Stop the presses with fun and feminism
Minx, impressed by feminist magazines from the Seventies resembling Playgirl, Cosmopolitan and Viva, lands within the not often explored sub-genre of “feminist porn comedy”. The Lionsgate Play collection is ready at a time of second-wave feminism, when ladies got here out strongly out to demand equal rights and take possession of their sexuality. Some feminist publications revealed considerate articles about necessary points resembling contraception and marital rape round pictures of nude males.
The ten-episode Minx, created by Ellen Rapoport, is centred across the titular journal in Los Angeles and its idealistic founding editor, Joyce Prigger (Ophelia Lovibond). As a feminist, the Gloria Steinem-worshipping Joyce aspires to publish her dream journal titled The Matriarchy Awakens. Composite characters in Minx resembling Wendy Mah (Alicia Hannah-Kim) and Victoria Harnett (Hope Davis) signify feminist writers and icons of the time.
When all different doorways are closed to Joyce by smug male publishers, an opportunity encounter with Doug Renetti (Jake Johnson) presents Joyce a chance she desires to refuse however can’t. Doug is the maverick proprietor of Backside Greenback Publications, notorious for grownup content material magazines.
Doug rebrands Minx into erotica aimed toward ladies. With naivete and fervour pitted towards patriarchal management and business motives, Joyce and Doug are continually at odds. He desires her to make critical writing extra palatable and accessible to a bigger readership. She pushes again towards his dumbed-down concepts, attempting to keep up her integrity and a feminine gaze. The journal lands someplace in between and shortly turns into a title that can’t be ignored.
Rapoport isn’t totally reverential with regards to feminist icons. She portrays their elitism and contrasts their particular mental stance with what appeals to a suburban American housewife, represented by Joyce’s sister Shelly (Lennon Parham). The connection between the sisters, which matches towards stereotypes, is among the many most gratifying components of Minx.
Rapoport subverts different character stereotypes, together with the topless mannequin Bambi (Jessica Lowe), who isn’t any bimbo, and Doug’s relationship along with his assistant Tina (Idara Victor). One other wealthy layer is the symbiotic relationship and collaboration between the feminists and pornographers within the Backside Greenback workplace.
The world-building and set-up are among the many sturdy fits of a present that blends feminism right into a pornography backdrop whereas additionally celebrating the Seventies. Johnson delivers an brisk efficiency as the marginally matted however resolute Doug. Whereas Lovibond matches as much as her sparring companion with a gloves-off response, Joyce stays unclear and but cussed. For all of the present’s daring imagery of women and men within the nude, the enjoyable and wit, and Lovibond’s bouncy efficiency, Joyce is the one character who doesn’t shed her pores and skin.
