With the rapid progress of digital technology, the Internet-distributed television exemplified by Netflix has become increasingly popular. Influenced by this inevitable phenomenon, contemporary television content has undergone a significant transformation, innovation and revolution. The production side has been consistently exploring different storytelling angles and new possibilities of representations in terms of gender, race, sexuality, etc. 

Netflix’s Sex Education is a phenomenal comedy about teen struggles and the sex therapy clinic operated by Otis and Maeve to give students sex advice. Otis’ best friend Eric Effiong is considered one of the most successfully portrayed characters – He is from a religious lower-class African family, having been hurt a lot because of his homosexuality and dress-up. We can analyse this complicated and vivid character using the concept of intersectionality, a framework to understand how overlapping social identities create both discrimination and privilege. Constructing Eric with multiple marginalised identities tends to make the audience unconsciously create expectations even before the story is told, mainly building upon usual stereotypes in society. Nevertheless, Sex Education accurately depicted how Eric would feel, act and be treated under certain situations and how they may affect him (Hilkemeijer, 2019). As this clip shows, along with Eric’s resonating experiences and some inspiring lines, this authenticity drives the audience to empathise with him: He doesn’t need to be exactly like any of them, but he already speaks, loves and shows one can feel free to be himself on behalf of many people.

Eric and Sex Education are examples of Netflix’s dimensional diversity strategies, which can be deconstructed into four main parts: differentiation, representation, indigenisation, and cosmopolitanism (Asmar et al., 2022). As a pioneer, Netflix has achieved a great response, expanding its audience and generating transnational appeal. 

Reference: 

Asmar, A., Raats, T. and Van Audenhove, L. (2022) “Streaming difference(s): Netflix and the branding of Diversity,” Critical Studies in Television: The International Journal of Television Studies, p. 174960202211295. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1177/17496020221129516.

Hilkemeijer, S.C.A. (2019) “isn’t it better to be who I am?”: Research into the depiction of Eric’s intersectional character in sex education, Utrecht University Student Theses Repository Home. Available at: https://studenttheses.uu.nl/handle/20.500.12932/35401 (Accessed: November 6, 2022). 

Peijia Hu – 2022/11/07