With season three of Netflix’s critically acclaimed UK series Sex Education finally out as of September 17, the show’s relevance has been reinstated on social media and in social circles as viewers young and old sit down in their homes and dorms to watch a quirky group of high school students with British accents struggle with sex, social anxiety and relationships just in time for Sexual Health Awareness Month. The show is fit with comedy, love, familial disagreements, racial undertones and obviously sexuality, but why does it work and what does it say about us and our society?
When thinking about these questions, it is important to do some self-reflection on the themes tackled in the plot of the series’ last three seasons. Is sexuality a relevant part of your everyday life? What do you identify as? Are you comfortable with your sexuality? Why is the idea of sex so taboo to some? Are you scared of sex? How does your relationship with your family and the concept of religion relate to your answers to the last few questions?
As globalization and homogenization continue to have a chokehold on the Western world and its far reaches around the globe, many of us have similar answers to these questions and those like it that grew from similar experiences in our different demographics. However, it is rarely talked about or discussed due to a variety of reasons and circumstances. It could be a vulnerable conversation, one that some would view as shameful and others would view as prideful as our society becomes increasingly more liberal with some conservative concepts still reigning supreme.
It could be a conversation that scares you or one where you think no one would listen. This is why it is so important to see a wide range of sexualities and relationships portrayed in all forms of media. It gives us a sense of community and validation to the feelings we have been having since our small selves hit puberty and were thrown into a world with no safety net or instruction manual. Shows like Sex Education are our conversations that we have been patiently waiting to have. They are a pat on the back, a sign that our feelings are valid and not so far-fetched.
The show’s plot literally stems from this idea of teen sexual frustration and confusion in a high school environment, a circumstance many of us can relate to. IMDb perfectly summarizes the original plot of the show as one where “a teenage boy with a sex therapist mother teams up with a high school classmate to set up an underground sex therapy clinic at school.” Yes, I know, a little out there in terms of the likelihood of this actually taking place in reality. However, the show’s creators seem to effortlessly incorporate the wide range of sexualities and relationships of teens and adults today.
Shows like Sex Education should be on your “next watch” list. Whether you are close-minded, sexually comfortable, exploring or simply bored, the show opens up a can of worms that can lead to some important conversations and revelations about one’s self or those around you who you might not even know are struggling.