Teen Movies And Shows That Explored Sexuality

Growing up I enjoyed being able to watch shows centred around young people and sexuality. It was not only entertaining but it showed me a different side to sex and similar situations I’ve found myself in. One show I wish I watched? Skins! A popular British drama.. I might just crash watch it. Nonetheless below are some movies and programmes I learnt a thing or two from.

Sugar Rush
I still remember staying up late at night just to watch Sugar Rush back in 2005. The teen drama explored the sexualities of both homosexual and hetrosexual women ….oh boy did I enjoy it. I was in love with the lead character Sugar, but not nearly as in love as Kim, her best friend another lead, who was basically obsessed and infatuated with Sugar. It was full of sex, manipulation, crabs, french kisses and basically every teen problem you can imagine.

Both seasons followed the two 15 year-olds and their crazy Brighton adventures. What made this so eye-opening for me was how free Sugar was when it came to sleeping with guys and how she never took relationships too seriously. Now, you’re probably thinking ‘Well, that’s nothing new’ but I was also 15 years of age when it first aired and to me it really was! If Sugar had gone to my school with her antics she’d be branded a slag, a thot, fit-a-word-that-best-describes-a-women-who-enjoys-sex-here.

Another important note here was the damaging relationship in Kim and Sugars friendship. It’s clear that once Sugar found out how Kim feels, she takes their friendship for granted. You can watch the re-runs online somewhere

KIDS
If you haven’t watched KIDS I’d suggest you do so when you have a bit of spare time. The cast in this film are in their early teens and it has a pretty awesome moral at the end of it. The film follows Telly, his best friend Casper and a few others and if I remember correctly the whole plot happens in a day.

Telly is on a quest to sleep with as many virgins as possible (the nerve of this little ass kid) he literally spits the same game to every single girl. Another main character is Jennie who was also part of the string of women Telly is adamant in deceiving. Now, while he’s the only guy she’s been sexually intimate with, the same can’t be said for Telly. Jennie and her friend Ruby who does have unprotected sex regularly, go to get a HIV check up and as I can only imagine are both shitting their pants.

I’m not going to spoil the film, but what I loved about it was the awareness it brought around being sexually active and young. The importance of condoms and just being educated enough before going all the way. It was released in 1995, yet it’s still SO relevant.

Turn Me On, Dammit!
Turn Me On, Dammit! is another film that follows a sex obsessed teen called Alma in Skoddeheimen, Norway.

She’s shunned by her high school mates and made to feel like an outcast after an awkward sexual encounter between herself and a guy she has a crush on. The problem is the sexual act was very odd and when she tells her friends, they don’t believe her. Annoying right? I know.

It kind of reminds you of that one person in year 11 who you heard did something ‘slutty’ at the back of the P.E sheds in school and is associated with it for the rest of the year. She even gets dubbed ‘dick-alma’!

You also see the lead character Alma run up her mums phone bill due to one too many steamy phone sex calls with a random hotline service. It touches on masturbation, sexual fantasies with the same sex and so much more. You can also watch this online, just make sure you have on English subtitles.

The reason I loved these movies and programmes were because it allowed me to know that the sexual desires I had were normal. Talking about sex in your mid teens was never something that was easily discussed, especially when friends denied touching their very own clitoris’. It was relatable and admittedly part of my sex ed growing up.

What were you fav teen movies that explored sexuality? Tweet me @Oloni or @SimplyOloni