Justice

Shonda Rhimes Just Nailed the Hypocrisy With Sex And Violence On TV

September 25th 2015

"Scandal" creator Shonda Rhimes said in a new interview that she would like her daughters to have good sex someday, as people often treat sex as a taboo subject but take a blind eye to violence on television.

Rhimes' series often includes sex scenes and the writer explained how the show has received backlash for it. She told Women's Health that societal criticism of sex on television is mind-blowing, especially when you consider violence in entertainment.

"I have three daughters, and I find it fascinating that you can shoot someone in the face on network television, show the whole thing, watch their brains fly out of the back of their head, and no one blinks," she told the publication. "But people are shocked when you show anybody having sex. I hope my daughters grow up to have amazing sex. I really do."

Rhimes added that she would rather her daughters enjoy sex, which is a normal part of life, than turn to gun violence.

"I do not hope they grow up to shoot someone in the face," she continued. "You know what I mean? I feel like there are ways to represent women owning their sexuality and having a strong point of view about it and it not being this taboo thing that’s hidden in some closet somewhere."

Rhimes's drama series "How to Get Away With Murder" made headlines last year for featuring gay sex scenes, a move that many felt revolutionized gay representation in television. Rhimes was praised on the internet for fighting back against trolls who found the scenes unnecessary:

Last year, Entertainment Tonight writer John Boone lauded Rhimes' long history of sex scenes in her shows, noting this is a big reason people love her work so much.

"If you don’t like the sex that’s happening on Shonda Rhimes shows, turn the damn channel. Because the brains behind Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal and the executive producer of How to Get Away With Murder isn’t going to censor herself for you... [A]ren’t the sex scenes half the reason we watch a Shondaland show in the first place?! ['Scandal' is the closest] any of us are going to get to having sex with the president."

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