Why The Mindy Project's Anal Sex Scene is Totally Okay
It was a new day for television on October 7. Primetime TV went somewhere it has never gone before.
Don’t know what I’m talking about? On The Mindy Project, anal sex was actually a main storyline in one of the recent episodes. Yep, you heard right. Butt sex on primetime TV. Who would have guessed?
In the shocking episode, Danny’s penis supposedly “slipped” during sex — towards Mindy’s ass. As if “slipping” is actually a thing, (Ladies, it’s not). Mindy was appalled and freaked out over the thought of it going there, and by the end of the episode, Danny never actually got any backdoor action. Poor guy.
Although anal sex didn’t actually happen on The Mindy Project, it sure came pretty darn close. And it seems like some of Mindy Kaling’s fans were not too happy about it.
One of Kaling’s fans admitted to being “very disappointed with the way [the episode] addressed consent,” reports US Weekly.
Kaling was quick to respond, disappointed by the negative backlash the episode received.
“I think that Danny is a wonderful character, a wish-fulfillment character, and he loves Mindy, and they have a relationship that is very understanding with each other,” she said.
“He tried something because he was trying to see what he could get away with, but I don’t think that Mindy’s reaction to it was ‘I feel violated’; it was ‘Hey man, run that by me!’ It wasn’t something that made her feel unsafe or degraded. When you’re both consenting adults, people can try things, and you can be like, ‘I busted you on that, my friend.’ That is not an issue of sexual unsafety. I understand people felt that way, and I disagree is my feeling on that, but I am sorry people felt that way.”
It’s pretty crazy how fans could go as far as to accuse Kaling of failing to address the issue of sexual consent in this episode. If anything, she did a fantastic job of talking about a common sexual taboo. Not to mention displaying a common conversation most couples have had at one time or another.
On primetime TV, sex — whether oral, vaginal, gay or lesbian — has become a common occurrence. However, anal sex is almost never brought up. In reality, many women actually do have anal and some (SHOCKER!) actually like it. But you would never know that from watching primetime TV shows.
Kaling boldly attempted to change the stigma that surrounds butt sex. Clearly, it looks like some people in society still aren’t ready to accept the general facts of life. Yes, anal sex does happen. Yes, couples talk about anal sex. And yes, it is okay for women to say “no” to anal sex if they feel uncomfortable doing it. Which is exactly what Mindy did in the show which demonstrates sexual consensual. (See, critics?)
Whether you liked it or not, this episode of The Mindy Project without a doubt sparked some important conversations about anal sex. Mainly, there is nothing to be ashamed of if you do it. And if it’s not your thing, that’s okay too. As long as it’s all in the name of consent.