Like the subject of sexual consent, it’s always there, but it’s not all there is.īest British Comedy TV Shows to Stream on Netflix UK, BBC iPlayer, Prime Video, NOW, BritBox, All4 By Louisa Mellor and 1 other The thread of identity politics is shot naturalistically through the whole fabric, through fast food and workouts and Ubers and hospital appointments and nights out. Three black gay Englishmen grimly joke about how to answer white people’s interrogation of where they’re ‘really’ from. In an Italian street, an old white woman wordlessly palpates the girls’ hair. A young black actor is asked awkwardly to denude herself of her wig at a casting. A Cambridge writing graduate questions the talent of his more successful peer and the validity of what he sees as her easy-come-by success. Those observations are characteristically sharp, and not limited to sex and power, but also class, sexuality and race. Coel’s focus is set entirely on survivors, never exploiting, only observing and empathising. Its characters have range and varied responses to what happens to them, which is the real story here. However subsuming an experience sexual assault is, I May Destroy Youshows that nobody is only that experience. That balance is achieved through a focus on character. It explores the dehumanisation of sexual assault and dilemmas of contemporary sexual relationships – threesomes, apps, hook-ups, betrayals on various scales – posing questions without slamming down answers. There’s violence, but also love and deep friendship. It puts pain and trauma on screen alongside comedy and romance. I May Destroy You, airing on the BBC and HBO, is frank, full-hearted fiction inspired by true stories around sex, sexual consent and rape. Her second screen creation after acclaimed E4 comedy Chewing Gum is an issues drama so fluent and dynamic that it entertains while it provokes. It’d be inappropriate, wouldn’t it? How can art made from trauma entertain?Īsk Michaela Coel. Audiences might expect to come away better informed and energised for change, but not entertained. When that drama is also based on real-life suffering, the prospect of entertainment slides out of view. When a drama comes prefixed by an issue (class-drama, race-drama, abuse-drama), audiences can inwardly brace for a lecture, suspicious that they’re about to be made to eat their metaphorical greens. Looking for more TV recommendations and discussion? Head over to our Facebook Group to see new picks every day, and chat with other readers about what they're watching right now.This spoiler-free review is based on the first four episodes. Readers in the US are encouraged to contact RAINN, or the National Sexual Assault Hotline on 80.ĭigital Spy now has a newsletter – sign up to get it sent straight to your inbox. Rape Crisis Scotland’s helpline number is 08088 01 03 02. If you’ve been affected by the issues raised in this story, you can access more information on their website or by calling the National Rape Crisis Helpline on 08. Rape Crisis England and Wales works towards the elimination of all forms of sexual violence and sexual misconduct. I May Destroy You is available on BBC iPlayer. With ease, I May Destroy You not only explored the normalcy of modern-day rape culture but also sought to address how vast a spectrum it entails, and how oblivious we are as a people of its perimeters. With little to any acknowledgement or openness on her part of past experiences, Theo basks in the praise she receives. Terry is not convinced Theo is any different than the liar she was years ago, while Arabella is charmed by Theo's growth and the community she's spearheaded as an adult. "The Alliance" is a fitting group name for Arabella and Terry, who even in high school are aware of the false claims made and fostered by white supremacy.īBC/Various Artists Ltd and FALKNA/Natalie SeeryĪlthough Theo was a victim of leaked photos, revenge porn and an alleged sexual assault by her father, by the end of episode six, the web of lies she's created clouds her storyline. Often times, Black women stand with – or at the forefronts of – protests and at points of contention, defending Black men when falsely accused or killed. Karens, Beckys and even Susans are aware of the privilege their whiteness grants, along with the unwarranted policing and systemic racism present in all facets of westernised society. The lynching of Emmett Till, The Exonerated Five and Christian Cooper's Central Park experience are just a few examples of this, and there are still countless more, many of which remain undocumented or widely reported. That's particularly true when it comes to issues of sexual assault and rape. Recently coined as 'Karens' by Black Twitter, there is a history of white girls and women crying wolf, using their perceived benevolence or innocence to criminalise and end Black lives.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |