A Scandal-ous BDSM Representation

I recently watched an episode of Scandal that caught my attention.  This episode featured Lena Dunham guest appearing as Sue, an author of a book about her "kinky" sexual activities and rendezvous with many respected government officials, such as congressmen, senators, and even the U.S. Attorney, all described under code names.  The issue of this book getting public gets brought to Olivia Pope's attention, as this could potentially take down the career of her friend Abby, the press secretary of the White House, who is publicly dating one of the men featured in this book.  In an attempt to shut down the publication, Olivia threatens Sue to discontinue the process by blackmailing her.  Later, Sue shows up in Olivia's office asking for compensation from each of the men discussed in her book.  She then continues to confront Olivia about her stance on the issue, after Olivia insinuates that Sue would be called a "whore" if her book were to be published and decoded for the public eye.  Sue calls Olivia "weak" and disappointing, as Olivia is supposed to stand up for issues like these, in which women, like Sue, own their bodies and their sexual preferences.  She accused Olivia of not living up to her "badass" reputation.

It seemed ironic that this episode aired so close to the time of our class discussion about BDSM attitudes and Weiss's reading, Mainstreaming Kink: The Politics of BDSM Representation in U.S. Popular Media.  I felt that other than in Fifty Shades of Grey (which I still haven't seen, and I'm not sure that I'm going to...), this was the first mainstream representation of "kinky" sexual behaviors in the media that I've seen and/or noticed.  This representation struck an interesting place for me, as I have been troubled with the subject of BDSM relationships and how/if they are portrayed in general.

As I mentioned in our class discussion, the line between BDSM relationships and sexual abuse seems to me like a very thin one.  Also, how these relationships are portrayed in mainstream media can contribute to how or where to draw this thin line.  For example, I worry that some may see these relationships portrayed in mainstream media with out understanding the principles of it, such as all of the actions being consensual, and boundaries can be crossed to harm others.  However, I think that this episode of Scandal is a very interesting portrayal of BDSM relationships in that it portrays the woman of all of the sexual activities in a lot of power.  She is able to discuss and be proud of the relationships and sexual practices she takes part in, which could potentially send a new and exciting message to the public eye.  Furthermore, from the viewer's perspective (or at least from my perspective), Olivia Pope, who is often portrayed as the ultimate female superhero, is not seen as the "badass" in the scene attached above.  In fact, Sue's monologue in which she sets the record straight for Olivia is potentially one of the most powerful and "badass" monologues I've seen on television in a while.

However, one aspect of this episode that troubled me was that the men who are featured in this book were embarrassed about the stories being told about their sexual practices.  They were terrified of this book being published and did not want their BDSM practices being available for the public.  They believed this would take down their careers as government officials, and that their reputations would be dismantled.  In a meeting where all of the men get together in one room to discuss the options, each of them felt as though they had to defend their actions in some way, rather than owning that this was what they liked.  This aspect spoke to the mass' perspective on BDSM and how it would be looked down upon for government officials (or for anyone) to be participating in this kind of sexual activity so publicly, despite the fact that all of the acts were consensual in nature.

So, in a sense, this episode tackles many female stereotypes as well as BDSM stereotypes in a new way that is potentially profound in the manner the public eye views BDSM practices.  Perhaps this episode, despite the men and Olivia's disapproval, can empower women and others partaking in BDSM relationships.  Sue's perspective on her sexual behaviors is one that shows the safety and enjoyment of BDSM, rather than the fear and danger that is often associated with these practices.  I'm not sure this was Scandal's goal in producing this episode, however, I think that many who watched this episode felt the same way I do.


Works Cited:
Weiss, M. D. (2006). Mainstreaming kink: The politics of BDSM representation in US popular media. Journal of homosexuality, 50(2-3), 103-132.