We watched Luke Warm Sex and loved it
Words by Josephine Lee from feishien.blogspot.com.au
“Sex: What is it? How do you do it? How do you become excellent at it?”
This is the premise of the six-part series, Luke Warm Sex. Even in an increasingly liberal Australian society, sex still seems taboo. And if there’s one thing you can be embarrassed about as an adult, it is ignorance when it comes to sexy time. The show’s host and writer, Luke McGregor, aims to dispel that by providing a robust lesson in sex for adults. He recruits the help of experts, counsellors and other specialists to answer all the questions you’re too afraid to ask. All of this is to make Australians better at sex, which is sure to make us all happier (and possibly boost tourism!)
Best known for playing supporting roles in Utopia and Please Like Me, as well as his own stand-up comedy, McGregor has built himself a reputation for being a perpetually nervous, socially-awkward man. This persona follows through to Luke Warm Sex, where we see McGregor engage in activities he is clearly uncomfortable doing. He forces himself to discuss his hang ups with a sex therapist and plays tennis at a nudist resort, all the while verbalising his anxieties and embarrassments to the camera. This open vulnerability lends the show some real authenticity. It almost puts the viewer at ease. After all, no one could possibly be more anxious or awkward about sex than the host himself.
Luke Warm Sex approaches the subject of sex from a naive yet inquisitive standpoint, albeit sometimes bordering on the absurd. For instance, while defining sex as “any activity undertaken for sexual pleasure between two or more adults”, McGregor is interrupted by a pig puppet that forces him to wear a hat – a skit that serves as an analogy about the importance of consent.
Other topics broached in the series are: getting comfortable with touching other people, preparing one’s body for sex, how to build intimacy and increase pleasure, and how to get creative in (or outside) the bedroom.
McGregor’s terrified, stuttering speech may make for some uncomfortable viewing and it may not be everyone’s cup of tea. However, it can’t be denied that Luke Warm Sex opens up the conversation about sexual education and intimacy between adults, something we need more of on Australian television.
Will watching this show make you better at sex? Probably not. But it is an interesting romp nonetheless.
The final episode of Luke Warm Sex airs tonight on ABC TV at 9:00pm. You can watch the whole series on ABC iView.
