The Intimacy of Masturbation

You watch Misfits right? You don't? Well you definitely should. Misfits is a British television show that centers around a group of delinquents. During some weird freaky storm they all get super powers along with a few other people. Only, not all these powers can be used to save the world. Here's a clip from the show below. ( I wish Youtube had better clips that tell you more about the show, but you can definitely check it out on Hulu)

Alicia is attractive ad portrayed as permiscuous. After the storm, she learns that any person that touches her will want to have sex with her and can't control themselves, let alone even remember it. IT may seem great that she can get any guy she wants but her story is a tragic one. This ruins her self-esteem. Her boyfriend can't even touch her without suddenly feeling the aggressive need to have sex with her and not even remember it happened. What do you do when you really care about someone but you can't touch each other, kiss each other or have sex with each other? Masturbation of course!

The show poses masturbation as an alternative to sex, something we discussed in class. Masturbating is definitely shown as a preventative measure here, although the circumstances are vary unusual. Wouldn't masturbation get boring after a while though? What if you want companionship. The show has the answer for that too. Alicia and her boyfriend Curtis masturbate in front of each other, sharing an intimate moment. Masturbation between the two characters is much more intimate than sex. If the two were to have sex, Alicia would be thought of nothing more than a sexual object, quickly forgotten about afterward.

Check out a clip here 

Delgado and Austin's (2007) study results on media intervention  suggests that popular television shows can promote recall of sexual health-related messages. Sexual health content in the media is rare; however, when present it is often humorous or humiliating (Hust, Brown, & Ladin L’engle, 2008). In this case of Misfits, the show's sexual content is definitely meant to be humorous. But this could be a method of attracting young viewers and interesting them. Rarely does a show present an alternative preventative aside from abstinence or condom use. Here is the rare case where masturbation is presented as a preventative measure for sex, rather than a precursor for sex.

I think the show also debunks the myth that sex equates to intimacy. In the show, being desirable is worthless because that comes relatively easy. Any person Alicia touches will find her desirable and irresistable, moreover, she has no control over it- she can't turn her powers on and off. This speaks to the stereotype that all men want to have sex with an attractive woman and sex is all consuming. The show highlights that emotions are the gateway to forming a worthwhile connection. Any form of physical interaction is rendered meaningless in Alicia's case.