Asexuality portrayal on TV show Sirens (spoilers for 4/3/2014 episode herein)
I'm watching Sirens, a new TV show in the US about paramedics. It's a comedy. In the 4 episodes I have seen so far, it has been irreverent about life, death, relationships, pornography, family, pretty much everything.
Tonight, the new paramedic wanted to ask another one out. He was warned against it by his co-workers because they said she wasn't into guys - she was asexual. There was a fair bit of giggling from the gay and straight and clearly sexual paramedics. I was convinced they were going to throw it off just for laughs.
Then the next day, the one interested in the asexual person said that he had researched asexuality, found it was a "new movement," with a "manifesto" and a symbol of a "grey triangle."
He then brought up asexuality TO her, and she said "I'm just asexual, I don't march in the parades."
He brought up the celibate trope. She explained the difference. He brought up the "just a phase trope." She shot it down. He tried to ask her out. She said she liked him but wasn't into sex and was even less into talking about how she didn't like sex. They later had a sort of date.
OH MY WORD. This may have been the most realistic, and despite appearing in an irreverent comedy, respectful portrayal of asexuality I have ever seen in mass produced media. Ever.
(Except for the manifesto. I don't think we have a manifesto. . . but I can forgive that. Because wow.)
Tonight, the new paramedic wanted to ask another one out. He was warned against it by his co-workers because they said she wasn't into guys - she was asexual. There was a fair bit of giggling from the gay and straight and clearly sexual paramedics. I was convinced they were going to throw it off just for laughs.
Then the next day, the one interested in the asexual person said that he had researched asexuality, found it was a "new movement," with a "manifesto" and a symbol of a "grey triangle."
He then brought up asexuality TO her, and she said "I'm just asexual, I don't march in the parades."
He brought up the celibate trope. She explained the difference. He brought up the "just a phase trope." She shot it down. He tried to ask her out. She said she liked him but wasn't into sex and was even less into talking about how she didn't like sex. They later had a sort of date.
OH MY WORD. This may have been the most realistic, and despite appearing in an irreverent comedy, respectful portrayal of asexuality I have ever seen in mass produced media. Ever.
(Except for the manifesto. I don't think we have a manifesto. . . but I can forgive that. Because wow.)