian, bisexual but also to transgender communities. While gay men have had a more prominent role in US television since the turn of the century, for example in Queer as Folk (Showtime, American Canadian production, 2000-2005) and Looking (HBO, 2014-2015), fewer TV shows have since focused on lesbian characters. The L Word (Showtime, 2004-2009) and Orange Is the New Black (Netflix, 2013-) are two of only a few examples in this respect. In comparison, transsexual individuals have barely been represented on US TV. One nuance example is the character Trevor (Elliot Fletcher) in season 8 of Shameless (Showtime, 2011-).

Both Broad City and Transparent exemplify a current trend on US television usually associated with premium cable channels such as HBO and Showtime that involves engagement with human stories and identities but also highlights their sexual intimacies. These representations of sex often contain edgy, controversial, and liberal content which frequently challenges social conventions. The depiction of sex on the US television screen has been steadily increasing from the 1980s to the early 2000s. (Greenberg & D’Alessio 1985; Kunkel, Cope, & Colvin 1996; Fisher , Hill , Grube & Gruber 2004; Eyal & Finnerty 2009) Various scholars have discussed the growing focus on intimacy and erotic spectacle on US TV. For example, Linda Williams explains that a few series from the early 2000s, such as Sex and the City (HBO, 1998-2004), Queer as Folk, The L-Word, and Tell Me You Love Me (HBO, 2007), already represented ‘new sexual lifestyles’.(2008: 304) She further contends that these productions used sex ‘as a key to understanding character’ arguing that ‘new levels of explicitness serve new levels of psychological revelation’. (Williams 2008: 304) Likewise, Helen Wheatley detects a ‘proliferation of sex on television’ but suggests that particularly since 2010 US (and UK) TV dramas ‘dwell on the erotic moment’. (Wheatley 2016: 192) Referring to shows such as Game of Thrones (2011-) and Masters of Sex (Showtime, 2013-2016), Wheatley further claims that the television series in question exemplify sexual realism where ‘the spectacle of sex is tied to the portrayal or recognisable experience’. (2016: 201) Williams and Wheatley predominantly examine serial dramas produced by premium cable channels. Yet, drawing on research by the scholars Brian McNair (2002), Jane Arthurs (2004), and Ariel Levy (2005), Wheatley remarks that the increased depiction ‘of sex on television extends beyond the generic boundaries of the quality drama’. (2016: 193-195)

Since scholarship concerned with the representation of sex on contemporary US television mainly centres on serial dramas on premium cable channels, this article seeks to explore how basic cable networks and online streaming providers in the US portray sexual content. This article examines how such platforms address different sexual preferences in their shows and how censorship regulations shape the representation of edgy sexual content on both platforms. I argue that Broad City and Transparent follow HBO’s strategy of creating controversial and distinctive sexual content but their representations often lack nuance around the role of sex. Both shows display unconventional and non-heteronormative sex scenes where sexual intercourse is deglamorized and often goes against conventions. However, this current trend contributes to the commodification of unconventional sex on TV and in mainstream culture, since TV companies are to some extent co-opting non-normative sexuality and unconventional sex practices to bolster their brand value. Moreover, Broad City is a cringe comedy while Transparent exhibits elements of ‘cringe’. This article, therefore, claims that ‘cringe’ can play a substantial role in sexual narratives on contemporary US television making unconventional sex practices more palatable to a mainstream audience.

Definition of Sexual Content, Graphic Sex and Unconventional Sexual Intimacy

This article defines sexual content as any representation of sexual activity or sexually suggestive behaviour and nudity, including both heterosexual and homosexual portrayals. This definition is similar to the one Kunkel, Cope, and Biely apply in their article about sexual messages on television. (1999) By explicit sexual content or graphic sex scenes, I generally refer to visually clear depictions of simulated and unstimulated sexual intercourse on television, such as genital sex and anal sex, as well as oral sex and masturbation that can include uncovered genitalia and breasts. The sexual imageries discussed in this article, however, exclusively involve simulated penetration and usually do not display the direct visual exposure of sexual organs during the simulated sex, as this still seems to be a taboo in non-pornographic visual culture, let alone TV. This observation leads to the assumption that the various depictions of sexual intercourse examined in this article are, thus, mediated.

Scholars have used different terms to describe sexually explicit or non-heteronormative sexual imagery in cinema and television. Tanya Krzywinska states that in various discourses ‘sexuality is still taken to mean heterosexuality’ (2006: 20, italics in original) and draws on Judith Butler’s concept of the ‘heterosexual matrix’ introduced in her book Gender Trouble (1990). [2] In terms of sex, sexuality, and gender, this system distinguishes between the ‘normal’ (e.g. heterosexuality) and ‘perverse’ (‘against nature’) which is ‘an inherently transgression-laden structure that appears with a range of different intentions in cinema’ but, as I argue, also in television. (Krzywinska 2006: 20) Krzywinska concludes that transgressive representations of sex break boundaries and ‘do sometimes offer alternatives to the norm and, at times, demonstrate the conditions and vested interests on which sexual ideologies and rhetoric operate’. (2006: 115-117, italics in the original) By way of contrast, Linda Williams argues that ‘[t]he rise of sexual explicitness in the movies cannot be viewed as a transgressive exception to the rules of the previous repression, but as the continuation, in Foucault’s sense, of a larger discursive explosion of perverse sexualities’. (2008: 13)

The representation of sexual intercourse discussed in this article can also frequently be read as queer. As Annamarie Jagose argues, ‘queer’ can be defined as a sexual orientation that ‘describes those gestures or analytical models which dramatise incoherencies in the allegedly stable relations between chromosomal sex, gender and sexual desire’. (2010: 3) However, this article will also discuss sexual intimacy that is not necessarily queer. This article will therefore use ‘unconventional’ as an umbrella term for the representation of non-normative, explicitly graphic, and controversial sexual intimacy that involves queer and transgressive sex practices, as well as kinky sex and sex fantasies (including fetishism and sex toys) amongst heterosexual couples but also people from the LGBTQ community, and the portrayal of trans bodies. In other words, ‘unconventional’ will refer to sex scenes and representations of intimacy on US television that inspire discussion amongst audiences because of their provocative sexual nature as they break with heteronormative social conventions, or can be considered sensitive content according to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). [3] By describing the various sexual acts in this article as ‘unconventional’, rather than ‘queer’ or ‘transgressive’, I aim to illustrate how sex and intimacy in US TV shows such as Broad City and Transparent can be considered progressive compared to the depiction of intimacy visible on mainstream television. [4] However, they are not necessarily new or transgressive in comparison to sexual behaviours and preferences depicted on US premium channels.

Explicit Content on the TV Screen: Censorship on US Television and HBO as a Trendsetter for A Distinctive Television Experience

US television channels and online streaming platforms are subjected to different levels of censorship regarding the display of nudity and sexual content, as well as adult language and violence. Premium cable and pay-per-view channels such as HBO, Starz, and Showtime, are bound neither to advertising companies that can control their content nor to the FCC since these channels depend exclusively on subscription fees for funding and can thus show explicit sexual or violent content, as well as using adult language. (The Federal Communication Commission; see also Sterling & Kittross 2002; Janet McCabe and Kim Akass 2007; Pondillo 2010: 195; Demory and Pullen 2013: 118; Edgerton and Jones 2013; Lotz 2017) Likewise, online streaming providers are not restricted by the FCC or advertising revenues since such platforms are exclusively maintained through subscription fees. In contrast, broadcast networks such as ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, and CW are regulated by the FCC, which bans nudity/sex, offensive language and violence from programs produced by these channels. Although basic cable TV such as Comedy Central, AMC, or FX are not subject to content-based regulations of the FCC, they still depend financially on their advertising partners and have therefore to adapt their content to their policies. (The Federal Communication Commission; Sadler 2015: 611) These restrictions are also connected with commercial demands of the medium and its audiences: while broadcast TV channels aim to reach higher viewing ratings, cable TV and online streaming platforms focus exclusively on niche audiences while trying to provide highly-stylized aesthetics and distinctive content. Consequently, as Fisher et al. observe, TV series produced by subscription platforms frequently provide more explicit sexual content, as well as graphic nudity, and are more likely to offer sex scenes that go against conventions. (2004) [5]

HBO has played an important role regarding the depiction of explicit sexual content on the US television screen. Since the mid-1990s, the premium cable channel has been attracting subscribers by providing them not only with quality television but also with explicit nudity, violence, and adult language barred from mainstream TV. (e.g. Kelso 2008; Edgerton and Jones 2013) HBO’s original slogan ‘It’s not TV, It’s HBO’ signalled differentiation from other TV channels and established certain expectations about the content shown on the network. HBO series such as Sex and the City, The Sopranos (1999-2007), Tell Me You Love Me, and eventually Game of Thrones, as well as Girls, all contain sexually explicit elements which have been extensively discussed in popular media. [6] Helen Wheatley observes that while HBO provides controversial and explicit sex scenes and ‘a form of ’heightened’ visual pleasure’, the channel’s sexual narratives simultaneously ‘seek to present sexual activity as ordinary, every day, as part of human experiences’. (2016: 201) As a result, HBO’s use of graphic sex scenes on screen has become part of the channel’s brand identity and illustrates the importance of explicit sexual content for the network’s brand value.

Over the years, this strategy has influenced other TV channels and online streaming providers. As Akass and McCabe observe, cable networks such as FX and Showtime translate the ‘quality’ formula and were gradually producing TV series while taking risks in content and representation, and go against conventions. (2008: 91) Series such as Weeds (Showtime, 2005-2012), Californication (Showtime, 2007-2014), Sons of Anarchy (FX, 2008-2014), Spartacus (Starz, 2010-2013), Masters of Sex (Showtime, 2013-2016), and The Girlfriend Experience (Starz, 2016-present) contain explicit sexual content. Online streaming providers have also adopted the quality TV formula with explicit depictions of sexual behaviour in programs such as Orange is the New Black, Sense8 (Netflix, 2015-2018), Easy (2016-present), and Transparent to create distinctive and edgy programs. At the same time, the sex scenes in question are also story-telling devices and become useful to explore the characters. Although the FCC has softened its regulations over the years, certain restrictions still endure, and advertising companies still maintain substantial influence regarding a basic cable channel’s content. This conclusion applies to most basic cable channels, amongst them Comedy Central.

The diversification of television and online streaming providers has certainly contributed to the need to produce distinctive and, above all, culturally relevant content to offer an attractive service to subscribers and viewers. This obligation comes after more channels have begun to follow HBO’s strategy of creating distinctive content. Nowadays, viewer rates are not necessarily an indicator if a show is successful, not at least since Netflix or Amazon do not reveal any audience data, and illegal downloads and video on demand services (VOD) make it also difficult to track exact viewer rates. As Amanda Lotz argues, to distinguish themselves from each other and already existing shows, networks are now supposed to create ‘noisy’ productions that are able to prompt discussion among audiences. (2016) TV channels are now expected to break boundaries again, such as HBO did over twenty years ago and the depiction of unconventional sex scenes and sexual realism appears to be one possible strategy to achieve such media attention. As a result, many current sexual narratives on the US television landscape follow the HBO model and attempt to balance between distinctive visual pleasure, realistic sex scenes and engagement with human stories.

Broad City and Transparent

Developed from a web series (2009-2011), Broad City was launched by Comedy Central in 2014. The network is known for its original comedy and cult-TV productions (e.g. Chapelle’s Show, 2003-2006; The Man Show, 1999-2004; Comedy Central Roast, 2003-; South Park, 1997-) and has since become a prominent platform for shows with female protagonists created by female comedians, including the sitcoms Broad City, Idiotsitter (2016-), Another Period (2015-), and the sketch comedy Inside Amy Schumer (2013-2016). More specifically, Broad City is a comedian’s comedy, produced by Amy Poehler, Ilana Glazer, and Abbi Jacobson. Glazer and Jacobson have also been mainly responsible for writing the series and play the protagonists, Ilana Wexler and Abbi Abrahams, who are two Jewish women in their twenties living in New York. Broad City focuses on the protagonists’ experience as adults. Ilana is sexually liberated and free-spirited but lacks any work ethic. Abbi is more responsible than her friend but gets often involved in Ilana’s plans.

Broad City’s narrative and comedy form depart from conventions of gender identity, sexuality, and sex practices. The production is highly episodic, which means each episode will return to its initial equilibrium, single episodes are not connected, and events occurring in one episode have no impact on subsequent ones. Furthermore, like other US television productions such as Louie (FX, 2010-2015), Seinfeld (NBC, 1989-1998), 30 Rock (NBC, 2006-2013), and Parks and Recreation (NBC, 2009-2015), Broad City does not employ professional actresses but rather comedians to play its key roles. This aspect also contributes to comedic effects in plotlines and the portrayal of characters. Comedians often play fictional comic versions of themselves and re-create their own-life-based experiences in their respective TV shows offering an autobiographical tease and blurring the line between reality and fiction. As Jason Mittel explains, to make sense of an episode the audience is ‘invited to playfully imagine what elements of the series are true to real events and characters, versus fictionalised versions or outright inventions’. (2015, 109) The characters in Broad City, for instance, are deliberately exaggerated (i.e. Ilana wears colourful and striking outfits with slogans, makes funny faces as well as movements, mispronounces words, and uses different accents) and are unpredictable which makes the plot of each episode very flexible. Due to this flexibility, the series also creates bizarre and exaggerated situations often related to sex and challenges social conventions.

By contrast, Transparent is a ‘realist’ comedy-drama with serial plotlines, which connect single episodes and seasons, and contain character and narrative development. The show was created by Jill Soloway and released on Amazon Video in 2014. Transparent focuses on the Pfeffermans, a self-involved middle-class Jewish family, consisting of Maura (Jeffrey Tambor), a transsexual women in her 60s, her ex-wife Shelly (Judith Light), as well as their three grown-up children Sarah (Amy Landecker), Joshua (Jay Duplass), and Alexandra (Gaby Hoffmann), called Ali. In the first few episodes, Maura gradually tells her family about her gender dysphoria. The series consequently explores how Maura copes with her new life as a trans woman, how the Pfeffermans redefine their new family dynamics, as well as how Maura’s transgression influences each family member. The online streaming provider Amazon competes with other internet platforms such as Netflix and Hulu, as all three portals are known for their frequently cutting edge, liberal, and distinctive content. Transparent has received several awards, including a Golden Globe, two Critics’ Choice Awards, as well as two Primetime Emmy Awards for Tambor’s central performance in 2015 and 2016, adding prestige to the production and Amazon, as well as competing with quality TV networks such as HBO.

Broad City and Transparent are comedy shows and frequently use humour when displaying intimate situations. Broad City can be identified formally as cringe-comedy and Transparent often displays elements of unsettling embarrassment, or ‘cringe’. Leon Hunt defines ‘cringe’ as ‘an affectivity shared by comedy and reality TV’ where productions ‘trade on misplaced narcissism, and hubris, self-deception, epic stupidity and behaviour that (as the cliché goes) could only be watched through one’s fingers’. (2013: 176) He further contends that one of the key attributes of cringe-comedy is not just any type of embarrassment (since this effect can be found in several comedy types) but ‘a dissolution of whatever distance we might maintain between the embarrassment experienced by a character and an embarrassment that we somehow feel ourselves’. (173) As a result, these characters make the audience ‘feel too much of something that we would usually not want to feel at all’. (173) Therefore, cringe comedy also mobilises the notion of appropriate behaviours, as well as the awareness and lack of awareness of social conventions. This type of humour has become a quite popular comedy style on US television since the early 2000s and is the predominant comedy form in The Office (NBC, 2005-2013), 30 Rock, Parks and Recreation (only in season one), The Comeback (HBO, 2005-), Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO, 2000-), and Girls (HBO, 2012-2017).

As productions such as Girls, Transparent and Broad City illustrate, cringe comedy functions as a suitable tool to represent controversial sexual behaviour on the screen while over-emphasising their absurdity and contributing to the commodification, but also normalisation, of non-normative sex. As Frank Krutnik and Steve Neale argue, ‘actions which would ordinarily be branded disturbing or cruel’ are made ‘acceptable’ through different forms of comedy. (1990: 261) These assumptions also apply to the various intimate scenes both Broad City and Transparent provide, such as in the episodes 1.1. ‘What a Wonderful World’, 2.4. ‘Knockoffs’, and 2.9. ‘Coat Check’ (Broad City), or in 1.1. ‘Pilot’, 1.7. ‘Symbolic Exemplar’, and 2.2.’Flicky-Flicky Thump-Thump’ (Transparent), which are some of the episodes this article will discuss in more detail.

Sexual Narratives in Broad City and Transparent

The pilots of Broad City and Transparent both open with sex scenes which work to establish the level of sexual explicitness the audience can expect in each series. Transparent’s pilot (1.1. ‘Pilot’) begins with three individual scenes of each of Maura’s children. While Sarah’s and Ali’s sequences introduce both characters following their morning routine, Josh is seen with a young women in bed. Her naked body is initially covered with bed sheets that are then removed by Josh which reveals her breasts to the camera. After the woman wakes up, she refuses to kiss Josh reminding him of both their morning breath. This scene does not only show explicit nudity but also establishes the attempt to provide more realistic representations of sex throughout the whole series.

Moreover, sex and intimacy are essential aspects of Josh’s life, since he struggles to maintain stable romantic relationships with women which is presumably caused by a sexual relationship (an incident the series later frames as sexual abuse) he had with an older women, Rita (Brett Paesel) when he was a teenager.

Similarly, Broad City’s pilot starts with a sex scene that sets up the narrative and the series’ exploration of sexual pleasure. The first image of the episode shows Abbi looking at a vibrator she is holding in her hand (1.1.‘What a Wonderful World’). She is then interrupted by a skype-video call from Ilana. Although the audience sees Ilana through a medium close-up shot moving up and down, it is not until later revealed that she has been having sex with her friend-with-benefits Lincoln (Hannibal Buress) during the whole conversation. A long camera shot then shows that Ilana only wears a long t-shirt which covers her and Lincoln’s genitals. The situation is awkward and bizarre at the same time, and increasingly so when Abbi continues talking with the couple. After Abbi ends the call, Ilana says to Lincoln: ‘That was hot, that was cool, …that was like a threesome in a way’. These early moments in Broad City already express the intimate friendship between Abbi and Ilana, as well as the openness and the positivity with which the series approaches sexual liberation and fantasy. As Carol Siegel observes, in contrast to Transparent, sex in Broad City ‘is mainly depicted as a source of pleasure’ and disappointing sexual experiences are still portrayed as ‘life-enriching adventures’. (2017: 158) As a result, this initial scene can be considered unconventional as it implies sexual desires, as well as the confrontation of watching somebody having sex (although involuntarily). These are scenes which are often uncomfortable to watch and create a cringing effect.

The different aspects of censorship in the depiction of sex and nudity in Broad City and Transparent is visible when comparing intimate scenes in both shows. In Broad City, nude body parts are either covered by diverse objects or displayed but intentionally pixelated. For example, in one scene in episode 2.2.‘Mochallata Chills’, Abbi is dancing naked through her apartment and is framed by a long shot. Her genitals and breasts are pixelated. This creative choice is, however, an innovative and unconventional way to approach nudity on scripted cable TV programs and provides more subtlety about nudity in the series. Another scene involves Abbi having sex with her neighbour Jeremy (Stephen Schneider; Episode 2.4. ‘Knockoffs’). While a long shot briefly shows both from the distance, an unrecognizable object on a table positioned closer to the camera conveniently covers their supposedly nude bodies and exposed genitals until the next camera shot is already a close-up of the couple in bed. These representations of nudity in Broad City also have a comic effect, invoking audience awareness of representational boundaries on basic cable.

The two episodes demonstrate that Broad City uses different formal techniques to keep naked body parts and genitals out of the frame in order to be in line with Comedy Central’s censorship regulations. Tanya Krzywinska discusses such techniques in mainstream cinema and explains how formal devices, including ellipsis, cutaway shots, and visual barriers, are frequently used as cues to ‘suggest rather than show sex’.(2006: 29) While the Broad City episode ‘Knockoffs’ displays such visual barriers in the scene described above, the same episode uses an ellipsis later in another sex scene that involves a strap-on. The scene stops before the actual act and the audience can only assume that sex (with the sex-toy) occurs off-screen. I will discuss this specific scene in more detail below. A third formal device is the cutaway shot which can ‘be used to present an event that occurs at the same time elsewhere, returning to the original scene at a later point’. (Krzywinska 2006: 29) The comparison with mainstream cinema illustrates that Broad City also resorts to more conservative techniques when depicting sexual intercourse.

Transparent, on the contrary, often presents nudity and explicit sex scenes with frontal camera focus on nude characters and their bodies and the camera lingers, as well as does not look away while characters are naked. Although Maura (like other cis male characters in the series) is never seen entirely naked, nudity in the show is not a taboo. As noted in the introduction of this article, the full frontal nude scene of a transsexual woman has attracted substantial media attention, since the nude portrayal of such a body type has not been seen before on a US television series. In the episode 4.2. ‘Groin Anomaly’, Maura’s transgender friend Davina (Alexandra Billings) is getting a massage from her partner while lying face-down in her bed. She then turns around exposing her penis. Other explicit nude scenes in Transparent often involve Maura’s daughter Ali, for example, in the pilot of the series, when the audience sees Ali staring at her nude body in front of a mirror. Due to the reflections of the mirror, the viewer sees Ali from behind and her front. Thus, Broad City and Transparent not only provide examples how TV series can represent nudity and sex, but their comparison also underlines Comedy Central’s restrictions in this respect.

The representation of sexual acts in Transparent and Broad City often create a topic on which the episode in question can focus. This utilization of sex as an essential part of the narrative focus is, for example, illustrated in the Broad City episode ‘Knockoffs’. Abbi has been fantasizing about her neighbour Jeremy since the pilot of the series. When she eventually has sex with him, she asks him to switch positions, which he misunderstands as an indication to try a rather unconventional sex practice: the utilization of a strap-on. The situation becomes comical and awkward due to the initial misunderstanding between Jeremy and Abbi. In her facial expressions, the viewer sees Abbi’s discomfort at being asked to perform a different sexual role that is ‘queer’ to her. Moreover, the preference for this type of sex (which would result in Jeremy’s passivity during the sexual act) contradicts Jeremy’s overly-masculine, self-confident appearance consisting of lumberjack T-shirts and a full beard, which is supposed to create a comedic element in the episode. Abbi goes into the bathroom and calls Ilana. Her reaction, however, completely contradicts Abbi’s: after she dances and makes a backflip out of euphoria, Ilana further expresses her enthusiasm about Abbi’s possible sexual experience saying ‘This is a dream come true (…) All throughout college I slept with a strap-on on just in case the opportunity came along’. Ilana’s statement points to this sex practice as a female fantasy related with power. The scene then proceeds showing a now confident and determined Abbi entering the bedroom. She is still wearing her underwear but also the strap-on. As this scene illustrates, comedy in the representation of unconventional sex can ‘invite non-practitioners into (…) the story and characters are designed to demonstrate the positive values of the practice’. (Krzywinska 2006: 215) Funny scenes like this also articulate Broad City’s positive attitude towards sex which has eventually led to the launch of a sex-toy line, as discussed in the introduction.

Although the sexual act between Abbi and Jeremy is never shown on screen, the scene has a substantial function in the narrative progression. Abby’s storyline in the episode revolves entirely around this experience as she also visits a sex shop to buy a new dildo for Jeremy, but then breaks up with him. Her character’s motivations also change (at least for the episode), as Abbi declares she wants to experience more sexually. The strap-on scene becomes a reference point for several jokes in the episode. This over-emphasis on the topic is possible due to the series’ episodic form since the incident is not further mentioned in later episodes. Furthermore, Abbi’s conversations with Ilana and her family are also about the experience of having sex with a strap-on. These conversations are loaded with awkwardness and embarrassing moments but also, in a certain way, educational as they pick up on stereotypes and myths about this type of sex. The same effect is created by the opposite reactions from both protagonists which provides the audience with two contradictory viewpoints about this sexual preference. Echoing Ilana’s and Abbi’s positive attitude towards pleasure and sexual experimentation, the use of comedy represents unconventional sex in a positive light and makes it seem more acceptable.

Similarly, Transparent displays unconventional sexual behaviour that mainstream TV does not engage with frequently. These scenes include, for instance, risqué topics such as fetishism, and sexual practices with sex toys. In season two and three of the show, Sarah embarks on a journey of self-discovery, spiritually and sexually. She has sexual fantasies of her high school disciplinarian, Mr. Irons. Although in Sarah’s fantasy he talks and addresses but never touches her, Sarah enjoys the moment every time when he slaps a paddle against his hand (Episode 2.3. ‘New World Coming’). This portrayal of sexual fantasy is an unusual one (which is particularly demonstrated by Ali’s reaction of disgust after Sarah tells her about it), but also consists of scenes that might convey feelings of discomfort to the audience. Moreover, in season three, Sarah begins to visit an S&M dominatrix called Pony (Jiz Lee). The few scenes that focus on these encounters show Sarah bending over a bench and being spanked. Sarah eventually stops attending such meetings after she has a verbally aggressive interaction with the dominatrix. What on screen is represented as funny could actually be seen as a threatening situation for Pony. Nevertheless, due to the comic element and Sarah’s clumsiness in the various sessions, the situation is deliberately presented with absurdity, diminishing Sarah’s threat potential.

Broad City also offers a comic representation of fetishism and sexual fantasy. As already noted above, the production uses exaggeration and irony to create the show’s comic elements. In episode one (1.1.‘What a Wonderful World’), Ilana and Abbi clean a man’s apartment in their underwear, while he watches them prowling behind different objects. The feeling of awkwardness and embarrassment is resurrected when the same man, later on, refuses to pay for their service, refers to himself as a baby and it is revealed that he, indeed, wears diapers. This comedic outcome transforms the man from the voyeur into the object and he is now the target of mockery potentially for both the audience (since the man’s appearance and baby voice is supposedly funny), as well as for Ilana and Abby who start laughing about him. Like Transparent, Broad City represents this perverse and potentially threatening situation with absurdity, and comic reveal and within surreal circumstances which then turns the table and reverses the threat while the initial tensed moment converts into a comedic scene.

Unconventional sex scenes in Transparent also address questions such as who is allowed to display sexual behaviour and what type of intimacy is actually ‘enjoyable’ to watch. In the episode ‘Flicky-Flicky Thump-Thump’ (2.2.), Maura and ex-wife Shelley share an intimate moment while Shelley is having a bath and asks Maura to pleasure her. Shelley enjoys the moment, whereas Maura seems disinterested but eventually does what Shelley asked her for. Maura does not necessarily seem to be pleased by the situation and, consequently, distances herself from Shelley, a distance that endures over several seasons. This separation, however, is also essential for Maura’s character development as she is able to move on and explore her new life as a transgender women. Furthermore, the explicit sexual display of a transsexual women in an intimate moment with another women who are both in their seventies is a constellation that goes against social conventions attempting to provoke discomfort for the audience. The New York Post critic Michael Starr calls this ‘The Transparent sex scene no one wants to see’ further stating that ‘few people want to see a transgender woman, wearing a dress, pleasuring her white-haired, 70-something ex-wife — the mother of their three children — while Mother writhes around in a bathtub’. (2015) Starr’s comment misses the point that this scene is not about his pleasure but Maura’s. Yet, his reaction demonstrates that watching sex on scripted TV is also supposed to involve pleasure for the audience. Helene Wheatley explains that sex scenes on contemporary US television can ‘provide the viewer with intentional erotic spectacle: moments, images, characters, even episodes which both seek to represent and provoke desire’. (2016:191) Hence, Starr’s reaction over Maura’s non-heteronormative desire indicates that unconventional sex scenes can create and complicate the debate about whose pleasure is enjoyable to watch.

In his comment, Starr determines different elements that contribute to this unconventional scene. Although this moment has also received positive feedback from TV critics (e.g. Dunne 2015; Syme 2015), Starr’s negative response, as well as the media attention the scene has attracted in general, demonstrates that there are still enduring stereotypical ideas about who should be shown on TV while receiving sexual pleasures. Starr’s description of this specific scene as ‘over the top’ and ‘ “enough already” territory’ (2015) also poses the question where the limits are when US television indulges with an alternative making visible of intimacy and non-heteronormative desire. Consequently, this example demonstrates that like Broad City, Transparent plays with conventions, and engages with realistic representations of sex. Due to the attention these sexual behaviours attract, the utilization of unconventional sexual content clearly works as a distinctive element for the respective series.

The depiction of nude bodies is another essential aspect of the realistic sexual content of both shows. These representations contradict the usually idealised depictions of women (and men) in cinema but, as I argue, also in television that ‘create the illusion of the ideal body (make-up, high heels or other elevation devices, steroids, silicone, nip/tuck)’ while ‘strategically placed and hued lighting can help to hide blemishes, accentuate musculature, sculpt inviting curves and hollows’. (Krzywinska 2006: 35) As mentioned beforehand, the depiction of a nude transsexual woman in Transparent has contributed to the show’s reputation of portraying transgressive bodies. In addition, Ali is frequently shown naked. Her body does not correspond to the heteronormative beauty ideal of the thin, well-shaped, and groomed women as the above mentioned mirror scene displays. Therefore, the production suggests a rather realistic and frank approach regarding the depiction of the female body.

The portrayal of a realistic female body is also visible in HBO’s Girls, a show focusing on four women in their twenties. In the series, numerous episodes display the protagonist Hannah Horvath’s (Lena Dunham) entirely nude body. Dunham’s figure does not conform with the hetero-normative, thin, idealised body and has been described problematically as ‘not, at first, attractive’ (Wiegand 2012) with ‘giant thighs, a sloppy backside and small breasts’. (Katie J. M. Baker 2013) These responses also exemplify how the patriarchal media tend to criticize normal female bodies while promoting unattainable standards of beauty. Dunham is aware that her body does not correspond to patriarchal social conventions and with the display of her normal body, she not only provokes but also mobilizes the thin body ideal. In contrast to Girls, female nudity in Transparent seems less directly exposed to the camera. The naked body is shown but rather seems like a by-product of what is happening in the scene.

What can also be observed in Transparent is the series’ primarily focus on female nudity. While most female characters on the series are shown nude or at least semi-nude, there are no entirely nude male characters. Generally speaking, in contrast to the many representations of female nudity on US premium channels and online streaming providers, male characters barely have frontal nude scenes on current non-pornographic US television. Although their naked torsos are shown, male genitals are usually not displayed on scripted TV. The HBO productions Tell Me You Love Me, Game of Thrones, and Deuce (2017-) provide some of the few exceptions for this assumption. It is important to note that when an erect penis is displayed in these shows it is always used as a prop, which indicates that the actual exposure of erect male genitals is still a taboo even on non-pornographic US television. Jane Juffer already criticized this issue in the late 1990s stating that ‘the focus on women as sexual agents, especially on the [US] premium channels, usually overwhelms any attention given to men’. (1998: 201) These observations are crucial as they not only underline the enduring double standard in the US television industry but also disclose how TV series like Transparent mark themselves on difference and yet actually do the same like other shows in this respect.

As noted earlier, nudity in Broad City is approached with more subtlety due to the network’s restrictions. Nevertheless, the show also offers an alternative to the dominating hetero-normative thin beauty ideal since neither of the two protagonists in Broad City have idealised sexual bodies. For instance, Abbi has a similar body type to Hannah in Girls. Several times Abbi is shown in a medium shot wearing only underwear, such as in ‘Knockoffs’ (2.4.) or pixelated as in ‘Mochallata Chills’ (2.2.). Furthermore, Ilana often compliments her describing Abbi as a person with ‘chocolate-brown eyes, ass of an angel’ (1.5. ‘Fattest Asses’; 3.2. ‘Co-Op’). This example illustrates how the characters see each other and challenge social conventions by praising the normal female body. In this way, the audience is invited to criticize the heteronormative beauty ideal. This strategy corresponds with the irony and self-parody Broad City often displays.

Sexual Narratives and the Representation of Different Sexually-Oriented Identities

The individual sex scenes discussed so far mostly involve heterosexual couples, although the current trend of unconventional sex practices on the TV screen also frequently comprises homosexual content. A look at the depiction of the LGBTQ community on US television reveals that they are not only underrepresented but also rarely seen in affectionate or intimate situations on mainstream television. For instance, Ellen (ABC, 1994-1998), Buffy the Vampire Slayer (The CW, 1997-2003), Will & Grace (NBC, 1998-), Ugly Betty (ABC, 2006-2010), Glee (Fox, 2009-2015), and Modern Family (ABC, 2009-) all offer LGBTQ representations but usually do not depict sexually explicit same-sex intimate scenes as this portrayal has been a taboo, specifically on broadcast TV. Exceptions are the premium cable productions The L Word, Queer as Folk, and Looking, as noted earlier, but also True Blood (HBO, 2008-2014) and the US version of Shameless. (Showtime, 2011-) For example, The L Word, Queer as Folk, and Looking focus on gay or lesbian couples and also show them during sexual acts. Specifically, Queer as Folk has been hailed for its realistic portrayal of gay characters, as well as graphic sex scenes, but also depicts the gay community as hyper-sexualised. The L Word, although focusing on a group of lesbian cis women, is strongly influenced by hetero-normative references in intimate scenes, according to Brown and Westbrook. (2013: 51) As they further identify, the show barely depicts sexual intercourse between women and ‘contextualizes sex in ways that disrupt any sense for what it might mean for a woman to act on her desire for another woman’. (Brown & Westbrook 2013: 51) In addition, the series lacks diversity and focuses on mostly white lesbian characters from the upper-middle class that are additionally feminine and correspond to the heteronormative beauty ideal. (Brown & Westbrook 2013: 49; Symes 2017: 301)

Since the release of TV shows such as Queer as Folk and The L Word in the early 2000s, demands directed towards the medium regarding the visibility of gender, sexual and racial diversity have clearly increased. This awareness simultaneously enables television to engage with minority groups and their sex lives and to spearhead discussions about it within public discourse. In addition, sexual narratives involving same-sex partners frequently contain unconventional elements. A particular example that has gained media attention in this respect is the Starz production American Gods (2017-). The episode 1.3.‘Head Full of Snow’ contains a four-minute long sex scene between two men of Muslim heritage. The scene provides a graphic depiction of both men’s sexual organs and explicit sexual positions, which is untypical, even for premium cable television.

Consequently, by not only depicting a gay sexual scene but by also offering a non-white representation of gay sex this part of the episode pushes boundaries even further. The scene offers an unconventional representation of same-sex sexual behaviours as it not only displays two men during sex but also challenges traditional Muslim religious and cultural ideology. Similar openness but less graphic depictions of non-heterosexual encounters are shown in Netflix’s Orange is the New Black and Sense8 (2015-2018), or HBO’s Girls. In comparison, sex scenes on broadcast television shows such as How to Get Away with Murder (ABC, 2014-) that include same-sex couples employ different formal devices, such as ellipsis, cutaway shots, and visual barriers to only indicate the sexual act rather than showing it. However, although these observations suggest TV’s partial engagement with the LGBTQ community, their representations are still limited and not as progressive as they initially seem.

How do Transparent and Broad City portray unconventional same-sex intimacy? As some of the scenes already discussed in this article reveal, both shows provide depictions that often play with gender fluidity and non-binary representations. Broad City engages with queerness as Ilana who identifies as bisexual brings additional complexity to the show. The series creates an unconventional queer sex scene in episode 2.9. ‘Coat Check’, where Ilana falls in love with her Doppelgänger Adele (Alia Shawkat) who looks very similar to her. When both women are seen together during an intimate moment, the scene creates a feeling of awkwardness due to their similar looks. Shortly afterwards, Ilana notices their similar appearances and breaks up with Adele explaining: ‘I have sex with people different from me…different colours, different shapes, different sizes. People who are hotter, people who are uglier. More smart, not more smart. Innies, outies. I don’t know, a Catholic person’. Ilana’s statement constructs further embarrassment and conveys uneasiness to the viewer: although she explores her sexuality throughout the series, her explanation to Adele is quite ironic considering that she was just intimate with a person looking identical to her. Their similarity adds a comedic element to the scene while Ilana’s statement and narcissism create awkwardness in this representation of intimate lesbian relationships.

Likewise, Transparent engages with unconventional sexual acts when depicting queer sex scenes. This sexual content does not necessarily receive public attention due to the display of graphic nudity, as in American Gods, but on the grounds of the people whose sexual behaviour is exposed. Most of this content in Transparent involves numerous characters that are either transgender or do not dress according to their biological gender as determined by traditional expectations. This argument specifically applies to Maura’s sexual experiences throughout the series. Episode 2.10.‘Grey Green Brown & Copper’, depicts Maura’s exploration of her sexual desire with cis-gender women called Vicky (Anjelica Huston). The scene has somewhat of a utopian quality due to the soft camera focus and the warm colours (yellow and orange) of the image created by the sunlight that enters the room. The natural light also contradicts the usual hued lighting in idealised sex scenes and underlines the series’ approach to sexual realism. Maura is at first very insecure but is able to express her sexual desire and tells Vicky exactly what she wants. Consisting mostly of close-ups of Maura’s face, the scene has no music, and both characters’ enjoyment is audible. The lack of music and focus on the characters’ noises produces further elements of sexual realism since sex scenes without the music generally seem ‘more naked, more real’. (Williams 2008: 170)

The scene also reverses the roles of gender binaries which adds an unconventional element to the episode. Unlike Maura (who underlines her femininity with dresses, skirts, jewellery, make-up, and soft voice), Vicky’s appearance tends towards the so-called masculine since she mostly wears jeans and wide lumberjack shirts. In addition, she has had a mastectomy, which is exposed during the intimate moment she shares with Maura. As a result, the appearance of both characters contradicts their biological sex, which obfuscates the traditional conceptualisations of masculinity and femininity: or in other words, works to reverse gender binaries. Yet, the scene does not display any graphic sex or sexual organs. As Carol Siegel observes, Maura’s and Vicky’s ‘sexual activity seems to consist entirely of rubbing against each other with their underpants on’ while ‘the camera remains at a chaste distance from their genitals’. (2017: 164) The show consequently avoids the explicit representation of sex involving a transgender woman in this scene which highlights limitations for online streaming providers when non-heteronormative sex is depicted.

The series further exemplifies the play with gender binaries in episode 1.7.‘Symbolic Exemplar’. Ali becomes involved with a transsexual man named Dale (Ian Harvie). After Dale tells Ali that he is interested in very feminine women, she starts to dress in a way that underlines her femininity. As the audience is familiar with Ali’s usual appearance, her change in clothing style seems to be a performance of gender and generates a discomforting effect for the viewer. Both eventually end up in a sex toy shop and buy a pink dildo and decide to use it in the bathroom of the LGBTQ centre. The scene displays the sexual tension between Ali and Dale, but when they struggle to open the packaging around the sex toy, Ali seems confused. Her feeling of uneasiness is further enforced when Dale puts lube on the dildo which then even slips out of their hands and falls on the floor. This is also the end of their romance, and the series stays away from showing this unconventional sexual union.

Moreover, like in The L Word, Transparent uses heteronormative references to create the possibility of female pleasure. Nevertheless, the scene’s exposure of gender flexibility also creates confusion, providing a deglamorized, and awkward version of non-heteronormative sexual behaviour with a comic element. This extreme representation of gender fluidity in Transparent is possible due to the show’s main focus on transgender identities. Thus, whilst showing this unconventional pair and sexual images, the series again uses comedy to represent unconventional sex in a positive light and invites the audience to learn about sexual pleasure amongst the LGBTQ community; it could consequently be argued that these shows play a role in making unconventional sex practices more ‘palatable’ to a mainstream audience.

Conclusion

Both Broad City and Transparent exemplify an ongoing trend for unconventional sexual content on recent US television. As this article has shown, Broad City and Transparent are two examples that follow HBO’s content strategy, and sex is a frequently used theme in each series. Sex scenes in both shows are deglamorized, deliberately seeking provocation, resist social conventions, and mobilise the notion of what type of sex is enjoyable to watch on television. The several depictions discussed in this article play with the boundaries of taste, as well as engage with different sexualities and various sexual practices that do not always conform to heteronormativity. This controversial content helps to brand Comedy Central and Amazon as TV companies producing stories that are viewed as edgy and controversial and illustrates how recent television series use sexual realism as a strategy for distinction and cultural relevance.

The analysis has shown that differing censorship guidelines invite very different representations of sex and sexuality. Broad City displays limitations when depicting explicit sex scenes and provides more subtlety when showing its characters in an intimate situation. Sex-positivity dominates the show, and unconventional sexual practices are depicted as positive experiences. In comparison, Transparent displays more nudity, plays with gender binaries, and the sex scenes are unconventional due to the individuals involved in them, which are mostly trans characters. However, these intimate scenes involving transsexual individuals are less explicit and sexual intercourse often does not take place.

Moreover, the series never explicitly shows any of the male characters’ genitals and consequently continues to exhibit a double standard in the representation of nude characters comparable to HBO productions. In both shows, ‘cringe’ is an important comedy element when controversial or non-heteronormative sex is presented as it conveys uneasiness to the viewer but also makes unconventional sexual practices acceptable. By using comedy and humour in unconventional sex scenes, controversial aspects can be explored which contributes to the normalisation of non-heteronormative sex practices in mainstream culture.

Although these most recent representations of sex discussed in this article exhibit progressive political value (since they depict intimacy from different gender and sexuality perspectives), it is debatable how new, progressive and influential these series really are. It is further questionable to what extent these TV productions articulate a change toward more sexually diverse television shows. As the analysis of both case studies has shown, Broad City and Transparent are unconventional and progressive compared to mainstream television. However, they are not necessarily innovative or transgressive in comparison to premium channel productions. Consequently, since both shows lack nuance around the role of sex and only reach a niche audience, their political influence is also highly doubtful.

An additional critical issue of these current trends on US television is that unconventional sex is often used as a marketing tool. TV networks and internet platforms tend to produce this unconventional content to attract attention and boost their brand value. This results in the appropriation and commodification of the LGBTQ community and unconventional sex preferences.

Notes

I would like to thank Dr Frank Krutnik and Dr Lawrence Webb who generously gave me feedback on earlier drafts of this article.

[1] According to The Hollywood Reporter, Broad City generally appeals to viewers who are between 18 and 34 years old. (Ng 2014) The article also states that the show’s first season had an average of 1.2 million viewers per episode. (Ng 2014)

[2] According to Butler, the ‘heterosexual matrix’ refers to a ‘grid of cultural intelligibility through which bodies, genders, and desires are naturalised’. (Butler 1990: 151) She further contends that ‘for bodies to cohere and make sense there must be a stable sex expressed through a stable gender (masculine expresses male, feminine expresses female) that is oppositionally and hierarchically defined through the compulsory practice of heterosexuality’. (1990: 151)

[3] The Federal Communications Commission is an independent U.S. government agency responsible for overlooking ‘America’s communications law and regulations’ while regulating ‘interstate and international communications by radio, television, wire, satellite, and cable in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories’. (The Federal Communication Commission) See more information at https://www.fcc.gov/about/overview

[4] With mainstream television, I mean most basic cable and broadcast channels.

[5] In her 2017 book Portals, Amanda Lotz concludes that although online streaming services challenge what we even define as TV, platforms such as Netflix and Amazon can still be considered television. (Lotz 2017)

[6] The frequent depiction of sex and violence on Game of Thrones, for instance, has provoked headlines such as ‘ ‘Game of Thrones’: Making Sense of All the Sex’ (Meslow 2011), or ‘Why Does Game of Thrones Feature So Much Sexual Violence?’ (Orr 2015) Likewise, the 2007 production Tell Me You Love Me raised questions if the actors in the show were actually performing real sexual intercourse in the sex scenes. (e.g. Navarro 2007; Poniewozik 2007)