Summary
Educational and entertaining, this series breaks down the many taboos and myths surrounding female sexuality, focusing on the exploration of female pleasure.
This review of the Netflix docuseries The Principles of Pleasure season 1 does not contain spoilers.
Having worked in the education sector for many years, I thoroughly understand the importance of sex education. If done right it can break taboos and provide informative debate for students. If ignored or told incorrectly there can be devastating consequences. As they say, knowledge is power. Popular culture has a bad rap in this regard, when it comes to sexual representation and misinformation, yet a handful of films and shows are helping to break these stigmas surrounding sexual orientation and sexual health. The Netflix hit series Sex Education does a lot of good in this respect and even Disney addressed menstruation with Pixar’s Turning Red. With this new Netflix series, the floor is finally given to female sexuality and an exploration of women’s pleasure.
Narrated by the sensational Michelle Buteau (The Circle host), this three-part limited series focuses on the many myths, fears, and truths concerning this topic of discussion. The show interviews women and non-binary people from a range of backgrounds, including: scientists, sex educators, and the general public. It uses your standard minimalistic animation and detailed diagrams employed in other Netflix shows such as Explained and Headspace. The interviews are brutally honest and revealing, resulting in an informative and refreshing take on our preconceptions of sex. This will hopefully help countless people out there, desperate for constructive and factual information on a seemingly forbidden subject matter.
The three episodes, each averaging around fifty minutes in length, are split into three distinct sections. There are: “Our Bodies”, “Our Minds”, and “Our Relationships”. Episode one looks at sex education, the history of sex research, and the anatomy of female genitalia, also adding discussion on issues regarding race, the female orgasm, and sex toys. It highlights the deep-rooted misogyny and shame surrounding the topic, with a vital need to break these old-fashioned stereotypes.
Episode two delves more into the science around the topic, exploring the intricacies of the brain and what actually causes hormones or desire. In the final episode, the show concentrates on the relationship aspect to pleasure, what we look for in a partner, watching pornography as a couple, context, and consent. It all adds up to a fun and informative journey through sexual discovery, allowing females the opportunity to learn about their own bodies without feeling judged. This is an educational and entertaining series that promotes the mantra that everyone deserves pleasure. It’s encouraging that Netflix continues to endorse these essential types of documentaries.
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