Sexposition
In visual media such as film and television, sexposition is the practice of providing exposition – that is, background information required for the viewer's understanding – against a backdrop of sex or nudity.[1] Its purpose, according to James Poniewozik, is to divert the audience and give characters something to do while exposition is being delivered, which is what distinguishes sexposition from merely gratuitous titillation.[1]
The neologism was coined in 2011 by the blogger and critic Myles McNutt[2] to describe the numerous scenes in the HBO fantasy TV series Game of Thrones[1] in which characters talk while they have sex with prostitutes or watch them having sex. It has since been applied to similar practices in many earlier works, including the older HBO shows Deadwood and The Sopranos (frequently set in a strip club), many older cop films (likewise) and even the 1930s comic strip Jane. What's new is not the nudity as such, according to Poniewozik, but rather that it increasingly tends to accompany exposition, of which older TV shows with less complex plots did not have as much need.[1]
While acknowledging that individual sexposition scenes can have a legitimate dramatic purpose, some writers and critics have expressed disdain for the use of sexposition as a "shtick". They consider that it uses exploitation tactics, insults the audience's intelligence and covers up the screenwriter's failure, which is having to rely on long segments of exposition in the first place.[1]
References
- ^ a b c d e Hann, Michael (11 March 2012). "How 'sexposition' fleshes out the story". The Guardian. Retrieved 29 March 2012.
- ^ Originally in: McNutt, Myles. "Game of Thrones – "You Win or You Die"". May 29th, 2011. Retrieved 29 March 2012.