Safe Sex & Condom Use Will Play A Bigger Role On ‘Insecure’ In The Future, Says Issa Rae

Everyone’s got a hot take on sex these days, and if you think HBO shows are exempt from sexual analysis, think again. The second season of Issa Rae‘s acclaimed comedy Insecure is in full swing, and there is a lot of sex this time around. Last week, essays critiquing the apparent lack of condoms on Insecure made the rounds, and fans did not waste any time chiming in with their own opinions on the matter. Showrunner Prentice Penny addressed the controversy on Twitter, imploring viewers to watch without “asking if they use condoms” because of the unspoken writers’ room assumption that they’re always used.

Penny’s tweet sparked further discussion, with many seeing validity on both sides of the argument. “I understand viewers wanting to see condoms used on Insecure,” one Twitter user wrote. “But I also understand the writers thinking you should assumed they’re used.” Last night’s episode, which featured a threesome that seemingly employed no condoms, again revived the conversation. “I wish Issa Rae would showcase condom use on #Insecure. It’s actually sexy AND responsible,” one tweet (in a sea of many) read.

It didn’t take long for word of this buzz to reach Rae and the rest of the Insecure team, and the importance of the subject was not lost on her. Rae took to her own Twitter account to address the condom controversy, noting that they were generally placed in the background of scenes, but that she understood the criticism and would “do better” in the future.

While Rae’s understanding of the importance of depicting safe sex is certainly significant, one has to wonder what the implications are of bowing to audience pressure in this manner. If a tweetstorm can lead to changing the way sex scenes are written, what’s next? Responding to audience feedback is one thing, but modifying storytelling methods is another – and might set a dangerous precedent. As echoed by Penny, the implication of protection is generally present, but to maintain emotional beats, every step of intercourse isn’t always depicted on screen.

There also seems to be another factor at play here; while criticism regarding the apparent lack of condom use on Insecure has run fairly rampant, it’s hard to recall these kinds of conversations having occurred around other sex-heavy HBO series like Girls and Sex and the City, which also did not make condom use a frequent focal point. This did not go over the heads of the plethora of tweeters making their opinions known, either. Many acknowledged that Insecure was far from being the only show that doesn’t make condom use obvious, and that it seems totally bizarre that so much outrage has been targeted at one series:

Whether we’ve reached a point where television’s depiction of sex is so seemingly impactful that we need to include every detail or Insecure is being unfairly scrutinized remains to be seen, but since the internet has won this round, one thing we will be seeing is a lot more condom use next season.

Where to Stream Insecure