idk if "sex scenes are bad!" is a widespread opinion or just a recurring viral Take, but IMO there's a direct link between "sex scenes are bad" + the absence of sex in mainstream movies.

if you're exposed to a wider range of sex scenes, you become more discerning! https://twitter.com/WrittenByHanna/status/1344160722180321280

if your main reference for sex scenes is something like Game of Thrones, then of course many people will form a negative view. because GoT's view of sexuality is exploitative & misogynist.

it's aiming for a narrow audience that the creators wrongly assume is "mainstream."

that being said, the sex scenes & nudity in GoT aren't any more "unnecessary" than the fight scenes, because both are there to titillate & provide shock value. that's the intentional tone of the show!

Bridgerton is based on a very popular style of fantasy-historical romance novel, where sex scenes are part of the appeal - and part of the narrative. unlike Jane Austen adaptations, which are (at most!) PG-rated, and onscreen sex isn't necessary or appropriate.

i often see TV shows include cringey sex scenes whose only purpose is to signpost their ~adult~ rating, with little thought to plot or character. meanwhile modern blockbusters are infamously unsexy, but completely fine with violence.

as always, mainstream pop culture has a lot to learn from fanfiction, where sex is more likely to be integrated into plot & character development, and *not* catering to an implicitly sexist audience of straight men.

there are also plenty of reasons to include sex scenes other than like, horniness or exploitation lol. which seems like an obvious statement for novels, indie dramas, etc, but is somehow controversial take for hollywood movies.

anyway: i, too, am tired of exploitative & heterosexist sex scenes! but that doesn't mean they're the only kind that exist.