Fun
Frisky
Nostalgic
Intense
Adventurous
Choked Up
Curious
Romantic
Weird
Though HBO may have put their foot down recently with their refusal to allow a scene of certain substance on Girls, what they have allowed to be on the show has been far from mild. Lena Dunham’s penchant for shocking viewers with scenes that involve things like Q-tips and peeing in the shower to rim jobs and role-playing has certainly been divisive, albeit genuine in their portrayal of the awkwardness that comes with sexual encounters. What Dunham has done both in film and on television has arguably shifted the norms when it comes to what we expect from sex scenes, especially because they’re not necessarily sexy (in fact, they are very rarely sexy in nature).
Dunham’s feature film debut, Tiny Furniture, is similar to Girls on many levels (the common cast members aside). Dunham plays Aura, a recent college graduate, single and jaded, who returns home to live with her mother and overachieving sister (played by Dunham’s real mother and sister). A shitty job mixed with relationship and friendship drama eventually leads to Aura having unprotected sex in a construction yard pipe with a former co-worker (who has a girlfriend). It’s safe to say that this unconventional sex scene was a foreshadower of what was to come, because the first sexual encounter on Girls involves Dunham’s character Hannah being pulled onto all fours and asked to play “the quiet game” by booty call Adam (Adam Driver).
Here are just some of the most boundary-pushing sex scenes of Lena Dunham (a list that will surely expand with Girls‘ final season).
No Hard Hat Required
Dunham’s feature film debut was an indicator of sex scenes to come – after pining for a junior chef from the restaurant she works in, Aura (Dunham) finally decides to be spontaneous and make a move on him (even though he has a girlfriend). They proceed to have sex in a pipe in a construction yard, and what ensues is exactly the kind of awkwardness we become accustomed to on Girls.
The Quiet Game
The first sexual encounter we ever witness between Hannah and Adam sets the precedent for all the sex scenes to come. After being asked to leave her internship, a mildly despondent Hannah stops by Adam’s house and has sex with him. He positions her on all fours, and as she continues to express concerns mid-coitus about why she isn’t ready for anal sex, Adam tells her “let’s play the quiet game!”
The Old College Try
College friends Marnie (Allison Williams) and Elijah (Andrew Rannells) find themselves in a precarious position when the two are left alone (and are feeling lonelier than either would care to admit) and impulsively begin to hook up. Though he is trying to explore the “hetero side” of his bisexuality, Elijah soon realizes he can’t maintain an erection, and the two sit on the couch in an incredibly awkward silence.
Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star...Fish
After driving herself insane with desire for eccentric, confident artist Booth Jonathan (Jorma Taccone), Marnie finally sleeps with him (and is forced to look at a creepy doll during this terrible tryst). She soon realizes that it’s dangerous to put people on pedestals, because Booth’s bedroom performance is far from satisfying – even though he’s told her he “knows how to do things”. Marnie being Marnie, though, she continues to fake it till she makes it (or doesn’t).
Slippery Shenanigans
This shower sex scene between Tad (Peter Scolari) and Loreen (Becky Ann Baker) is the manifestation of the nightmares every child has about witnessing their parents engage in intercourse. While it evidently does not end well (Tad slips and gets knocked unconscious), the fact that Dunham chooses to let her parents in on the fun that the rest of the cast is part of is what sets Girls apart from anything else on TV.
Roleplay Gone Wrong
Hannah’s attempt to spice things up with Adam while he’s preoccupied with play rehearsals allows for some of the most uncomfortable humor Girls has to offer. Donning a blonde wig and the identity of a hedge fund manager’s lonely wife (and some seriously complicated undergarments), Hannah’s sexy plans for the evening go awry when she changes roles mid-sex and frustrates Adam, who doesn’t see the problem with their sex life as it is since they’ve fallen in love.
Mutual (And Not So Mutual) Masturbation
Girls has always been transparent about masturbation in conversation, and it’s never shied away from showing it, either. In the first season, Adam does not allow Hannah to touch him after she walks into his room and finds him masturbating, and instead just asks her to tell him how much she likes to watch. The scene concludes with Hannah taking $100 out of Adam’s wallet for her “services”, as well as taxi fare and pizza. Adam once again engages in self-pleasure in the fifth season, but this time, he does it alongside Jessa (Jemima Kirke), since she’s feeling conflicted about going behind Hannah’s back and does not want to sleep together (yet).
A Change of Pace
House of Cards star Corey Stoll enters Girls‘ sixth season as famous reporter Dill Harcourt, Elijah’s latest enigmatic love interest. Though Elijah has typically been unlucky in love, it seems like Dill might just be the thing he’s been looking for, and when the two finally sleep together, Dill proves to be very demanding in bed (“F*ck me! Stop talking! Harder! Faster! Slower! Stop, stop, stop!”) as they attempt to find a pace that works for the both of them.
The Least Virgin-y Virgin
Determined not to be the last virgin in her friend group anymore, Shoshanna’s attempt to lose her virginity to an old friend from camp (Skylar Astin) blows up in her face after she admits that this is her first time: “I’m like, the least virgin-y virgin ever.”
The Kiss-Ass
Yes, that scene. The one that got everyone talking. If you didn’t cringe thinking about the fact that Brian Williams has seen this scene from Girls, watching it will accomplish that for you. Before Marnie married and divorced Desi (the dreamy musician who evidently turns out to be an insufferable man baby), she was busying herself as his mistress, proclaiming her love for him after he surfaced from burying his face in her ass.
Blurred Lines
This controversial scene between Adam and rebound Natalia (Shiri Appleby) caused quite the stir upon its airing – was Adam a rapist? Did Girls go too far? Here we witness Adam sabotage the first healthy relationship he’s been a part of in a long time, and the degradation of Natalia is one that’s difficult to watch. It concludes with the perhaps one of the most graphic shots (the money shot) on the show – even for HBO – as he finishes on her chest, even after she asks him not to. “Is that it? Are you done with me?” Adam asks, not even attempting an apology after Natalia expresses her discomfort with what’s just happened. The ambiguity surrounding consent is what might make this the scene that’s pushed boundaries further than any other on the show.
