The scene in episode two where Kwame hooks up with the guy from Grindr, is the first time I’ve seen such explicit sexual scenes take place between two Black men. Most programmers are too cowardly to push boundaries, but Coel has destroyed all types of boundaries. ![]() So much of what’s happening in the show really does take place. I initially found it uncomfortable to watch, but then I realised this is exactly how life can be. The show focuses on a lot of things that most programmes would be scared to go into in any kind of depth. “ I May Destroy You is very explicit and in your face. Like me, he is of mixed West African heritage. Reese works in the fashion industry, and is the owner of DAM Model Management and Noire Concierge, a personal concierge company. We were so happy and just really honoured to be part of it.” Hassan Reese, owner of DAM Model Management ![]() But the beauty of the show is the fact that we can be educated, and we can laugh and enjoy it at the same time. The reality of the situation is misunderstood because there’s this idea that you have consented to the sex. And when we’ve talked about it after the fact, they come to see it as a violation. I’ve got so many friends that have been in that situation. It’s educational.Īs for the stealthing scene, it made me feel uncomfortable – but it was a necessary discomfort. So to capture the stealthing element of what rape could be is so important. Growing up, we were taught by our parents, school and the media that rape is literally someone pinning you down in an alley. ![]() What I love about what Michaela has done is she’s captured those nuances of these topics. “I feel like when shows represent sexual assault, sexual abuse and rape, that aspect of it is usually left out. The podcast she is listening to is real-life series The Receipts, hosted by Tolani Shoneye, Audrey Indome, and Milena Sanchez. In the following episode, while listening to a podcast for sexual-assault survivors, Arabella concludes that he has assaulted her. In the show, Arabella has – spoiler alert – consensual sex with a fellow writer, who covertly takes the condom off during the act. These stories are so vital for people to see, challenge themselves and learn.” Audrey Indome, host of The Receipts podcast It made me wonder if they would feel comfortable talking about sexual assault. Kwame’s sexual assault made me feel extremely uncomfortable, it was scary to think that could something like that could happen to myself or any of my Black queer friends. And I definitely never saw anyone like me on a TV show like this – until now. I never saw anyone in magazines like me, and I wasn’t listening to any pop artists who were like me either. I didn’t meet anyone that was like me until I was 21. “When I was younger, there was no one around who I felt was anything like me. He is out and proud despite some of the difficulties that comes with this, because of his Sierra Leonean heritage. Samba helps to distribute PrEP to queer men of colour. Phil Samba, Strategic Lead for PrEP at Prepster I spoke to some other Black Brits to discover their thoughts on the way sexuality is represented in the show. This is what makes this show so groundbreaking – and I know I’m not the only one who feels this way. This is ultimately linked to the idea that any admissions of these kinds of goings-on within the community would strip away our status as ‘good immigrants’. Diasporic communities tend not to talk candidly about any of the topics explored on the show, and phrases like ‘sexual assault’ are rarely uttered. Navigating structural oppression, while also trying to understand the complexities of my sexuality, has been a major point of contention in my life. Like Coel and her charming assortment of lead characters, I’m also a child of the diasporic West African community. Even our generation’s libidinal ecology has been strictly limited to privileged caucasian women ( Fleabag, Catastrophe, GIRLS, Sex and the City, I’m looking at you). It’s a genuine rarity: normally, depictions of Black culture on television tend to be limited to gritty, estate life struggles, which doesn’t acknowledge the breadth of our lived experiences. Although the drama’s main theme is sexual assault, it also spotlights the universal themes of friendship, survival, masculinity, internalised homophobia and race.įor Black Brits whose realities are grounded in the capital’s exciting creative scene, Coel’s mesmerising story arcs are giving us life. The London-set series stars Coel as Arabella, a young woman who must rebuild her life after she experiences drug-assisted rape. So what makes it so groundbreaking?įor the past month, TV audiences have been shocked, captivated and in awe of Michaela Coel’s 12-part BBC/HBO drama I May Destroy You. ![]() Michaela Coel’s show has been widely praised for its bold portrayals of race, sexual assault, homophobia and survival.
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