Netflix’s ‘The Principles Of Pleasure’ Enlightened Me On How Patriarchy Altered My Perspective On My Sexuality And Body
As a grown woman, there are a lot of things I look back on which make me cringe now: how gullible I used to be, my naive belief that I will be sorted at 24, my overall hope from life, you know? The usual. However, what is more cringey than my childhood fantasy of having a full-fledged career by 21 is all the weird myths I had regarding how my body, sexuality and how sex works as a whole. Would you believe that I genuinely thought that communicating your needs to your partner while being intimate shouldn’t be done because it will somehow kill the mood?! Anyway, I should be kinder to teen me. A lot of my presumptions regarding sex and intimacy came from media where the couple just has sexual compatibility with zero communication, everything smooth sailing. Obviously, things are different in reality. However, I was recently educated regarding my body and female sexuality when I watched the Netflix 3 part documentary named The Principles Of Pleasure directed by Niharika Desai and narrated by comedian Michelle Buteau. After staying up till an ungodly time watching this enlightening documentary, I feel like everyone should be watching it. So let me review The Principles Of Pleasure and convince you to watch it too.
Episode 1: Our Bodies
This one gave me a reality check and more. There is so much I did not know about my own basic anatomy and how my body functions. And honestly? It made me question that if I do not know how my body works, how am I supposed to know what works for me sexually? This episode of The Principles Of Pleasure enlightened me about the basic biology and anatomy of the female body. Also, be ready for the very explicit content on this one! There is a crash course for sex toys too for those that are noobs to this as well by sex edutainer Dirty Lola. Essentially, this episode focuses on the decades of falsely done research on the female body. It focuses on the myths and taboos; making you want to unlock and explore your true sexuality.
View this post on Instagram
Also Read: ‘RRR’ Review: Come Only For The Rajamouli Spectacle, Energy, Ram Charan And Jr. NTR. Writing And Logic Have An Even Smaller Role Than Alia Bhatt
Episode 2: Our Minds
Okay, so you know how we all tend to blame every negative emotion we have on hormones? Yeah, be ready to have that and many more myths busted. This episode of The Principles Of Pleasure will focus on how your brain plays a role in finding sexual pleasure. It will talk about what we find attractive and why, hormones, and the link between our bodies and minds. It will also take us through the effect of birth control pills and it is significance in feminist history.
View this post on Instagram
Episode 3: Our Relationships
After the first 2 episodes focus on pleasuring yourself and educating yourself regarding your anatomy and sexuality, the third and final instalment to The Principles Of Pleasure focuses on how to introduce a partner into the mix. The episode discusses consent, sexual context and communication in sexual relationships. It speaks about how a partner can help you achieve orgasm and you, them. It also talks about what one finds attractive in a partner and your turn-ons and turn-offs.
View this post on Instagram
Also Read: In 1976, Shere Hite Wrote About Orgasms, Masturbation And Female Sexuality Upsetting Many Men. Rest In Power, Always.
Final Verdict
I do not care what your age, gender or sexuality is, I will suggest that everyone watches The Principles Of Pleasure. Firstly, I absolutely loved how inclusive the documentary was; interviewing people from different gender identities, sexualities, age groups, races and body types. Because of this, I felt less awkward while being so openly and explicitly being educated about a subject that is otherwise taboo. The different types of women discussing their sexual experiences made me feel comfortable in mine as well. Secondly, this will open your eyes to so much that might have gone unnoticed by you and will bust myths and misconceptions which you have held for years. And most importantly, The Principles Of Pleasure will get you started on feeling comfortable in your skin. It features women from all walks of life and will get you comfortable with the idea of your body, sexuality and exploring both because that is what it did for me. Also, they have a host of qualified and educated people who are talking about female anatomy and sexuality; doctors, researchers, sex educators etc. they have them all! Also, the data is presented in such a casual, and light-hearted tone along with beautiful illustrations, animations and visuals that it even kept my pathetic attention span on it throughout the 3 episodes. Having said that I will give The Principles Of Pleasure a solid 5/5.
The Principles Of Pleasure is streaming on Netflix.
Gabriella Demetriades Reveals How She Was Conscious About Her Hip Size. We’ve All Been There!
