To make sure you never miss out on your favourite NEW stories, we're happy to send you some reminders

Click 'OK' then 'Allow' to enable notifications

'You' Creator Explains The Significance Of That Female Masturbation Scene

'You' Creator Explains The Significance Of That Female Masturbation Scene

The creator explained why it felt so crucial to include the scene in episode 1.

Harvey Day

Harvey Day

The creator of Netflix sensation You has explained why, in her view, the show's female masturbation scene was such an important cultural moment.

The streaming giant's psychological thriller, based on the book by Caroline Kepnes, follows New York bookstore manager Joe Goldberg (Penn Badgley) who becomes deeply obsessed with a customer named Guinevere Beck (Elizabeth Lail).

And fans have fallen in love with the thriller; Netflix just revealed that around 40 million households have seen the show, which originally aired on Lifetime.

In one scene in the first episode, Lail's character can be seen masturbating when she's left alone on the sofa, unsatisfied by her selfish boyfriend, as Joe creepily watches on.

The show's co-creator Sera Gamble says the scene is an important step in 'fleshing out female characters' in terms of self-pleasure.

"I do think our culture still has some work to do to the reaction of female pleasure in general, and female agency," Sera tells Cosmopolitan UK.

"In general, as someone who makes television and as an artist, I'm interested in fleshing out female characters and being honest about what it is to be an adult woman.

"If there is still a little resistance to that, and if it does still weird people out, that just makes me want to do it more."

'You' features a female masturbation scene in the first episode.
Netflix

But You isn't the only place to feature female masturbation. Recent years have seen some excellent female masturbation scenes in film and TV, such as the Oscar-winning The Shape of Water, the BBC's Fleabag and Issa Rae's Insecure.

And in one recent survey, it was revealed that around 78 per cent of women in the UK masturbate. Sexual health experts even say it can help release sexual tension, reduce stress and relieve menstrual cramps and muscle tension.

Featured Image Credit: Netflix

Topics: You, TV Entertainment, Netflix